Scientists say they’ve cracked the code for a perfect boiled egg - but is it worth the hassle?

The research team, from the University of Naples and Italy's Institute of Polymers, believe they have prepared what they describe as a perfect boiled egg (pictured) with their periodic method. Photo / Foam Lab via RNZ

By RNZ

If you’ve ever had to Google “how long to boil an egg?” you’ve probably read about 10 minutes.

Well, according to Italian scientists who claim to have cracked the code, a perfectly boiled egg takes about half an hour - with temperature control involved.

The research, published on Friday in the peer-reviewed journal Communications Engineering, involves cycling an egg, weighing 63 to 73g, every two minutes from boiling water to a bowl of tepid water, about 30C, for 32 minutes total.

So we decided to put the experiment to the test - RNZ TAHI’s So’omalo Iteni Schwalger set out to find what does the perfect boiled egg taste like? And is it worth the hassle?

The mission

Iteni Schwalger wasted no time in finding the right egg - whipping out a size 8 one from a carton at home weighing 71g. .

He used a thermometer to keep things in check on the water side, opting for a generally rolling boil at about 100C and a bowl of 25C tap water, which was slightly below the referenced 30C but rose naturally on contact with the hot egg.

While the process went on for 32 minutes as specified, Iteni Schwalger says the egg may have continued to cook a bit longer as he placed it in room temperature water (rather than cold) before cutting it open. In the research, the eggs were cooled down under running water before being cracked open.

“If I’m being honest, I think I nailed it. I think this is very, very similar to what was shown in the experiment.”

Boiled eggs and toast soldiers. Photo / Doug Sherring

So how did it turn out?

Iteni Schwalger’s underwhelming verdict is ... “it tasted fine, I mean it’s an egg”.

He reckons it’s essentially a soft-boiled egg with extra steps.

The researchers say the “periodic” egg whites are similar to the soft-boiled one, while the yolk was more like a sous vide cooked one (a low and slow cooking method).

But they also claimed one of the micronutrients was noticeably higher in the “periodic” cooked egg compared with the other egg cooking techniques they tested (hard-boiled, soft-boiled, and 65C egg also known as 6X).

Obviously, the lab-controlled conditions may have contributed to their results, but, as Iteni Schwalger puts it, the average person doing this at home may find it more time-consuming than necessary.

“I respect that the process was done by literal scientists under very careful supervision, but truthfully replicating it at home is quite the task even for an over-enthusiastic home cook.”

Is it worth trying?

Well, that’s debatable. Do you have 32 minutes to spare before you head out in the school or work rush for a boiled egg?

Iteni Schwalger was clear that we wouldn’t catch him doing it again.

“It sucked overall as a process, spending 32 minutes cooking eggs is what I imagine purgatory to look like, it’s laborious for what is essentially just a boiled egg.

“If you ever see me doing this again, it is against my will.”