The Best Egg Poachers, Including Pan, Silicone and Microwave [UPDATED]

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Love poached eggs but hate how they always turn out different?

Poaching eggs can be a little tricky – that’s why I love using an egg poacher! With this nifty little kitchen gadget, you’ll get perfectly cooked eggs every time. No more sticking to the pot or uneven cooking.

The best part about using an egg poacher is that they come with a poaching rack. This means you can cook multiple eggs at once without them sticking together or ending up lopsided. Plus, the poaching rack keeps them suspended in the pot so they cook evenly from top to bottom.

Below I’ve listed the best egg poachers and also gone into detail on what to look for.

Best Egg Poacher Pan
Eggssentials Poached Egg Maker
9.7
  • Poach 4 Eggs At A Time
  • Features Tempered Glass Lid
  • Dishwasher Safe
Silicone Egg Poacher
OXO Good Grips
9.3
  • Unique Design
  • Easy To Use & Clean
  • Perfectly Shaped Poached Eggs.
Best Microwave Egg Poacher
Skoo Silicone Egg Poaching Cups
8.9
  • Individual Lids To Keep Clean
  • Handle For Easy Handling
  • Simple To Use

Poached eggs is one of my favourite ways of having eggs, nice whites of the egg with a lovely runny golden yolk. What could be better? Many people like poached eggs but are either too nervous to attempt to make them or cannot be doing with the hassle.

An egg poacher makes making them incredibly easy and is a lot more convenient. Unless you use the paper type ones, these are useless. There are however different types, you can get pans, silicone poachers and those that can be used in the microwave.

List of The Best Egg Poachers

Best Egg Poacher Pans

1. Eggssentials Poached Egg Maker

Best Egg Poaching Pan
Eggssentials Poached Egg Maker

The Eggssentials is number one in the best egg poacher list and not just because it's eggcellent (I know, I couldn't help it!). It is made from stainless steel and can be used on all hob types, which includes induction. One of the things that really stands out with this poaching pan is the handle, it stays cool no matter how hot the pan is which makes carrying it a lot easier and safer.

The Egg cups are non-stick, which makes removing the cooked egg easy and it being quick to clean up. These cups can also be removed without burning yourself, thanks to the little plastic handles.  The Eggssentials also featured a lid that is made from tempered glass. It is this lid that helps to warm the eggs on the top, but also features a steam vent to help with temperature and moisture control. It is also 100% dishwasher safe.

  • Poach 4 Eggs At A Time
  • Features Tempered Glass Lid
  • Dishwasher Safe

2. Judge Everyday JDAY 036 Four-Cup Egg Poacher

2nd Choice
Judge Everyday JDAY 036 Four-Cup Egg Poacher

Judge Everyday are known for producing good quality cookware and this is no different. The poacher pan is multi-functional as you are able to remove the poaching cups and use it as a standard frying pan, thanks to its teflon non stick coating it is really easy to keep clean, infact its even dishwasher safe.

One of the downsides is that it doesn’t work on an induction hob, however it will work on all other types. The handle has been made to fit comfortably in your hand and will remain cool to the touch even when the pan is at its hottest. It does also include a vented glass lid, making it easy to check when your packed eggs are ready.

  • 4 Egg Poacher
  • Stay Cool Handle
  • Teflon Non-Stick Coating

3. Salter 4 Cup Poacher

3rd Choice
Salter 4 Cup Poacher

Salter is one of the leading companies when it comes to cookware, their 4 cup poacher is just as good. It features their unique Marblestone coating, to ensure the cups are non-stock and durable. The Salter Egg Poacher Pan can be used on all types of hobs, including induction.

You can poach up to 4 eggs at a time and what I really like is that you are able to close the steam vent for each poaching cup. This allows you to control the temperature for each egg, so you can control them individually in case someone wants an egg a little more cooked.

  • Non-Stick Marble Stone Coating
  • Can Close Vent For Each Egg Cup
  • Suitable For All Hob Types

Best Silicone Egg Poachers

1. OXO Good Grips Silicone Egg Poaching Set

Best Silicone Egg Poacher
OXO Good Grips Silicone Egg Poaching Set

This Silicone Egg Poacher from OXO is pretty unique and innovative, with a really cook design. It’s made from a heat-resistant silicone and is in the shape of an hourglass, with one half having perforated holes. You basically place it into a pan of simmering water with the side with holes submerged in water. Crack the egg into the top and this guides it into the bottom part that is in the water. The Silicone helps to keep it the right shape but allows the heat in to poach it.

