Testing Three Egg Poachers: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Today I’m back with a review of three distinct egg poachers I purchased on Amazon. It’s a rather unusual batch of poachers, so let’s see how they stack up.

Where to Purchase

Below is where I purchased my egg poachers for this review:

• Eggland: I purchased it for about $12, but I’ve seen it as cheap at $8.95.
• Skoo: These typically sell for about $22 for a four-pack.
• Maconee: The Amazon listing states that it’s an egg fryer or poacher. I’ll discuss that below. You can expect to pay about $30 for this one.

Egg Poachers

Overview

The first product I tested was the Eggland egg poacher by Ototo, available for roughly $12. With a 3.8-star rating on Amazon, this is the lowest-rated of the three poachers. Shaped like a cute yellow inner tube with a palm tree, Eggland indeed has an endearing design. It’s simple to use: you place the egg in the ‘inner tube’ and put it in a pot of boiling water. Some Amazon users praised its adorable design and ability to produce poached eggs. Critics, however, noted that it took several attempts to master and that it worked quite slowly. Also, it is only capable of making just one egg at a time, and even when sprayed with oil, some users claimed that the egg often stuck to it.

The second contender was the Skoo egg poaching cup. This product came as a set of four and boasted versatility. It could be used on the stovetop, microwave, or even in an Instant Pot. Amazon reviewers loved its sturdy construction and the added handles. Its ease of cleaning and its capacity to make perfect poached eggs also won them over. But it was not without its downsides. Some users pointed out that it cooked unevenly, tipped over, let water into the cups, or let egg white spill into the water.

The third product, by Maconee, was a bit of a wild card. Priced at around $30 and holding a 4.3-star rating on Amazon, this microwave egg poacher was also the most expensive. Confusingly, its Amazon listing stated it was an egg poacher, but the instructions labeled it as a fryer. It claimed to poach, fry, or scramble eggs, and its attributes included silicone handles and a non-stick surface. Users praised it for its simplicity, versatility, and speed. However, some felt it didn’t really hasten the cooking process.

My Tests

With Eggland, I sprayed it generously with oil to prevent the egg from sticking, as suggested in the instructions. After setting it in boiling water for seven minutes, I found that the whites were still a bit runny. My second attempt was more successful. Following an Amazon user’s advice, I turned off the water after placing the Eggland in and let it sit for 10 minutes. The result? A slightly firm, medium-consistency poached egg. Even though it took a few tries to get it right, Eggland didn’t disappoint in producing poached eggs. My final attempt went back to the original manufacturer instructions, and this time I bumped the time up to 9 minutes. The result was a nicely poached egg.

Next, I tried Skoo in both the microwave and on the stovetop. The microwave attempt was a disaster. After only about a minute in the microwave, the egg exploded all – a messy end that disqualified Skoo as a microwave egg poacher for this review. However, it performed better on the stovetop. I tested it for five and eight minutes. The egg cooked for five minutes was undercooked, while the one cooked for eight was much better. I should point out that some Amazon commenters stated that this poacher was prone to tipping over, but the instructions state to ensure that it touches the bottom of the pot. I wonder if some of those tipping issues may have been due to setting the poachers in deeper water than suggested.

Lastly, I tried the Maconee product. I preheated it in the microwave for two minutes, oiled it, and cooked two egg for two minutes. The result was not exactly a poached egg, but rather a fried one. It was tasty and properly cooked, and would be ideal for a breakfast sandwich, but I wouldn’t consider it a poached egg.

In conclusion, out of the three, Skoo was probably the best for making poached eggs, although the microwave option was a catastrophe. The Eggland was certainly usable, although I felt like it might require a bit of trial and error. As some Amazon users pointed out, you may have to buy multiple unless you don’t mind poaching one egg at a time. And finally, while I felt the Maconee did a great job of cooking eggs in the microwave, they weren’t really poached.

If you’ve tried any of these egg poachers, tell me what you think in the comments below.