[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.

simondbarnes
Full Member

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

Those look brilliant, what's your technique?

No vinegar, no swirling, no pre-boiling in the shell. You do need very fresh eggs.

Those look brilliant, what’s your technique?

Simmering water, swirl it with a whisk, crack egg into middle, lid on, heat off, 3 minutes

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)

The concern (especially with brown rice) is the elevated levels of arsenic in the husk. Cooking it as above releases the arsenic into the water, but since you're absorbing all the water again you get the full dose!

I guess in the overall scheme of things it's not that big a deal (you don't hear of people dropping dead because of it) but it was enough to put me off that style of cooking.

boiling the flavour out of brown rice for the guts of half an hour!

That's what the salt is for! 😂

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)

For jasmine or sticky rice, yes, but I like my Basmati nice and light, absorption method not as good for this. Different rices benefit from different methods.

For jasmine or sticky rice, yes, but I like my Basmati nice and light, absorption method not as good for this.

Try absorption with 1.5 ratio. I get better basmati with that than boiling.

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

The only way to ‘enjoy’ those microwave bag rices is buried beneath equal amounts of very hot curry. Have bought a few to complement (wreck) a takeout when have been a few bob short on the night. It tastes and feels nothing like basmati. Often plops out in one piece in the same shape as the bag. Is complete crap.

Even then you’re left with the fact that they are a

1. Ridiculously expensive way to buy rice per kg
2. Thick plastic bag in the landfill every time you eat a portion of rice

File under the ‘1st world’ creating problems (usually because we ‘can’t be bothered’)

you’ve been done

They go softer - that's medium water volume.

As for the spoon - well it's my Sagaform chick hatching out of an egg spoon of course! Doesn't everyone have one of these rare and collectable items?

Ridiculously expensive way to buy rice per kg

It's not basmati, I was referring to wholemeal rice, and yes it's expensive, but how much energy are you using to boil for 25 minutes?.

Can't disagree with you on the plastic though.

Simmering water, swirl it with a whisk, crack egg into middle, lid on, heat off, 3 minutes

is the correct answer for one egg. but two? three? how would you do 3 separate eggs?

Agreed SEP, who eats one egg? I never swirl for this reason, no need unless yer eggs are shite.

is the correct answer for one egg. but two? three? how would you do 3 separate eggs?

I just put them in one after another. Did 2 earlier, 3 would have been fine.

The only way to ‘enjoy’ those microwave bag rices is buried beneath equal amounts of very hot curry. Have bought a few to complement (wreck) a takeout when have been a few bob short on the night. It tastes and feels nothing like basmati. Often plops out in one piece in the same shape as the bag. Is complete crap.

The Tilda Basmati one is absolutely fine.

That's impressive Simondbarnes, until I read the rest of the thread I thought you'd cheated and used cling film, as they seem to be a teardrop shape.

Mine normally end up flat with the yolk fairly central.

(I'm still not totally convinced 😉 )

Clingfilm? People use clingfilm to cook eggs? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, some people appear to buy egg cookers!

I just put them in one after another. Did 2 earlier, 3 would have been fine.

and they stay as separate eggs??

and they stay as separate eggs??

Yup

This is getting as bad as the scrambled egg thread. Poor maligned eggs.

Used to be standard practice in a couple of pubs I worked in to use clingfilm for poached eggs.

Simon didn't explicitly deny the use of clingfilm (or similar).

I still have my doubts 😉

Simon didn’t explicitly deny the use of clingfilm (or similar).

I had no idea it was a thing. How does it work?
Poaching eggs is simple.

I can vouch for Simon's technique, sans cling film. It's how they are supposed to be done.

is the correct answer for one egg. but two? three? how would you do 3 separate eggs?

You can poach eggs individually, put them into cold water or iced water, poach as many as you need then once you're done pop them all back in the water to bring back upto temperature just before serving. If your poaching water is the correct temperature then they wont cook any further. That's how they do it in restaurants. I find that you can do upto 3 eggs in one pan using the swirl method...pop one in the water, leave it for a few seconds to set, pop in a second, leave to set then pop in a third all while the water still has a swirl to it. You get a bit of egg white loss but they all come out perfectly poached and don't combine into one large multi-yolk poached egg.

but how much energy are you using to boil for 25 minutes?.

Not sure to be perfectly honest. Depends on a number of variable factors. I steam a cup on the stove top, covered pan. Takes about 15-17 mins? Then subtract that from the energy it took to deliver your bag of steamed rice from the Big Rice Cooking Factory LTD, to your microwave. First they blanched it in hot water, then cooked in steam, then rinsed then oven-dehydrated it until the moisture content reached approximately twelve percent or less. Before being bagged for you to reheat/steam? So whatever percentage of that energy per your bag (tiny amount would imagine) and ? % ? of the vacuum -packing process added to your 2 mins in the microwave?

I suppose I could always cook my own rice in the microwave from scratch. That would be 15 mins (same time as stove, not sure how it takes you 25mins?) using much less energy. Good plan. Will trial.

https://steamykitchen.com/22048-how-to-cook-rice-microwave.html

Lol, I'll take your word for it!

I'm backing up what @TiRed said 100% on this one.

When Mrs Binners bought an egg cooker, oh how I laughed. "WTF is that?" I snorted derisively, assuming it would be destined to gather dust at the back of a cupboard somewhere until going to a charity shop, unused, in a clearout in 3 years.

Well... I was dead wrong (as usual). They're absolutely bloody brilliant things! Far from gathering dust, it gets used all the time. Considering they're cheap as chips they're well worth having. I think I know what I'm having for lunch now. Lovely soft boiled eggs with soldiers 🙂

We've got this one:

But that one on the Range that the OP linked to looks the same and a bargain for a tenner. Think we paid about the same for ours and it hasn't half had some use

I used to hate these seemingly unnecessary kitchen gadgets that cause clutter but now I'm middle-aged the egg cooker, rice cooker, mini chopper and even popcorn makers have become indispensable.
Get one of these to go with the egg cooker

well, good and bad news.....

the good news is that i tried simons method of 3 eggs in swirling water, 20 secs or so apart. worked a treat, and even tho the water had stopped swirling by egg 3, and they all looked like they were stuck together in the middle, they werent. had no idea which was first in (so i could take it out first), but they were probably the best poachers ive done in a looooong time. on buttered sourdough too, bluddy hell they went down well.

[img] [/img]

i wish id taken a picture of them cut open, but just imagine 3 perfect runny yolks.

the bad news is, it probably means ive wasted my money on the life-changing egg cooker which came today, even tho they did come out pretty good.
schoolboy error in not reading the bumph before buying (can only do 2 eggs when im a 3 egg man) meant i had to do one separately in the pan (same swirling method but obviously easier with just one egg.
can you guess which one is the pan egg? 😆

[img] [/img]

and cut open....

[img] [/img]

so...... probably the most successful 2 days of poached-egg-making in my life, all there is left to say is nomnomnom.

be interesting to see how the boiled eggs go at the weekend.

Egg cooker arrived yesterday. Everyone’s happy with it in my house.