Six-Egg Steamer and Water Cup
Up to six eggs stand upright on a rack above a small heating plate, and a lid traps the steam. The measuring cup is the control: it is marked with lines for soft, medium and hard-boiled eggs, as well as for poached eggs and omelets, and the amount of water decides the cooking time. That is simpler than it sounds, since there are no buttons or settings beyond power, and it is consistent once you know how your eggs respond. Standing upright on the rack, the eggs do not knock together the way they do in a rolling boil, and steam cooks them gently and evenly. Speed is one of the most praised points. One owner timed six hard-boiled eggs at about 16 minutes, and the machine needs only a little water, rather than a pot that has to come to the boil first. Size divides opinion, and the reason is the rack. Standard eggs fit six to a batch, but jumbo eggs crowd it, and one owner found that with large ones the lid will not always sit down properly. Another removes the lifting handle to squeeze in a seventh standard egg, though that is not how Chefman designs it to be used.