Egg cooker an imperfect device

A reader asked if the Casabella Exact Egg Boiler was “worthwhile.” While the device does work, there were some stumbling blocks, so its usefulness will depend on the operator.

How it works: Place up to six eggs in the compartments, pull the funnel in the center up, then place the device into a pot at least 8 inches in diameter. Cover the eggs with water and bring to a boil. The egg timer works by color — it starts out yellow and turns white from the outside in. When the yellow border shrinks to the soft, medium or hard lines, that’s your signal to remove the eggs, using the funnel as a handle. Then you’re supposed to place the funnel under running water to stop the cooking.

Does it work? Yes, with a few adjustments. Soft-boiled eggs are no problem. But once the water begins boiling rapidly, the steam and water movement make reading the timer impossible. For medium- and hard-boiled eggs, I had to repeatedly pull the contraption out of the water to check the timer. I would have been irritated, but the funnel is the gadget’s saving grace, never getting hot enough to require a potholder. And I did get perfectly cooked medium- and hard-boiled eggs.

Lowering the heat once the water was boiling didn’t work. The timer was easier to read, but my hard-boiled eggs came out soft.

To cool the eggs you’re supposed to run water through the funnel and let it pass through tiny spouts over the eggs. That was hilarious. For one thing, I would have to stand at the sink forever (OK, not forever, but a really long time) waiting for the eggs to cool as a tiny flow of water hit each egg. I didn’t have the patience, so I went old school and put the eggs in a bowl of cold water.

Pros: The gadget did produce perfectly cooked eggs, and it’s kind of cool-looking. If you want two soft-, two medium- and two hard-boiled eggs or any combination adding up to six, just remove the eggs at the appropriate times. Many people will say it’s easy to cook eggs if you just remember how many minutes to cook them, but if you’re like me and can’t remember such details, the Casabella’s timer is a definite pro.

Cons: Although the funnel can be pushed down for storage, the gadget still takes up valuable cupboard space (you could store it in a pot to solve that problem). It has to be monitored, but you could get a nice facial watching the yellow oval shrink. It holds only six eggs. The cooling system is ridiculous, but if you want a good laugh …

Cost and availability: $19.99 at casabella.com (plus $32.78 shipping), amazon.com (various shipping prices) and bedbathandbeyond.com ($5.99 shipping, or free for orders over $29).

Worth it? Depends on the person. The eggs were pretty flawless, but I don’t eat enough of them for this gadget to earn a spot in my tiny kitchen. I’ll stick with Googling the cooking instructions and setting a timer when I yearn for a medium-boiled egg.

Got a gadget that you love? Curious about one you’d like us to test? Email crave@staradvertiser.com or write Crave, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza Suite 210, Honolulu 96813.