Poached egg- the apparatus...

[thesleepyhoglet]

So I do love a poached egg when out and about but when cooking at home, they become all gunky and the white stretches out. I don't have any specific gear for poaching eggs, rather I boil a saucepan and swirl. I would like to buy something! But what?

those little round boiled egg cookers do poached eggs! In fact that's about all I use mine for! Less than a tenner if I remember rightly.

You can buy egg poaching pans

Poached egg pan. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sapphire-20-4-Cup-Egg-Poacher/dp/B002A0AH3I/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=22LOR4TTSJPY1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gVl5FBslc8OEM24QOeBwSGgnIAyhFCE6KoZYT2o3noOwP__Q2ippX-tManP9w0F9NNXQgeAxMy8bnlMapX2bBadFME-Y-MvU40RzPA60an1BwwUtwVUGzFs0mJSB3XrFAv1n9htV3pgcTIFLk7-C-wuyoUiw7-JwRU5rn7N8-tfsDPwnLThhSuIVDk6Sb6D3c7ip7DGwJzKW1N6i0pBXrA.gN42DO4D97WcQOUh1wEwmA9-MjYEvxrtLaqG4Wq1q4Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=poached+egg+pan&qid=1708552810&sprefix=poa%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-3

You don’t need any stuff you just need to do it properly.

Shallow pan - deep frying pan is perfect. Don’t whisk the water, don’t faff about just have the water very gently bubbling - like 4/5 tiny ones every second.

Drop egg in, use spoon to shape it and let it sit there in NOT boiling water.

It will be perf every single time (and you can do like 8 in one go with this method) and no stringy bits because you’re not launching eggs in mad boiling water you’ve whisked 😂

I second the egg poaching pans. We have a "sixer" ... get the water boiling for steam to come out, drip of butter in each cup, pop the timer on for 3.5 mins (large eggs) and gently ease the eggs in. Pop the lid on and finish the toast off in preparation. You can't beat a decent poached egg - solid egg white and a golden yellow / orange yolk that runs and caresses the toasty bread.

We had some poaching bags that were good, I've never had success with the pans

i have an egg poaching secret OP

clingfilm

break your egg into a clingfilm 'pouch' and twist the top. Float it in boiling water...

Bring about 2 inches of water to the boil, drop in egg (as fresh as poss), put lid on. Turn off heat, timer 5 mins = perfect poached egg!

Following another thread on here I realised I missed poached eggs but don’t like any water in/on them. I’ve used ramekins in a pan with an inch irl so of water in it. They cook perfectly and this’ll do until I buy a proper poaching pan.

https://amzn.eu/d/1OFBouN These little poaching bags are great.

Try cracking the egg into a ramekin first. Then gently slip the egg from the ramekin into the boiling water, really close to the surface. It makes a perfect poached egg because the process is super gentle unlike cracking an egg from a height into boiling water (if you crack the egg directly into boiling water you have to hold it higher due to the heat ). It’s so simple but works perfectly.

I can’t do them in bare water and use a poaching pan or the little floaty silicon cups.

Apparently they are much easier to do well in just water if they are v fresh eggs. Older eggs don’t hold together as well and they are more likely to spread out and go all stringy.

What you need is a sieve &/or very fresh eggs. Crack the egg into the sieve & all the watery stuff that makes the stringy bits will drain away. Other than that just a pan of just simmering water. Lower the egg in carefully from the sieve (I use a small sieve, a big one is a bit clumsy).
Restaurants etc have very fresh eggs as they get through so many so not so much of the watery stuff.

Get a small pot of boiling water, add a splash of vinegar ( any acid will do, lemon juice or white wine).
Crack egg into a small sieve, let it drain. Then swirl the water with a fork and transfer the egg into the water. Leave 2-3 mins until the egg is poached to your liking. I prefer v likely cooked eggs, but many liked more cooking.

I was just about to write the same as @Cookerhood. Every so gently swirl the water then put the timer on for two minutes. Perfect results every time.

Saw these the other day!

Yes, fresh is key. Don’t even think about poaching an egg bought more than 2 days previously.
Slide in gently from a bowl and don’t swirl the water, Marcus Waring (or was it John Torode?) once demonstrated egg poaching in Masterchef and said do not swirl.

Do not poach more than 3 eggs per pan (that’s for an 18cm diameter one) and always boil fresh water if using the pan for two batches.

My extra trick is to fold a square of kitchen towel into a quarter of its size and place the egg on that after it has been spooned out, to soak up any last drop of water: I hate it when poaching water makes your toast soggy.

The Co op used to sell the ready made poached eggs. They're great! I've tried many different ways of making them and in a pan of gently simmering water is best. Those egg poaching pans don't poach the eggs, they steam them.

You need a splash of white wine vinegar in the water, and very fresh eggs. With older eggs the white won't hold together as much.

I do them in the microwave. Two eggs in a small pyrex bowl, cover with water, cover bowl and stick in 800W microwave for about 1min 20 secs. Takes less time than it does to toast a slice of bread. I work from home and often have to grab something quick for lunch between phone calls - this has been a game changer for me!

I've got my grandpa's version of this still going strong in my kitchen! https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078J83KZS/ref=sspa_dk_detail_6?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B078J83KZS&pd_rd_w=ygFup&content-id=amzn1.sym.84ea1bf1-65a8-4363-b8f5-f0df58cbb686&pf_rd_p=84ea1bf1-65a8-4363-b8f5-f0df58cbb686&pf_rd_r=FFQCGAM04YVWMYDJ0B7D&pd_rd_wg=ezOfl&pd_rd_r=edcfbe38-b704-49bf-9d89-c3eb51460ae1&s=kitchen&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw

I just use a pan, plain water, a small bowl and a slotted spoon.

The best way to spend your money is getting the best quality, freshest eggs you can. A really fresh egg can just be broken straight into a pan of boiling water and it'll keep itself together.

Less fresh eggs benefit from being broken into a small bowl before tipping into the pan.

Specific poaching pans give a very different result which is perfectly nice but doesn't resemble the kind of poached egg you'll get at a nice brunch establishment.

I do the same.
Line a cup/mug with the clingfilm, then break in the egg.
Hang the twisted tail over the side oh the pan to make it easy to remove.

Urgh no! All you can then taste of the white is plastic - my friend used to make them this way. She can't taste the plastic but I can (I can also taste she stirred my tea AFTER her sugared one).

Just learn how to do it with three inches of boiling water from the kettle in a frying pan on a gentle simmer, crack the egg carefully and as close to the water as you can, without breaking the yolk. If you use very fresh eggs it doesn't spread out, but this will work with regular eggs as long as they are in date. Keep the water bubbling gently, put your bread in the toaster and when the toast pops your egg will be ready.

The key is gentle cracking and sliding into the water.