Is there any safe method to boil a cracked egg?
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If we boil an egg which already has a crack on its shell before boiling, it will break and spread into the water. In many cases if we put an egg into hot water it will crack also. So, is there any safe method to boil an egg like that, or should it be fried or cooked in another way?
eggs hard-boiled-eggs
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up vote
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If we boil an egg which already has a crack on its shell before boiling, it will break and spread into the water. In many cases if we put an egg into hot water it will crack also. So, is there any safe method to boil an egg like that, or should it be fried or cooked in another way?
eggs hard-boiled-eggs
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user29521 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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4
I would like to remind everybody that this question is on methods for boiling known-cracked eggs without making a mess. If you have methods for detecting cracks, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/22535. If you have methods for reducing the chance that a whole egg will crack during boiling, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/909. For theoretical explanations why an egg cracks during boiling, post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/63296.
– rumtscho♦
9 hours ago
7
Is "safe" really the word you mean? I thought this question would be about food safety, but it seems to be more about cooking an egg without making a mess.
– nasch
7 hours ago
This depends on how much of a crack you're talking about. I deliberately put small cracks in my eggs before hard boiling to make them easier to peel.
– barbecue
6 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
6
down vote
favorite
up vote
6
down vote
favorite
If we boil an egg which already has a crack on its shell before boiling, it will break and spread into the water. In many cases if we put an egg into hot water it will crack also. So, is there any safe method to boil an egg like that, or should it be fried or cooked in another way?
eggs hard-boiled-eggs
New contributor
user29521 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
If we boil an egg which already has a crack on its shell before boiling, it will break and spread into the water. In many cases if we put an egg into hot water it will crack also. So, is there any safe method to boil an egg like that, or should it be fried or cooked in another way?
eggs hard-boiled-eggs
eggs hard-boiled-eggs
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user29521 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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edited 9 hours ago
wjandrea
1054
1054
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asked 11 hours ago
user29521
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384
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4
I would like to remind everybody that this question is on methods for boiling known-cracked eggs without making a mess. If you have methods for detecting cracks, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/22535. If you have methods for reducing the chance that a whole egg will crack during boiling, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/909. For theoretical explanations why an egg cracks during boiling, post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/63296.
– rumtscho♦
9 hours ago
7
Is "safe" really the word you mean? I thought this question would be about food safety, but it seems to be more about cooking an egg without making a mess.
– nasch
7 hours ago
This depends on how much of a crack you're talking about. I deliberately put small cracks in my eggs before hard boiling to make them easier to peel.
– barbecue
6 hours ago
add a comment |
4
I would like to remind everybody that this question is on methods for boiling known-cracked eggs without making a mess. If you have methods for detecting cracks, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/22535. If you have methods for reducing the chance that a whole egg will crack during boiling, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/909. For theoretical explanations why an egg cracks during boiling, post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/63296.
– rumtscho♦
9 hours ago
7
Is "safe" really the word you mean? I thought this question would be about food safety, but it seems to be more about cooking an egg without making a mess.
– nasch
7 hours ago
This depends on how much of a crack you're talking about. I deliberately put small cracks in my eggs before hard boiling to make them easier to peel.
– barbecue
6 hours ago
4
4
I would like to remind everybody that this question is on methods for boiling known-cracked eggs without making a mess. If you have methods for detecting cracks, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/22535. If you have methods for reducing the chance that a whole egg will crack during boiling, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/909. For theoretical explanations why an egg cracks during boiling, post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/63296.
– rumtscho♦
9 hours ago
I would like to remind everybody that this question is on methods for boiling known-cracked eggs without making a mess. If you have methods for detecting cracks, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/22535. If you have methods for reducing the chance that a whole egg will crack during boiling, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/909. For theoretical explanations why an egg cracks during boiling, post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/63296.
– rumtscho♦
9 hours ago
7
7
Is "safe" really the word you mean? I thought this question would be about food safety, but it seems to be more about cooking an egg without making a mess.
– nasch
7 hours ago
Is "safe" really the word you mean? I thought this question would be about food safety, but it seems to be more about cooking an egg without making a mess.
