Norwegians crack the egg conundrum

At this time of year, eggs are on our minds, and, not least, our shopping lists. However the beige, oval cholesterol-bombs are not as simple as they first appear.

Easter eggs are eggs eaten and used for decoration during the Easter holidays in Europe and the US.

As well as the age old mystery of ‘which came first,’ the humble chicken ovum has, since the dawn of the culinary arts, presented aspiring cooks with a somewhat less philosophical mystery:

How long does it take to cook the perfect boiled egg?

Nothing left to chance

Now, scientists at the University of Oslo have cracked the code, so to speak. They have developed a formula, which guarantees the perfect boiled egg, every time.

The formula, created by chemical engineer John Vedde from the University of Oslo and the English physicist Peter Barham, includes variables such as ‘water temperature,’ ‘desired temperature of yolk’ and ‘egg’s start temperature’.

The end result is the answer to how your egg is cooked, depending on temperature, boiling time and altitude.

Egg calculator

Water boils at a lower temperature depending on how high up you are. Therefore, at higher altitudes the egg will take longer. Up in the highest mountains, a medium large egg can take 9 minutes to be properly hardboiled.

The scientists have made a handy egg cooking calculator, so you can get the perfect yolk every time.

Try the egg-cooking calculator here (in Norwegian).

luci@adm.ku.dk