This Cooker is a Good Egg!
Written: Jan 09 '04
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Pros: Automatic shut-off, built-in timer, hard-boils, soft-boils and poaches, easy to use
Cons: No handles on the base
The Bottom Line: Excellent egg cooker. Humpty Dumpty would run if he saw it!
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| dlstewart's Full Review: West Bend Automatic Egg Cooker 86628 |
We enjoy the convenience of an egg cooker and have used automatic egg cookers for over 30 years. Our old egg cooker still worked, but when my mother saw this West Bend egg cooker, she had to purchase it right then and there. She loves the eye-pleasing design where the white base resembles the shape of eggs.
What Does This Egg Cooker Do?
The West Bend Automatic Egg Cooker is designed to cook up to 7 hard-boiled or soft-boiled eggs or 4 poached eggs. This self-contained unit comes with everything needed -- just add the eggs and water. The egg cooker even has a built-in timer and automatic shut-off. When the eggs are finished, an alarm sounds -- and it’s loud. This cooker wants people to know the eggs are done!
What Comes with the Egg Cooker?
* Heat-resistant base with “on” light and “on/off” switch with built-in timer and alarm
* Cooking rack with seven holes to sit eggs upright for soft- or hard-boiled eggs
* Poaching pan that has non-stick dividers for poaching four eggs
* Clear plastic domed cover
* Plastic measuring cup to measure water with a pin at one end for piercing eggs
* Instruction manual
The Components
Base
The base is white plastic, the bottom four legs shaped to resemble eggs. On the center front is the “on/off” switch with a light that illuminates when the cooker is on. The heat-resistant base holds all the electronics and plugs into a wall outlet via cord.
Cooking Rack
The cooking rack is a dark plastic with seven holes that easily fit seven jumbo-size eggs -- and the sides of the eggs don’t touch. Using our old egg cooker, the holes were so close together that it was a challenge to fit all the eggs so they sat upright. This West Bend cooker provides plenty of room for the eggs. The cooking rack has two “ear” shape handles on the sides.
Poaching Pan
The metal poaching pan has four non-stick depressions to hold one egg in each section. A raised round white knob is in the center of the tray for easy lifting and carrying.
Cover
The cover is in the shape of a dome and is see-through to easily view the egg cooker contents. The lower edge of the cover has two “ears” on opposite sides that serve as handles. These “ears” sit atop the Cooking Rack “ears”. A small hole in the top of the cover allows excess steam to escape.
Measuring Cup
This is a clever measuring cup that is 4 inches tall and 1 3/4 inches at its widest point (the mouth). It is a clear plastic for easy viewing of the contents. There are markings on two sides of the cup. One side has measurements for cooking hard-boiled eggs. The other side of the cup has measurements for cooking soft-boiled eggs. There are lines on each side of the cup with the numbers 1 through 7 that correspond to how many eggs are being cooked. For example, if cooking 5 eggs, fill the measuring cup with water up to the mark with the number 5 beside it. The flat bottom of the measuring cup has a short, sharp metal pin to pierce the egg shells. The bottom of the cup is hollowed, and the pin is recessed into the bottom of the cup. (The end of the pin does not extend beyond the bottom of the measuring cup ... no doubt for safety reasons.)
Cooking the Eggs -- Easy!
This egg cooker does most of the work. It’s simple to use, too. Just place the eggs inside the cooker, add the water ... and leave the unit to do the cooking while you do other things. When the eggs are done, the alarm sounds and the unit automatically shuts off. When this alarm goes off, I can hear it at the other end of the house.
First, place the egg cooker on a dry, level surface. Make sure an outlet is nearby. The cord is 36 inches long. We place the egg cooker on the Formica kitchen counter. Make sure the “on/off” switch is in the “off” position.
Hard-cooking Eggs
Using the plastic measuring cup, fill the cup with cool water to the line marked with the number of eggs being cooked. Make sure to use the measurements on the side of the measuring cup for Hard-Cooked eggs. Poor the water into the base and set the plastic cooking rack on the base. Set the small end of the eggs into the holes in the cooking rack. Pierce the large end of the egg with the pin on the bottom of the measuring cup. (This helps prevent the egg shells from cracking during cooking.) Cover the eggs with the see-through cover. Plug the egg cooker into a 120-volt electrical outlet. Turn the switch on the front of the cooker to “on”. A light pops on to indicate the cooker is activated and cooking. Do not remove the cover while the eggs are cooking. In 13 - 17 minutes, the eggs are done and an alarm will sound. Make sure the switch is “off” and unplug the egg cooker. Carefully remove the cover with a potholder, being careful of released steam. Place the eggs in the refrigerator to cool.
