How to poach the perfect egg!

I've tried the 'stir boiling water until there is a vortex, pour egg in centre system'. Great if you don't mind scalding your hand whilst introducing the egg. In the end I always resort to a non-stick egg poacher.

I boil the kettle and then fill a saucepan with enough of the boiling water to cover the eggs. I make sure it has come back to the boil, then turn off the heat, I have an electric hob so just leave saucepan in place. I have the eggs cracked and ready to go straight into the hot water, leave until firm. I drain on some kitchen roll, and have the toast hot and ready to go! It works for me, but I don't think I am an expert.

Me too Tabitha but without the vinegar

Riverbank thank you for sharing your egg in half a cup of water & microwave 60 seconds. Just tried it - Perfect Lunch!

Only use very fresh eggs from a local farm. Shop bought ones are too old. The egg should have been laid the same day as you poach it.

Put a small shallow pan of water to boil. Add a tablespoonful of vinegar.

Crack the egg into a cup.

When the water is boiling fiercely, lift that pan off the stove and slide the egg into the water.

Poach it for 2 minutes then lift it out with a slotted spoon. You can put the pan back over a very low heat at this point, but if the water is hot enough you shouldn't need to.

Put it to drain excess water on a piece of kitchen towel.

Yu can use less fresh eggs, but they do not taste the same.

River walk
Thanks so much for your tip re poaching eggs in a microwave.
I’ve just had a microwave egg on toast for my lunch and it was perfect.
I too threw away my green egg pods.
I hated having to scrub the residue white off them every time I used them.

Gosh many fun, promising and interesting methods here. I'll work my way through them and discover the easiest/most successful way for me. Thanks contributors. Great!

Definitely has to be a very fresh egg. No vinegar needed. Use a deep frying pan or a saucepan and break egg into a cup and lower in gently. Never fails but the egg must be fresh. If you can't get eggs from a farm, buy the ones with the longest sell- by date from a big supermarket with a fast turnover.

Grannynannywanny

^Anyone who is a fan of "Four in a Bed" will know that poached eggs at breakfast time is a benchmark where some of the contestants have stumbled and others have excelled^
TerriBull I was thinking about that programme and also The Hotel Inspector. The presenter Alex Polizzi always ordered poached eggs for breakfast when she was doing her inspection.

I was also thinking of both of those programmes when I read the title of this thread.

With 'Four in a Bed', it's now become standard practice for all the contestants to deliberately choose different 'cooked eggs' with their breakfasts - to test out the host's adaptability. It NEVER fails to bring down the 'biggest braggers' in the competition. They all fail to realise that - in REAL LIFE SITUATIONS - they'd never get three or four pairs of customers ALL sitting down AT THE SAME TIME AT THE SAME TABLE. It just wouldn't happen! It's the timing of all the meals together that causes the mishaps.

I crack an egg straight into a pan of boiling water, let it simmer for a minute or two and retrieve with a slotted spoon. Perfect every time.

I use Nigel Slater's method. Break egg into a cup, heat water. Pour egg into water when it's at a proper rolling boil, bring back to boil, take off heat and cover pan. Time it for 3 minutes. (I don't use vinegar - really think it taints the taste)

Just tried the microwave method and was surprised how good it was. Not perfect, need to adjust timings, but beats the faff of heating pan of water, doing the swirl, hit and miss result depending on freshness of eggs, then having a pan with bits of scum in it to wash up afterwards. And cheaper using less energy. Microwave method a doddle - thank you!

I'm with honeyrose. Break egg into saucer or small cup and slide into simmering water in pan. No lid, and simmer for approx 2 minutes . Use slotted spoon to remove. Simple.

I do the same as you. It's a great way to poach an egg with no mess.

At one time I used to stay fairly regularly at a hotel where the chef made the best poached eggs. I asked his secret and he said use a dash of lemon juice not vinegar in the boiling water and eggs must be really fresh.

Egg poacher pan for me. I've tried Poachies but they are a bit fiddly.

Break the egg into a plastic strainer with a fine mesh first and shake it gently over a bowl. The watery bits of the egg white drain away, leaving the thicker, more glutinous central part of the white. (The watery bit is what streams away in the pan of water and makes a mess.) Then poach eggs as normal by sliding into a pan of simmering water with a touch of vinegar added to it. Makes a tremendous difference if you do the straining thing, to get an egg that is a good shape and holds together well. (A "chef's tip" I read online some time ago, along with "use the freshest eggs possible, at room temperature".)

Oh you totally wonderful Gransnetters! I thought I was the only person who couldn't poach an egg. I have been keeping quiet about it! Thank you all so much. x

I break the eggs into a small container, then pour boiling water into a non stick saucepan, put the saucepan onto the hob, swirl the water round with a wooden spoon then gently Tip the eggs into the water. Bring back to boil then switch off and leave the eggs in the hot water for couple mins. I cant stand eggs where the white is not set properly, I find this method works well for me

Use fresh eggs, preferably free range. Get your saucepan of water boiling and then reduce the heat so it’s gently simmering. Add about 2 tablespoons of distilled vinegar (not necessary if eggs are really fresh) and stir the water to make a bit of a whirl. Drop your egg gently into the centre of the vortex of water. Increase the heat so the water starts to simmer again, then reduce to a very, very low simmer. Put the lid on and cook for approx 3.5 minutes, but the time depends on the size of your egg.

I'm with Spangler, those poaching cups give me perfectly NEAT poached eggs every time.

As a former guest house owner of over 12 years my husband and I must have cooked thousands of poached eggs.
We did it just as others have said previously.
Deep frying pan full of just simmering water with a dash of vinegar. Break egg into a small bowl or cup and lower gently into the water leave for 2 minutes remove with slotted spoon. Fresher eggs work better.

I use a little miniature frying pan but before I had it, my smallest saucepan. Bring water to the boil, then down to simmer. Break egg into cup, pour gently into top of water, simmer for a few mins. Never had a problem. I only do one at a time.

Hetty58

When I cook them for the kids I use the silicone pods - much easier.

Just threw mine out. Found them a pain. I’ve bought a poaching pan but my memory of owning one years ago is that Spangler is optimistic re the timing.

Use smallest pan on hob, fill with boiling water, break egg into said water, let egg boil for 2-3 minutes, scoop out. Perfect.