Top 5 compared
The best egg cookers
Soft-boiled with soldiers, hard-boiled for lunch or poached on toast, without watching a pan.
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The top 5 at a glance
An egg cooker steams eggs over a measured splash of water on a hot plate, and the amount poured in sets how long they cook, and so how firm the yolks come out. Beyond boiling they poach too, and some add a dial for soft, medium or hard, or a small screen that counts down the minutes.
Each comes with a cup or jug for measuring the water and a pin for the egg’s rounded end, where a pocket of air sits: a pinprick lets it escape as it warms, so the shell is less likely to crack. They all switch themselves off when the eggs are ready, and most buzz, beep or click to say so; the Salter shows a light instead.
What matters
- Capacity: how many eggs it boils, and how many it poaches at once.
- Clear lines on the measuring cup for soft, medium and hard.
- Trays and a lid that can go in the dishwasher.
#1Salter Electric Multi Egg Cooker (EK2783)
£19.99 RRP
Eggs boiled soft or hard, or poached, from one six-egg cooker; two poaching trays and a cup for measuring the water are included. At 430W it’s the most powerful here, and a light comes on when the eggs are ready.
What owners say: Owners like how little water it needs and how quickly a batch of six is done, and say poached eggs turn out well too, though residue builds up on the plate if it isn’t wiped.
Heads up: Give the hot plate a wipe once it has cooled after each use, so marks from the water don’t build up on it.
A closer look: Pour the measured water onto the hot plate, prick the rounded end of each egg with the pin and switch on; the light shows when they’re done. With two poaching trays it suits a breakfast for two, and it’s small enough to leave out on the worktop.
- Measuring cup with piercer
- Auto switch-off
- Small enough for the worktop
Best for: Soft, hard and poached eggs
- Boiled eggs
- Up to 6
- Trays
- Egg rack, 2 poaching trays
- Doneness set by
- Water cup
- Ready signal
- Light
- Power
- 430W
#2Olvy 6-in-1 Electric Egg Cooker with LCD Timer (OP-EB808)
£20–£30
A six-egg cooker with a small screen that counts down the minutes, so there’s no guessing how long is left. It sounds an alarm and switches itself off when the eggs are done, and poaches and makes omelettes too.
What owners say: Owners say it cooks eggs just right time after time and find it easy enough for anyone to use, though some think it dear.
A closer look: Fill the measuring cup to the line for the number of eggs and how firm they should be, prick each egg with the piercer on the cup, and the screen counts down from there. Afterwards the lid, egg tray and accessories can go in the dishwasher.
- Dishwasher-safe lid and trays
- Makes omelettes too
- Piercer on the measuring cup
- Auto shut-off
Best for: Seeing the time left
- Boiled eggs
- Up to 6
- Trays
- Egg rack, poaching tray
- Doneness set by
- Water cup
- Ready signal
- Alarm, countdown
- Power
- 360W
#3Neo 3-in-1 Egg Boiler, Poacher and Omelette Maker
£10–£20
A three-in-one with a stainless steel lid and heating plate: it boils up to seven eggs, poaches and makes an omelette, then buzzes and cuts out when it’s done. Neo is the own brand of Neo Direct, an online shop in Leeds.
What owners say: Owners say boiled and poached eggs come out right time after time, in about half the time a pan on the hob takes, though some find the buzzer too loud and others say it didn’t last.
A closer look: How much water goes onto the plate decides soft, medium or hard, at about 8, 10 or 12 minutes. The omelette tray takes one or two beaten eggs, and there’s a steamer tray for other foods too.
- Stainless steel lid and plate
- Steamer tray for other foods
- Boil-dry protection
Best for: Quick family breakfasts
- Boiled eggs
- Up to 7
- Trays
- Egg rack, poacher, omelette
- Doneness set by
- Water cup
- Ready signal
- Buzzer
- Power
- 350W
#4Duronic Rapid Egg Boiler (EB50)
£19.99 RRP
Turn the dial to soft, medium or hard and it buzzes and switches off when the eggs are ready, with boil-dry protection as a backstop. A combined omelette and poaching tray comes with it, and every part that touches food is BPA-free.
What owners say: Owners find it simple to get going and say a full rack of seven cooks quickly on a small splash of water, though a few found their eggs came out harder than they wanted.
A closer look: Measure the water with the jug first, then set the dial for the yolk wanted. Take soft or medium eggs out as soon as it buzzes, since steam under the lid keeps cooking them, and the omelette tray doubles as a small steamer for vegetables.
- Omelette tray steams vegetables
- BPA-free food-contact parts
- Boil-dry protection
- Auto shut-off
Best for: Choosing doneness with a dial
- Boiled eggs
- Up to 7
- Trays
- Egg rack, omelette/poach tray
- Doneness set by
- Dial and water jug
- Ready signal
- Buzzer
- Power
- 400W
#5Tower Multi-Function Egg Cooker (T19023)
£12.99 RRP
Up to seven boiled eggs, four poached or two half-moon omelettes at a time, all from one cooker. A thermal sensor switches it off once the water has gone, with a click and a light to say so.
What owners say: Owners say it turns out hard-boiled eggs in next to no time and takes up little room on the worktop, though some report the plastic tray melting onto the base or the cooker giving up.
A closer look: Measure the water with the cup for soft, medium or hard, prick the eggs with the cup’s pin and switch on; the click and the light mean they’re ready. Registering it online adds two years to the standard one-year guarantee.
- Makes two half-moon omelettes
- Switches off once water’s gone
- Measuring cup with piercer
- Registering adds two guarantee years
Best for: Packed lunches and small worktops
- Boiled eggs
- Up to 7
- Trays
- Egg rack, poacher, omelette
- Doneness set by
- Water cup
- Ready signal
- Click and light
- Power
- 360W
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Salter EK2783 | #2Olvy 6-in-1 | #3Neo 3-in-1 | #4Duronic EB50 | #5Tower T19023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best with a timer | ||||
| Picked Rating | 8.6 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.0 |
| Price | £19.99 RRP | £20–£30 | £10–£20 | £19.99 RRP | £12.99 RRP |
| Boiled eggs | Up to 6 | Up to 6 | Up to 7 | Up to 7 | Up to 7 |
| Trays | Egg rack, 2 poaching trays | Egg rack, poaching tray | Egg rack, poacher, omelette | Egg rack, omelette/poach tray | Egg rack, poacher, omelette |
| Doneness set by | Water cup | Water cup | Water cup | Dial and water jug | Water cup |
| Ready signal | Light | Alarm, countdown | Buzzer | Buzzer | Click and light |
| Power | 430W | 360W | 350W | 400W | 360W |
| Best for | Soft, hard and poached eggs | Seeing the time left | Quick family breakfasts | Choosing doneness with a dial | Packed lunches and small worktops |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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