After around 4 minutes, you should have perfectly poached eggs that look great and don’t require messing about or causing a whirlpool in the water. The only thing you do need to bear in mind is that you do not allow the pan to get so hot that bubbles cause the OXO Good Grips to fall over.

Low cost, simple to use and incredibly easy to clean, what more could you want?

  • Unique Design
  • Easy To Use & Clean
  • Perfectly Shaped Poached Eggs

2. Kitchen Essentials Silicone Egg Poacher Cups

2nd Choice
Kitchen Essentials Silicone Egg Poacher Cups

These different brightly coloured Silicone Egg Poachers will not go missing that’s for sure! Which is a good thing as they are actually a pretty decent way of making poached eggs and make them easily. A nice thing about these ones is that you can use them in either a saucepan or in the microwave, although I’d prefer to use them in the saucepan to reduce the chance of mess.

You simply drop the cups into the simmering water and then crack your eggs in and allow them to poach for around 4 minutes. The silicone is safe to cook food in and is also pretty easy to clean.

  • Can Be Used In Pan or Microwave
  • Easy To Use & Clean
  • Includes 4 Egg Poaching Cups

Best Microwave Egg Poachers

1. Skoo Silicone Egg Poaching Cups

Best Microwave Egg Poacher
Skoo Silicone Egg Poaching Cups

These egg poaching cups from Skoo are really interesting and pretty unique in the way that they work. Even though they are listed as one of the best microwave egg poachers, they do also work in a saucepan. They come in 4 different colours and feature a lid that is placed over the top of them when you have put your egg in then. This helps to provide the right shape of a poached egg but also protects from any risk of mess.

They are very easy to use and also feature a little handle on them, making them safe and easy to remove from the pan or the microwave. They are a bit more expensive than some alternatives but they are incredibly convenient and due to the quality of silicone used, they should last you for many years.

  • Individual Lids To Keep Clean
  • Handle For Easy Handling
  • Simple To Use

2. Easy Cook Egg Poacher

2nd Choice
Easy Cook Egg Poacher

If you are looking for a no frills, simple way of making poached eggs in as little time as possible the Easy Cook Egg Poacher is perfect. It costs less than £10, they are easy to use and just as easy to keep clean.

Place a little water into each side of the poacher and put in the microwave for around a minute, drop in the egg and put in again for the remaining minute. Leave to cool for 30 seconds and within 2 minutes 30 seconds you will have tasty and perfectly formed poached eggs.

  • Poached Eggs in under 3 minutes
  • Easy To Use and Clean
  • Simple, No Frills Egg Poacher

What is An Egg Poacher?

Eggs are one of the most versatile ingredients, you can pan fry them, boil, scramble or poach them.

Poached eggs are typically served at breakfast, traditionally you would drop the egg into the centre of heated water that has a whirlpool in the middle.

This causes the egg white to firm and cook around the yolk. You will find a number of different recipes will call for poached egg such as certain soups and the popular breakfast eggs Benedict.

As mentioned before, poaching is something that many beginner cooks will find scary, which is why they may use an egg poacher.

Now there are 3 different pieces of equipment that can help to poach an egg.

You have the egg poacher pan, which is basically a saucepan that has 4 or 6 non stick cups.

This is positioned over hot water, so when you place a raw egg in the cup the steam and heat from the boiling water will cook the egg.

The time it takes to cook does vary, so you will need to test but it’s usually 3-4 minutes. The poached egg should easily slide out of the cup.

These tend to provide excellent results, however they don’t quite have the shape of a traditional poached egg.

The next type of egg poacher is often made of silicone, these are basically cups that you crack the egg into and then place them into the simmering water for 3-4 minutes.

These keep the oval shape, so they look more like how a poached egg should look.

As they are also in the actual water, they should have a more even cooking and actually require less cooking time than with a pan.

Finally the 3rd type of egg poacher is one that can be used in a microwave.

These tend to be convenient for busy families. Simply add the egg to the plastic containing and then add water to help with the steam production and pop in the microwave.

By the end of it you should have tasty poached eggs.

Why Buy An Egg Poacher?

I love poached eggs, if you do too there are a number of reasons why you would want to get yourself an egg poacher. Below are just a couple of reasons;

Convenient

One of the main reasons to get an egg poacher is just how convenient they are and easy to use. For example a pan poacher, simply heat up the water and drop the eggs into the cups and then wipe clean after.

Muli-functional

Many of the poachers you get are multi-functional, except the paper/silicone type. The pans and the microwave dishes can usually be used for not just poaching eggs. Most of the pans for example can have the poaching cups removed and this allows you to use it as a standard saucepan.

