One little tweak to your cooking method yields flawlessly peeled hard-boiled eggs every time. Jacques Pépin suggests poking a tiny hole in the eggshell’s broad side before dropping it into boiling water, rather than blindly hoping for the best. Yeah, it’s really that easy!

You may slowly release the air pocket within an egg as it cooks by making a tiny hole in its shell. When peeling hard-boiled eggs, this apparently little change makes all the difference. The egg white may stick tenaciously to the shell due to the retained air, which makes clean peeling a genuine task. The egg, however, almost falls out of its shell as the air pocket is freed.

Curious about the best way to create that little hole in the eggshell without breaking it into a thousand pieces? Rest assured, no specialized gear or tools will be required. You can get the job done with only a simple pin or thumbtack. To crack an egg, just hold it firmly and pierce a tiny hole at the broad end of the shell. To avoid damaging the egg’s structure, make sure the hole is just big enough to let air out. When it comes to Jacques Pépin’s hack, stability is key.

After the eggshell has been cracked open, it may be prepared for its steaming bath. To cook it, just add it to a saucepan of boiling water and follow the instructions for hard-boiled eggs. Because the air pocket in the egg dissolves while it cooks, peeling the egg is a breeze when you’re ready to eat it.

This method’s greatest strength is that it calls for neither expertise nor specialized tools. No matter how much or how little experience you have in the kitchen, everyone can do it. It’s a lifesaver for those mornings when you’re pressed for time but still want a nutritious meal or snack.