Reddit reviews West Bend Egg Cooker (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
We found 3 Reddit comments about West Bend Egg Cooker (Discontinued by Manufacturer). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
* Nonstick poaching pan results in easy clean up* Clear cover
From Season 10: Pork Two Ways
TESTING NOTES
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WINNER
Rated as HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
> Our favorite egg cooker has it all: It produced seven perfectly boiled eggs in 17 minutes, four perfectly poached eggs in 7.5 minutes, has a pleasantly audible timer, was easy to use, and is one of the least expensive models.
Amazon Link
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Rated as RECOMMENDED:
> This egg cooker came in a close second place, boiling seven eggs and poaching three eggs to perfection, but took 20 minutes and 15 minutes respectively, slower than our winner.
Amazon Link
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RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS:
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NOT RECOMMENDED:
So I have this little gadget:
http://www.amazon.com/West-Bend-86628-Automatic-Cooker/dp/B00008IH9X/ref=lp_1090754_1_6?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1413873178&sr=1-6
Would never go back honestly. But to answer your question directly, before I had it, I used advice from Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.
You put your eggs in the pan to start, add enough cold water to cover them. Bring up to a rolling boil then remove from heat, cover and leave for 3-4 minutes for soft boiled, 15 for hard boiled. I had pretty good luck with this method. I think I used 5-6 minutes for soft boiled because I prefer to have a mostly solid yolk with a little liquid yolk.
One detail worth mentioning is that these times can change based on altitude. If you're at a high altitude, water boils at a lower temperature so you'll have to cook for a little longer.
It has its own heat source so you don't need a microwave for either hard boiling or poaching. I used this model:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008IH9X/
It's cheaper actually, and highest rated through America's Test Kitchen. You can hard boil 7 eggs or poach 4 at a time, but just one or two is fine too. Super easy to use and clean, I actually got it because of mobility and hand problems that make me clumsy and easily tired, and it's even less work even than frying (which is to say, not much at all). Just don't forget to use cooking spray so the eggs don't stick if you poach them (I've forgotten it a few times on bleary-eyed mornings).