Scrambled eggs are one of the first things that most of us learn to cook. Theyre deceptively simple compared to more advanced cooking tasks like grilled steak or roasted vegetables. Simply crack a few eggs into a bowl, give them a lazy whisk, and pour the mixture into a preheated skillet — no culinary training required. But heres where the “deceptive” part comes in. Agitate them too much while cooking or overcook them, and the eggs will taste rubbery and dull. Theres no margin of error, either: If you dont move them enough, they wont fluff up as they cook, and undercooked eggs turn into a gross, snotty pile of wet curds.
Most celebrity chefs have an egg-cooking hack, like Gordon Ramsays trick for scrambled eggs or how J. Kenji López-Alt combines two tips for creamy scrambled eggs (spoiler alert, its a cornstarch-milk slurry and cold butter). Among the tricks are two liquid additives — milk and water — that allegedly create some of the best scrambled eggs. To determine whether this hack holds up, we scrambled a set of eggs without any additions, using them as a baseline to compare to eggs made with water, milk, and a 50/50 mixture. We evaluated each batchs texture, consistency, and flavor to determine the winner. After eating way more eggs than anyone should in one sitting, we were a little surprised at which was our favorite.
Water is the way to go if your ultimate goal is to cook airy scrambled eggs that feel like a cloud and melt in your mouth. It’s as simple as this: add a splash of water to your already-whisked eggs. When the water heats on the stove, it produces a steaming effect, which results in surprisingly fluffy scrambled eggs.
What happened when we added milk to the mix?
Next up were the milk scrambled eggs, which had a teaspoon of cold milk added to the mix. Curiously enough, these eggs took a little longer to cook — 2 minutes and 15 seconds, or 15 seconds longer than the plain batch. The curds separated easily and moved independently as we stirred, creating more surface area than the plain eggs. While they didnt feel as rubbery as we expected given the science, they were slightly tougher than the plain eggs, with a lightly squeaky feeling as we chewed.
When we tasted the eggs, the first thing we noticed was salt followed by a lightly sweet aftertaste. Somehow, these eggs tasted less eggy than the plain eggs. It was like the savory notes had evaporated during the cooking process. They were creamy, but they didnt quite taste rich. Overall, we felt like these eggs missed the mark, but we might not have been able to put our finger on why if we hadnt tasted them side-by-side with the plain eggs.
How did the eggs without added liquid taste?
We started by making the plain eggs to have a baseline to compare with the other eggs. Using our medium-low heat setting, the eggs cooked in almost exactly two minutes. Although they had no added liquid — just added salt — we thought these eggs turned out pretty good. They had a nice chew and a good springiness, and they didnt feel too rubbery or soft from a textural perspective.
When it came to taste, we will say that the ⅛ teaspoon of salt was a skosh too much. The eggs tasted slightly over-salted for most of our palates. Were we to do them over again, we would certainly reduce the salt to a mere pinch when no added liquid was involved. That said, the eggs tasted … well, eggy. They werent overly rich or creamy, but they werent cardboard-like or dry like we normally associate with poorly cooked eggs. It was proof that you dont actually need to add anything to scrambled eggs to make them taste great, but we were excited to see what the additions would do to the eggs.
Do You Add Water Or Milk To Eggs (Because It Really Matters)
FAQ
Does water or milk make eggs fluffier?
Is milk or water better in eggs?
What makes eggs more fluffy?
How do restaurants make scrambled eggs so fluffy?
How to make fluffy eggs?
How to make fluffy eggs: a few tips! Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, it takes just 2 minutes to cook fluffy eggs to perfection. Here are a few tips so that they’re perfect every time. Whisk 4 eggs with 1 tablespoon milk. The milk is all you need for major fluffiness. Use medium heat. Watch it carefully!
Are eggs dairy?
Eggs are not a dairy product, the dairy includes foods produced from the milk of mammals, such as cows and goats. Food products made from milk includes cheese, cream, butter and yogurt. Eggs are laid by birds such as hens and ducks. Eggs are high in protein and also animal products. Eggs are not made from milk, so they are not dairy.
Why do eggs have starchy water?
When this starchy water is whisked together with the eggs, it not only helps mitigate those protein strands from binding too rapidly, but it also helps to retain moisture in the final product, even when the eggs are scrambled over high temperatures. The result is light, fluffy, tender eggs that aren’t dry or overcooked.
Should you add water or milk to eggs?
Some science touts adding water rather than milk to eggs, especially if you’re looking for a fluffier scramble. According to Chef Sam Davis-Allonce and food scientist Natalie Alibrandi, when you add water to your eggs, the water evaporates as steam and lifts the eggs as they cook, making them fluffy (via Well+Good ).