Q: For years, I have read that eggs cook better at room temperature. But I just read this in a 1990 book: “An egg loses as much freshness in one hour sitting on the counter as it would in a day if kept cool.” Has current technology changed the thinking on this?

A: I don’t think current technology has changed anything. Room-temperature eggs will beat higher and the egg whites will get fluffier. But refrigerated eggs do keep longer than eggs kept at room temperature.

While there are many areas of the world where people don’t routinely refrigerate eggs, the eggs don’t keep as long as they do when you refrigerate them.

One tip for taking the chill off a refrigerated egg is to place it in a bowl of tap water for 10 or 15 minutes before using it, particularly if you’re doing something like whipping egg whites.