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Poached eggs are a brunch staple but they can be tricky to make at home without overcooking or breaking the yolk as you drop it into a pot of boiling water. I recently learned about microwave poached eggs and it just might be the best brunch hack ever.
Making poached eggs in the microwave requires no skill, no cookware and there's no mess to clean up after. It's also impossible to mess up once you learn the right number of seconds -- yes, seconds -- it takes for your microwave to make it exactly how you like it.
Stick that fluffy puff of protein on a piece of toast with some spinach, top it all with flaky salt, hot sauce or hollandaise and you have a cafe-quality breakfast in less time than it takes to brew a pot of coffee.
For poached eggs cooked perfectly in under a minute with no mess to clean, we turn to the microwave, a small bowl and a few ounces of water.
Read more: Oven vs. Microwave: Which Kitchen Appliance Uses Less Energy?
How to make a poached egg in the microwave
Step 1: Fill a ramekin with about half a cup of salted, room-temperature water. It must be enough to completely submerge the egg.
You'll want enough water to submerge the egg but not spill over the top of the ramekin.
Step 2: Crack one egg and drop it into the water carefully, trying not to disturb its structural integrity.
Step 3: Place the ramekin in the microwave and cook on high for about 45 seconds, or longer if you prefer a firmer yolk.
Cook the submerged egg for 40 seconds for a runny yolk and closer to a minute for a firm one.
Step 4: Remove the egg gently from the water with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer.
LIft your egg carefully out of the water with a slotted spoon or mesh strainer.
Step 5: Serve over toast or a bed of greens with avocado, hot sauce, chili crisp and other accompaniments.
In one or two tries, you'll be able to fine-tune your poached egg to your perfect doneness, and then nail it every time.
Note: The base temperature for any microwaves will vary and, thus, cook times may also. Try 40 to 45 seconds for your first effort, then add five-second increments for subsequent tries until you achieve the desired doneness.
Want more genius kitchen hacks?
The best kitchen hacks happen in the space between hungry and unmotivated to do extra work. Cooking bacon in the oven is the cleanest method and results in even crispier strips with no greasy stovetop to clean after. A fast boil of water with these two pantry ingredients lifts stubborn stains from your best cookware without all the manic scrubbing. And here are nine more cooking hacks that save time, energy and money.