– nasch
7 hours ago
This depends on how much of a crack you're talking about. I deliberately put small cracks in my eggs before hard boiling to make them easier to peel.
– barbecue
6 hours ago
This depends on how much of a crack you're talking about. I deliberately put small cracks in my eggs before hard boiling to make them easier to peel.
– barbecue
6 hours ago
add a comment |
7 Answers
7
active
oldest
votes
up vote
12
down vote
If an egg is already cracked then it will almost certainly split open when boiled, there's no way to avoid it, it would be best to cook them using another method. Be aware that once eggs are cracked they no longer have protection against microbes, if you don't know how long they have been cracked it may be best to throw them away.
add a comment |
up vote
6
down vote
I use Egglettes™ to boil my eggs. You simply crack the egg/s into a silicon cup and place it/them into boiling water. Without wishing to seem like a crappy infomercial (see below), I find it a heck of a lot easier to crack an egg into a cup than I find it to peel eggshells off of a soft-boiled egg.
Obviously it makes no difference if the egg has already sustained a recent crack (from being dropped onto the surface, for example) since you're removing the shell prior to cooking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxVT2Q6Vt_c
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up vote
3
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You can choose to poach the egg.
The egg is cracked into a cup or bowl of any size, and then gently slid into a pan of water at approximately 75 Celsius (167 °F) and cooked until the egg white has mostly solidified, but the yolk remains soft. The "perfect" poached egg has a runny yolk, with a hardening crust and no raw white remaining.
I don't have any experience with this but I would imagine you could cook it until the yolk hardens along with the whites.
To be clear, one of the key differences is water temperature--the water should be hot but not boiling--this helps keep the egg together (or rather, boiling water makes the egg not stay together)..
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Yep, I think the "75 Celcius" covers that though. At any rate, my answer addresses the "or should it be fried or cooked in another way" segment of the question.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
I just never use a thermometer for cooking eggs, I go by "boiling", "simmering", etc. No idea how hot 75 C is except it's between 74 C and 76 C.
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Thanks again. That too sounds like an option so feel free to post your own experience with non-poaching cooking techniques.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
Adding salt in the water helps as well, this increases the egg white will become solid when getting in contact with the salt water and basically it will close the crack again.
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StefanJanssen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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7
It's hard to believe that the sort of quantities of salt one uses in cooking would make any significant chemical change. This sounds a lot like people claiming that you put salt in the water when you boil food because it means the water boils hotter so the food cooks faster -- in fact, the change in boiling point is of the order of tenths of a degree, so makes essentially no difference.
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
1
In my experience, this is exactly the correct answer. It doesn't matter if it's because of chemical changes, boiling point difference or osmosis direction or whatever, as long as it works.
– Bass
9 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
Believe it or not, you can put some Duct Tape (like gaffer tape - heavy tape) over the crack, and away you go.
(I'm not sure why anyone would bother with this - boiled eggs which have some white "poking out" are fine - but there you have it.)
3
Is duct tape food safe though?
– wjandrea
7 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
It's possible to boil an egg with steam. This usually requires an additional device. The eggs are put upright and won't split open since they are not exposed directly to the hot water.

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3
Does this work for eggs that are already cracked? And why would being exposed to hot water make an egg more likely to split?
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
I have two devices like this and the directions specifically say you need to pierce the top of the egg with a needle (that is included). Sometimes if the hole is a little big or if the hole is cracked, there is a considerable amount of egg white material ejected from the egg. It still makes a good hardboiled egg, but it's not as pretty. A cracked egg would certainly expand into a weird shape (again, would probably taste fine).
– JPhi1618
9 hours ago
When doing hardboiled eggs in a commercial steamer i have seen the same issue with eggs coming apart as with boiling water.
– bruglesco
5 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
If the egg's been cracked for a while, just throw it out. Even though the boiling process should kill anything growing in it, good sense says it's not worth the risk. If the egg gets small cracks when you put it in the water or while cooking, it's perfectly fine. In my experience, the heat will quickly make the outer layer of white solidify as it cooks, which will lock everything else inside, crack or no. The worst I've ever seen happen from cooking an egg that cracked early on is that little bits of white escape and get cooked in the water, giving it a cloudy look. I've eaten many eggs that cracked while cooking and never had any problems.
