How Long To Boil Eggs In Microwave

 How Long To Boil Eggs In Microwave

All microwaves are different, so this method might not work for you. If you have an air fryer, I find air fryer boiled eggs work out perfectly every single time I’ve tried them in multiple different air fryers. 

Whether you want soft or hard-boiled eggs, you can easily and quickly make them in the microwave. If you have limited space like a micro-fridge, you can buy a 6 pack of eggs and boil 2 at a time. 

PROS OF MICROWAVED EGGS:

The frying pan back in the cupboard and turn to the microwave instead:

• Retain more nutrients: Anytime you cook eggs, you lose some of the nutrients whether you microwave, fry, or bake your eggs. However, according to Harvard Medical School, the best cooking method for nutrient retention involves heating food for the shortest amount of time and using as little liquid as possible. Microwaves do just that.

• No supervision required: Often, you can pop food in the microwave, set the time, and walk away to do other things until your food is ready. When you cook at the stove, especially if you’re frying eggs, it’s not always best to walk away. If you do, you might return to over-crispies instead of over-easies.

• Save energy: Microwaves consume less energy than conventional ovens for a couple of reasons. First, a microwave operates at about 600 to 1,650 watts, while an oven uses about 3,000 watts. Second, microwaves direct about 60 percent of their energy toward food, while ovens direct only about 12 to 14 percent of their energy toward food.

• Save time: When you use a more traditional method to cook eggs, you usually need to take a handful of steps to reach the final product. You might have to preheat the oven, wait for the water to boil, or wait for the pan to get hot. Any of these could take several minutes. Then you must cook the eggs, which could take a few minutes or more, depending on the recipe. Finally, you must clean the dishes and utensils used throughout the process. When you microwave eggs, you crack them open into a microwave-safe dish and put the dish in the microwave for a minute, give or take.

 

CONS OF MICROWAVED EGGS:

It’s quick and simple to cook eggs in the microwave. However, for every pro, there’s a con, and microwave cooking is no exception. As you’ll see, most of the disadvantages are easy to avoid by using proper cooking techniques. Nevertheless, here are a few cons of cooking eggs in the microwave:

• Risk of overcooking: Cooking eggs too long or at too much power in the microwave can overcook them and lead to nutrient loss. Make sure you follow recipes precisely and don’t overdo them to keep eggs optimally nutritious. When you use the stove to cook eggs and constantly keep an eye on them, you’re more aware of how much time they still need.

• Dehydration: Microwaves use the food’s water molecules to cook the food. Foods with high water content tend to cook better in the microwave, while foods like eggs and meats could get tough from microwave cooking if cooked in too-high settings.

• No browning: If you love your eggs served brown and crispy around the edges, you’ll have better luck sticking to the stovetop. Microwaves can’t brown food, which might not be the presentation you want.

• Shell could explode: You must be cautious when boiling an egg in the microwave because the shell can explode if it is not punctured to release steam. It’s best to avoid this risk altogether and remove the shell before microwaving an egg. The microwave heats the egg so quickly that pressure builds up and eventually bursts through the shell. It’s also recommended to pierce the yoke in an unbeaten egg for the same reason.

• ceramic and paper plates that do not contain any plastics. Do not put aluminum foil, metal containers, or certain plastic containers in the microwave.

• Do not cook eggs in an un-pierced shell: You can make a hard-boiled egg in the microwave if you pierce the bottom of the shell first. However, as mentioned above, you might want to play it safe and boil your eggs on the stovetop instead of microwaving eggs in the shell to avoid an eggs plosion. It’s also a good idea to pierce the yolk and white a few times or whisk the egg completely to help prevent splattering.

• Do not superheat: Superheated means that a liquid had been heated beyond its boiling point without signs of boiling. If a liquid is superheated, any movement could cause it to erupt out of its container. You want to avoid overheating any liquid in the microwave to steer clear of burns.

How to Cook Eggs in the Microwave?

Some dishes are best when cooked the traditional way. For example, if you want to make a breakfast casserole with a golden brown cheese topping, you'll want to use the oven. However, if you're in a hurry to get the kids off to school and you need cheesy eggs quickly, the microwave can be your best friend. Before we share some microwaveable egg recipes, let's check out some cooking tips from the American Egg Board:

• Beat the eggs: Egg yolks usually cook faster than whites because they contain more fat. For this reason, scrambled eggs, omelets, and other recipes that call for beaten eggs to cook more evenly in the microwave than other preparations.

• Consider the size of the egg: A jumbo egg requires more time in the microwave than a large egg, so you may need to adjust the cooking times accordingly.

• Use minimum times: To avoid overcooking, start with the minimum time and add time in 10- or 15-second increments until done. If your microwave has a low wattage, you may have to cook items longer than the recipes suggest. Also, keep in mind that eggs will continue to cook and firm up after being removed from the microwave.

• Try to cook evenly: To promote even cooking, stir eggs with ingredients if possible, cover microwave-safe containers, and, if the microwave does not have a turntable, food container during cooking. 

Are microwave eggs healthy?

Microwaved eggs are just as healthy, if not more, than eggs cooked in the oven. Depending on how long you cook them and what you cook them in, you can maximize the nutritional value of eggs by using the microwave.

Certified food scientist Guy Crosby, Ph.D., says that when you roast, bake, or roast food, you can lose up to 80 to 90 percent of the nutrients because the nutrients can't withstand dry heat. However, microwaves cook food faster, heating nutrients in less time. Nutrients like B1, B2, B6, vitamin C, and folic acid are microwave-friendly.

However, the heat is destructive. Sometimes, that's a good thing. For example, heat kills harmful bacteria, such as salmonella. As for eggs, it is also beneficial to cook the egg whites until they are firm. Egg white contains 57% protein. The heat helps our body process the protein in the egg white. The protein in cooked eggs is 180% more digestible than in uncooked eggs. In addition, most of the nutrients are contained in the egg yolk. To retain the most nutrients in the egg, you should avoid overcooking the yolk. For example, one study reported that only 39 to 45 percent of vitamin D was retained when eggs were cooked in the oven at room temperature for 40 minutes while frying resulted in 82. 84% of vitamin D is retained. Also, overheating the yolks oxidizes the fats in the yolks, which can make them sticky and difficult for the body to use.

So, poaching eggs is the healthiest way to cook eggs in the microwave. Hard-boiled eggs are cooked long enough to make the protein more bioavailable, but not so long that they lose important nutrients. Also, microwave eggs do not require the use of fats such as butter or oil. The key to a perfectly healthy egg is to cook the white and preserve the yolk as much as possible.

Like to scramble your eggs? You can increase the nutritional value of microwaved eggs by adding vegetables such as spinach, bell peppers, or broccoli. Overall, no matter which method you choose to cook your eggs, you'll still get a healthy dose of nutrition.

Result:

You should break eggs out of their shells before microwaving them. Never keep eggs in their shells. If you microwave an egg in its shell, it is likely to crack. Microwaves heat up so quickly that steam builds up faster than the egg can 'breathe it' through its pores and the steam bursts through the shell. For this reason, when microwaving, always poke the unbeaten egg yolks with the tip of a knife or a wooden pick. The vents you create allow the steam to escape safely.

All microwave oven models cook unevenly, leaving cool spots. Cover the dish to encourage more cooking, stir the ingredients if possible, and either uses a turntable or rotate the dish at least once or twice during the cooking time.