Do Eggs Need to Be at Room Temperature for Cooking?
A question we get asked a lot is, “Do eggs need to be at room temperature if you want to scramble them?” While not required, room temperature eggs are typically preferred for scrambling.
What Temperature is Best for Scrambling Eggs?
Different scrambled egg recipes may recommend either cold or room temperature eggs, and either option will work fine! In general, room temperature eggs don’t hold their shape as well as cold eggs, which makes them easier to beat together. The result is a more uniform mix, which is why some scrambled egg recipes suggest using room temperature eggs instead of cold ones.
No matter if you cook your eggs from cold or room temperature, it’s important to cook them to the proper internal temperature. To learn how to make the perfect scrambled eggs, read this guide.
What Happens if Eggs Aren’t Room Temperature?
What happens if your eggs aren’t at room temperature depends on the recipe you are making. In most cases, using cold eggs won’t ruin the dish, but it may affect the final result. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Difficulty in Mixing
It may be more challenging to combine ingredients properly if you’re using cold eggs in a recipe that requires beating them, such as when making scrambled eggs or baked goods. This can lead to a less uniform texture and overall quality.
Uneven Cooking
Cold eggs can affect the cooking process, particularly in recipes where eggs are the main ingredient. When cooking eggs straight from the fridge, they may take longer to cook and can cook unevenly, with the outside cooking faster than the inside.
Baking
The temperature of the eggs can affect the texture of baked goods by determining how the ingredients bind together. Cold eggs added to batter may cause fats to harden or thicken, which can result in a lumpy or uneven batter.
To avoid these issues, many recipes call for eggs to be at room temperature before using them.
How Do You Get Eggs to Room Temperature?
We recommend placing eggs (in their shells) in a bowl of warm water for 4 to 5 minutes before using them. This is a quick and safe way to bring eggs to room temperature while limiting the time raw eggs spend outside of the fridge.
How Long Does it Take for Eggs to Sit Out at Room Temperature?
Alternatively, you can remove eggs from the refrigerator and let them sit on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes to reach room temperature. However, raw eggs should not sit out for more than a couple of hours, so we don’t recommend leaving eggs out overnight on the kitchen counter.
Whether you’re making scrambled eggs or baking, knowing the right egg temperature can make a difference.
