[Closed] Egg cooker. Life changing.

It looks more faff (and less fun) than cracking into boiling water, and I rarely if ever want hard boiled ... but looks like a good gadget? ‘Horses for courses’ invoked! Of course the big question is...

...can it make a ‘floppycock’ of egg?

🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚

I use the Instant Pot. Bit of water in the bottom, rack above, 3 mins on manual = perfect soft boiled eggs.

Rice cookers are brilliant, but just because (like the Instant Pot, with things other than soft boiled eggs) you can just put stuff in, start it going then leave it.

It’s the soft boiled perfection that’s hooked me. Measure water, prick each egg (water measure has a tool in the base) and then push button. Timer is automatic based on water added. Six min later perfect creamy yolks. The poaching is the same but only two at a time.

Looks good for boilers but the eggs shown aren't poached are they?

Poached as in oil in tray, crack egg and steam as per boiled eggs. Not quite the same as cracked into swirled boiling water. I’m pretty poor at that skill despite a lot of practice.

I found this works 90%.

3/4 full small/med pan of boiling water, on a rolling boil. Dessert spoon of vinegar in boiling water. Crack egg/s into a cup or mug. Pour egg/s in to the boil. The egg kills the boil. Turn heat down a tad. Wait for the re-boil (possibly white foam will rise) Remove from heat just before it boils over .

Butter toast/or 1 min wait then remove egg carefully with holy spoon

Eggs into the boiling water for 15-20 seconds still in their shell makes it so much easier.

Never hear of pricking the egg? What's that for?

Microwave poached eggs is surely the fastest, 30s cooking time, if that. Less margin for error, but the closest thing to a star trek replicator for the next two hundred years.

I think the pricking is the gadget putting a temperature probe into the egg?

As above, perfect poached eggs without swirling/vinegar/magic can be achieved by boiling the egg for 20-30 seconds before breaking them into the water. (I dunk them in a mug of boiled water as the outside of the egg is not clean, especially if you buy local)

Perfect boiled eggs, one of the TV chefs (Delia or someone) has a 7 minute soft boiled egg method, I can't remember if you put the egg in cold whilst the water boils, or drop it in then start the timer, but you turn the heat off and the longer cooking time is much more tolerant so it's more reliable. I am just had a quick look and it seems loads of sites are now copying the 7 minute egg or have their own version.

Dessert spoon of vinegar

I think I've just been sick in my mouth. Try a few drops of lemon juice instead

Try a few drops of lemon juice instead

Or just water.

was intrigued till i read it still takes 6 minutes.

i can cook em in my own pan of water in 6 minutes, and i can get more than six in...

5 minute abs, thats where its at...

TheBrick
Free Member
Never hear of pricking the egg? What’s that for?

you prick the base of an egg, before boiling, as it allow what air inside the egg to escape and not crack the egg as it cooks, as the heated/pressurized air forces it way out, though the internet suggest it also mean you have a proper egg shaped egg and not one with a flat end.

PS: for those interested in the use of vinegar, use white vinegar not malt...

I think I’ve just been sick in my mouth.

It's one of the things I love about poached eggs, a wee hint of white wine vinegar.

Different folks have different tastes, who'd have thunk it?.

True connosieurs poach their eggs in putoline of course. Served with frozen sausages.

I like the put the eggs in a cup suggestion, will try that tomorrow!
We had the egg boiler thing and it was okay, but probably just easier to do it in a pan on the hob.

As for a rice cooker that is really life changing, bought a cheap one from Lidl and it's been worth every penny. Need to buy a replacement bowl for it though as the non-stick stuff is a bit scratched!

Glad I'm not the only one who has struggled with boiled eggs, one of the biggest triumphs of lockdown for me has been learning to consistently make soft boiled eggs in the pan without them cracking and leaving that horrible frothy scum all over the top of the water...

Aren't rice cookers a bit dodgy as you end up condensing what residual heavy metals are in the rice, rather than effectively flushing them out and pouring them away with the boiling water? I think my mum got all paranoid about this years ago and it's stuck with me, I just put up with the 25 minute boil for wholegrain rice, gives me time to get the rest of the stir fry together!

flushing them out and pouring them away with the boiling water

Are you cooking rice or pasta?!

Pan of boiling water, put the eggs in (pricked if I remember), timer for six minutes, then off the heat and in to cold water. Perfect soft boiled every time.
I normally then fully pell them and smash them on to a slice of butter toast with a fork and topped with salt & pepper. A bit of parmesan if I'm feeling fancy.

I used to have one of those egg cookers but an effor to declutter and simplify the kitchen led me to get rid in favour of the humble pan.

Poached eggs are more of a lottery, sometimes perfect and sometimes a disaster. I might give the 30 secs still in the shell a try at lunchtime today.

We got a Tefal Toast n' Egg years ago, a toaster with an egg thing on the side, and it's fantastic, just super-quick (prick the eggs, add required water from supplied measuring cup, press the button) and super-consistent boiled eggs. I have a couple of hard boiled eggs most mornings, put the eggs on when I put the coffee on, I can go back upstairs and crack on with work, when I come down half an hour later to put the kettle on for tea, my eggs are cool enough to handle and still delicously hot. 🙂

This morning’s prick and click.

Previously I’ve been a delia follower with cold water in the pan and time to boil. But this is the future. They come out like this every time.

you prick the base of an egg, before boiling, as it allow what air inside the egg to escape and not crack the egg as it cooks

Makes sense, tbh its not a problem I have very often nevery pricked and rarely have the egg crack.

never mind the egg...what the heck is going on with that spoon handle?! 🙂

My poached egg tip, when removing them from the pan, put them on a wooden chopping board for a couple of minutes. It soaks away any water so you don't get wet eggs on your toast.