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7 Answers
7
active
oldest
votes
7 Answers
7
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
12
down vote
If an egg is already cracked then it will almost certainly split open when boiled, there's no way to avoid it, it would be best to cook them using another method. Be aware that once eggs are cracked they no longer have protection against microbes, if you don't know how long they have been cracked it may be best to throw them away.
add a comment |
up vote
12
down vote
If an egg is already cracked then it will almost certainly split open when boiled, there's no way to avoid it, it would be best to cook them using another method. Be aware that once eggs are cracked they no longer have protection against microbes, if you don't know how long they have been cracked it may be best to throw them away.
add a comment |
up vote
12
down vote
up vote
12
down vote
If an egg is already cracked then it will almost certainly split open when boiled, there's no way to avoid it, it would be best to cook them using another method. Be aware that once eggs are cracked they no longer have protection against microbes, if you don't know how long they have been cracked it may be best to throw them away.
If an egg is already cracked then it will almost certainly split open when boiled, there's no way to avoid it, it would be best to cook them using another method. Be aware that once eggs are cracked they no longer have protection against microbes, if you don't know how long they have been cracked it may be best to throw them away.
edited 9 hours ago
rumtscho♦
77.6k27184337
77.6k27184337
answered 11 hours ago
GdD
37.5k151105
37.5k151105
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
6
down vote
I use Egglettes™ to boil my eggs. You simply crack the egg/s into a silicon cup and place it/them into boiling water. Without wishing to seem like a crappy infomercial (see below), I find it a heck of a lot easier to crack an egg into a cup than I find it to peel eggshells off of a soft-boiled egg.
Obviously it makes no difference if the egg has already sustained a recent crack (from being dropped onto the surface, for example) since you're removing the shell prior to cooking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxVT2Q6Vt_c
New contributor
Richard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
up vote
6
down vote
I use Egglettes™ to boil my eggs. You simply crack the egg/s into a silicon cup and place it/them into boiling water. Without wishing to seem like a crappy infomercial (see below), I find it a heck of a lot easier to crack an egg into a cup than I find it to peel eggshells off of a soft-boiled egg.
Obviously it makes no difference if the egg has already sustained a recent crack (from being dropped onto the surface, for example) since you're removing the shell prior to cooking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxVT2Q6Vt_c
New contributor
Richard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
up vote
6
down vote
up vote
6
down vote
I use Egglettes™ to boil my eggs. You simply crack the egg/s into a silicon cup and place it/them into boiling water. Without wishing to seem like a crappy infomercial (see below), I find it a heck of a lot easier to crack an egg into a cup than I find it to peel eggshells off of a soft-boiled egg.
Obviously it makes no difference if the egg has already sustained a recent crack (from being dropped onto the surface, for example) since you're removing the shell prior to cooking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxVT2Q6Vt_c
New contributor
Richard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I use Egglettes™ to boil my eggs. You simply crack the egg/s into a silicon cup and place it/them into boiling water. Without wishing to seem like a crappy infomercial (see below), I find it a heck of a lot easier to crack an egg into a cup than I find it to peel eggshells off of a soft-boiled egg.
Obviously it makes no difference if the egg has already sustained a recent crack (from being dropped onto the surface, for example) since you're removing the shell prior to cooking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxVT2Q6Vt_c
New contributor
Richard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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answered 7 hours ago
Richard
1613
1613
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add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
You can choose to poach the egg.
The egg is cracked into a cup or bowl of any size, and then gently slid into a pan of water at approximately 75 Celsius (167 °F) and cooked until the egg white has mostly solidified, but the yolk remains soft. The "perfect" poached egg has a runny yolk, with a hardening crust and no raw white remaining.
I don't have any experience with this but I would imagine you could cook it until the yolk hardens along with the whites.
To be clear, one of the key differences is water temperature--the water should be hot but not boiling--this helps keep the egg together (or rather, boiling water makes the egg not stay together)..
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Yep, I think the "75 Celcius" covers that though. At any rate, my answer addresses the "or should it be fried or cooked in another way" segment of the question.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
I just never use a thermometer for cooking eggs, I go by "boiling", "simmering", etc. No idea how hot 75 C is except it's between 74 C and 76 C.
