So You Think You Know How To Boil An Egg? Think Again!

Do you TRULY know how to boil an egg for your simple enjoyment and that of your family? Think again!
Once again science comes to the rescue.

Follow closely as we walk thru the most important details and process of creating the perfect boiled egg. Pay close attention because I'm not going to explain this again...even if I could do it once.

newton.ex.ac.uk... document is an introduction to of some of the science relevant to preparing boiled eggs. It has evolved from a letter published in the Last Word section of New Scientist magazine (04-April-98) which answered a question by Chris Finn, who asked 'Does anybody have a formula to calculate the boiling time for a soft-boiled egg, given its weight and initial temperature?'.

To obtain a simple formula the problem must be idealised somewhat, so the egg will be treated as a spherical homogeneous object of mass M and initial temperature Tegg. If the egg is placed straight into a pan of boiling water at Twater, it will be ready when the temperature at the boundary of the yolk has risen to Tyolk~63°C. With these assumptions, the cooking time t can be deduced by solving a heat diffusion equation. The Result The full derivation is quite complicated but the final result is relatively simple: tcooked=M2/3cρ1/3Kπ2(4π/3)2/3loge[0.76×(Tegg−Twater)(Tyolk−Twater)] where ρ is density, c the specific heat capacity, and K thermal conductivity of 'egg'. According to this formula, a medium egg (M~57 g) straight from the fridge (Tegg=4°C) takes four and a half minutes to cook, but the same egg would take three and a half minutes if it had been stored at room temperature (Tegg=21°C). If all the eggs are stored in the fridge, then a small (size 6, 47 g) egg will require four minutes to cook, and a large egg (size 2, 67 g) will take five minutes.

So let's not forget the most important part of this process: The full derivation is quite complicated but the final result is relatively simple: tcooked=M2/3cρ1/3Kπ2(4π/3)2/3loge[0.76×(Tegg−Twater)(Tyolk−Twater)] where ρ is density, c the specific heat capacity, and K thermal conductivity of 'egg'.

Ok...Got it? Great!...but just to make sure that brekky is going to go well, we MUST have it on a graph. Otherwise, whatever would we do with the lowly egg? But you must ask yourselves, do we have an actual graph to guide us through this complicated process? Of course we do...Just in case of course.


But wait!!!!!

What if we find ourselves on a mountain with a fresh raw egg just ready to boil up for a snack? Well, never fear because there's a graph!

Now in ending this very useful and informative thread I will have to say that I'm not a scientist (We used to call them EGGHEADS) but I have to cook a lot of eggs in my take-out biz. So for the amateurs I have also included my chart that helps me to remember what the hell I'm doing with the lowly egg.

And please don't get me started on the age old conundrum of how a bunny decided to paint and hide eggs every year. Can't go there... Ask Beezer

So in closing, thank you to all the eggheads...oops...I mean scientists because without you, we would never know how to boil an egg. . I truly wish I got paid to cook an egg as much as you do.

Peace to all and please remember to keep the sunny side up with the greasy side down!

More on the egg: newton.ex.ac.uk...

Jude11

So if a small egg takes 3 and half minutes at room temperature, how does mcdonalds cook my egg in 30 seconds?

Cus I didn't see the calculations for that.

Heck, I thought I just threw it in the Microwave and set it on 2 min like everything else? Now that would boil the thing!

Originally posted by thegoods724
So if a small egg takes 3 and half minutes at room temperature, how does mcdonalds cook my egg in 30 seconds?

The REAL question here?

Is it REALLY an egg?



Peace

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Heck, I thought I just threw it in the Microwave and set it on 2 min like everything else? Now that would boil the thing!

Meh...Boil/Nuke...Same thing.

Peace

reply to post by jude11


What... no soft boiled eggs? :shk:

Let em boil til you get around to em... ye can't over boil an egg..

Originally posted by thegoods724
So if a small egg takes 3 and half minutes at room temperature, how does mcdonalds cook my egg in 30 seconds?

Cus I didn't see the calculations for that.

edit on 15-3-2013 by thegoods724 because: (no reason given)

The obvious answer: It was precooked...and then made into a sandwich. The sandwich is then placed in a warmer awaiting a customer to order it. when you ordered the sandwich it was placed in your bag...hence the 30 seconds of wait time. They cook and prepare a predetermined number of products depending on supply demand history in order to facilitate a "timely delivery of customers food.

I.e. McDonald's does not cook their eggs fresh.

Originally posted by RobertF

Originally posted by thegoods724
So if a small egg takes 3 and half minutes at room temperature, how does mcdonalds cook my egg in 30 seconds?

