How to tell if eggs are still good (the float test, explained)
A 60-second test, plus what 'sell-by' actually means and why it isn't a deadline.
Lila Park
February 20, 2026
The float test in 30 seconds
Fill a bowl with cold water. Drop in the egg. Fresh eggs sit flat on the bottom. Older but still good eggs stand up on one end. Bad eggs float entirely.
What you're measuring: the air pocket inside the shell grows over time. Bigger pocket = more buoyancy = older egg.
Sell-by, use-by, and best-by — what they really mean
Sell-by is for stores; you can usually keep eggs 3–5 weeks past it if refrigerated properly.
Use-by is the manufacturer's quality recommendation, not a safety cliff. Trust the float test or a sniff over a printed date.
When to just throw it out
Crack the egg into a separate bowl before adding to anything. If the smell is sulfurous or the white is pink, gray, or watery throughout — toss it.
One bad egg in the bowl ruins eight good ones. Always crack into a small bowl first.
People also ask
Can I eat a slightly off-smelling egg if cooked?+
No. Heat doesn't reliably kill what makes spoiled eggs unsafe. If your nose says no, listen.
Why do my new eggs already stand up?+
Storage temperature matters more than calendar age. Eggs left out warm for hours age fast.
Should I store eggs in the fridge or counter?+
In the US, refrigerate — they're washed before sale, removing the protective bloom. In Europe, counter is fine.