Why Ina Garten Only Uses Extra-Large Eggs

If you regularly cook Ina Garten’s recipes, you’ve probably noticed a few of her favorite ingredients, such as “good” olive oil, San Marzano tomatoes, and extra-large eggs. 

Garten explained the reason for the last item with People last year. “Extra-large eggs are more egg per dollar than other eggs. So when you’re doing things in volume, it’s a better value,” she explained. “My assistant told me when she switched from large eggs to extra-large eggs, her baking got better. So I just have always stuck with that,” she added. 

But just how much larger are extra-large eggs? And can you get away with substituting them for large eggs if you only have one carton on hand? Let’s crack the code of the egg sizes you see at the grocery store. 

What does egg size mean?

Because they’re an agricultural product, eggs are not uniform in size, shape, or quality. Eggs are classified into six different weight classes by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) based on a “minimum required net weight per dozen eggs”: peewee, small, medium, large, extra-large, and jumbo. 

Egg size generally depends on the age and/or size of the hen. Peewee and small eggs, sometimes labeled as pullet eggs, are rare — they come from young hens that have just started laying — so you won’t easily find them in a grocery store. Medium eggs are the smallest size you’re likely to find at the store, but large eggs are more readily available. Hens at the peak of their laying tend to produce large and extra-large eggs, while jumbo eggs come from older birds.

A guide to egg sizes

The minimum net weight per dozen eggs goes up by 3 ounces with each egg size. 

• Peewee eggs: at least 15 ounces per dozen
• Small eggs: at least 18 ounces per dozen
• Medium eggs: at least 21 ounces per dozen 
• Large eggs: at least 24 ounces per dozen
• Extra-large eggs: at least 27 ounces per dozen
• Jumbo eggs: at least 30 ounces per dozen

So, what does that mean per egg? While no two eggs will be exactly the same, the average extra-large egg tends to weigh about 2.25 ounces per egg, while a large egg is about 2 ounces per egg. Jumbo eggs weigh about 2.5 ounces each on average.

How do extra-large eggs affect baked goods?

If we’re talking home baking, extra-large eggs won’t have much of an effect on your recipe. Why? Apart from Ina Garten’s, most recipes are formulated using large eggs.

The difference between large and extra-large eggs is only about a quarter of an ounce, and most recipes only require an egg or two. This small quantity is unlikely to significantly affect your dough or batter. I have confirmed this with my own baking, and most sources will tell you the same thing. The reputable egg brand Pete & Gerry’s even states that extra-large eggs “can be substituted for large eggs in a pinch” in baking recipes.

When you can’t substitute extra-large for large eggs 

According to the American Egg Board’s Egg Size Substitutions chart, you’re fine to substitute an equal quantity of extra-large eggs for large in recipes that call for four eggs or fewer. Once you get to five eggs (think cakes like chiffon and angel food, custards, quiches, and large batches of baked goods), those extra-large eggs start to add up.

Mostly, you’ll notice wetter doughs and batters, which might result in denser, gummier baked goods. In recipes with whipped egg whites, you might also observe a ratio imbalance between the whipped egg whites and the other components of the recipe.

Some pastries can also be noticeably affected by egg substitutions. Any pastry you need to roll out is going to be sensitive to moisture adjustments. (If you’ve ever made piecrust, you’ll understand this!)

Most pastry recipes call for just the egg yolk for this reason (it contains less liquid than the white). But choux pastry and some shortcut pastry recipes call for whole eggs, so we recommend adhering to the egg size specified. 

So, are extra-large eggs worth buying?

Feel free to buy extra-large eggs if you prefer a slightly heftier fried, boiled, or poached egg breakfast. Extra-large eggs are also generally fine to substitute one-for-one in baking if your recipe calls for fewer than four eggs. 

But for the most part, we recommend sticking with large eggs. They’re the standard for a reason, and most recipe developers rely on home bakers using them to achieve optimum results. That is, of course, unless the recipe developer happens to be named Ina Garten.