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Life - Taste

Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009

Ask a Cook

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Q: When making a souffle, is it best to use cold eggs or room-temperature eggs?

A: You want eggs that are at room temperature or even warm, for several reasons. Cold eggs make it harder to separate the yolks and whites, and cold egg whites take longer to beat. Also, as food scientist Shirley Corriher explains, a warm souffle base and warm egg whites will make your souffle rise faster and taller when it goes into a hot oven. If you don't have time to let your eggs sit at room temperature for a half hour or so, you can place them in a bowl of warm or tepid water for a few minutes to take the chill off before separating them and beating the egg whites.

— Kathleen Purvis, The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)