  Why do we need to pour less water in an egg steamer to prepare more eggs to
the same degree of doneness? We discuss the physical processes at work in the
electric egg steamer and resolve this seeming paradox. We demonstrate that the
main heat transfer mechanism from steam to egg is due to latent heat through
condensation. This not only explains the paradox, but also allows us to
estimate the amount of water reduction. Comparing the preparation time to the
one for traditional boiling, we estimate the eggshell temperature during
steaming. We also describe the device design and provide further theoretical
estimates and experimental kitchen measurement data for this appealing kitchen
experiment that can be easily accomplished at home.
