Before sliding the eggs into the pot, the water should be barely at a simmer. You should see some movement or tiny bubbles being sent up from the bottom but the surface of the water should not be bubbling or disturbed at all. This is where I used to get hung up and ruin several batches of poached eggs.
Tips for Poaching Eggs
- Use Cold Eggs: this will keep your timings consistent. If using room temperature eggs, check the eggs earlier for doneness.
- Vinegar Substitutions: Use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Avoid dark vinegar like balsamic which will discolor the eggs.
- To Make a Bigger Batch: If using a larger pan to poach more eggs at once, you need to have all of your eggs cracked into individual ramekins then move quickly or they will be different degrees of doneness.
- Electric vs. Gas Stove: If using an electric stovetop with coils or a surface that retains heat, remove the pot to a cool coil during the 4-minute resting period so it doesn’t continue simmering. On a gas stove, you can simply turn off the burner, cover, and let it rest.
Fresh eggs work best for poached eggs because the yolk is more in the center and there is less liquid outside of the egg white sack (that excess liquid is what causes the threads of egg white in the water). Because the yolk is more centered in a fresh egg, it holds its shape better and produces less stringing in the pot.
Store-bought eggs (older eggs) will still work well. If you want less of that stringing in the water, crack the egg over a fine-mesh sieve before transferring it to a ramekin so you can strain off the free liquid outside of the egg white sack. This is not necessary however and will not impact your poached egg – it will just keep your water looking cleaner.
How to Poach Eggs
This process is easy but the steps and timing are important for perfectly poached eggs. If you want to eliminate egg white strings in your water, crack the eggs over a fine sieve, but that’s optional.
- Fill a medium saucepan 2/3 full with water, or 3 inches deep. Bring to a simmer then add vinegar. Reduce the heat until the water is no longer boiling or moving. You’ll just see tiny bubbles sent up from the bottom.
- Crack eggs into ramekins – add them to the water one by one, moving in a clockwise pattern so you know which one to remove first. Gently tip the ramekin into the water for the egg to slide out.
- Poach the eggs – as soon as your eggs are all in, cover with a tight-fitting lid, remove from heat, and set a timer for 4 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon. I like to tap the spoon over a paper towel to remove excess water before plating.
How Can I Tell When Poached Eggs are Done?
The best way to tell when eggs are done is to set a timer. The eggs should be in water exactly 4 minutes off the heat for the perfect doneness.
To Test Doneness: remove one from the pan with a slotted spoon and push the yolk gently. If you prefer a firmer yolk, put it back in the water for another minute.
