If you’ve ever struggled to peel hard-boiled eggs without ruining their delicate whites, you’re not alone. Luckily, chef Jacques Pépin has shared a clever, foolproof hack that will revolutionize your egg-peeling routine. The secret? A tiny hole in the eggshell before boiling. This simple tweak ensures you’ll have perfectly peeled hard-boiled eggs every single time, and it’s so easy to do. Let’s dive into this game-changing technique!

We’ve all experienced the frustration of trying to peel hard-boiled eggs only to end up with ragged whites clinging to the shell. It’s a messy and time-consuming task that often ruins your perfect egg. But the culprit isn’t the boiling process—it’s the air pocket inside the egg.

Hard-boiled eggs have an air pocket at the broad end of the shell. As the egg cooks, this pocket can get trapped, causing the egg white to cling to the inside of the shell. The result? A peeling nightmare. But with Pépin’s method, you can avoid this issue entirely.

How Jacques Pépin’s Hack Works: The Tiny Hole Trick
The trick is remarkably simple: poke a small hole in the broad end of the egg’s shell before boiling it. By doing this, you release the trapped air in the egg, which prevents the white from sticking to the shell. This one tiny step makes all the difference when it comes to peeling your eggs cleanly and effortlessly.

Why Poking a Hole Helps with Peeling
Pépin’s method works by releasing the air pocket inside the egg before it’s cooked. When the air pocket is allowed to escape during cooking, the egg white no longer adheres to the inside of the shell. This results in a much smoother peeling process.

Without this step, the air pocket can remain trapped, causing the egg white to stick tightly to the shell. When you try to peel it, the white may tear away in chunks, making your egg look unappetizing and uneven.

How to Do It: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you’re wondering how to pull off this hack, don’t worry. You don’t need any special tools or expertise—just a simple pin or thumbtack will do. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to using Pépin’s method: