7 Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking Eggs (2024)

FAQs

What are 2 rules to remember when cooking eggs? ›

You need to make sure there is enough water to retain enough heat to cook the eggs while the water cools. If you don't use enough water, the water will cool too quickly, and you'll end up with coddled eggs. A good rule of thumb is a water line 2 inches over the highest egg. Cover the pot when you turn off the heat.

Seal Instant Pot and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes. Let Instant Pot release naturally for 5 minutes. (Release any remaining pressure after 5 minutes.) Cool eggs in ice bath for 5 minutes.

Cook eggs until they are hot all the way through

Cooking eggs thoroughly kills bacteria, but bacteria can survive if food is not cooked until it's hot all the way through. The more thoroughly cooked the egg, the less likely bacteria can survive. Foods containing eggs that are thoroughly cooked are generally safe.

Preheat the pan over medium heat, but don't get too crazy with the flame when it comes time to actually cook the eggs. "Scrambled eggs should be cooked slowly, over medium-low heat," explains Perry. "A good scramble takes a minute!" Go hotter, and you'll have overly dry eggs. Worried they're cooking up too fast?

You Used the Wrong Kind of Pan

So it's not a surprise that eggs will stick to the bottom of your pan. While the egg cooks, its proteins are forming chemical bonds with the metal of the pan. A nonstick coating interferes with this bonding, and so does adding fat like oil or butter to the pan before the eggs.

Step 1: Preheat Your Pan The foundation of perfectly cooked eggs in a stainless steel pan begins with preheating. Place your stainless steel pan on the stove over medium heat. This crucial step ensures the pan is hot enough to create a non-stick surface, preventing the eggs from clinging to the bottom.

Adding water to eggs essentially steams them, as the water evaporates during cooking, and this yields a fluffier scramble. If you add too much water you can dilute the eggs, and that will result in a bland mess, so stick to a tablespoon per egg and no more.

By whisking them immediately before cooking you can trap more air which makes the scramble fluffy and light. Avoid overcooking – the key to this is turning off the heat just before you think the eggs are cooked, i.e. when they look wet but not runny.

What are three tips for making perfect scrambled eggs? ›

Scramble with a fork. Heat a nonstick pan (see note) to medium-low heat. Add butter or oil. Pour in eggs and use a spatula to slowly drag it along the bottom of the pan, creating large soft curds.

Refrigerator Storage: Refrigerate eggs at 40°F or less. Store them in their original carton on an inside shelf and away from pungent foods. The temperature on an inside shelf remains more constant than one on the door, which is opened and closed frequently.

6. Take them off the heat before they're done cooking... Eggs are delicate, and they cook very quickly. Similar to cooking steaks, remove them from the heat right before they're fully cooked — the residual heat from the pan will continue to cook them.

Wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, before and after handling eggs. Raw eggs can contain harmful bacteria. Eggs and egg-based foods should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 74°C (165°F) to ensure they are safe to eat.