Our Definitive Ranking of the 13 Most Common Egg Preparations

I have a love-hate relationship with eggs.

On one hand, they're a pretty nutritious and easy breakfast food. On the other hand, sometimes I would rather starve than eat a plate of eggs.

Over the years I've learned that my willingness to eat eggs is totally based on the preparation. Because eggs are such a versatile food, they taste completely different based on the way you prepare them. Basically, some eggs are awesome and some eggs suck, and I'm here to reveal the ultimate truth about the best way to make eggs.

Keep scrolling to see my definitive ranking of the 13 most common egg preparations.

13. Scrambled Eggs

I absolutely hate scrambled eggs. I understand they're the easiest way to get all the egg nutrients into your body because they literally take no skill to make, but I still abhor them. There's something about the texture of these cooked liquid chickens that makes me want to gag every time I put them near my mouth. Scrambled eggs are the worst, and I will happily take that opinion to my grave.

 

12. Eggs Over Hard

Eggs over hard are basically scrambled eggs, but slightly more difficult to prepare. Instead of just mixing everything together, you have to keep the yolk intact and then flip the egg, but then you just end up with a fried egg white and a cooked yolk center. They're dry and fairly tasteless and all-around bad. Not as bad as scrambled eggs, but still really pretty gross.

 

11. Omelet

An omelet is basically scrambled eggs folded in half that may or may not include some other ingredients in the fold. They're near the bottom of the list because they're pretty hit or miss depending on what you put into them. Beaten eggs are still the base of this dish, but if it includes enough yummy ingredients, I can at least eat it without wanting to immediately turn around and yak. I'm still not going to order it in a restaurant, but I will concede that it can be good sometimes.

 

10. Frittata

A frittata is basically an egg pie with other ingredients mixed in. While the word "egg pie" totally turns my stomach, the other ingredients included in the dish keep it from being completely disgusting. Usually there are meats, cheeses and vegetables that drown out the particularly awful taste of scrambled eggs. If I think too hard about what I'm eating, I'll probably lose my appetite. But digging into a frittata without much thought can be pretty enjoyable.

9. Hard Boiled

Ugh, hard boiled eggs. I run into another texture problem with these little puppies. The white and the yolk are both solidified in a hard boiled egg, and they're just not the most enjoyable thing to eat. The outside is a little slimy and tasteless and the cooked yolk becomes chalky and difficult to swallow. I can eat a hard boiled egg if I drown it in pepper, otherwise everything about this preparation is pretty bland and unenjoyable.

 

8. Quiche

Ah, quiche—a close cousin of the frittata. The difference here is that quiche is made with an actual pie crust and it's cooked with more milk or cream in the eggs to give it a more wobbly base. It still has the meats, cheeses and veggies mixed in, but the added milk and cream tones down the feel of the eggs a little bit. Egg pie is still gross, but I'd choose quiche over a frittata any day.

 

7. Sunnyside Up

Ah, sunny side up—now we're getting into the eggs I actually enjoy. Sunnyside up eggs are the ultimate classic. You just crack an egg into the pan, let the bottom fry and dig right in. While I love the runny-ness of the yolk in a sunny side up egg, I'm not a big fan of the runny egg whites on top. The egg is never flipped, which basically means only the bottom is cooked. I like a little more preparation to my food, leaving sunny side up eggs at No. 7.

6. Baked

Baked eggs are delicious. Not only are they absolutely adorable in their little ramekins, they're also a nice balance between cooked and uncooked. The whites are a little softer than I would normally like them to be, but the perfect runny-ness of the yolk makes up for it. Plus, baked eggs usually include some other ingredients on top, which adds some interest to the overall flavor. In conclusion, baked eggs are good, but not great.

5. Deviled Eggs

Now we're talkin' people. Deviled eggs are great. They're a hard boiled egg cut in half and filled with a paste of egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, topped with paprika. They look adorable, making them a party-platter fave, and they taste just as good. I think deviled eggs might have been my first experience of actually enjoying eggs. The downside? They take a while to put together—longer than I want to spend on my morning eggs, that's for sure.

4. Soft Boiled Eggs

Soft boiled eggs are the younger and more likable sister of hard boiled eggs. With soft boiled eggs, you allow the egg white to cook, but leave the yolk runny and delicious. They're difficult to time perfectly, but man they taste good. Plus, you can eat them in those fancy little egg cups, and that's just a good time.

 

3. Eggs Over Easy

Eggs over easy are difficult to make, but so worth the struggle. It's like a sunny side up egg, but you actually flip it, allowing the white to cook on either side. With over easy eggs, all the whites are just barely set and the inside is runny and delicious. It's a delicate cloud of perfectly balanced egg-yumminess, and I'm so here for it.

 

2. Eggs Over Medium

Eggs over medium are the same as eggs over easy, but they're just cooked a little longer. They rank higher than over easy eggs, simply because they're easier to make. You don't have to flip them as fast, meaning there's a higher chance that you won't break the yolk when you turn them over. The whites are still completely set and the yolk is still runny—everything I want out of an egg. I could eat eggs over medium any day and be perfectly content.

 

1. Poached

Poached eggs are everything. They have a cooked outside with a soft and runny yolk that's accomplished by cracking the egg into boiling water. They're not that difficult to make, they're the epitome of delicious eggy goodness and they can be added to any dish to create a truly fantastic meal experience. Plus, cracking them open is a totally Insta-worthy moment—what more could you want from your eggs?

 

Wondering how more of your favorite morning foods stack up in the taste department? Click HERE for a definitive ranking of the 15 best breakfast cereals.