Would YOU spend £170 on an egg poacher?
Poaching the perfect egg is notoriously tricky. But would you really be tempted into spending £170 on a machine that promises a flawless white dome every time?
as heston Blumenthal launches his latest high-tech gadget, The Precision Poacher, MANDY FRANCIS asks — from square microwave pods to poaching bags and chefs’ insider techniques — what works, and what doesn’t?
THE FOODIE FAVOURITE
The Precision Poacher, Sage by Heston Blumenthal (far right, RRP £169.95. Available from Amazon) WHAT IS IT? a counter-top gadget with a pot and temperature probe that poaches different food and cooks eggs five ways.
To poach an egg, fill with water and set to 85c. When the buzzer sounds, crack in up to four eggs, replace the lid and press start. after four minutes, you should have perfectly poached eggs. ANY GOOD? This looks and feels like top-quality kit. Don’t be put off by the handbook, digital screen and array of buttons — it’s incredibly simple. it kept the water simmering at the right temperature for the right time and the egg stayed intact.
The white was softly cooked and the yolk beautifully runny. VERDICT: 4/5 — Fabulous, but it’s expensive and very big.
ONE-MINUTE MIRACLE
Microwave Cookware Stain-Proof Egg Poachers (top left, £5.99 for two, lakeland.co.uk) WHAT IS IT? a tiny, futuristic-looking bowl on plastic legs. Pour in a little water, heat in the microwave for 15 seconds, add the egg and cook for 30 seconds, then turn over in the water and cook for ten seconds. The raised design, the maker says, helps to cook the egg uniformly. ANY GOOD? This is quick and easy to use. after draining through the lid, i had a beautifully oval, perfect egg. VERDICT: 5/5 — Eggscellent! Fast, easy to clean and a great price.
POROUS POCKETS
Poachies (£1.99 for 20 bags, johnlewis.com) WHAT IS IT? Disposable poaching bags. Just break an egg into a bag and sit it in a pan of boiling water for five minutes. ANY GOOD? They’re made from what looks like coffee filter paper. as soon as i cracked in the egg, the white started to leak through. There’s also no way of sealing it, so it lolled over in the pan and filled with water. apparently, it’s supposed to.
Five minutes later, i rescued what looked like a soggy handkerchief. out dropped a perfectly cooked, if a little oddly-shaped, egg. VERDICT: 3/5 — Works well, but it’s a little messy.
THE CHEFS’ SECRET
Top chefs’ recommended method WHAT IS IT? Breakfast chefs at fivestar hotels poach eggs by dropping them into a whirlpool of boiling water. For best results, a fresh egg should first be broken into a cup to which a couple of drops of white vinegar have been added.
The boiling water should be vigorously whisked and the egg dropped in the centre of the whirlpool. Remove after three minutes. ANY GOOD? i failed completely. i tried changing the depth of the water, the heat, the speed — all to no avail.
Each attempt produced an egg ‘comet’ — a perfectly edible, but unappetising, version with a long trail of white. Plus, you can only make one at a time. VERDICT: 1/ 5 — tricky, messy and unreliable.
EASY EGG CUPS
Eele Smiley Egg Poacher (below, £4.99 for two, amazon.co.uk) WHAT IS IT? a silicone cup. grease the inside with oil or butter, add an egg and stand in an inch of boiling water in a pan for five minutes. ANY GOOD? i felt sure it would topple over, but it was surprisingly stable. it was easy to lift from the pan and the egg slipped out easily. VERDICT: 4/5 — a simple gadget, easy to store, but the result is a little too synthetic-looking.
CLING FILM TWIST
Food bloggers’ tip: wrap your egg in cling film and boil WHAT IS IT? Loosely cover a ramekin with a generous piece of cling film ( at least a 9 in square). Push the film into the cup or bowl, add a touch of oil or butter, then crack in an egg. Twist up the surplus cling film, so your egg is enclosed in a pouch, then drop it into a halffilled saucepan of simmering water. cook for three minutes, then dunk quickly in a bowl of iced water. ANY GOOD? it was a bit fiddly screwing up the excess plastic, but after it cooked, i took apart the film to reveal a neat, spherical egg!
5/5 — Quick and simple trick for a well-cooked egg.
SLOW BUT STYLISH
Egg Coddler And Poacher (left, £8.99, lakeland.co.uk) WHAT IS IT? a vintagestyle, fluted porcelain pot with a stainless steel, screw-on lid. Just drop in an egg or two and, if you fancy, add chopped cooked bacon, herbs and spices. close the lid and stand in a pan of boiling water for eight minutes. ANY GOOD? it’s the most attractive, but the egg took much longer to cook than other methods — ten minutes compared to an average five — and i found it very hard to remove it from the pot. VERDICT: 1/5 — Looks lovely, but disappointing in practice.
CUBE CREATION
Lekue Ovo Egg Cooker (£13.43 for two, amazon.co.uk) WHAT IS IT? Shaped, silicone microwaveable pots — one a cube, the other a cylinder. Just add an egg and cook in the microwave for 30 seconds, or a pan of boiling water for five minutes. ANY GOOD? an inventive way to serve eggs. The silicone pot is non- stick, but it’s still a good idea to add a smear of butter or oil for taste.
i put in a little salt and pepper first, followed by a raw egg and some chopped ham, grated parmesan and spinach. after two minutes in the microwave, i had a neat cube of eggy deliciousness, which i served in slices with a salad. VERDICT: 4/5 — great fun, kids would love it.