Self-timing egg, friend or foe?
In the fall, the British Egg Information service is launching a new self-timing egg.
As the egg boils in water, a special heat sensitive ink turns black when the egg reaches the proper level of doneness. Purchasers choose how they like their eggs done (soft, medium, or hardboil) and then buy the egg with the corresponding temperature setting. (I assume the soft eggs' ink shows up before the hard-boiled eggs', for example.)
In general, I think this is a cool idea. I have personally given egg boiling instructions to many a friend and relative, so I know that cooking an egg is not as easy as some might think. But I wonder if this is almost too simple to really work. There are so many opinions on the "right" way to boil an egg, that I'm anxious to give these a shot to see how they work, assuming they come to a store near me sometime soon. 
What do you think? How much would you pay for these specialty eggs? What's your prefered method to boil and egg?
Comments
On Aug 11 at 04:49 PM Rich M said:
A silly product if you ask me. Boiling an egg may take one or two tries to get it right, but after that you just know how long it takes. No special inks required.
Maybe what they really need is special water that turns red when it reaches 212 degrees, so you know when it's boiling. Duh...
On Aug 17 at 06:12 PM Mary Rolston said:
Sounds ridiculous to me. What I am trying to fnd out is how long you can keep hard-boiled eggs (that were cooked before the expiration date) and eat them safely. No one seems to have an answer! Thanks
On Sep 6 at 08:55 AM katy said:
I think that is neat. Does it work for slightly hard boiled so you can fix stuffed eggs?
On Sep 16 at 01:59 PM Jon said:
Why in the world would you need such a product when there already is a product that does something similar?
The Hammerhead Products Eggact Eggtimer (made of a hard resin) is put into the pan with the eggs and it changes color (from red to darker red) with a gaduation scale of doneness. It turns darker from the edges - you decide from soft, medium soft, medium, medium hard and hard.
On Oct 3 at 05:10 PM irma said:
this is an absurd idea. industry should really take all the bad chemicals out of the food they prepare for sale. people would eat healthier if the chemicals were gone, not this nonsense. what's so hard about boiling an egg?
On Oct 5 at 02:02 PM said:
I cannot prepare a poached egg, properly. Vinegar in the water does not keep the white together. I tried shirring, microwave special container. Nothing seems to help me.
On Nov 7 at 06:26 PM MaryKay Nations said:
Remove desired amount of eggs from the fridge and
place them in cold water which is approx. 1 to
1 1/2in above the egg's. Since the egg's are cold and so is the water, there should not be any problems with cracking shells. If you are preparing hard boiled eggs, the eggs should be a week or so old. It is easier to crack eggs that are older because the egg has more air in it and breaks quite nicely. Only have one layer of eggs.
Now your eggs are sitting in water that is just about to boil since your temp. has been mod. high. You will notice that the bubles comming up are starting to get bigger and when all the bubbles are bigger and move the eggs as they come from the bottom, turn the heat down to keep the water below the boiling temp. Now is the time to count the minutes for the type of egg you want.
The 4 MIN egg gives you a soft white and a wet yellow. A 6 MIN egg gives you a firmer white but still tender and the yellow still has a little softness. An 8 MIN egg has a firm whit and almost a firm yellow, a 10 MIN egg is the PERFECT HARD BOILED EGG. REMEMBER, turn on your timer as soon as the big bubbles start to rise. Turn down your heat to a low just about to boil temp. and you will have pretty great eggs. Sulpher can kill the taste of Deviled Eggs and that is the gray that is around the yoke if you have over cooked your eggs. Eggs are so great when treated right.
On Nov 7 at 06:44 PM MaryKay Nations said:
If you have the right time's for the proper boiling of egg's who needs to put out any extra money. Mary Ralston asked if anyone knew the how
long a hard boilded egg was safe to eat. I found the answer. If it is a refrigerated, 1 week. If not, get rid of any broken ones after the Easter Egg Hunt, and remember that the eggs have taken on the color of the dye so if no one will eat a red egg that night, in a egg salad, do your best with the lightest colors and toss the rest because you and maybe your mate will be the only ones eating them that night.
On Dec 20 at 10:41 AM ummm said:
this is such a stupid wacky idea anyone (after a try or so) can boil an egg!!!!!!
On May 13 at 02:17 PM Jimmy said:
Mary Rolston, the answer to your question is: 1 week.
See this page:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Eggs/BoiledEggs.htm
On Nov 14 at 11:47 AM Amanda Docken said:
I think it's a neat idea. Every year we make deviled eggs for the holidays and the time that the egg needs to sit in the boiling water changes each time. I usually end up with one or two "bad eggs". Oh by the way, yes I do wait to put th eggs in under the water is boiling and I always keep it timed.
On Aug 1 at 10:19 AM John M. said:
My preferred method to boil an egg? Hot water. Usually boiling.