What’s your favorite way of cooking and eating eggs? If you love poached eggs, then this kitchen tool might just be for you. It’s time you get to know and learn how to use an Egg Poacher Pan!
What Is An Egg Poacher Pan?
If this is your first time hearing this, then you are not alone! It’s probably one of those things you need but has never seen or used before.
An Egg Poacher Pan is a type of cooking equipment meant for poaching an egg. While it might not be familiar to you, it’s something that some people have been using as an alternative to the more traditional way of poaching eggs.
What Is It Made Of?
Egg Poacher Pans are made of stainless steel. Given that kind of material, you know it’s durable and sturdy. Since it’s made of stainless steel, you don’t have to worry much about rust. If you know how to handle and clean it with care, you can use it for a long time.
When you purchase an Egg Poacher Pan, it comes in a set. It usually comes with the following:
- Stainless Steel Frying Pan
- Non-stick Egg Cups
- Glass Lid
Depending on what you prefer, you can get an Egg Poacher Pan that either has two or four egg cups. There are also Egg Poachers Pans that have five or more egg cups. If you are very into poaching eggs, then this could be an option for you.
Apart from stainless steel, you can also get egg poacher pans made of aluminum. It usually comes with nylon egg cups and a stainless lid.
There are also Egg Poacher Pans made of cast iron. While this might be heavier than its stainless steel and aluminum counterparts, it’s very durable as well. You can use it both indoors and outdoors. If you feel like making poached eggs while camping out, then you can do so with an open fire!
If you can’t decide which type of Egg Poacher Pan to purchase, you might have to figure out which ones fit your budget and your cooking style more. The awesome thing about Egg Poacher Pans now is that you can get them anytime. You can get them from your favorite home store or online.
The Basics: Poaching Eggs
Before we figure out how to use an Egg Poacher Pan, perhaps we need to look into the usual way eggs were poached before this equipment came to life. How did people poach eggs before the Egg Poacher Pan became a thing?
Poaching an egg is not the easiest thing to do. It takes skill and practice to be able to perfect it. Compared to the other ways of cooking an egg, it might be a little hard at first, especially if you are not a professional chef or anything like that. However, with practice, you’ll be able to master it!
Before you start poaching an egg, be sure to prepare the following:
- A pot or saucepan
- Salt
- White Vinegar
- Ramekin
- Spoon
- Eggs
Making Poached Eggs The Conventional Way
Imagine the things you would need just to make poached eggs. The interesting part here is that even if you have all these, you still can’t make poached eggs successfully if you mess up the process.
If you want to learn how to poach an egg perfectly, then perhaps you can try this method.
You can start by filling the pot or saucepan with water. You should then add about two teaspoons of white vinegar and one teaspoon of salt. Heat the water, vinegar, and salt mixture until it begins to simmer.
While waiting for the water to simmer, you can start preparing your eggs. When you want to poach more than one egg, you can’t do them all at the same time. You have a higher chance of poaching an egg successfully if you do it one by one.
If you have a ramekin around, it’s recommended that you use it. In the absence of one, perhaps you can use a small sauce bowl.
Take one egg and crack it into the ramekin or sauce bowl. You can’t just directly drop the egg into the simmering water. Using a ramekin decreases the probability of breaking the egg yolk. If there are eggshell fragments, you can easily remove them from the ramekin. Also, when the egg is in the ramekin, dropping it in the water would be easier and smoother for you.
Once the water starts simmering, you can now start with the actual egg poaching process. Before dropping the egg, take the ends of the spoon and stir the water in one direction. This process would create some sort of whirlpool. While the whirlpool continues to spin, you can drop the egg into the center of the pot carefully.
The next step involved turning the heat off and covering the pot with the lid for about two to four minutes. It would take the egg around that time to poach. As soon as the egg hits the pot or pan, make sure you don’t do anything else. Any movement might cause the egg to break, ruining the poaching process.
If your first attempt is not successful, you can always keep trying! However, if you have tried a million times and you still struggle to poach an egg, then go ahead and get an Egg Poacher Pan!
How Does An Egg Poacher Pan Work?
There is no point in wasting a lot of your time, effort, and energy in poaching eggs the conventional way when you have the Egg Poacher Pan. Of course, it’s still important to know how to do it. But if you are running out of time, it never hurts to have an alternative. Whoever thought of making an Egg Poacher Pan was godsent!
Before using the Egg Poacher Pan, you need to remove the cups. If your Egg Poacher Pan has a removable frame holding the egg cups, then that’s the one you should take out.
To start, fill the Egg Poacher Pan with water, cover it, and put it on top of the stove. Turn the heat on and wait for the water to simmer. While waiting, you can brush the egg cups with oil or use cooking spray.
It’s to prevent the poached eggs from sticking to the surface of the egg cups. It makes it easier to remove the poached egg without the risk of breaking it. If you are only poaching one egg, you can just grease one cup.
After greasing the egg cups, put them back into the pan. You can then start cracking eggs into these cups. If you want to make sure the yolks don’t crack, you can always use ramekins or bowls first.
When the eggs are in the cups, ensure the yolks are intact and the whites are evenly distributed. You can also set a timer. It might take around three to four minutes to poach. However, it depends on how you like your poached eggs and how big the eggs are. If the egg is a little large, then it might need more time to poach.
Easier Than Ever
If you have tried making poached eggs using both ways, then you know how it’s so much easier to use the Egg Poacher Pan. Even if you cannot poach an egg the traditional way, you can always depend on the Egg Poacher Pan. You don’t need intermediate or advanced cooking experience to poach eggs for yourself if you have this kitchen tool.
If you know how to use the Egg Poacher Pan, you can poach eggs anytime you want. Imagine making hearty homemade sandwiches with poached eggs centers. Just think of that magnificent Eggs Benedict that you can make now. The moment you cut into the egg and the yolk runs down beautifully is a culinary sight to behold.
Choose The Freshest Eggs
Even if you have the best Egg Poacher Pan out there, you can’t make the perfect poached eggs if you are not using fresh eggs. If your egg is a little aged, trust that you might not be able to make the ideal poached egg.
When we say “fresh eggs,” it doesn’t mean freshly hatched or anything like that. But if you can manage to get those, then good for you!
You should know how to tell if an egg is fresh or if it has gone past its prime, so you don’t have to use it for poaching. You can use it for soft or hard boiling eggs or something else. It doesn’t have to go to waste.
Favorite Cooking Buddy: Egg Poacher Pan
If you know how to use an Egg Poacher Pan, the days when you would be so intimidated or afraid to try poaching an egg would go. With your new cooking best friend, the days of being intimidated by egg poaching will surely be a thing of the past!
Michael Johnson is the founder of Pan Mastery, Inspired by his blacksmith grandfather’s legacy has a deep appreciation for hand-crafted pots and pans, he provides invaluable guides, reviews, and recipes to enhance your culinary journey.