# Are chicken eggs shells getting thinner **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2025, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chicken-eggs-shells-getting-thinner/1015539 "2025-03-13T17:56:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chicken-eggs-shells-getting-thinner/1015539/21 "2025-03-14T17:25:37Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I crack eggs on a flat surface rather than the edge of a bowl or with a utensil - this seems to reduce the likelihood of shell pieces ending up in the bowl. Because of the membrane issue, this doesn’t help (if I’m understanding you correctly). > [@Gatopescado](#): > > I noticed that this morning. I hate that! Had to dig my finger into the damn thing to get it open. Messy and a pain in the ass. Yes, this. Urgh… > [@phs3](#): > > P.S. Nice flex on how wealthy you are 🙂 Hey, if you got it…😉 Seriously though, I have type 2 so I need to start out with protein and eggs are a good easy solution. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chicken-eggs-shells-getting-thinner/1015539/22 "2025-03-14T17:44:34Z")
Related, though if someone thinks this is a thread hijack I’ll gladly move it: it’s gotten harder and harder to peel hard-boiled eggs. I assume this is mostly because of the thinner shells, which mean that the natural tendency of that inner membrane to stick to the egg winds up being stronger than the shell. I’ve tried all the “guaranteed” techniques: starting in cold water; in hot; shocking in an ice bath (or not); vinegar; baking soda. When I cook a half-dozen to make egg salad, I often find that two peel easily, two are just OK, and two are a pain. That convinces me that it’s not just technique. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chicken-eggs-shells-getting-thinner/1015539/23 "2025-03-14T18:01:34Z")
> [@phs3](#): > > I’ve tried all the “guaranteed” techniques… So continuing the “hijack”, [If you haven’t tried this](https://tinyurl.com/y2rb2pm6), you haven’t tried them all. This absolutely, guaranteed to cook eggs perfectly _every_ time, and the shells practically fall off. I found out about this here, and have been using mine every week for the last 3 years - it never fails. {end hijack} ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chicken-eggs-shells-getting-thinner/1015539/24 "2025-03-14T18:17:48Z")
The theory is that cracking the egg on a flat surface doesn’t create tiny broken pieces of shell and/or detach them from the membrane. It does work reasonably well, but this was also messy when i bought white eggs and didn’t realise how thin were the shells - I pretty much smashed the first one flat on the worktop. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chicken-eggs-shells-getting-thinner/1015539/25 "2025-03-14T19:43:44Z")
Huh, maybe…sigh, yet another appliance! We keep talking about remodeling the kitchen (blocker is time/energy) and my wife knows that one thing we’d need is better storage for appliances. Plus, of course, the Spice Annex. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chicken-eggs-shells-getting-thinner/1015539/26 "2025-03-14T22:20:12Z")
I haven’t noticed thinner shells, but it seems to me that the yolks are getting weaker. Mrs. Martian likes her eggs over easy, and in recent years I have a harder and harder time keeping the yolks from rupturing. I generally crack them into a shallow bowl then pour them into the pan. The yolks break upon cracking, maybe 20% of the time. Occasionally one doesn’t survive the flipping process. Organic or free-range eggs seem worse, when I get “cheap” eggs (currently an oxymoron) the yolks seem more robust. Anything to this or am I just getting clumsier? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chicken-eggs-shells-getting-thinner/1015539/27 "2025-03-14T23:56:13Z")
The vitelline membrane around the yolk gets weaker as the eggs age. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chicken-eggs-shells-getting-thinner/1015539/28 "2025-03-15T02:19:02Z")
> [@phs3](#): > > Plus, of course, the Spice Annex. Shortened to SpiceX. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chicken-eggs-shells-getting-thinner/1015539.md?page=1)