Nordic Ware 64802 Microwave Egg Cooker
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List Price: Our Price: $5.99 You Save: $5.01 (46%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Nordic Ware 64802 Microwave Egg Cooker
Customer Review: Eggsellent!!! ;-)
Summary: 5 Stars
I have totally fallen in love with my egg shaped egg cooker! Over the years I've tried boiling eggs for Easter, for egg salad, tuna salad, or simply to eat a hard boiled egg. Sometimes the eggs are cooked perfectly, sometimes they are undercooked, sometimes the yolk is green around the edges, sometimes many or most crack while boiling and often the shell sticks to the egg and are unsuitable for making deviled eggs....
... Then along came this egg-shapped egg cooker. I AM IN LOVE!!!
My hints and tips:
* I always cook 4 eggs for a balance in temperature. If I don't need all 4 eggs now I simply keep any extras in the fridge until I need them later.
* I started low on the time and adjusted upward until I found the perfect setting.
* Remember that elevation could play a role in the cooking times, along with number of eggs, size of eggs, harness of water, etc.
* I reduce my time by a minute, then allow the cooker to COOL while still in the microwave. This greatly reduces chances of BURNS (and perhaps the rare eggsplosion...(see the 1 and 2 star ratings for details)
WARNING WARNING WARNING!!! Do NOT try to pry open the lid while hot!!! Do NOT forget to fill the egg to the water line with room temperature tap water. Do NOT overcook as explosions may result!! (I've yet to experience this, it's my take after reading the 1 and 2 star reviews!)
Customer Review: Diminishing returns... back to stove boiling
Summary: 4 Stars
My first 2 batches were too soft, but I eventually found the perfect time for my Microwave (GE 1.4CF 1100W) to be 7min. I got about 8-10 perfect batches from it, and then the egg cracking started. One guaranteed cracked egg for every batch of 4. Not a pretty sight. Also the grey egg plate has lost some of its coating and blackened at the contact points with the eggs; I'm not sure if this is causing the eggs to overheat and crack.
Oh well, it was good while it lasted.
Pros:
1. Cheap
2. Worked perfect for 8-10 batches
Cons:
1. Eggs crack consistently now - cracked eggs smell and fume even while the cooker is in the microwave and are not a pretty sight when removed
2. Produces a lot of heat and steam; totally fogs up my microwave door. I worry about screwing up my microwave oven.
3. Very hot and needs to be handled with care, and given time to cool. With the time it takes to cool, don mitts, clean, etc. I wonder if you're actually saving a whole lot of time.
I've never had trouble boiling eggs with a pan on the stove, except for the time it took, so now I'm back to doing that. At least no cracked eggs or other surprises. I also discovered I could boil the entire dozen at once and leave them in the fridge with their shells on, and just thaw them out when I need them. This is working great; wonder why I didn't think of this before.
Customer Review: Several advantages
Summary: 5 Stars
I had looked at this product before and talked myself out of it. "Do I really need that?" But a few months later I was back and decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did!
It didn't take long to get the hang of using this, and now that we have, I see these benefits over just boiling eggs in a pot of water:
1. You get precise control over the cooking. I actually prefer eggs that are not boiled to the point where the yolk is powdery yellow, but rather still a bit soft, slightly more orange. Once you figure out the timing for your microwave, you can finesse the result however you wish.
2. It's faster, about 5 minutes and 20 seconds in our 1100-watt microwave. We always cook four eggs at once to simplify things (and to minimize the effort/energy investment).
3. It doesn't heat up the house nearly so much.
4. The eggs aren't bouncing around in boiling water, so they never crack open.
Remember to take the eggs out while they are still hot and put them in cold water to loosen the "skin" of the eggs and make them easier to peel. Oh, and if your refrigerator doesn't have something built into it for holding eggs (mine doesn't), the aluminum insert on which the eggs sit while cooking can hold them in your refrigerator as well.
The bottom line is that eggs are now less trouble and better-tasting. Why did I wait???
Customer Review: Some things you should know
Summary: 3 Stars
How well does this microwave egg cooker actually cook?
Actually, I was quite surprised by how well the eggs come out. Eight minutes in our microwave will perfectly hard boil 4 eggs. I have tried it with two eggs and found the cooking time does not vary substantially. For example, two eggs might cook in 7 minutes and 45 seconds. I just use 8 minutes regardless of how many eggs I am cooking.
How easy it to use?
It is quite easy to use. Just add water in the cooker up to the line, put the eggs in, pop the top on and turn on the microwave.
How safe is it?
It is not nearly as safe as it could (should) be. The cooker is very smooth and egg shaped. While this is clever, it makes it difficult to remove from the microwave. Our microwave is mounted over the stove, so you have to reach up to remove it from the microwave. The cooker is very hot so you will need to use pot holders. The base is also filled with boiling water, and it is smooth and egg shaped. I am afraid it is only a matter of time until someone dumps scalding water on themselves. This issue could have been resolved by adding some small "ears" to the base so you could more confidently grasp it with pot holders. The ears might spoil the clever egg shaped aesthetic, but they would make this product much safer.
Customer Review: Loved it...at first. Now it doesn't work! Get the Egg Genie instead!
Summary: 5 Stars
UPDATE 10/09: I bought the Egg Genie after throwing this thing in the garbage. For just a little more $ I have had PERFECT hard-boiled eggs every time!!!
EggGenie Egg Genie Electric Egg Cooker
UPDATE 4/09: I really loved this little contraption, but all of a sudden it doesn't work. It won't cook the eggs past soft boiled and I only like hard boiled. I know my microwave works fine. I'm really disappointed since I thought this was a great way to bypass my slow-boiling gas stove, but I guess it was too good to be true!
I just love this little contraption!! I was frustrated because with a gas stove (my only choice in my condo) it takes FOREVER to boil water! So it would take almost 45 minutes to do hard-boiled eggs. Plus I never knew when they were done. This takes 9 minutes and they are perfect every time! No explosions. When they redesign it at some point, adding handles would be nice for when you take it out of the microwave, because it is very hot. For right now, I put it in a big bowl before I put it in the microwave so it's easier to take out and not get burnt by steam or water. I can't believe some of the complaints, especially considering the very low price!