One in five Brits can’t boil an egg

Boiling an egg is one of the simplest things you can do in the kitchen yet the one thing that many of us can’t seem to do right.

The timing, when the egg is meant to go in the water and how hot you want the water all seem to confuse us – one in five of us to be exact.

A survey of adults found that 19% of Brits simply can’t boil an egg right – even though there are numerous recipes online that tell us exactly what we should be doing.

The survey, undertaken by insurer Aviva, also found that millions of us struggle with several of the most basic household tasks.

Some 21% of people admitted they didn’t know how to change a lightbulb, while nearly a third of us (31%) wouldn’t feel cooking a meal without having the recipe in front of us.

More than four in ten (43%) say they can’t change a nappy while a staggering 63% have no idea how to change a flat tyre.

MORE: Cats in squares is the internet’s new obsession
MORE: Adorable dog pretends to love the miniature bed his owner bought by mistake

However, 96% of Brits say they’re confident doing at least some household tasks, so there could be an element of sticking to what we know.

When it comes to DIY, half of people say they have learned skills by trial and error, while 45% have picked up skills from their dads and 35% from their mums.

Commenting on the results, Adam Beckett, Propositions Director for Aviva UK, said: “As a nation we tend to take pride in our ability to do things ourselves in and around the home, so it’s a surprise to see there could be a skills gap in places!

“That said, we also know that people lead busy lives, so while we enjoy doing things ourselves, we also appreciate the opportunity to leave things to a professional from time to time, particularly with some of the more challenging jobs.”

He added: “Although when it comes to boiling an egg, it may be time to turn pick up a cookery book!”

Top pic: Rex