Q&A for How to Poach an Egg

The fresher the egg, the neater the poached egg will appear. Older eggs tend to fall apart in the poaching water. If you want that lovely mounded shape that stays neat, then use fresh eggs. If you're unsure how fresh your eggs are, check out the wikiHow: How to Tell if Your Eggs Are Fresh.

The article suggests 8 minutes is a good time. However, you may prefer the yolk to be runny, and if so, cook for 4–5 minutes and as long as the egg white is set, the poached egg will be ready.

Yes, poached eggs can be refrigerated. Place the eggs into a bowl of icy cool water and cover the bowl with a lid or wrap. Then carefully place the bowl into the refrigerator. They can be kept there for up to 1 day (24 hours). To prepare for eating, heat the water and drop in for a minute, then remove and serve.

Try 4–5 minutes for a runny yolk (or just until you see the white of the egg set) and about 8 minutes for a well done poached egg.

The eggs will poach a lot better and more evenly at room temperature than cold from the refrigerator. If you keep your eggs refrigerated, remove the ones you're going to poach about 1/2 an hour before use, then they'll be sufficiently at room temperature to poach perfectly. Just be sure they're also fresh!

It is best to poach no more than 2 eggs at a time in an average sized pan. In a commercial kitchen, they'll have different equipment that makes it easier to poach many eggs at once.

Cook them one at a time. Or, swirl for the first egg and not the additional eggs if cooking together.

If you're talking about the grayish-green ring around the yolk of hard boiled eggs, it probably because they weren't cooked right. The discoloration is evidence that the egg was cooked too long. That being said, they're still quite edible.

Try swirling the water around rapidly before gently placing the egg in the water. That should help. Also, be aware that fresh eggs work better than older ones. If you have an older egg, place it in a fine mesh strainer and let some of the albumen (white) drip out. Then use the remaining egg and white. You'll find you get a beautiful poached egg with the white completely surrounding the yellow. But like anything, making the perfect poached egg takes time.

It should take three or four minutes for a hard yolk in a poached egg.

If the egg white breaks, that means there is little vinegar. Just put a little bit more vinegar into the pan.