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Thanks again. That too sounds like an option so feel free to post your own experience with non-poaching cooking techniques.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
You can choose to poach the egg.
The egg is cracked into a cup or bowl of any size, and then gently slid into a pan of water at approximately 75 Celsius (167 °F) and cooked until the egg white has mostly solidified, but the yolk remains soft. The "perfect" poached egg has a runny yolk, with a hardening crust and no raw white remaining.
I don't have any experience with this but I would imagine you could cook it until the yolk hardens along with the whites.
To be clear, one of the key differences is water temperature--the water should be hot but not boiling--this helps keep the egg together (or rather, boiling water makes the egg not stay together)..
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Yep, I think the "75 Celcius" covers that though. At any rate, my answer addresses the "or should it be fried or cooked in another way" segment of the question.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
I just never use a thermometer for cooking eggs, I go by "boiling", "simmering", etc. No idea how hot 75 C is except it's between 74 C and 76 C.
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Thanks again. That too sounds like an option so feel free to post your own experience with non-poaching cooking techniques.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
You can choose to poach the egg.
The egg is cracked into a cup or bowl of any size, and then gently slid into a pan of water at approximately 75 Celsius (167 °F) and cooked until the egg white has mostly solidified, but the yolk remains soft. The "perfect" poached egg has a runny yolk, with a hardening crust and no raw white remaining.
I don't have any experience with this but I would imagine you could cook it until the yolk hardens along with the whites.
You can choose to poach the egg.
The egg is cracked into a cup or bowl of any size, and then gently slid into a pan of water at approximately 75 Celsius (167 °F) and cooked until the egg white has mostly solidified, but the yolk remains soft. The "perfect" poached egg has a runny yolk, with a hardening crust and no raw white remaining.
I don't have any experience with this but I would imagine you could cook it until the yolk hardens along with the whites.
answered 7 hours ago
MonkeyZeus
1713
1713
To be clear, one of the key differences is water temperature--the water should be hot but not boiling--this helps keep the egg together (or rather, boiling water makes the egg not stay together)..
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Yep, I think the "75 Celcius" covers that though. At any rate, my answer addresses the "or should it be fried or cooked in another way" segment of the question.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
I just never use a thermometer for cooking eggs, I go by "boiling", "simmering", etc. No idea how hot 75 C is except it's between 74 C and 76 C.
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Thanks again. That too sounds like an option so feel free to post your own experience with non-poaching cooking techniques.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
add a comment |
To be clear, one of the key differences is water temperature--the water should be hot but not boiling--this helps keep the egg together (or rather, boiling water makes the egg not stay together)..
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Yep, I think the "75 Celcius" covers that though. At any rate, my answer addresses the "or should it be fried or cooked in another way" segment of the question.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
I just never use a thermometer for cooking eggs, I go by "boiling", "simmering", etc. No idea how hot 75 C is except it's between 74 C and 76 C.
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Thanks again. That too sounds like an option so feel free to post your own experience with non-poaching cooking techniques.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
To be clear, one of the key differences is water temperature--the water should be hot but not boiling--this helps keep the egg together (or rather, boiling water makes the egg not stay together)..
– user3067860
6 hours ago
To be clear, one of the key differences is water temperature--the water should be hot but not boiling--this helps keep the egg together (or rather, boiling water makes the egg not stay together)..
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Yep, I think the "75 Celcius" covers that though. At any rate, my answer addresses the "or should it be fried or cooked in another way" segment of the question.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Yep, I think the "75 Celcius" covers that though. At any rate, my answer addresses the "or should it be fried or cooked in another way" segment of the question.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
I just never use a thermometer for cooking eggs, I go by "boiling", "simmering", etc. No idea how hot 75 C is except it's between 74 C and 76 C.
– user3067860
6 hours ago
I just never use a thermometer for cooking eggs, I go by "boiling", "simmering", etc. No idea how hot 75 C is except it's between 74 C and 76 C.
– user3067860
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Thanks again. That too sounds like an option so feel free to post your own experience with non-poaching cooking techniques.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
@user3067860 Thanks again. That too sounds like an option so feel free to post your own experience with non-poaching cooking techniques.
