That sounds like one of those cooking “secrets” that gets passed around online, but it’s not really accurate.
Five-star hotels commonly do cook eggs directly in water when making hard-boiled, soft-boiled, or poached eggs. In fact, boiling or simmering eggs in water is the standard method used in homes, restaurants, and luxury hotels alike.
What may differ in high-end kitchens is the level of control:
- Precise water temperatures rather than a rolling boil.
- Timed cooking for consistent yolk texture.
- Rapid cooling in ice water to stop cooking.
- Sometimes sous vide cooking, where eggs are held at a carefully controlled temperature in their shells.
So the distinction isn’t usually whether the eggs touch water—it’s how precisely the cooking is managed.
If you heard that phrase from a specific source, I’d be curious what alternative method it was recommending
