Want perfect bakes? Here's how to buy the best eggs

If the Great British Bake Off has brought out your inner baker, you may be wondering if creating a winning cake means spending more on basic ingredients.

Premium eggs can cost three times the price of cheaper ones, but you don't necessarily need to splash out to get a decent egg.

We break down some common misconceptions, including if brown eggs are healthier than white and whether expensive eggs are more nutritious, to help you navigate the egg aisle with confidence.

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Expensive eggs aren't always more nutritious

Some eggs are priced higher because, according to the label, they're rich in vitamin D, protein or omega 3 fats.

However, when we looked closely we found that all eggs are good sources of these nutrients anyway, regardless of whether you splurge or save.

For example, a serving of two Sainsbury's British Free Range Large eggs (25p each) contains 16.6g of protein compared with the 15g contained in two large Happy Eggs (39p each), labelled as 'naturally high in protein'.

Similarly, all eggs are rich in vitamin D, even if it's not plastered all over the packaging. Two large Happy Eggs contain 4.74mcg (micrograms) of vitamin D but two cheaper eggs contain around 3.6mcg – both will add to your daily recommended vitamin D requirement of 10mcg, although health experts still recommend everyone takes a vitamin D supplement in the winter months in the UK.

Some eggs are advertised as being rich in omega 3, because of the feed hens are given, but the British Nutrition Foundation says an average medium egg provides around 70mg of omega 3 anyway.

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High-welfare eggs don't have to be expensive

High welfare doesn't have to mean a high price tag – we found free range eggs costing just 4p more per egg than their caged equivalents.

Here's the lowdown on what key welfare terms mean and typical costs:

• Caged eggs. These are from hens kept in larger, enriched colony cages than those used in battery farming (which was banned in 2012) and the packaging isn't allowed to feature 'farm' descriptions, farmyard/country scenes or pictures of free-roaming hens. Prices from 18p per egg (Aldi Merevale Large Scottish Eggs from caged hens, £1.79 for 10). 
• Barn eggs. Hens move around freely with access to foraging and dustbathing materials, but indoors. Prices from 22.9p per large egg (Asda Big and Scottish Barn Eggs, £2.75 for 12).
• Free range eggs. Hens are kept in large barns as above, but they also have access to the outdoors. Prices from 22p each (Aldi Merevale Large British Free Range Eggs, £2.69 for 12).
• Organic eggs. Always free range, but have also been fed an organically produced diet and raised on organic land. Flocks producing British Lion stamped organic eggs must have access to the outside for eight hours a day as well as outdoor shading. Prices from 45p per egg (Sainsbury's So Organic Woodland free range eggs, £2.70 per 6).

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Eggs are sized according to weight not physical size

Eggs are sold in four different sizes: small, medium, large and very large. 

This refers to the egg's weight in its shell rather than its physical size, which may explain why it's possible to see some variation in a box, even if they're all classified as being the same size.

If you're following a recipe, most are standardised for large eggs so be aware of this if you're buying a mixed box. 

Older recipe books (from before 1997) may refer to the old sizing system for eggs, which sized them from 0 to 7. In this scale, 0-1 is the largest size and 5-7 are small.

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Bright yellow yolk doesn't necessarily mean a better egg

Prevailing wisdom was that a bright yellow-orange yolk meant a healthier egg (and chicken), and pale, insipid ones were a bad sign. 

However, this isn't a surefire way to tell a good egg. Yolk colour is determined by what the chickens eat and not necessarily because they are free range, organic or from fancy breeds.

Manufacturers can dictate yolk colour by tweaking the hens' diet, adding natural colourful ingredients such as marigold, grassmeal, capsicum or maize to their feed.

Although free range chickens will feed on a naturally varied diet of grasses, herbs and weeds, giving them eggs with golden yolks, if caged hens are fed carotenoid-rich feed, they'll also lay eggs with golden yolks.

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Brown eggs aren't healthier than white

In much the same way that you might think that brown sugar is healthier for you than white (it isn't), there's no truth in the suggestion that brown eggs are healthier than white.

They're often seen as being healthier and more 'rustic', but a brown shell doesn't make them any healthier than eggs with shells of other colours – and white eggs are a better welfare choice, too.

Hens that lay brown eggs can be more aggressive than white egg layers so they often have their beaks trimmed shortly after birth to stop them pecking each other – a welfare issue that the government is keen to phase out.

Shell colour is determined by a hen's breed (see table below) but it's the feed they feast on rather than the colour of the shell that determines flavour so don't feel you have to buy a fancy egg for your baking masterpiece.

What does the stamp on your eggs mean?

Getting the best eggs means knowing what you're buying. All eggs sold in the UK have to be marked with certain information, including:

1. Farming method. This is denoted by the first digit. 0 = organic, 1 = free range, 2 = barn, 3 = cage.
2. Country of origin. This is shown by the letters following the farming method, eg, UK.
3. Farm ID. This is a specific code belonging to the actual farm where the eggs were produced. 
4. Lion Quality Mark. British eggs carry this logo as proof they are part of the British Lion scheme, denoting stringent standards throughout the food chain.
5. Best Before Date. The day and month the egg should be eaten by.

The British Lion scheme has led to a drastic reduction in the presence of salmonella in UK eggs since it was introduced in 1998.

The Food Standards Agency says that British Lion scheme eggs are the only eggs that are safe to be consumed runny, or even raw, by vulnerable groups.

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Where to get the cheapest eggs

When we looked, we found that all eggs have risen in price since October 2020 in all categories. The cheapest options per egg have increased from 10p to 18p for caged, 13p to 22.9p for barn eggs, 16.7p to 22p for free range and 28p to 45p for organic.

The best prices we found were at Aldi but shop around to make your money go further as deals regularly come up for eggs.

Economies of scale apply to eggs so it's cheaper to buy a dozen rather than six. If you're not going to use them all in time, eggs can be frozen by following a few simple tips.

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* Pricing note: we compared prices of large eggs available in UK supermarkets. Prices correct as of 6 November 2023