Boiling an egg is not a big deal but scientists say you are not doing it right…!
A recent study, published on Thursday in the journal Communications Engineering, reveals that researchers have unlocked the secret to boiling the perfect egg. According to their findings, the ideal boiled egg features a velvety yolk encased in a soft yet fully set white.
Achieving this balance is challenging because egg yolks cook at a lower temperature than the whites. Overcooking results in a chalky yolk, while a lower, slower cooking process can leave the whites undercooked and jelly-like.
To solve this issue, researchers cooked hundreds of eggs and applied mathematical equations to understand how heat transfers and how an egg’s contents transition from liquid to solid, passing through a gel-like phase.
Their final method, known as periodic cooking, involves repeatedly transferring eggs every two minutes between two bowls of water—one boiling and the other lukewarm at 86°F (30°C)—for a total of 32 minutes. Afterward, the eggs are cooled under running water and peeled.
This technique ensures the egg whites gradually firm up while the yolk maintains a consistent temperature, resulting in a perfectly creamy texture.
