The Best Egg Cooker to Make Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

Back in September, we ran a Skills Battle, in which we tested seven different methods for making hard-boiled eggs and wrote about the results for each one. Ultimately, the boil-then-simmer method won out, earning a perfect score of 10/10, but good gosh did we get letters from you guys! Turns out, LOTS of Kitchn readers prefer to use an electric egg cooker. So we spent the last few weeks researching and testing all the gadgets that can help you make a hard-boiled egg.

Here’s what we found out.

The Cuisinart Egg Central, $30

The folks at Cook’s Illustrated really recommend the tried-and-true methods with the equipment you already own (a simple pot!), but for those who want hard-boiled eggs that cook up just a little faster, they recommend the Cuisinart Egg Central. It takes a bit of tinkering and experimentation at first, but once you get your method for your desired results, the machine is consistent and easy to use — and it makes good eggs of varying softnesses. Plus it can make up to 10 eggs at a time, which was the most of any of the models they tested.

The Cuisinart Egg Central, $30

Good Housekeeping picked the same egg cooker that Cook’s Illustrated likes, pointing out that you can also use the included trays to make four poached eggs or three-egg omelets. They agreed that the machine is reliable (once you get your method just right).

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Steamer with Extendable Handle, $20

This is a little bit of a cheat because Serious Eats doesn’t seem to have reviewed electric egg cookers. In a post they wrote about the best egg tools, they said that instead of boiling eggs, you’re better off steaming them. Steaming cooks the eggs more evenly and you have a lower risk of the eggs cracking, as you don’t need to lower them into the water and they won’t jostle into each other while they cook. The tool they recommend for this? OXO’s Stainless Steel Steamer.

Dash Rapid Egg Cooker, $20

The bestselling egg cooker on Amazon is this Dash Rapid Egg Cooker. And the second-bestselling egg cooker is the two-tired version that cooks up to 12 eggs at once. The smaller one, which cooks six eggs, has more than 11,200 five-star reviews and shoppers say it’s a game-changer, a total time-saver, and all-around joy. The biggest complaint, however, is that the alarm is loud, so you might want to use the machine before bed versus in the morning while people in your household are still asleep.

We definitely love the Dash and the Cuisinart options (and we frequently see both of those Dash models on sale — especially on Black Friday, which will be here before you know it), but if you already have an Instant Pot, we strongly suggest going with that! It makes the BEST jammy eggs and there’s the most simple method for making hard-boiled eggs in an IP (it’s called the “5-5-5 method” and it seriously couldn’t be easier).

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, it clearly makes more than just hard-boiled eggs. Meaning: We guarantee you’ll end up reaching for it way more often than you’d think.

What do you use to make hard-boiled eggs? What’s your method?