Perfectly Poached: Some Tips and Tricks for Poaching Eggs

We found that a single poached egg was just the thing to round out a bowl of that Quinoa Salad with Apples, Walnuts, Cranberries, and Gouda from last week. And since that recipe made enough to feed a family reunion, that means we've been poaching a lot of eggs. While it's still fresh in our minds, here are our best tips for perfectly poached eggs!

Poaching is actually our favorite way of consuming the incredible edible egg. It has the runny yolk and versatility of a fried egg, but feels slightly more virtuous. We also like the way it looks: perfectly white with the bright yellow of the yolk just barely glimmering through. It's like a neat little egg package.

So how do we get those perfectly poached eggs? Here's how we do it:

• Shallow Water - The shallow water helps keep the egg contained. There's only so far up or down that it can go. We usually poach our eggs in a 2-quart saucepan filled with 2-3 inches of water.

• Gentle Simmer - Boiling or even rapidly simmering water will tear apart the fragile egg whites before they have time to set. A bare simmer is a much more gentle environment for cooking those eggs, and the water won't cool so much that cooking times are affected. We usually bring the water up to a boil so we know it's nice and hot, then reduce the temperature so we just see a few tiny bubbles breaking the surface.

• Splash of Vinegar - Vinegar, or even lemon, helps the egg whites to set more quickly and we get fewer wispy bits when we add a tablespoon or two to the simmering water.

• Use Fresh Eggs - The fresher the egg, the more tightly the whites stay together. The times when we end up with egg drop soup were usually when we were using eggs near their expiration dates.

• Cooking Times - When poaching at a gentle simmer, we find that four minutes gives us an egg with firm whites and a runny yolk. Four and a half minutes is perfect if we want a yolk that's just starting to set. Five whole minutes works for the times when we want a set yolk that is still custardy and soft.

• The Vortex - We add this tip last because it's a matter of some debate. Theoretically, spinning the water with a spoon to create a vortex and then dropping the egg in the middle helps keep the egg contained, but we've never managed this very successfully. Still, it works for some people and it's worth trying for yourself!

For some visual help with poaching eggs, take a look at this tutorial: How to Poach an Egg: The Video.

What other tips do you have for poaching eggs?

(Image: Flickr member Flickr username licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (19)

This is like a sign.. my husband and I were at crate & barrel on the weekend and he saw some egg-poaching contraption that goes over a pot.. couldn't believe that my family didn't have one (um.. we had a microwave thing, so I'm not saying we were any better). BUT, he had no idea that that wasn't the REAL way to poach an egg!

So I told him I want to learn to do it. And now you post this.. guess what we're having for dinner tonight! (Or.. we'll be attempting to have.. otherwise it will be cold pizza)

The Vortex always works for me!

@AlisonCJ Get thee to a grocery store! If you buy "Farmers' Hen House" eggs (available at Whole Foods) they're a little pricier, but they have always done great poached eggs for me. The thicker/more viscus the white, the better your chances are. Look for eggs with that little thing attached to the yolk that looks a bit like a booger...sounds gross, but it's a great way to tell if your egg is fresh or not! And seriously...vinegar is your friend.

Your video was a lifesaver (er, eggsaver) for me. I can finally successfully poach an egg!

I'm a fan of a) more vinegar because I like the taste b)the Vortex and c)being very careful about keeping the white and yolk together pre-poach. This means when you break the eggshell, SLIDE the egg into a shallow dish. No pouring from on high. Same thing into the Vortex...SLIDE the egg into the vortex. Pouring from on high separates the white from the yolk and you end up with a poached albumen with an overdone yolk tumor on the side.

@AlisonCJ I poach my eggs in the microwave, but I don't use a "contraption". I just crack the egg into a teacup, add a few capfuls of vinegar and enough water to cover the egg completely. Then I microwave on 80% Power for 60 seconds. This gives me a perfect poached egg every time! You should give it try if you want to tackle "contraption" free poached eggs!

I use all the methods described above (including the vortex) and usually come out with perfectly poached eggs. I think people are often hesitant about adding vinegar for fear that it will flavor the egg, but don't worry! A generous glug will not affect the taste, and it does wonders for keeping the white together.

Ever since you posted the how-to video, I am an egg-poaching wizard!!!! Thanks for the easy-to-follow instructions. I love poached eggs!

you can also use a deep slotted spoon to hold an egg while poaching. ruhlman posted a primer on it this morning.

I used to work at a very very busy breakfast place(think over 50 eggs bennys an hour during the busy hours) and we used to just fill a big pit with water and have it on a low simmer and then gently crack the eggs into the pot(like kathrinindc was saying) and we would poach a whole flat of eggs at once(30 eggs) but I do suggest vinegar. As weird as it is, you will have an easier time cleaning the pot. I hated cleaning the egg poaching pot at the end of the day at that breakfast place. :(

I forgot to make my point before submitting my comment.

The most important thing is to be gentle with the eggs when putting it in the water. It's the only constant I've ever come across with well poached eggs.

I use silicone Poach Pods to poach my eggs. It might be cheating a little, but I just crack the eggs into the pods and set a timer. When it goes off, I fish them out of the pan. Super easy!

I use Everybody Likes Sandwiches method! Crack the egg in a little teacup and slowly lower it in the boiling water. Hold the egg in the teacup for a little while so it sets, then release! SO easy!

It seems most everone is anti-poaching devices and I am definitely a proponent of not buying silly kitchen contraptions... But that being said, I just bought a set of poachpods ($10 for 2) and they are amazing!! They make the most beautiful, perfect poached eggs every single time! And there is no messy pot to clean after.

Cling film! This posting inspired me to poach eggs all the time: http://www.b3ta.com/features/howtopoachanegg/ My addition - spray a little Pam on the cling film before cracking the egg into it, and it'll slide right out.

@vmorg oh my. my egg 'sploded all over the microwave. what did I do wrong? I'm back to the stovetop.

with the poaching devices, does the water go over the top? I tried one and I didn't like how unevenly it cooked (top vs bottom) and how the top was dry. Am I doing that wrong too?

Cool, off to try the shallow tip, always rather drowned them myself.

In a side-by-side experiment with vinegar / plain water, at the same temperature, there was no difference in time until the white set. I suspect that is a myth too, although what any impurity does (salt would be as good) is to raise the boiling point. So water+vinegar at a tiny boil is hotter than water alone at the same visual point, so that's probably why the egg appears to set faster: you're raising the temperature but keeping the violence of the water lower.

And, sigh, Vortex's never work. And you learned why they cannot work in high school science. The forces in a vortex act to pull the egg *apart* not keep it together. The egg doesn't slide down the dip made by the vortex.

And even if it did, there is far, far too much viscosity in water to keep the vortex long enough for the egg to set.

For the sake of the sanity of high school physics teachers everywhere, please think before spreading the vortex myth! ;)

@AlisonCJ

Don't waste your money on one of those poaching contraptions. Just like the post said, a shallow amount of simmering water does the job just fine. I have a few of those things and they don't work as well as just a pot of water.

You only have to practice on one egg. Do it, and then you'll know if you need a bit more or less time.

Forget the vinegar, the poach pods and the vortex, here's a trick I saw on Japanese TV that works every time.

Before you crack the egg, pre-cook the egg-white slightly by placing the egg in a bowl of hot water for one or two minutes (depending on the temperature of the egg). Then just break the egg into a pan of gently simmering water and cook as usual.

The egg white will stay together and it won't stick to the pan.