Healthy way to eat eggs

Poaching eggs is actually a healthy way of eating them, as you are just using water. Unlike fried eggs where you are using oil or scrambled where you might be using butter, milk and/or cheese. You know that whether you have a poached egg in the morning for breakfast or at any time of the day, it is a slightly healthy option.

Microwave Vs Silicone Vs Pan Poachers

It can be tough to know which type to go for when it comes to wanting something to poach your eggs easily.

Each of them does have their own pros and cons and the decision you make does depend on what you are looking for.

After using all three methods, I do prefer the poaching pans.

Microwave poachers are quicker, they don’t take much time at all to poach your eggs and you can use them for scrambled eggs and omelette.

They do however run the risk of causing the eggs to explode which ends up being a pain to clean up.

The silicone poachers are better in my opinion, easy to clean and very simple to use.

It is common to get the boiling water into them which ends up making the poached eggs a little more watery.

(You can get paper types, avoid these at all costs….they are terrible!)

Finally egg poacher pans are my go to when I am not wanting to make traditional poached eggs.

They are simple to use and pretty easy to clean as well, I’d say the biggest drawback is the shape of the poached egg but they still taste amazing.

Buyers Guide – What to consider When Looking To Buy The Best Egg Poacher

If you are looking for the best poacher for you and your needs, you will want to take the below into consideration.

Size

How big of a poacher do you really need, you don’t want to get one that is too big or too small. If there are only a couple of you, do you really need to be able to poach 6 eggs, would a 4 egg poacher be enough? Choose one that is the right size for the amount of eggs you will be poaching, the smaller it is the easier it will also be to store.

Material

There are many different materials when it comes to poachers, the material used would depend on the type you go for. For example microwave ones will usually be made from plastic. The poacher cups you drop into hot water will be made from silicone or a type of paper, as already mentioned go for the silicone ones.

If you choose an egg poacher pan, then I would go for a stainless steel one. These help to retain the heat, are durable and easy to clean.

Ease of Cleaning

We all hate cleaning up after we have just eaten, even more so if you are in a hurry. You therefore want to consider an egg poacher based on how easy it is to clean. Silicone poachers and pans do tend to be the easiest. The one that is the worst is probably the microwave ones, as already mentioned they run the risk of the egg exploding when cooking.

I would recommend trying to find one that is dishwasher safe, as this does make cleaning it so much easier.

Price

Probably one of the most important things to consider is the price, you do not want to be spending too much. You want to spend enough to get a good quality egg poacher, as spending too little could result in a poor quality product. Microwave and Silicone ones are naturally going to be less expensive than a Poacher Pan, but these should still not cost more than £30 really.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you cook eggs in an egg poacher?

It should take 3-4 minutes to poach an egg in an egg poacher, depending on the method used. You should continue poaching until the egg whites are firm and the yolk should still be nice and runny. If you want the yolk to be a little more cooked then you may want to add an extra minute or 2 to the total cooking time.

How do you use an Egg Poacher Pan?

Egg poacher pans are incredibly easy to use. You want to fill the pan with water to the required amount, this is normally around 3 inches but you will want to confirm with the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the poaching section on top and heat until the water is boiling.

Add a little oil to the bottom of each of the poaching cups and then crack the egg into them and cook for the desired amount of time. Once done, carefully remove the cups and the poached egg should be easily removed.

How do you use the Silicone Egg Poachers?

With the Silicone Egg Poachers you will normally heat a saucepan of water until boiling and then drop crack the raw egg into the poachers. Drop these into the saucepan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cooked to your desired amount. Once done, remove from heat and carefully remove the cooked egg from the silicone.

Best Egg Poacher Pan
Eggssentials Poached Egg Maker
9.7
  • Poach 4 Eggs At A Time
  • Features Tempered Glass Lid
  • Dishwasher Safe
Silicone Egg Poacher
OXO Good Grips
9.3
  • Unique Design
  • Easy To Use & Clean
  • Perfectly Shaped Poached Eggs.
Best Microwave Egg Poacher
Skoo Silicone Egg Poaching Cups
8.9
  • Individual Lids To Keep Clean
  • Handle For Easy Handling
  • Simple To Use
AUTHOR
Martyn

Martyn is the founder and chief editor at EquipYourKitchen.co.uk. He originally started the site because of his love for cooking and addiction to buying new kitchen equipment. 

He wanted to be able to help others like him to find the best kitchen equipment, as well as helping you to learn how to use it. With a passion in cooking, you will also find a range of recipes to make with your new kitchen tools and gadgets.

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