Woman shares perfect poached egg method – and it takes just three minutes

Mastering the poached egg can be a culinary challenge, but following straightforward steps might just save you from a disaster.

Achieving the perfect consistency for a poached egg, avoiding the extremes of too runny or overly firm, is an art that often takes years to perfect. However, one influencer insists her 'fool-proof' technique will elevate your full English breakfast in just minutes.

A food blogger known as 'Sarah' shared her trick on TikTok, revealing she uses a stainless steel ladle typically used for serving soups, sauces, or stews to poach eggs. Surprisingly, she suggests there's a scientific reason this method could outdo the common microwave approach.

"Here's how to perfectly poach an egg in a stainless steel ladle and the science behind it," Sarah said on her @halfbatchbaking account. She continued: "The unique properties that make stainless steel corrosion-resistant also make it a poor conductor of heat."

She explained this can cause uneven heating, potentially creating hot spots that make the egg stick to the ladle. Despite its smooth appearance, stainless steel has microscopic imperfections where food can adhere.

Sarah then detailed the correct way to use a metal ladle for poaching eggs. She advises pre-warming the ladle by hovering it over boiling water on the stove for a few minutes before adding a bit of oil to it.

While she doesn't specify the type of oil, another blogger, Cookist, suggested that olive oil can significantly enhance the flavour. Sarah further explained: "Hot oil is less viscous than cold and it will flow better, getting in those grooves."

Next, she cracks an egg over a sieve, allowing the raw whites to drain through the gaps into the ladle, before adding the yolk. This is then plunged