Cooking eggs in a microwave is possible, but you should take precautions to prevent an explosion. A microwave is a convenient kitchen tool when you are not in the mood to cook or in a hurry.
Most of the people are hesitant to cook their eggs in a microwave during the morning rush for a couple of reasons. Probably you are worried it’s not a safe way of cooking, or you are not sure how to go about cooking eggs using the microwave.
We are going to explore everything you should know when it comes to cooking eggs in a microwave in this post, and we will share some simple cooking tips to make microwaving eggs pretty easy. That way, the next time you are hungry, and in a hurry, you will know exactly what you should do.
How a Microwave Oven Works
A microwave cooks food utilizing energy waves. These energy waves are usually similar to normal radio waves, although the energy waves produced by microwaves are shorter.
These energy waves mainly target the available water molecules in your food and then cause them to shudder and build up some heat. Unlike the conventional ovens that slowly cook food items from the outside in, a microwave cooks food more evenly all together.
However, some individuals mostly associate microwaves with dangerous radiation, especially the form of radiation normally associated with cancer known as ionizing radiation. The type of radiation from a microwave is called non-ionizing radiation, and it cannot chemically change the DNA or cells in the food you eat.
Can you Microwave Eggs in a Shell?
Cooking your eggs in a microwave is possible. But according to experts, you should break your eggs out of the shells before cooking them in a microwave because if you cook eggs while in their shells, they’re more likely to explode.
A microwave heats pretty fast that steam accumulates faster than eggs can exhale it via their pores and this steam can burst through the shells. Due to the same reasons, when you are microwaving your eggs, you should always prick the yolks of unbeaten eggs with a wooden pick or the tip of your kitchen knife. The vents you create enables the steam to escape easily and safely.
You can also microwave eggs in their shells by covering them with water and also adding some salt to the water. Again, if you don’t want your eggs in a spherical shape, you can microwave your eggs without their shells.
How to Microwave Eggs in Shells
• Place your eggs in a microwave-safe bowl
Use a plastic bowl or large glass for cooking your eggs in a microwave. Put your eggs in one layer at the bottom of the bowl. Avoid stacking the eggs on each other and also be careful not to crack your eggs.
• Add some water to the cooking bowl
Pour plenty of water over the eggs so that they are fully covered with water. You should ensure that there’s half an inch or a centimeter of water above your eggs. If you don’t cover your eggs completely with water, then they might explode in a short time.
To speed up the whole process of cooking, you can pour some boiling water over your eggs rather than water at room temperature. Nonetheless, you will still have to cover your eggs fully with water.
• Pour a tablespoon of salt into the cooking bowl
Measure a tablespoon of some salt and then dash it into the water. Adding the salt will assist you in preventing your eggs from exploding when they’re in a microwave.
• Cook your eggs for a maximum 12 minutes
Put your microwave on medium power and start microwaving your eggs. The eggs might take anywhere from 6 to 12 minutes to hard boil them, depending on the microwave you have. The eggs might be ready sooner if you prefer softer eggs or if you set your microwave on high power.
• Allow your eggs to cool down before touching them
When your eggs are cooked, the water and cooking bowl will be quite hot, so use an oven mitt when removing your eggs from the microwave. Don’t touch any of the cooked eggs or reach into the cooking bowl until they have completely cooled down. Besides, you can drain all the hot water and then refill the cooking bowl with some cold water to expedite the process of cooling. That will also prevent your eggs from getting overcooked.
• Enjoy the hard-boiled eggs
After the eggs have cooled down fully, you can now crack them and enjoy them. You can use them in a wide variety of recipes or eat them on their own.
How to Microwave Eggs Without Shells
Microwaving eggs without shells is a safe and even method of cooking eggs. Breaking your eggs also breaks the initial step when it comes to hard-boiling, but if you are utilizing a microwave, this method is highly recommended. You can cook the egg yolks and whites separately to ensure that every part is cooked as hard as you would like, and also remove the risks of scalding explosions. This technique of microwaving your eggs is sometimes known as hard-cooking, because it does not involve some water, but it results in eggs with hard-boiled texture. Here are some tips to follow:
• Lightly grease two small bowls
Grease the inside of two microwave-safe bowls using butter or any other butter substitute, utilizing a paper towel. If you’re cooking one egg only, Custard ramekins normally work well, but you can utilize any size container.
• Separate the egg yolks and egg whites
Crack your eggs open carefully, and then separate both halves of the shell and pour the yolk from one half of your shell to the other recurrently until all the egg white becomes separated from the egg yolk. Put the yolks into one greased bowl, and your egg whites into the other. If you’re cooking several eggs, repeat this step, and remember to keep all the yolks in one small bowl and the whites in the other.
• Pierce all the egg yolks
The thin membrane that holds the egg yolk together can accumulate pressure as the inside moisture gets heated up, exploding messily in the long run. You can avoid this by piercing every yolk with a skewer, fork or the tip of a kitchen knife, to allow the steam to escape.
