Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Poached Eggs

Rapidly boiling water can break the egg while it cooks, as it causes the egg whites to move too quickly. It can also cook the yolk too quickly and harden it.

Aim for a gentle simmer instead, as it's hot enough to cook them but doesn't rock the egg around uncontrollably. Simply lower the heat when water starts to bubble from the edge.

You get a uniformly poached egg if it stays in the middle of the water as it cooks. If it touches a pot's bottom or sides, it cooks unevenly and may break.

When the water is too cold, the egg sinks to the bottom uncooked, and the yolk and whites are also more likely to separate. So, aim for water that is just about simmering.

The ideal pot for a single poached egg is a deep saucepan roughly the size of your burner. Smaller pots hold less water and heat faster, ruining the results.

Since eggs need space to move around in the water, shallow pots may cause them to bounce around and break. Meanwhile, larger pots lose heat quickly, giving imperfect results.

Use fresh eggs, as they have the most stable whites. Runny whites won't stay intact in the boiling water, leaving you with delicate pieces coming off the side.

Eggs that are extremely runny may not even come together, leaving you with a cloud of congealed whites and a hard-boiled yolk. For poached eggs, fresher is always better.

It doesn't take long to get a great poached egg. Cook for about 2-3 minutes in simmering water for the perfect amount of doneness — any more can create a hard yolk.

The perfect poached egg has a yolk that ranges from runny to soft, depending on your preference, while an overcooked poached egg has a firm yolk and rubbery consistency overall.