Instant Pot Hard-Cooked Eggs in the 6-quart or 8-quart Pots

By Kath Dedon

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If you have followed my blog for any length of time, this post is going to make you think I’m obsessed with hard boiled eggs. I’m not really obsessed, but Bob and I both like having a few hard boiled eggs in the refrigerator for a quick breakfast or snack. So when I see a new recipe for “perfect” hard boiled eggs, I’m eager to try it.

You’ll note that I am not calling this post Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs. There’s a reason for that. I have already posted 3 different methods for “perfect” hard cooked eggs (Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs and Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches, Perfect Instant Pot Hard-Cooked Eggs, and Perfect Hard Cooked Eggs, in case you’re curious). None of them turned out to be perfect.

I have come to realize that there are just too many variables that can affect how the eggs turn out. The size of the eggs (not all of the “large” eggs I buy appear to be the same size), the temperature of the eggs (right from the refrigerator or room temperature), and the freshness of the eggs are just a few of the variables that could make a difference.

And then, of course, there’s personal preference. My idea of a perfectly cooked egg may not be the same as yours. Although I think we can all agree that we don’t want the dreaded green ring around the yolk.

I really thought I had the best method for Instant Pot eggs, but there are a couple of problems with it. I’m not sure every electric pressure cooker has a Low Pressure function. And, if you have an 8-quart Instant Pot, it probably wouldn’t work for you. Carrie tried it in hers and the eggs were terribly over-cooked.

I wondered why it hadn’t worked for Carrie in her 8-quart pot. I turned to the Internet and discovered Kristine’s Kitchen. Kristine did a lot of research and testing and came up with a most reasonable explanation. It takes a bit longer for the 8-quart Instant Pot to get up to pressure, and those extra minutes add cooking time to the eggs. She recommends the 5-5-5 method in a 6-quart pot (5 minutes at high pressure, 5 minutes natural release, and 5 minutes in an ice bath) and the 5-5 method in an 8-quart pot (5 minutes at high pressure, then quick release, and 5 minutes in an ice bath).

Armed with this new information, I decided to try the 5-5-5 method myself in my 6-quart Instant Pot. It worked (ahem) perfectly, so this is my new hard-cooked egg method.

Laura tried Kristine’s 5-5 method in her 8-quart pot and she reported that it worked perfectly!

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I recommend steaming the eggs as I did in Perfect Hard Cooked Eggs. It’s a method that’s practically perfect in every way, and it’s the method I would use if I didn’t have an Instant Pot.

Do check out Kristine’s Kitchen to see the details of her research. She also tells how she makes soft-cooked eggs in the Instant Pot.
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Instant Pot Hard-Cooked Eggs for the 6-quart or 8-quart Pots

(Adapted from methods in Kristine’s Kitchen)

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(print the “recipe”)

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Some say use older eggs for easy peeling. With this method for cooking eggs, I have noticed that freshness makes no difference in the outcome. I have used very fresh eggs and they are easy to peel.

These directions are for large eggs. I have not tested any other egg sizes, but I assume the timing could be different.

5-5-5 directions for 6-quart Instant Pot eggs

1.    Place the desired number of large eggs on the trivet in your Instant Pot. (I used cold eggs, right from the refrigerator.)

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Eggs on the trivet that came with the Instant Pot

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If you have a steamer basket, you can use that instead of the trivet. It does make it easier to take the eggs out of the pot.

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2.  Pour 1 cup of cold water into the Instant Pot.

3.  Seal the lid and set it at Manual for 5 minutes.

4.  Prepare a bowl with ice water so it’s ready when you need it.

5. When the 5 minutes of pressure cooking are up, do nothing and let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. (I always set the timer on my phone. If they’re left longer than 5 minutes they will continue to cook, risking overcooked eggs.)

6. After 5 minutes of natural release, move the pressure release handle to the venting position to quickly release any remaining pressure.

7. Immediately put the eggs in the ice water and leave them for a minimum of 5 minutes. (A bit longer is OK.)

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8. The eggs are ready to peel and eat or store in the refrigerator for later.

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Easily peeled eggs

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5-5 directions for 8-quart Instant Pot eggs

1. Place the desired number of large eggs on the trivet in your Instant Pot. (I used cold eggs, right from the refrigerator. You can also use a steaming basket, if you have one, instead of the trivet.)

2. Pour 1 cup of cold water into the Instant Pot.

3. Seal the lid and set it at Manual for 5 minutes.

4. Prepare a bowl with ice water so it’s ready when you need it.

5. When the 5 minutes of pressure cooking are up, move the pressure release handle to the venting position to quickly release the pressure.

6. Immediately put the eggs in the ice water and leave them for a minimum of 5 minutes. (A bit longer is OK.)

7. The eggs are ready to peel and eat or store in the refrigerator for later.

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I could say this is the last time that I’ll post about hard-cooked eggs. But I’m not making any promises. 😉

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