Learn to Cook: How to Poach an Egg

Nothing compares to the elegance of a poached egg, but the cooking process can be fraught with messiness if you go into it blindly. Learn the simple tricks we use at the test kitchen to create perfectly cooked (and intact!) poached eggs.

Want to cook like the professionals at America's Test Kitchen? Now you can. Learn about our new online Cooking School and discover how you can become a better cook with help from Bridget Lancaster and the Cooking School crew.

What is the America's Test Kitchen Online Cooking School? We've taken our nearly 20-years of experience in the Test Kitchen, our favorite recipes from Cook's Illustrated magazine, and your favorite chefs from our two public television shows and wrapped it all up to create a cooking school unlike any other. The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School provides personalized culinary instruction from the comfort of your own kitchen. There are no prerequisites, so anyone can join.

ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.

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[JayyEVee]

Amazingly shocked as how simple this is to do for a large number of poached eggs. As an amateur cook that's in it more for the fun and enjoyment that good food brings; Glad to add this to the arsenal!

[corgeousgeorge]

Love America's Test Kitchen. Such a fantastic show and really appreciate that you try to use items one already has in their kitchen instead of gizmos that just take up excess space.(using tea cups instead of using ramekins or custard dishes
was a great idea!)

[paulcallahan]

Such total simplicity with such wonderful results--thank you.

[Varvisa]

I love how this simplifies a precious ability. this is perfect and makes so much sense. I only ever need to poach 2-3 eggs for me and the boyfriend, but I can tell you how much I've screwed it up. This is so perfect and simple. thank you for being awesome :)

[sandrodellisanti]

Merry Christmas to you all and many greetings from Brunswick in Germany :)

[Hogavich]

Just tried this today with 2 eggs and it worked perfectly! Thank you ATK!!

[phyllphayes]

Cool. Thanks for the tip. Always enjoy test kitchen on PBS

[reedamanda]

I had seen many tips for poached eggs saying to use the vinegar, which I do and it definitely helps, but I'd never been directed to remove it from the heat. Definitely going to try this as when I cook, it's for a family of 5.

[NortonsNestMonthly]

She does a great job and even a non cook could do this and have it come out well.

[AuntBessiesRecipies]

After ruining untold numbers of eggs with the swirl method, this is a blessing. Worked first time!

[Thorpean]

couldn't be simpler. love your show and what you guys do!! even here in England. :)

[lockergr]

I wish there had been a whole class in high school or college where each of these kind of basic tasks would have been gone over and practiced so once on our own we would have had quite proficient culinary skills.

[SethHesio]

This is a really great technique. Will definitely do this next time I need poached eggs. There's one thing they don't mention here, which maybe they ought to.. and that is to use the freshest eggs possible as in older eggs the white albumen breaks down and the white will not hold shape and break down if you try to poach it. Great video. I love Americas Test Kitchen.

[broadcasttttable]

I solved the problem of the eggs sticking by using the vinegar but the whites still tended to run amok. Yours looks like the perfect way to do it. Never thought about using the cups and taking the pan off the burner to let the ambient heat do the job. I always left them in the boiling water and thus they were too easy to overcook.

[jgonsalk]

That is excellent. I've seen so many different methods but this seems like the most logical. I'll try it very soon!

[semco]

I loved the way you did that and will have to cook some myself since I have never eaten poached eggs before. I spent 24 years in the Air Force and ate eggs cooked several ways, but never that way.

[strll]

Thank you, I was wondering about this.

[olehemlock]

Corned beef hash makes the best bed for poached eggs, next American Fries

[glenncurry]

This is going to save so much energy! I do 4 poached eggs regularly, breaking each into one of two little glass bowls and hopefully fast enough that there is not a big time difference. But she likes hers cooked a bit more. Try to figure which is which though! 2qt sauce pan swirling. Sometimes it more like egg drop soup!

I will be trying this one soon!

[karltraveldude]

Best plan yet, I will try asap !! Yum Yum thank you so much ...