How You Store Eggs Depends on Where They Came From
In the US, commercial eggs are washed, which strips away the egg's natural protective coating (the cuticle) and makes the shell porous — those must go straight in the fridge, and cold eggs left out for more than two hours can “sweat,” pulling bacteria inward. In much of Europe, eggs aren't washed, so the cuticle stays intact and unrefrigerated eggs keep safely on the counter for 2-3 weeks (and even longer once refrigerated). The “pointy end down” advice isn't an old wives' tale either — it keeps the air pocket at the wide end away from the yolk, which measurably slows spoilage. Whichever way you store them, keep eggs in their carton rather than the fridge door, since the door's temperature swings more and the carton also blocks odors from seeping through the porous shell.