– MonkeyZeus
6 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
Adding salt in the water helps as well, this increases the egg white will become solid when getting in contact with the salt water and basically it will close the crack again.
New contributor
StefanJanssen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
7
It's hard to believe that the sort of quantities of salt one uses in cooking would make any significant chemical change. This sounds a lot like people claiming that you put salt in the water when you boil food because it means the water boils hotter so the food cooks faster -- in fact, the change in boiling point is of the order of tenths of a degree, so makes essentially no difference.
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
1
In my experience, this is exactly the correct answer. It doesn't matter if it's because of chemical changes, boiling point difference or osmosis direction or whatever, as long as it works.
– Bass
9 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
Adding salt in the water helps as well, this increases the egg white will become solid when getting in contact with the salt water and basically it will close the crack again.
New contributor
StefanJanssen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
7
It's hard to believe that the sort of quantities of salt one uses in cooking would make any significant chemical change. This sounds a lot like people claiming that you put salt in the water when you boil food because it means the water boils hotter so the food cooks faster -- in fact, the change in boiling point is of the order of tenths of a degree, so makes essentially no difference.
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
1
In my experience, this is exactly the correct answer. It doesn't matter if it's because of chemical changes, boiling point difference or osmosis direction or whatever, as long as it works.
– Bass
9 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
Adding salt in the water helps as well, this increases the egg white will become solid when getting in contact with the salt water and basically it will close the crack again.
New contributor
StefanJanssen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Adding salt in the water helps as well, this increases the egg white will become solid when getting in contact with the salt water and basically it will close the crack again.
New contributor
StefanJanssen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
StefanJanssen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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answered 9 hours ago
StefanJanssen
212
212
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StefanJanssen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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StefanJanssen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
7
It's hard to believe that the sort of quantities of salt one uses in cooking would make any significant chemical change. This sounds a lot like people claiming that you put salt in the water when you boil food because it means the water boils hotter so the food cooks faster -- in fact, the change in boiling point is of the order of tenths of a degree, so makes essentially no difference.
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
1
In my experience, this is exactly the correct answer. It doesn't matter if it's because of chemical changes, boiling point difference or osmosis direction or whatever, as long as it works.
– Bass
9 hours ago
add a comment |
7
It's hard to believe that the sort of quantities of salt one uses in cooking would make any significant chemical change. This sounds a lot like people claiming that you put salt in the water when you boil food because it means the water boils hotter so the food cooks faster -- in fact, the change in boiling point is of the order of tenths of a degree, so makes essentially no difference.
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
1
In my experience, this is exactly the correct answer. It doesn't matter if it's because of chemical changes, boiling point difference or osmosis direction or whatever, as long as it works.
– Bass
9 hours ago
7
7
It's hard to believe that the sort of quantities of salt one uses in cooking would make any significant chemical change. This sounds a lot like people claiming that you put salt in the water when you boil food because it means the water boils hotter so the food cooks faster -- in fact, the change in boiling point is of the order of tenths of a degree, so makes essentially no difference.
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
It's hard to believe that the sort of quantities of salt one uses in cooking would make any significant chemical change. This sounds a lot like people claiming that you put salt in the water when you boil food because it means the water boils hotter so the food cooks faster -- in fact, the change in boiling point is of the order of tenths of a degree, so makes essentially no difference.
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
1
1
In my experience, this is exactly the correct answer. It doesn't matter if it's because of chemical changes, boiling point difference or osmosis direction or whatever, as long as it works.
– Bass
9 hours ago
In my experience, this is exactly the correct answer. It doesn't matter if it's because of chemical changes, boiling point difference or osmosis direction or whatever, as long as it works.
– Bass
9 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
Believe it or not, you can put some Duct Tape (like gaffer tape - heavy tape) over the crack, and away you go.
(I'm not sure why anyone would bother with this - boiled eggs which have some white "poking out" are fine - but there you have it.)
3
Is duct tape food safe though?
– wjandrea
7 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
Believe it or not, you can put some Duct Tape (like gaffer tape - heavy tape) over the crack, and away you go.