Cus I didn't see the calculations for that.

edit on 15-3-2013 by thegoods724 because: (no reason given)

The obvious answer: It was precooked...and then made into a sandwich. The sandwich is then placed in a warmer awaiting a customer to order it. when you ordered the sandwich it was placed in your bag...hence the 30 seconds of wait time. They cook and prepare a predetermined number of products depending on supply demand history in order to facilitate a "timely delivery of customers food.

I.e. McDonald's does not cook their eggs fresh.

I'm guessing liquid eggs from a carton.

Peace

Originally posted by Akragon
reply to post by jude11

 

ye can't over boil an egg..

Are you insane???

Soft center or no go...

Peace

Is this not all just womens business?




*brisk retreat

reply to post by jude11


Exactly... Thus...

You can not over boil an egg... once its "hardboiled" its just crap...

Though if that's what you're going for... you can boil it for hours...

and it stays the same crap...

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


LOL. You might want to rethink that!



You can skip to 1:20.

Originally posted by Qumulys
Is this not all just womens business?




*brisk retreat

oooohhh..If you're married, good luck on your cold oatmeal and crackers tomorrow...

If you're not married...well then

Peace

Originally posted by jude11

Originally posted by RobertF

Originally posted by thegoods724
So if a small egg takes 3 and half minutes at room temperature, how does mcdonalds cook my egg in 30 seconds?

Cus I didn't see the calculations for that.

edit on 15-3-2013 by thegoods724 because: (no reason given)

The obvious answer: It was precooked...and then made into a sandwich. The sandwich is then placed in a warmer awaiting a customer to order it. when you ordered the sandwich it was placed in your bag...hence the 30 seconds of wait time. They cook and prepare a predetermined number of products depending on supply demand history in order to facilitate a "timely delivery of customers food.

I.e. McDonald's does not cook their eggs fresh.

I'm guessing liquid eggs from a carton.

Peace

Buger king uses liquid eggs, but the last time I knew (12 years ago) mcyD's still used real whole eggs. That may have changed though..

Originally posted by RobertF

Originally posted by jude11

Originally posted by RobertF

Originally posted by thegoods724
So if a small egg takes 3 and half minutes at room temperature, how does mcdonalds cook my egg in 30 seconds?

Cus I didn't see the calculations for that.

edit on 15-3-2013 by thegoods724 because: (no reason given)

The obvious answer: It was precooked...and then made into a sandwich. The sandwich is then placed in a warmer awaiting a customer to order it. when you ordered the sandwich it was placed in your bag...hence the 30 seconds of wait time. They cook and prepare a predetermined number of products depending on supply demand history in order to facilitate a "timely delivery of customers food.

I.e. McDonald's does not cook their eggs fresh.

I'm guessing liquid eggs from a carton.

Peace

Buger king uses liquid eggs, but the last time I knew (12 years ago) mcyD's still used real whole eggs. That may have changed though..

You may be right.

But it just doesn't save McD's in the crap food arena.

Their eggs would probably be loaded with hormones and plucked directly from momma's butt before she's ready to drop.

Peace

Originally posted by jude11

Originally posted by Qumulys
Is this not all just womens business?




*brisk retreat

oooohhh..If you're married, good luck on your cold oatmeal and crackers tomorrow...

If you're not married...well then

Peace

Been married, now divorced.

My eggs are bad and I should feel bad.

Very helpful with easter coming up and all.

Many years ago when it was my kids first easter,I had to call my mom on how long to boil an egg.
My mom was a terrible cook,but she knew how to boil an egg.
Ever had left over ,chopped up porkchops mixed in rice with heinz 57 sauce?

reply to post by jude11


Until now I had no problem - 3min. soft boiled, 6min. hard boiled.

Now you have complicated things and made it way too hard. Thanks.

I'll have mine scrambled or poached from now on. Wait ... poaching is a whole other conundrum.

I'll just have the oats ... thanks.

Originally posted by kdog1982
Very helpful with easter coming up and all.

Many years ago when it was my kids first easter,I had to call my mom on how long to boil an egg.
My mom was a terrible cook,but she knew how to boil an egg.
Ever had left over ,chopped up porkchops mixed in rice with heinz 57 sauce?

Sounds umm, noice. Was there bones in that ?
( I'm sure she meant well but I'll take a pass )

reply to post by Timely

Sounds umm, noice. Was there bones in that ? ( I'm sure she meant well but I'll take a pass )

She was thoughtful enough to take out the bones,the heinz 57 sauce was my addition to the recipe.

I think jude had a really good one posted in a thread of mine,something to do with hotdogs.