I always thought my poached egg game was pretty strong but I'm intrigued by the "eggs in shells in boiling water first" thing. I haven't heard of that one. Gonna try it at lunchtime.

They come out like this every time.

also, that's not a soft boiled egg...you can see solid yolk around the edge. you've been done.

also tried the eggs in shells for a while first (in my case, 3 eggs in a jug of hot tap water until kettles boiled for the pan water), but still never really perfected it, they still seem to spread their tentacles all over the pan. i did read once that being fresh makes all the difference which i can believe, we keep ours ages, i bet theyre never fresh.

anyways, ordered the egg cooker from the range, thanks TiRed. cheap enough gamble and if its changed one mans life it may change mine 🙂

oh and.....

True connosieurs poach their eggs in putoline of course. Served with frozen sausages.

😀 😀

@pondo

Another Tefal toast and egg user here, perfect eggs every time. Dippy eggs and soldiers when required or hard boiled (stick them on as I go to bed so they're cold in the morning) for egg mayo sandwiches.

I always thought my poached egg game was pretty strong but I’m intrigued by the “eggs in shells in boiling water first” thing. I haven’t heard of that one. Gonna try it at lunchtime.

I just did six in one pan using this technique, no vinegar or swirling etc - all turned out great. Fresh eggs still best though.

Are you cooking rice or pasta?!

I cook rice the old school way e.g. in a pot of boiling water, then pour it out through a seive (as you say, as if you were cooking pasta).

I did the cook-until-it-absorbs-all-the-water approach until my mum forwarded me the scare stories about arsenic etc.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2F1MDzyW55pg97Tdpp7gqLN/should-i-be-concerned-about-arsenic-in-my-rice

We only eat once a week max so the 25 minute cook time for brown rice isn't the end of the world.

This might be a heathen's question - does it make a difference if you store your eggs in the fridge or at room temp? I leave mine in the fridge, would love to know the exact times for each type of boiled egg consistency based on eggs stored at 4C. I rarely have them but the thought of some boiled eggs as a snack while home working sounds great

We only eat once a week max so the 25 minute cook time for brown rice isn’t the end of the world.

Can I introduce you to the wondrous world of Aldi microwave wholemeal rice? 2 minutes. Ding.

FWIW I too cook my basmati like you do, as it keeps it nice and fluffy, thai jasmine and sticky rice by the absorption method.

Ben, no need for eggs to be in the fridge.

We only eat once a week max

Colour me impressed - if I miss breakfast I'm going dizzy through hunger by lunchtime! 🙂

Can I introduce you to the wondrous world of Aldi microwave wholemeal rice? 2 minutes. Ding.

Ug, if it's anything like as bad as the Uncle Ben's variant then you can keep it! 😉

Colour me impressed – if I miss breakfast I’m going dizzy through hunger by lunchtime!

😀

Boil kettle.
Cut bread (4 thick slices) and put in toaster
Put two eggs in small pan.
Pour cold water in to just cover eggs.
Turn on cooker and pour some water from the kettle in to the pan(speeds thing up).
When water starts to boil hit timer for 220 seconds.
Make coffee.
Start toasting bread.
When timer goes take pan straight across and run under the cold tap.
Pick eggs up and tap on worktop till all the shell is cracked*.
Peel shell off.
Put soft boiled,still warm eggs on toast.
* the eggs may need cooled a wee bit more during the tap/peeling, depends how heat resistant your hands are.

🙂

I do like a poached egg but struggle with consistency. Think I'd have soft boiled more if getting in wasn't such a faff- bits of shell everywhere.

Anyone use one of these or similar? Do they work?

Absolutely no need to keep eggs in the fridge. I just put mine in a cupboard and they keep for ages, but ultimately eggs don't hang around too long in our house. You certainly shouldn't be cooking eggs straight from the fridge.

Ug, if it’s anything like as bad as the Uncle Ben’s variant then you can keep it! 😉

Never tried UB tbh, but it's certainly better than boling the flavour out of brown rice for the guts of half an hour!

I rarely have them but the thought of some boiled eggs as a snack while home working sounds great

I bought a egg boiler thing a while back for this reason (figured would be better than biscuits or crisps), I haven't actually got around to using it though. One thing to bear in mind though is boiled eggs only last 3 or 4 days in the fridge apparently as boiling them makes the shell porous

I had no idea that egg cookers were a thing. Crazy!
Think I'll just stick with a pan of water

Anyone use one of these or similar? Do they work?

They do. I think I have one somewhere but it's more interesting a party piece than actually useful or necessary.

Cut bread (4 thick slices) and put in toaster
Put two eggs in small pan.

I have concerns about your bread:egg ratio. The bread is merely a means of conveyance for the egg.

My egg issue is that the rest of my household are heathens who like the eggs to be solid. So each time I poach/scramble/boil I have to do two timings; one for nice eggs, one for them. SMH.

if you're in the US you have to keep eggs in the fridge cos they wash them, whereas we don't.

(it might be the other way round as to who washes them, but the fridge rule remains the same)

I have concerns about your bread:egg ratio.

Fear not,space is needed for the bacon and mushrooms. 😉

Never tried UB tbh, but it’s certainly better than boling the flavour out of brown rice for the guts of half an hour!

Sound like your cooking rice wrong. Wash the rice throughly, then bring up to simmer, leave it to simmer for 10 minutes, turn off heat & fit a lid, leave until it absorbs all if the water (double the water to rice) or around 5mins, may be slightly longer for brown rice but no boiling involved. We used to have a rice cooker but this method is actually better rice than the rice cooker, so that got binned.

Edit: Why US do need to refrigerate eggs but we don’t

I can't be doing with "moulded" poached eggs. simonbarnes' poached eggs look delightful.