The Perfect Egg Calculator

[Bern]

Visit: http://www.chefsteps.com/activities/the-egg-calculator

 

Use the pretty app to:

 

1. Pick your preferred texture for egg white.

2. Pick how runny you want your egg yolk to be.

3. You can add other variables for a more accurate calculation.

 

==============================================

 

Douglas Baldwin's first experiments with egg textures began back in the eGullet days, when he developed tables to help forum members who weren't satisfied with the yolk and white textures they were getting using slow-cooking methods. The tables were helpful, and he saw potential for further development in the field of predictive cooking.

 

To create a truly predictive algorithm, Douglas first turned to the numerical heating model he'd developed that used mathematical methods similar to those he'd employed to model shock waves for his PhD thesis. Baldwin says previous heating models he'd seen assumed the surface temperature of the egg was equal to the surface temperature of the bath. In fact, it takes time for surface to come up to temperature of the water bath, which Baldwin’s numerical scheme takes into account. It also accounts for whether you’re cooking your egg with an immersion circulator—in which the water moves around as the egg cooks—or using a Sous Vide Supreme or pot on the stove—in which the water is relatively still.

 

Once he had a good heating model, Baldwin set about figuring out how to quantitatively determine the viscosity of the egg yolks in a mathematically precise manner. Inspired by Vega’s landmark research, he determined a viscosity scale using foods like Hershey’s syrup, ready-made frosting, and pudding. Then, he cooked 18 large grade-AA, 12 jumbo grade-AA, and 12 medium grade-AA eggs at different times and temperatures, and, using his fingers, compared the viscosities.

 

Trials completed (and kitchen cleaned), Baldwin had an algorithm that could tell users the precise time and temperature to cook an egg in order to achieve the exact yolk and white textures they desired. But it occurred to him: What would users do with the egg once it was cooked? Would they take it out of the water right away and eat? Would they plunge it into an ice bath and then leave it there for a few minutes? Even in the ice bath, he knew, the egg would continue to cook for a while. So he developed a way to adjust the time and temperature to account for this difference.

 

Enter ChefSteps. Like Douglas Baldwin and César Vega, we spend a lot of our time thinking about how to account for the non-linear way that heat behaves in the kitchen. In fact, we're completely fascinated by the complexities of heat transfer, and a little obsessed with finding ways to simplify them for everyday cooks. Our team of scientists, software engineers, designers, and chefs teamed up with Douglas to apply his intricate algorithms to a simple, user-friendly web app. We filmed hundreds of outcomes and implemented them in a visual interface for a two-step "calculator" (with three supplementary steps for fine-tuning), and voilà: the ChefSteps Egg Calculator was born. The app will adjust time and temperature depending on how you want your egg, and—talk about worry-free cooking—whether you want to serve it now or later.

 

So grab a dozen eggs and start playing around with this new tool. We can't wait to hear what you think.

 

 

==============================================

 

Two things to remember when creating your perfect egg:

 

1 If you are chilling it in ice water (rather than serving immediately), do so for at least eight minutes to ensure that the yolk doesn't continue thickening due to "carry-over cooking." 

 

2 If you reheat the egg, heat it to between 131 °F / 55 °C–140 °F / 60 °C. This will ensure your yolk thickens very slowly while keeping your egg safe and tasty.

 

 

Grades matter

 

In the United States, there are three consumer grades for eggs: AA, A, and B—grade As are the ones you’re most likely to run across in the grocery aisle. Eggs are graded based on the interior quality of the egg, plus the appearance and condition of the shell. Eggs of any quality grade will differ in weight and size. This tool works for grades AA or A.

 

Here’s how they break down:

 

U.S. Grade AA: Whites are firm and thick, while yolks are round, and nearly free of defect. These eggs have clean, uniform shells.

 

U.S. Grade A: Whites are “reasonably” firm and the yolks are, again, practically free of defect, while the shells are clean and uniform.

 

U.S. Grade B: The whites of grade B eggs are often thinner and the yolks tend to be wider and flatter. The shells can be lightly stained.

 

You won't find Grade B eggs at fancy grocery stores—though they do show up at discount food shops—and you can’t use them with our egg tool. Or, rather, you can, but your results won't be as reliable due to the smaller amount of protein in these eggs. To learn more about the grading system, check out this useful USDA document, which we consulted to create the sidebar you have just now finished reading.

 

 

Chef's Tip:

 

Use a Slotted Spoon

 

There are actually two parts to an egg white, and often the outer white—the section outside the egg-white membrane—won't fully coagulate during cooking. Most of us like our eggs free of watery, goopy bits, which the slots in the spoon drain out handily. Simply lift your slow-cooked egg with a slotted spoon, drain the unwanted bits, and serve.