do you need to pierce egg before cooking?
519552
Sometimes an egg that is not pierced will explode when cooking in the shell. Piecing the shell will avoid this. Not essential, but helpful. When an egg does explode you have a mess to clean up, which piercing avoids.
519553
I don't pierce the eggs and it works fine for me. Just once one of the eggs cracked, since we have this egg cooker
519554
No - I checked with the company and they confirmed that. I have been hard boiling eggs in this cooker for many months and the only thing that happens is once in a while (seldom) an egg shell will crack (I think that chicken just did not eat good food).I mark those with a pencil because the shell will usually close in the cooling process and I want to use that egg first. However, I follow the directions for cooking - no short cuts. ( I have never had one explode.)
519555
No you do not pierce. It is very easy. You may have to adjust the time once or twice to get the egg cooked just how you like it. But it works out great.
1054293
Yes, you boil the egg first and peel them while they are still hot, place them in the mold, snap it closed then put the whole thing in ice water to chill. Hope this helps
2261266
No - just add your beaten eggs and whatever else you want in it. It is fabulous.
2264236
Yes, I slice it two directions and it works just fine. Eggs need to be chilled to accomplish.
839047
Not according to the directions, however, I don't see why you can't. But the fact is, unless one of your eggs breaks, all you really need to do is give the two plastic pieces a thorough rinse in hot water.After I cook eggs, while the tray is still very hot, I take a wad of wet paper towels and clean the plate with it (being careful, because it's very hot). Every 10 uses or so, I put vinegar and water in the plate as directed, and let it boil for 10 minutes. Everything is always sparkly clean. I LOVE this thing! We use it all the time.
2221662
Once in a great while, an egg will crack a little while poking the hole. Also, once in a while the eggs will crack while cooking. Either way, the eggs are still cooked just fine. We just eat those right away when it happens. We love this egg cooker!
957847
I home cook also. I have actually been adding ground egg shells to the food before I start the crockpot. If I were to use this again, I would probably add it after. I don't know if cooking changes it.
1151683
Sometimes. It's more non-stick than a new, pre-seasoned piece of cast iron, but if you decide to use it to fry an egg, you'll wanna use butter or oil or something similar.
2221667
Not if you're careful. The probe is actually graduated in shape, so if you poke too hard the egg may crack while it is cooking. You can hear the shell being pierced: just give a little poke & listen for the pop. It won't break before cooking unless you are really brutal with it, but it may crack & cook outside the shell if you are more forceful than necessary.
1842950
Don't pierce the meat with a fork or with multiple holes. One single hole won't matter. When they say don't pierce the meat they are referring to all manner of stabby instruments.
703415
If you are simply pouring eggs into the ring, then no scratching. But if you are pressing heavily to form pancakes, etc., then maybe.If you have All-Clad non-stick, then no worries - lifetime guarantee.
2073467
One thing to note: if you're going to be adding something to the egg (I sometimes add veggies or salsa), make sure the add-in is warm or room-temp first, otherwise it will severely slow the cooking of the egg.
910185
Yes, I'm getting burn marks on the plate and eggs. I would also suggest making the pin holder round so it's easier to poke eggs.
1583993
They recommend piercing the eggs first. It's a tiny hole and it helps the shell not to crack in cooking. It fits ex. large eggs without any problems.
382594
No. Also, I don't recommend this one unless you are ok adding a lot of oil to keep the egg from sticking. I ended up purchasing a larger, better pan that does the job as expected.
1440789
On a previous egg cooker I had, they provided a piercing tool to prevent the eggs from cracking or exploding while cooking. On this model I find no significant difference whether I pierce the eggs or not. Some open whether pierced or not, so I have stopped piercing and occasionally one opens and some of it's contents goes to the bottom of the cooker. But it is relatively infrequent, so it is not a major nuisance. I agree that the instruction booklet is somewhat lacking in certain details.
1795428
depends on what you are cooking. certain things like veggies or bacon can cook in their own juices, no additional oil needed.when I make fried eggs I use olive oil that I put in a spray (search for Misto sprayer) and just lightly coat the bottom of the pan to get that fried texture on the egg. I can cook without it but the egg looks funny flat and shiny, almost rubbery. The nonstick coating on this outperforms all the other pans I have had, but then again I really baby this set. Stray away from metal utensils that can scrape and damage it, stick to wooden or plastic/rubber. Cleanup is a breeze with just the rough side of a dish sponge and some dawn. Rinse->Soap->Scrub->(soak, if you have time)->Rinse->Dry. depends on what you are cooking. certain things like veggies or bacon can cook in their own juices, no additional oil needed.when I make fried eggs I use olive oil that I put in a spray (search for Misto sprayer) and just lightly coat the bottom of the pan to get that fried texture on the egg. I can cook without it but the egg looks funny flat and shiny, almost rubbery. The nonstick coating on this outperforms all the other pans I have had, but then again I really baby this set. Stray away from metal utensils that can scrape and damage it, stick to wooden or... » Read More depends on what you are cooking. certain things like veggies or bacon can cook in their own juices, no additional oil needed.when I make fried eggs I use olive oil that I put in a spray (search for Misto sprayer) and just lightly coat the bottom of the pan to get that fried texture on the egg. I can cook without it but the egg looks funny flat and shiny, almost rubbery. The nonstick coating on this outperforms all the other pans I have had, but then again I really baby this set. Stray away from metal utensils that can scrape and damage it, stick to wooden or plastic/rubber. Cleanup is a breeze with just the rough side of a dish sponge and some dawn. Rinse->Soap->Scrub->(soak, if you have time)->Rinse->Dry. « Show Less