as well as to control the way the eggs come together by moving them as they cook For my testing, I decided to begin with just plain eggs in order to gauge the effects of stirring and other mechanical actions The only additive I used was a bit of butter in the pan to prevent them from sticking A few things became clear immediately The difference between creamy scrambled eggs and fluffy ones has mostly to with the amount of air they contain at the end As beaten eggs are heated in a skillet, their proteins begin to set At the same time, the moisture within them begins to evaporate, causing pockets of steam and air to build up within the eggs Vigorous stirring or shaking will cause these pockets of steam and air to rupture, making the eggs denser So, for the fluffiest scrambled eggs, your goal is to minimize the movement of the eggs in the pan, gently folding and turning them just enough to get them to cook evenly into large, golden, tender curds For creamy eggs, constant stirring is preferable, to remove excess air and get the egg proteins to set up closely with one another, resulting in a dense, almost custard-like scramble Heat had a great effect on final texture as well When cooked over very low heat, even gently folded eggs won’t get too fluffy This is because there’s not enough energy in the pan to cause water vapor to form or to cause air bubbles to expand vigorously So, for fluffy scrambled eggs, you need to use relatively high heat (though if you let the pan get too hot, you risk overcooking—or, worse, browning— your eggs), while for creamy eggs, cooking over low heat gives you much more control over their texture Additives What about common additions to eggs—water, milk, and the like? There are basically two things they can First, they add some water to the mix, which makes for fluffier eggs (more water = more vaporization) Dairy ingredients also add fat, which can impede egg proteins from linking with each other, creating a more tender curd This chart sums it all up: ADDITION EFFECT ON TEXTURE AND FLAVOR Nothing Eggs cook fastest but are tougher Water Increased fluffiness, diluted flavor HOW IT WORKS Extra water means more vaporization occurs, creating ... eggs—water, milk, and the like? There are basically two things they can First, they add some water to the mix, which makes for fluffier eggs (more water = more vaporization) Dairy ingredients also... vaporization) Dairy ingredients also add fat, which can impede egg proteins from linking with each other, creating a more tender curd This chart sums it all up: ADDITION EFFECT ON TEXTURE AND FLAVOR