This Is Hands-Down The Worst Method Of Cooking Scrambled Eggs

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Eggs are one of life's simple foods, consistently reliable with the white and yolk handily housed in a delicate shell, and they are a relatively healthy food, too, filled with protein, good fats, and nutrients. But despite that simplicity, there are many ways to screw up cooking eggs. You could leave one poaching too long in the water so it becomes rubbery with a hard yolk, or cook an omelette on too high a heat and wind up with crispy edges rather than a soft, tender exterior. But out of all the ways you can mess up cooking scrambled eggs, using the wrong type of pan might be the worst.

While you can cook scrambled eggs in a stainless steel or even a properly seasoned carbon steel skillet, doing so successfully takes more knowledge and technique than most home cooks are willing to fuss with. You may well still end up with eggs stuck to the pan and a messy situation to clean afterwards. Instead, use a non-stick skillet. It's the ideal pan to use for scrambling eggs, as its slick surface allows the eggs to cook gently without the risk of them getting stuck or clinging to the pan. 

A non-stick pan, while the best choice for cooking scrambled eggs, still needs a proper amount of fat in the pan to aid in the slipperiness of the cooking surface. Butter is a delicious choice, as long as you keep the heat on or below a medium flame, as you don't want the butter to burn. But neutral oils like avocado, canola, or even olive oil are also great option. The combination of a proper non-stick pan along with enough fat lets the eggs glide over the surface as they cook. 

It's also important to use a proper utensil that won't scratch the non-stick pan, which could release dangerous chemicals into your food over time. Silicone spatulas like these Hotec heat resistant ones are the best option, but a wooden spoon or spatula will work too as long as you don't use too much pressure when scraping the pan.

Out of all the ways to cook eggs, scrambling is a simple and fast way to prepare them. There are so many easy tricks to add more flavor and make a dull scramble exciting, from basic toppings like flaky salt and sliced chives to more elaborate preparations like folding in sauteed vegetables and fancy cheeses. But before you jump into the deep end of scrambled egg preparations, master our excellent basic recipe for soft and fluffy scrambled eggs, made without any additional ingredients or tricks. And don't forget to start cooking scrambled eggs from the outer edges, which I call the push method, as you are pushing the outer edges of the eggs into the center of the pan repeatedly.