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These researchers have found a scientifically perfect way to cook eggs

By Manuela López Restrepo,
Michelle Aslam
Published February 8, 2025 at 6:00 AM EST
Do you have what it takes to cook these guys perfectly?
Veni vidi... shoot
/
Getty
Do you have what it takes to cook these guys perfectly?

An Italian study published this week says researchers have found the way to cook a perfect egg — you'll just need 32 minutes to make it happen.

Three things to know:

  1. The research, published in Communications Engineering, found that the central challenge in cooking the perfect egg lies in its two part-structure. The albumen (or white) and the yolk require two different cooking temperatures.
  2. Researchers developed a new method dubbed "periodic cooking," which involves transferring the egg back and forth between 212 degree Fahrenheit water and 86 degree water every two minutes for a total of 32 minutes. This way, both parts of the egg are cooked at their optimal temperatures without needing to crack the shell open.
  3. Their periodically cooked eggs were also found to have a higher nutritional content. Compared to other methods, the cooking technique better preserved the levels of polyphenols, a naturally occurring compound inside the yolk that is proven to help fight inflammation.

Listen to NPR's Short Wave podcast for more discoveries, everyday mysteries and the science behind the headlines.

But what even is a perfect egg?

According to these scientists, it's an egg that has the right texture and nutritional content, "with respect to traditional shell-on egg cooking techniques."

But of course, they also recognize that the perfect egg is a matter of personal taste, and insist that this method can be tailored to better meet individual preferences.

Dive deeper with NPR

Copyright 2025 NPR

Manuela López Restrepo
Manuela López Restrepo is a producer and writer at All Things Considered. She's been at NPR since graduating from The University of Maryland, and has worked at shows like Morning Edition and It's Been A Minute. She lives in Brooklyn with her cat Martin.
Michelle Aslam
Michelle Aslam is a 2021-2022 Kroc Fellow and recent graduate from North Texas. While in college, she won state-wide student journalism awards for her investigation into campus sexual assault proceedings and her reporting on racial justice demonstrations. Aslam previously interned for the North Texas NPR Member station KERA, and also had the opportunity to write for the Dallas Morning News and the Texas Observer.