27 egg cooking secrets that will transform your mornings

HOW DO YOU like your eggs? Scrambled? Over easy? Poached?

We came up with the best cooking tips that the internet has to offer, from cracking eggs on a flat surface instead of your bowl to cooking the perfect poached egg.

Plus we threw in some extra tips like making a heart-shaped hard-boiled egg or cooking on a waffle iron, so whether you’re a newbie chef or a seasoned pro, there’s still something you can learn.

Cracking eggs

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Grab broken egg shells with another eggshell:Use half of your empty egg shell to scoop up any broken pieces that escape into your bowl. It will save you lots of time from chasing them around with your finger or a spoon.

Crack eggs on a flat surface: Time and again people are taught to crack eggs on bowls or the corners of countertops. But it turns out the best way to crack an egg is on your tabletop or the surface of the counter. This not only keeps food contamination to a minimum but will also allow fewer tiny bits of the shell to break off.

Separating yolks and whites

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Water bottle method:You can separate egg yolks from egg whites with a water bottle. All you need to do is lightly squeeze the bottle, suction up the yolk into the bottle, and then lightly squeeze the bottle again to release the yolk.

Use three bowls: Yes, it’s a lot of extra clean up, but when you’re separating yolks and whites it’s best to use one bowl for cracking the eggs into, another for the separated yolks, and the last bowl for all those egg whites. That way if you crack an egg and the yolk breaks, it doesn’t spoil all the egg whites.

Use your hands: Though there are lots of ways to suck up yolks without touching slimy egg parts, the easiest way to separate yolks and whites is with your hands. Just scoop up the yolks, let the egg whites run through your fingers, and deposit it in another bowl.

Boiling eggs

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Shake hard-boiled eggs to peel them:No one likes peeling hard-boiled eggs, but it’s easy to do if you fill a bowl or glass partially with water, add the egg, cover, and shake. After you’re done, the egg shell should pinch right off.

Use a pressure cooker to make hard-boiled eggs: Fill your pressure cooker with a cup of water and add a steamer basket. Add your eggs and then cook on low for three minutes for soft-boiled eggs and six minutes for hard-boiled eggs. The best part of this method is it makes the egg extremely easy to peel.

Know how long to boil your egg: Place your eggs in a cold saucepan with cold water. Get the eggs to a full boil before taking off the heat and covering the pan. Then allow the eggs to cook: three minutes for barely set egg, four minutes for running soft-boiled eggs, six minutes for medium soft-boiled eggs, 10 minutes for regular hard-boiled eggs, and 15 minutes for very firm hard-boiled eggs.

Use a thumb tack to easily peel eggs: If you’re boiling eggs, use a thumb tack or a needle to pierce the end of the egg. Do this while they’re still in the crate so they don’t roll around. Then boil your eggs like normal before transferring them to a bowl of ice water for five minutes. When the eggs are still warm, peel them starting from where you pierced the egg.

Cut through the boiled egg: Let’s be honest, unless you’re saving your hard boiled eggs for later, you’re immediately going to dive into them, so why not just cut them in half? If you’re still finding the eggs hard to peel, use a spoon to scoop them out.

Baking eggs

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Bake eggs in a muffin pan: If you’re planning to freeze a bunch of breakfast sandwiches all at once, you can make perfectly-sized eggs in a muffin pan. Crack the eggs into the pre-greased tin and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. You can then take them out and they’ll perfectly fit English muffins.

Bake “hard-boiled” eggs: Celebrity chef Alton Brown’s secret to making perfect hard-boiled eggs is to bake them in the oven on a moist kitchen towel. Place the damp kitchen towel on the oven rack and place your eggs on top of it. Bake at 320 degrees for 30 minutes.

Poaching eggs

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Make an arzak egg: Arzak eggs are similar to poached eggs but much easier to make. In a small bowl or cup, place Saran wrap and crack the egg inside. Cover with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings before gathering the Saran wrap and twisting it. Dip the eggs into a pot of simmering water for four to five minutes and then cut away the plastic wrap.

Pour vinegar in the water: Pouring a little bit of vinegar into your simmering water will help your eggs stay together better, which is integral when you’re poaching eggs.

Use fresh eggs: Fresh eggs hold their shape better, which means the yolks and whites won’t separate as fast and are easier to poach.

Poach an egg in the microwave: Fill a small bowl with a cup of water and add some salt. Crack the egg into the bowl, making sure it’s fully submerged, and then cover with a plate before microwaving on high for a minute.

Cooking eggs

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Use an onion or pepper for perfectly circular eggs: A healthy hack for making your egg perfectly round is to cook it inside an onion ring or a pepper ring. Simple slice a 1/2-inch ring from your onion or pepper and crack the egg into it inside the pan.

Use butter with scrambled eggs: Adding butter to the pan before adding your scrambled eggs will make them taste even more delicious while also helping prevent the eggs from sticking too much.

Use milk with scrambled eggs, water with omelettes: Using milk, half-and-half, or even cream will make scrambled eggs richer, tastier, and fluffier. With omelettes, chefs advise using a little bit of water with the eggs to make the dish lighter, but not too rich. Two eggs plus two tablespoons of water is the best ratio.

Cook scrambled eggs on low heat: The best scrambled eggs should be cooked slowly over low to medium low heat, stirring constantly.

Scramble eggs in the microwave: Combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper and beat everything together in a microwaveable mug or bowl. Put it in the microwave for 45 seconds, take it out and stir, and then microwave for another 30 to 45 seconds until eggs are cooked through.

Cooking easy, perfect runny eggs:To make the perfect runny eggs, break the egg close to the hot pan so the yolk doesn’t break. Once the bottom is cooked through, instead of flipping the egg, turn the heat off and let it sit for 4-5 minutes with a lid on top. The lid will seal in the leftover heat and cook the top for you.

Keep eggs fresh

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Test eggs with a bowl of water: Place your eggs in a bowl of cold water — if they sink to the bottom and lay flat, they’re fresh. If they sink but stand on one end, they’re a few weeks old, but still good to go. If they float, toss those eggs!

Make eggs last longer: Break eggs and beat the yolks and whites together. Then pour the eggs into an ice cube tray. About one cube will equal an egg and they’ll thaw very quickly so you can whip up quick meals.

Get fancy with eggs

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Golden hard-boiled eggs: You can scramble eggs inside their shell by placing an egg inside the sleeve of a T-shirt. Secure the end on either side with rubber bands or string and spin the egg around and around before boiling them.

Waffle iron omelettes: Combine your eggs (most waffle irons will fit about three to four eggs) and all of your fillings. Spray the waffle iron and heat up before adding eggs and the ingredients. Cook for two to three minutes before shutting off the heat and adding to a plate.

Heart-shaped hard-boiled eggs:Cut apart a milk carton and fold it in half length-wise. Take a still-warm, peeled hard-boiled egg and place it in the carton. Place a chopstick over the egg and secure with rubber bands so it makes an indent in the egg. Let sit for 10 minutes before removing.

- Megan Willett.

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