(I'm not sure why anyone would bother with this - boiled eggs which have some white "poking out" are fine - but there you have it.)
3
Is duct tape food safe though?
– wjandrea
7 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
Believe it or not, you can put some Duct Tape (like gaffer tape - heavy tape) over the crack, and away you go.
(I'm not sure why anyone would bother with this - boiled eggs which have some white "poking out" are fine - but there you have it.)
Believe it or not, you can put some Duct Tape (like gaffer tape - heavy tape) over the crack, and away you go.
(I'm not sure why anyone would bother with this - boiled eggs which have some white "poking out" are fine - but there you have it.)
answered 8 hours ago
Fattie
171116
171116
3
Is duct tape food safe though?
– wjandrea
7 hours ago
add a comment |
3
Is duct tape food safe though?
– wjandrea
7 hours ago
3
3
Is duct tape food safe though?
– wjandrea
7 hours ago
Is duct tape food safe though?
– wjandrea
7 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
It's possible to boil an egg with steam. This usually requires an additional device. The eggs are put upright and won't split open since they are not exposed directly to the hot water.

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3
Does this work for eggs that are already cracked? And why would being exposed to hot water make an egg more likely to split?
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
I have two devices like this and the directions specifically say you need to pierce the top of the egg with a needle (that is included). Sometimes if the hole is a little big or if the hole is cracked, there is a considerable amount of egg white material ejected from the egg. It still makes a good hardboiled egg, but it's not as pretty. A cracked egg would certainly expand into a weird shape (again, would probably taste fine).
– JPhi1618
9 hours ago
When doing hardboiled eggs in a commercial steamer i have seen the same issue with eggs coming apart as with boiling water.
– bruglesco
5 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
It's possible to boil an egg with steam. This usually requires an additional device. The eggs are put upright and won't split open since they are not exposed directly to the hot water.

New contributor
fiscblog is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
3
Does this work for eggs that are already cracked? And why would being exposed to hot water make an egg more likely to split?
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
I have two devices like this and the directions specifically say you need to pierce the top of the egg with a needle (that is included). Sometimes if the hole is a little big or if the hole is cracked, there is a considerable amount of egg white material ejected from the egg. It still makes a good hardboiled egg, but it's not as pretty. A cracked egg would certainly expand into a weird shape (again, would probably taste fine).
– JPhi1618
9 hours ago
When doing hardboiled eggs in a commercial steamer i have seen the same issue with eggs coming apart as with boiling water.
– bruglesco
5 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
It's possible to boil an egg with steam. This usually requires an additional device. The eggs are put upright and won't split open since they are not exposed directly to the hot water.

New contributor
fiscblog is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
It's possible to boil an egg with steam. This usually requires an additional device. The eggs are put upright and won't split open since they are not exposed directly to the hot water.

New contributor
fiscblog is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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edited 9 hours ago
New contributor
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answered 9 hours ago
fiscblog
1172
1172
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fiscblog is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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fiscblog is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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3
Does this work for eggs that are already cracked? And why would being exposed to hot water make an egg more likely to split?
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
I have two devices like this and the directions specifically say you need to pierce the top of the egg with a needle (that is included). Sometimes if the hole is a little big or if the hole is cracked, there is a considerable amount of egg white material ejected from the egg. It still makes a good hardboiled egg, but it's not as pretty. A cracked egg would certainly expand into a weird shape (again, would probably taste fine).
– JPhi1618
9 hours ago
When doing hardboiled eggs in a commercial steamer i have seen the same issue with eggs coming apart as with boiling water.
– bruglesco
5 hours ago
add a comment |
3
Does this work for eggs that are already cracked? And why would being exposed to hot water make an egg more likely to split?
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
I have two devices like this and the directions specifically say you need to pierce the top of the egg with a needle (that is included). Sometimes if the hole is a little big or if the hole is cracked, there is a considerable amount of egg white material ejected from the egg. It still makes a good hardboiled egg, but it's not as pretty. A cracked egg would certainly expand into a weird shape (again, would probably taste fine).
– JPhi1618
9 hours ago
When doing hardboiled eggs in a commercial steamer i have seen the same issue with eggs coming apart as with boiling water.
