# Eggs floating end up?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eggs-floating-end-up/155640>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 17, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eggs-floating-end-up/155640 "2003-02-17T15:43:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eggs-floating-end-up/155640/1 "2003-02-17T15:43:52Z")

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While making brunch this morning I boiled some eggs. All the eggs floated in the water ends up. Does this mean that they are stale or in any other way mean that I should use them?

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**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eggs-floating-end-up/155640/2 "2003-02-17T16:05:27Z")

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If they float pointy side down, the eggs are stale.

[http://www.bhg.com.au/food.nsf/Content/bhg\_article\_nov02\_eggs](http://www.bhg.com.au/food.nsf/Content/bhg_article_nov02_eggs)

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**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eggs-floating-end-up/155640/3 "2003-02-17T16:08:07Z")

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As an egg gets older, it slowly starts to take in air through the perferations in the shell.

You can check the freshness of an egg by putting it into a glass of water. If the egg sinks to the bottom, this means it is very fresh. If the egg rises to the surface, this means it is stale, and you shouldn’t use it.

In other words, you are correct, if an egg floats end up in water then it is stale.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eggs-floating-end-up/155640/4 "2003-02-17T16:28:23Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Tapioca Dextrin \*  
> \*\*If they float pointy side down, the eggs are stale.
> 
> [http://www.bhg.com.au/food.nsf/Content/bhg\_article\_nov02\_eggs](http://www.bhg.com.au/food.nsf/Content/bhg_article_nov02_eggs) \*\*

Thanks for the link. If says that my eggs are indeed stale, but that they will do me no harm.