Soft-cooking Eggs
Using the plastic measuring cup, fill the cup with cool water to the line marked with the number of eggs being cooked. Make sure to use the measurements on the side of the measuring cup for Soft-Cooked eggs. Follow the instructions as listed above. In 1 - 13 minutes, the eggs are done and an alarm will sound. Remove the eggs immediately to prevent overcooking. Make sure the switch is in the “off” position and unplug the egg cooker. Carefully remove the cover with a potholder, being careful of released steam.
Poached Eggs
Use the Soft-cook markings on the measuring cup to measure water into the base. Lightly grease the poaching pan cups with butter or oil. Note: Make sure the Cooking Rack is on the base, then place the poaching pan onto the Cooking Rack. Break one egg into each poaching cup. Cover the egg cooker, and follow the instructions as listed above. The eggs will cook in 6 - 8 minutes. Serve the eggs immediately, sliding them out of the poaching cups with a smooth-edged cooking tool. We use a plastic heat-resistant spoon.
Cleaning the Unit & Storage
Make sure the unit is unplugged before cleaning. Do not submerge the base in water as the base holds the electronics that make the egg cooker work. Instead, allow the egg cooker parts to cool. Then add a small amount of warm, soapy water to the egg cooker base and gently clean with a nylon sponge/pad. The manufacturer recommends using a Scotch Brite Cookware Scrub ‘n Sponge or Dobie scrubbing pad. Wipe with a cloth to dry.
Though the manufacturer says the cover, poaching pan, and cooking rack are top-rack dishwasher safe -- we always handwash the pieces in warm, soapy water. Never place the measuring cup in the dishwasher. The manufacturer also says that the bottom of the poaching pan will discolor if placed in the dishwasher.
If over time mineral deposits build-up in the base, use distilled white vinegar to fill the base until the mineral deposits are covered. Let soak. Then drain the vinegar from the base, rinse with water. Wipe clean and dry.
Likes
* Excellent cooker
* Cooks eggs 3 ways
* Automatic Shut-off
* Alarm feature is great -- and loud
* Easy to use and clean
* Fits jumbo-size eggs
* Piercing the egg shell does prevent the shell from cracking (I was a disbeliever until I tried it!)
Dislikes
The entire family likes this egg cooker and has never complained. If I had to pick on one thing to change, it would be to add handles to the white base. The Cooking Rack and Cover do sport “ear” shaped handles, but the base unit does not. If I grab the handles on the cover and cooking rack, only those two pieces are lifted, leaving the base on the counter.
Summary
We highly recommend this egg cooker. We use the egg cooker to prepare hard-boiled and poached eggs and have never experienced a problem with the machine. The automatic shut-off is an excellent safety feature, too. As I said earlier, my mother saw this egg cooker in the Country Store catalog and had to have it. She paid $39.44 for it. Several months after her purchase, I was cruising the internet and found that the West Bend website sells this same cooker for $28.49. If you are looking for an easy, convenient way to cook eggs, then try this West Bend Automatic Egg Cooker.
I hope you have found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Additional Information
* 7 1/4 inches deep (front to back)
* 8 3/4 inches wide (including handles)
* 6 1/2 inches tall (counter to top of cover)
* 35 watts, 120 volts, AC only
* 90-day manufacturer warranty (Not valid in Mexico)
The West Bend Company
Attn: Housewares Customer Service
1100 Schmidt Road
West Bend, WI 53090-1961
Phone: 262-334-6949
Website: www.westbend.com
Please read my other reviews.
Granite Ware 19-inch Oval Roaster
Le Creuset Bean Pot
Amco 4-cup Stainless Steel Measuring Cup
Pyrex 4-cup Glass Measuring Cup
Calphalon Professional Non-Stick Sauce Pan with Lid
T-Fal Perfection Saute Pan with Lid
GE Refrigerator with Top Freezer
Maytag Gemini Oven
Copyright 2004 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 39.44
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