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If you’ve ever struggled with getting the timing of a boiled egg just right, it might be time to invest in one of the best egg cookers. With our top picks, you can skip waiting for water to boil and rely on this trusty kitchen gadget to steam your next batch effortlessly, without having to supervise or feel like you’re walking on eggshells (pun intended!).
While Meggan relies on her trusty Elite Gourmet Rapid Egg Cooker, we worked together to research other great options out there (like the cult-favorite Dash Rapid Egg Cooker). We looked for features like ease of use, versatility, and capacity to determine our top picks for the best egg cookers that will take any guesswork out of preparing your next batch of deviled eggs or egg salad.
With these ingenious gadgets you’ll soon be ditching the stove-top method for good.
Our Top Picks:
- What’s in Meggan’s Kitchen: Elite Gourmet Maxi-Matic Rapid Egg Cooker – $12.89 at Amazon
- Best Budget Pick: Dash Rapid Egg Cooker – $16.99 at Target
- Best Electric: Cuisinart Egg Cooker – $39.95 at Amazon
- Best for Microwave: Nordic Ware Microwave Egg Boiler – $17.50 at Amazon
Reviews of The Best Egg Cookers
1. What’s in Meggan’s Kitchen: Elite Gourmet Rapid Egg Cooker
Meggan swears by the Elite Gourmet Rapid Egg Cooker, which she has used ever since her mom first suggested it to her in 2012. “For the price and capacity, it’s amazing,” she says. “I love that it makes hard-cooking eggs easy and brainless, and who doesn’t love that?”
This egg cooker is reliable and foolproof with a built-in timer, buzzer, and automatic shut-off indicator light. It also has a clear lid so you can watch the eggs as they cook. To use it, simply choose your preferred method of cooking (soft, medium, hard, scrambled, omelet-style, boiled, or poached), add the proper amount of water, drop your eggs into the egg rack, poaching tray, or omelet tray, and press go.
It comes with a measuring cup that shows how much water to add based on the cooking method and each cup has a small pin that pierces the shell to prevent cracked shells. The lightweight and compact design makes it easy to tuck away and store for quick-and-easy breakfasts.
The Specs:
- Capacity: 7 eggs
- Egg settings: Boil, poach, scramble, omelet
- Dimensions: 6.54 by 6.42 by 6.42 inches
- Includes several cooking dishes
The Pros:
- Compact design
- Rapid cook time
- Comes in several colors
- Dishwasher safe parts
The Cons:
- No cook time display
- Not good for a large crowd
What Others are Saying:
This rapid-cook option has more than 18,000 reviews and a 4.6-star rating on Amazon. Additionally, it was named best budget egg cooker by The Spruce Eats.
2. Best Budget Pick: Dash Rapid Egg Cooker
The Dash Rapid Egg Cooker is the sweet spot where convenience, performance, and affordability meet, which is likely why it’s beloved by thousands online. With just a push of a button, you can make up to 6 boiled eggs at a time (soft, medium, or hard), or use the separate trays to make two poached eggs, an omelet, or scrambled eggs in just minutes. You’ll know the eggs are done when the buzzer sounds and the auto shut-off function will stop the eggs from cooking even if you have to step away.
The accessories are dishwasher-safe and are stored inside the egg cooker’s dome, so they won’t take up extra space in your kitchen. With its compact, curved design and array of attractive color options, you may be tempted to leave this adorable egg cooker out on the counter, though.
The Specs:
- Capacity: 6 eggs
- Egg settings: Boil, poach, scramble, omelet
- Dimensions: 7.4 by 6.3 by 6.3 inches
- Includes several cooking dishes
The Pros:
- Auto shut-off function
- Pieces nestle for easy storage
- Long electric cord
- Dishwasher safe removable parts
The Cons:
- Not great for large families
- Buzzer is loud
What Others are Saying:
Good Housekeeping, Bon Appetit, and The New Yorker all found the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker to be the best instant egg cookers they tested. Plus, it has more than 120,000 reviews and an average rating of 4.7 on Amazon.
Buy the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker:
3. Best Electric: Cuisinart Egg Cooker
With a sleek modern brushed stainless steel lid, this reliable and versatile pick gets points for style. It holds a whopping 10 eggs while precisely cooking them however you want them: boiled (soft, medium, or hard), poached, or omelet.
Like many egg cookers on our list, the cooking time is controlled by the amount of water added and uses an electrical circuit to cook. It features a simple on/off switch, blue LED indicator light, buzzer, and a standby mode to prevent overcooking. It’s pricier than some other egg cookers but the stainless steel is incredibly durable—but can get a bit hot during the cooking process!
