Mashed's Exclusive Survey Uncovered How People Prefer Their Eggs Cooked
The humble egg really has a hold on the people. In 2022, Americans consumed an average of 277.5 eggs per person, and that number was projected to rise to 288.6 eggs each in 2023. However, with the high cost of pretty much everything down the supply chain from feed to fuel, and a massive outbreak of avian flu, it remains to be seen how the high price for a dependable dozen will affect egg consumption in 2023.
In the meantime, whether eggs are a daily staple or a once-in-a-while treat, everyone has their preferences on how those eggs should be cooked. Mashed asked the question, "What's your preferred way to cook eggs?" and more than 17,000 people responded. Between the options of scrambled, poached, fried, hard-boiled, and sunny side up, there was a resounding winner. Scrambled eggs swept the survey with 45% of the vote.
There are tons of different methods for making scrambled eggs and lots of strong opinions. Do you add water or milk to eggs, or maybe even nothing at all? Do you use a whisk or a fork? How do stir the eggs once they are in the pan? Even the best chefs have techniques for cooking scrambled eggs. Whatever the method, 45% of respondents are choosing to scramble.
How did the other egg preparations fare in the Mashed survey?
Second place went to fried eggs with 24% of the vote, followed closely by sunny side up with 19%. Both preparations pan-fry the eggs, but sunny side up eggs are not flipped. They are instead steamed or basted to finish cooking the whites, and the yolk is kept very runny. Fried eggs are flipped, and cooked to a specified doneness of yolk – over easy, over medium, or over hard. While these methods are very similar, even if the votes were combined, they still would have fallen short to scrambled eggs with 43%.
Poached eggs were preferred by 7% of respondents, which makes sense. They can be tricky to cook at home, though there is a secret method for perfect poached eggs.The final 5% of the vote went to hard-boiled eggs. While an egg purist would still love a hard-boiled egg, it may be just a tiny bit boring.