The Only Eggs Worth Buying, According to Ina Garten

The Barefoot Contessa herself has been making rounds in the press following her recent memoir. The book, “Be Ready When Luck Happens”, chronicles Ina Garten’s life as a celebrity chef and her personal challenges and adventures that intertwined with her career.

Garten is a passionate cook, and she’s just as passionate in her beliefs about certain grocery items. After all, her unofficial slogan is “store-bought is fine.“ Garten has previously spoken about the only mayo she’ll ever use, and whether she believes certain herbs do or do not belong in dishes. But in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal's WSJ. Magazine, Garten revealed she also has some strong opinions about what eggs you should be using in her recipes. 

Ina Garten's Go-To Eggs

In her interview with WSJ. Magazine, Garten got pretty vulnerable about her life and career. She spoke on her marriage with husband Jeffrey, personal struggles she had to overcome, and how to find your passion in life. But, of course, she also gave some keen advice when it comes to cooking and baking. When asked if there was one cooking secret that applies to nearly everything she makes, Garten gave a surprising answer.

“When I had a specialty food store, I decided that extra large eggs were more egg per dollar than regular eggs,” she explained. “And I’ve had people tell me that their baking got better when they started using extra large eggs.”

That’s right—according to Garten herself, you should only use extra large eggs when baking and cooking. But does egg size actually make a difference?

What’s the Difference Between Regular and Extra Large Eggs?

Ultimately, the difference between egg sizes lies in the class that an egg lands in. The different egg classes defined as:

• Jumbo: 30 oz. (2.5 oz. per egg on average)
• Extra-large: 27 oz. (2.25 oz. per egg on average)
• Large: 24 oz. (2 oz. per egg on average)
• Medium: 21 oz. (1.75 oz. per egg on average)
• Small: 18 oz. (1.5 oz. per egg on average)
• Peewee: 15 oz. (1.25 oz. per egg on average)

So, can you substitute a medium egg with an extra large one? Kind of. If you’re making a simple recipe where the amount of liquid doesn't really affect the final product—like fried rice—it shouldn’t matter all that much. But if it’s a more complicated recipe where the wet-to-dry proportions are crucial to its rise, like cakes or meringue, you might want to stick to what the recipe calls for.

If you’re still confused if you can substitute the egg size, Sauder’s Eggs has a helpful egg conversion chart on its website to follow. Ultimately the decision is up to you—though it hasn't failed Ina yet!