I love poached eggs, and was enamored with the absurdity of the color, name, and design of poachpods. I bought them, ripped the tag off, and put them in the cupboard for a month.
I just used them for the first time today, and didn't have the instructions. So I just dropped the eggs in the pod, and placed the pods into lightly boiling water. I replaced the lid, and waited 5 minutes. I then had perfectly poached eggs that were seriously stuck to the poachpod. Whoops. My bad.
SO, a poachpod will give you a perfect egg if you:
1) Boil some water
2) Spray the inside of pods with nonstick spray (or brush with olive oil)
3) Crack the eggs into the pods
4) Turn down the water to low
5) Place the pods into the water (the lilypad effect is pretty sweet)
6) Replace the pot cover
7) Wait 5 minutes
6) Coax the eggs out of the pods onto your plate/toast/english muffin
That's it - exactly how they are supposed to work. No need to buy a dedicated poaching pan. I used a 3 qt saucepan.
Because the top of the pods are out of the water, the "handle" part is not too hot to touch. I had no problem removing the eggs with my hands. Fusionbrands Poach Pods, Set of 2, Green
First of all, these things work well. They make poaching eggs quite easy, as long as you make sure to oil the pods. I poured a few drops of oil into each pod, then used my finger to coat the walls; this resulted in the cooked egg coming out clean, no sticking.
The only reason i rated this 3 stars is because my eggs taste just like the way the pods smell. Maybe its a one time thing, who knows, but i made sure to wash them beforehand.
So as far as function goes, ill give it 4 1/2 stars, but because of the taste of the eggs, i have to knock down some points.
These cups make very picture-perfect poached eggs, but they retain odors and tastes.
To use simply coat the inisde of the cups with oil or cooking spray and place them in a large pot of boiling water. As the water approaches boiling, drop an egg in the cup, turn down the heat and cook for 4-5 minutes (less if you want softer eggs). To remove the eggs, simple spoon out the perfectly formed eggs. You can also flip the cups inside out, if you are very heat-reistant hands.
Not coating the cups with oil will create a sticky mess.
But that's not the bad news. After about five uses, the eggs from my cups starting tasting exactly like I would imagine my dish soap would taste if I ate it. I had forgotten to coat the cups with oil the last time I used them so I had to soak them for a bit in hot soap water to loosen the glued on eggs. Apparently that was enough to get the dish soap scent in the cups and passed on to the eggs. Yuk! I've tried everything (baking soda, freezing, etc.) to remove the smell and resulting taste, with no success.
While it is a handy device, and undoubtedly less fussy to use than other poaching products/tools, it is not perfect. Because bits of egg stay stuck to the sides of the pod after either flipping them out or using a flexible spoon/spatula...
- the resulting shape is not as smooth or "clean" as I'd like (acceptable for daily use but not good enough for entertaining)
- cleanup isn't any easier than cleaning custard cups or ramekins if you choose to handwash.
I own and use several silicone kitchen tools, I was surprised that the non-stick feature fails with these poach pods. I consider myself a very experienced cook, and am 100% certain I followed the directions exactly when I used the pods several times.
I tried these out to streamline my Sunday brunch services at my restaurant. I thought they might be nice for home, too. I tested them out on a slower day and they failed miserably. The eggs did not cook evenly, as the plastic is a poor conductor (I should have known better) and the overall extended cooking time made the white rubbery and I found a nice soft poach was not as easy as with my preferred method, which is to place the cracked eggs directly in simmering water with an ACID, like vinegar of lemon juice. It only takes a drop and you will literally see the reaction happen in front of your eyes, the albumen will almost immediately begin to form a perfect ovular shape. Then all that is needed to remove the eggs is a slotted spoon. This is by far the best way to achieve a controlled poach in my eyes.
For people who cannot poach an egg, this is the product for you. As long as you follow the directions, it is fool proof! Bring your water to a boil, no need to add vinegar since your are not diretly putting the egg in the water. The poachpod simply works like a double-boiler would. Anyways, coat the pod with oil (or butter) as said in the simple directions. Crack the egg in the pod and then set in the boiling water. Make sure it is not a rolling boil, just above simmering. Use your lid and cover the eggs and in 3-4min you will have some pretty nice poached eggs. Next use a spoon or something with flex to pop the egg out. With practice your eggs will come out perfect. This product works if you read the directions
These little wonders are the first consistent way of making poached eggs that I have ever seen. I read the reviews of others and made sure to spray with non-stick, then followed the directions. I haven't had a single egg be anything other than medium poached. (Just the way I like them) I haven't had any runny whites or hard rock yellows.
In addition, I am able to make eight at a time, using my large pot. All four of us in the family can have hot Eggs Benedict at the same time. The kids also love the little domes that the pods make after flipping them out.
This product is great. It makes poaching eggs easy. The eggs taste better than eggs poached directly in water, and they look great. Plus the pods take up NO extra room in your kitchen and can be cleaned in the dishwasher. It took me two tries to get the hang of sliding the eggs out of the pod perfectly, but I love this product. We use it every weekend. It makes poached eggs actually easier to make than any other kind. - Cooking Gadgets - Egg - Egg Poachers - Silicone'
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