To throw the stupid egg poacher in the bin?

[LoveInTokyo]

Today I bought a couple of silicone egg poachers, the kind that hook over the edge of the saucepan. They were quite expensive because everything is expensive where I live and we were in a fancy I-saw-you-coming shop.

Anyway, I am pretty good at poaching eggs just in a pan full of water, but I’m always trying to make them neater and have never managed to do two at once that way.

So I thought I’d give these a go.

Total disaster.

The first egg just spread out all over the pan to the point where I had to throw it away.

I then tried again and just about managed to poach two eggs, but I had to stand there holding the bloody things because when I let go they dropped too far down into the water and started to “escape” from the moulds, it took far longer than it normally takes to poach two eggs one after the other, and they were a mess.

What am I doing wrong? Should I persevere, or are they just a piece of shit and useless to anyone who actually knows how to poach an egg?

The secret to poached eggs.......
very fresh eggs
water just coming to the boil (a light shimmer )
vinegar in the water

Fresh eggs don't spread, and the vinegar makes the white coagulate instantly, and a 'light shimmer' means it doesn't all break up

Boil the kettle. Half fill a small bowl with the water. Crack egg into the bowl of water, microwave for maximum of 60sec depending on how you like your eggs! Easy.

What kind of vinegar do you use? Do you need vinegar? I am a total cooking novice to my shame.
I used the silicone cups and I had the problem where it either took ages (like far longer than it says to boil for), or the cups would drop into the bottom of the pan so when I lifted the lid of the saucepan the cups would be emerged in the water!

YY to the freshest eggs possible and these weren't, so just slightly ragged at the edges. This is my method.

Boil a pan of slightly salted water, I prefer to use salt rather than vinegar and then take it off the hob to cool a little. I use a deep non stick wok. As per PP the water just needs some light bubbles rising slowly from the base of the pan.

I crack the number of required eggs into a shallow dish, stir the water with a whisk and slide in the eggs. They should be completely covered by the water. Cook gently for something like 3 mins 15 secs for good medium sized eggs, or a bit longer for slightly firmer yolks, turning the pan if the heat below is uneven.

This way they all cook at the same speed and separate easily when you scoop them out with a slotted spoon.