The Specs:
- Capacity: 10 eggs
- Egg settings: Boiled, poached, omelet
- Dimensions: 6.30 by 7.30 by 7.75 inches
- Includes several cooking trays
The Pros:
- Modern design
- Standby mode prevents overcooking
- Built-in cord storage
The Cons:
- Tall
- Some cooking trays must be stored separately
- Pricey
What Others are Saying:
This model has more than 5,700 reviews and a 4.5-star rating on Amazon. Additionally, The Strategist named it most consistent and Simply Recipes named it the best overall in their egg cooker roundups.
Buy the Cuisinart Egg Cooker:
4. Best for Microwave: Nordic Ware Microwave Egg Boiler
Yes, you can cook eggs in the microwave. The Nordic Ware Microwave Egg Boiler allows you to seamlessly make 4 hard- or soft-boiled eggs in the microwave. Just note that the cooking time depends on your microwave’s wattage, so there might be a bit of trial and error upfront to master it.
Once you’ve figured out the timing, you’ll appreciate this compact, egg-shaped kitchen gadget for its ability to take the guesswork out. It’s great if you’re making eggs for one person, and it cooks them in half the time it would take via the traditional stovetop method.
The Specs:
- Capacity: 4 eggs
- Egg settings: Hard or soft boiled
- Dimensions: 8.38 by 4.63 by 5.38 inches
- Includes several cooking trays
The Pros:
- No piercing of the shell needed
- Small size
- Cooks quickly
- Made in the U.S.
- Plastics are microwave safe and BPA-free
The Cons:
- Handwashing recommended
- No handle to grab
- You’ll need to experiment with cooking times
- Cooking time varies on microwave wattage
What Others are Saying:
This model has more than 5,600 reviews and a 4.4 rating on Amazon. Additionally, Good Housekeeping named it the easiest egg cooker to use.
Where to Buy:
Other Egg Cookers to Consider
Dash Deluxe Rapid Egg Cooker
A bigger version of our top pick for best budget, this two-tiered egg cooker offers the same convenience and performance as the smaller one, but it can cook 12 eggs at a time instead of six. It comes with trays for boiled, poached, and omelets plus a measuring cup that all store conveniently in its dome. The Dash Deluxe Rapid Egg Cooker is available at Amazon for $21.99.
Chef’sChoice Gourmet Egg Cooker
This egg cooker was a close second to the Cuisinart model because of its elegant, brushed stainless steel exterior and similarly high ratings. In the end, the Cuisinart received our nod for best pick because it cooks 10 eggs at a time, whereas this one only does 7. Capacity aside, we love this model’s reliable, electronic timer with its “ready” signal, non-stick reservoir, and the convenient egg tray that can be lifted with one hand. The Chef’sChoice Gourmet Egg Cooker is available at Amazon for $44.95.
Hamilton Beach Rapid 14 Egg Cooker
This 3-in-1 egg cooker is reliable, versatile, easy to use, and it cooks eggs in three different ways. Like many on our list, it cooks soft-, medium-, and hard-boiled eggs (up to 14 at a time!), and comes with separate trays for making poached eggs and omelets. Simply fill with water, press the power button to cook, and it does the rest. The egg cooker will beep to alert you when your eggs are ready, but won’t automatically turn off. The Hamilton Beach Rapid 14 Egg Cooker is available at Amazon for $19.99.
Peleg Design Egguins 3-in-1 Egg Cooker
If we had an honorable mention category for cuteness, this egg cooker would take first place. It holds up to 6 eggs in the bellies of little penguins that you submerge into boiling water on your stovetop. While it still requires the stovetop method, It’s made of BPA-free plastic and its handle is heat-resistant to make pulling it out of the boiling water easy. If you’re searching for a great gift for an egg lover, this gadget brings all the fun. The Peleg Design Egguins 3-in-1 Egg Cooker is available at Amazon for $19.90.
Why You Can Trust Us
I’m Belle, an award-winning content creator, and adjunct professor who works in restaurant PR in the Midwest. Over the course of 20 years, I’ve held almost every position imaginable in various restaurants, including ownership of a Korean-concept hot dog cart (that was named after my dog’s teeth). My writing and on-camera work can be seen on the Better Homes & Gardens website.
I worked with Meggan, the Executive Chef of Culinary Hill, who uses her favorite egg cooker on a near-regular basis. How else could she seamlessly make her famous deviled eggs? Together we referred to Meggan’s favorite, researched highly reviewed models, and referred to cooking expert reviews online to narrow down the best egg cookers. We also compared the models based on design, performance, quality, ease of cleaning, and overall value.