• Cover the two bowls
You can easily and safely cover your bowls using plastic wraps, as long as the cover doesn’t touch your food. Wax paper or parchment paper can also be used as well.
• Cook the whites at low or medium power
If your microwave has a low or medium or power setting, utilize it whenever preparing eggs and egg dishes, because eggs can easily overcook to a superheated or rubbery mess. Since it’s challenging to control the temperatures of microwaved food, it is best to prepare in short bursts, while checking regularly.
• Cook the yolks for 20 to 30 seconds
Remove the cooking bowl containing white and then put in the bowl with egg yolks. Using low or medium power, you can cook your egg yolks for around 20 to 30 seconds for every yolk. If you are cooking several egg yolks, stop the timer after every 30 seconds to monitor the progress. Remove your yolk from the microwave once it’s a bit softer than you want.
• Allow your eggs to stand for around two or three minutes
A microwave heats the fats in the eggs hotter than a normal pot of boiling water. That heat will continue cooking the eggs after it’s removed. If some part of the eggs is not hard enough after two to three minutes, you can cook it for an additional 10 to 20 seconds. There’s no way to make overcooked eggs softer, meaning it’s better to aim for slightly soft-cooked eggs.
Is it Safe to Consume a Microwaved Egg?
Eggs offer numerous benefits to consumers and are pretty hard to beat when it comes to flexibility. You can add the eggs to soups, casseroles, in desserts, or top a pizza.
There’s no end to what you can do with delicious, wholesome eggs. And, when you think an egg cannot get any better, you can decide to cook them in a microwave.
Unlike the traditional ovens that gradually cook foods from the outside in, a microwave cooks food items more evenly at once. However, some individuals usually associate microwaves with some harmful radiation, particularly the form of radiation which is associated with cancer referred to as ionizing radiation.
The type of radiation emitted by a microwave is known as non-ionizing radiation. This radiation does not chemically change the DNA or cells in the food you eat, which means microwaved eggs are safe to eat.
How Long Does it take to Cook Eggs in the Microwave?
It is quite simple and quick to cook your eggs in a microwave. Once you set the microwave on medium power, your eggs might take anywhere from 6 to 12 minutes if you want them hard-boiled, but it also depends on the microwave you own. The eggs might be ready quite sooner if the microwave is on high power or if you like your eggs softer.
If you used some boiling water when microwaving your eggs, then you can cook them on high power for three to six minutes. Also, you can check to see if the eggs are cooked already by removing one egg from the water, and then spinning it on your kitchen counter. If the spins rapidly, then it’s cooked. If the egg immediately slows down and only rotates gradually, it has not hardened yet.
Do Microwaving Eggs Destroy Nutrients?
Microwaved eggs are usually as healthy as oven-cooked eggs. However, depending on what you cook your eggs with and how long you cook them, you can maximize the nutrition of an egg using a microwave. According to research, you can lose around 80% to 90% of nutrients when you bake, fry, or roast food because nutrients cannot withstand dry heat. Nevertheless, microwaves normally cook foods faster, exposing the nutrients to the heat for a minimal time. Although heat is destructive, at times, it’s also a good thing since it kills harmful bacteria such as salmonella.
When microwaving eggs, it’s also helpful to cook your egg whites until they have solidified. The egg whites contain 57% of the protein content in an egg. The heat assists your body to process the protein found in egg whites. The protein in cooked eggs is usually 180% more digestible when compared to uncooked eggs. To retain most of the nutrients found in eggs, you must avoid overcooking the egg yolks. Besides, overheating the yolk oxidizes the fat found in the egg, which can make the eggs sticky and quite hard for your body to use.
In general, anytime you cook some eggs, you normally lose some nutrients whether you fry, bake or microwave your eggs. Nevertheless, according to a recent study, the best cooking methods for nutrient retention usually involves heating food items for the shortest time possible, and using little liquid and microwave does exactly that.
What Happens When You Boil an Egg in the Microwave?
A microwave usually heats an egg pretty fast that the steam produced accumulates faster than an egg can exhale it using their pores and the steam can easily burst through the shells. You can hard-boil your eggs in the shell as long as you cover them with water and add a little salt to the water. By doing this, you will be taking precaution to prevent any explosions from happening in the microwave. After boiling your eggs in the microwave, they will become softer and also turn into a spherical shape.
Conclusion
Eggs are wonderful gifts from Mother Nature regardless of how you cook them. For most people, it’s a relief knowing that they can safely prepare some eggs in a microwave and serve fresh and healthy breakfasts in a short time. It’s also exciting to explore new cooking methods and recipes, and microwaving your eggs is worth considering. It’s likely that once you realize the magic of cooking eggs in a microwave, you will get to enjoy even more of them in your everyday diet and also reap their economic and nutritional benefits.