– bruglesco
5 hours ago
3
3
Does this work for eggs that are already cracked? And why would being exposed to hot water make an egg more likely to split?
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
Does this work for eggs that are already cracked? And why would being exposed to hot water make an egg more likely to split?
– David Richerby
9 hours ago
I have two devices like this and the directions specifically say you need to pierce the top of the egg with a needle (that is included). Sometimes if the hole is a little big or if the hole is cracked, there is a considerable amount of egg white material ejected from the egg. It still makes a good hardboiled egg, but it's not as pretty. A cracked egg would certainly expand into a weird shape (again, would probably taste fine).
– JPhi1618
9 hours ago
I have two devices like this and the directions specifically say you need to pierce the top of the egg with a needle (that is included). Sometimes if the hole is a little big or if the hole is cracked, there is a considerable amount of egg white material ejected from the egg. It still makes a good hardboiled egg, but it's not as pretty. A cracked egg would certainly expand into a weird shape (again, would probably taste fine).
– JPhi1618
9 hours ago
When doing hardboiled eggs in a commercial steamer i have seen the same issue with eggs coming apart as with boiling water.
– bruglesco
5 hours ago
When doing hardboiled eggs in a commercial steamer i have seen the same issue with eggs coming apart as with boiling water.
– bruglesco
5 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
If the egg's been cracked for a while, just throw it out. Even though the boiling process should kill anything growing in it, good sense says it's not worth the risk. If the egg gets small cracks when you put it in the water or while cooking, it's perfectly fine. In my experience, the heat will quickly make the outer layer of white solidify as it cooks, which will lock everything else inside, crack or no. The worst I've ever seen happen from cooking an egg that cracked early on is that little bits of white escape and get cooked in the water, giving it a cloudy look. I've eaten many eggs that cracked while cooking and never had any problems.
New contributor
CMB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
If the egg's been cracked for a while, just throw it out. Even though the boiling process should kill anything growing in it, good sense says it's not worth the risk. If the egg gets small cracks when you put it in the water or while cooking, it's perfectly fine. In my experience, the heat will quickly make the outer layer of white solidify as it cooks, which will lock everything else inside, crack or no. The worst I've ever seen happen from cooking an egg that cracked early on is that little bits of white escape and get cooked in the water, giving it a cloudy look. I've eaten many eggs that cracked while cooking and never had any problems.
New contributor
CMB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
If the egg's been cracked for a while, just throw it out. Even though the boiling process should kill anything growing in it, good sense says it's not worth the risk. If the egg gets small cracks when you put it in the water or while cooking, it's perfectly fine. In my experience, the heat will quickly make the outer layer of white solidify as it cooks, which will lock everything else inside, crack or no. The worst I've ever seen happen from cooking an egg that cracked early on is that little bits of white escape and get cooked in the water, giving it a cloudy look. I've eaten many eggs that cracked while cooking and never had any problems.
New contributor
CMB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
If the egg's been cracked for a while, just throw it out. Even though the boiling process should kill anything growing in it, good sense says it's not worth the risk. If the egg gets small cracks when you put it in the water or while cooking, it's perfectly fine. In my experience, the heat will quickly make the outer layer of white solidify as it cooks, which will lock everything else inside, crack or no. The worst I've ever seen happen from cooking an egg that cracked early on is that little bits of white escape and get cooked in the water, giving it a cloudy look. I've eaten many eggs that cracked while cooking and never had any problems.
New contributor
CMB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
CMB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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answered 5 hours ago
CMB
1
1
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add a comment |
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user29521 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
user29521 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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I would like to remind everybody that this question is on methods for boiling known-cracked eggs without making a mess. If you have methods for detecting cracks, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/22535. If you have methods for reducing the chance that a whole egg will crack during boiling, please post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/909. For theoretical explanations why an egg cracks during boiling, post at cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/63296.
– rumtscho♦
9 hours ago
7
Is "safe" really the word you mean? I thought this question would be about food safety, but it seems to be more about cooking an egg without making a mess.
– nasch
7 hours ago
This depends on how much of a crack you're talking about. I deliberately put small cracks in my eggs before hard boiling to make them easier to peel.
– barbecue
6 hours ago