Everything to Know Before Buying a Egg Cooker
What to Consider Before Buying a Egg Cooker
There are a few things you should consider before choosing the best egg cooker for you and your family.
Capacity: Depending on whether you’re cooking enough eggs to feed an entire family or just want to cook a couple of hard-boiled eggs, the capacity of an egg cooker is an important first consideration. The most common capacity is 6 or 7 eggs, though some larger models have double-stacking trays to whip up as many as 14 at a time.
Size: Most of our favorite egg cookers that prepare 6 or 7 eggs at a time are compact in size and easily tuck away into a cabinet or pantry. If you opt for an egg cooker with a larger capacity, it will greatly increase the overall size and height, so you’re going to need the cabinet space to store it.
Features: The egg cookers we’ve chosen are simple and straightforward (as they should be!) for ease and simplicity. Some great features to look out for include:
- Egg rack
- Poaching tray
- Omelet tray
- Measuring cup
- Piercing pin
- Digital display
- Cooking buzzer
- LED indicator light
- Automatic shut-off
Are Egg Cookers Safe?
Instead of using a heating unit directly under the egg like you would with the stovetop method, electric egg cookers use boiling water and steam to cook. Because there is no oil used and no open flame (like you’d have with gas stoves), there’s no danger of a grease fire. Additionally, most units have auto-off functions, which doubles down on safety.
It’s still important to use caution when first opening an egg cooker, as the steam can be hot. Most machines come with a basket or handles to help you safely lift the eggs out.
Are Egg Cookers Worth It?
Once you get the hang of an egg cooker, you’ll appreciate how easy it is to have perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs stashed away for easy use in your refrigerator. They can be absolutely worth it if you:
- Cook more than a couple of boiled or poached eggs more than once or twice a week. Egg cookers eliminate the need to dirty multiple pots, pans, and utensils, making cleanup much easier and saving you time.
- Struggle to get the timing for cooking eggs just right as they time it perfectly.
- Don’t want to cook with oil. In an egg cooker, the eggs are steamed with water instead of fried with fats or oils.
- Hate peeling hard-boiled eggs. Unlike eggs that are boiled on the stovetop, the steam that cooks eggs in an egg cooker leaves room for air pockets that separate the cooked egg from its shell, making it easier to peel.
- Have young family members who need to prepare their own eggs without supervision. If there are children of adequate age who need to make their own breakfast, an egg cooker is safer than cooking on the stove.
Egg cookers may not be worth it if you:
- Only cook eggs on a rare occasion and don’t want another gadget taking up space.
- Prefer good, old-fashioned bacon and eggs fried in butter.
- Prefer to cook eggs using the stovetop method.
What Are Different Styles of Cooked Eggs You Can Make?
You can make hard-, medium-, or soft-boiled eggs in an egg cooker. Many models come with separate non-stick trays to make scrambled, poached, or omelet-style eggs as well, replacing your need to use a stovetop at all.
How to Cook Hard Boiled Eggs?
While it may take a little practice, you can hard-boil eggs the traditional way in about 13 minutes. Meggan suggests using a steamer basket (if you have one), spoon, or tongs to gently place the eggs in the water. She says it doesn’t matter if the eggs are above the water or partially submerged. If you live at higher altitude, you’ll want to experiment with the size of the pan and the eggs, since the process can take a few minutes longer.
If, after a little trial and error, the stovetop method doesn’t seem to work for you, fall back on one of our picks for best egg cooker to make the process a little easier.
The Best Egg Recipes
Any of the best egg cookers above will take the guesswork out of cooking boiled eggs with shells that slide right off to make prepping breakfast, snacks, and party spreads a cinch. After you’ve chosen your favorite, quickly whip up a batch for these tried-and-true egg recipes from Culinary Hill:
Prices were accurate at time of publication.
Belle DuChene is an award-winning digital content producer who has a passion for all things lifestyle including food, fashion, and French culture. (And French wine, of course!) Over the course of 20 years, she's held almost every position imaginable in various restaurants and has eaten her way through the side streets of more than 20 countries. Always a student, her kitchen looks like a library of culinary school textbooks and she will sit for the level one sommelier exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers this summer. Belle owns an award-winning content creation agency, teaches communications at three colleges and universities, and tutors in French. In addition to Culinary Hill, her writing and on-camera demonstrations have been published on BHG.com.