While hunting for toilet paper at Walmart I came across As Seen on TV’s Egg Pod that hypes “perfect eggs!” The packaging also notes that it cooks and peels eggs “in minutes!” and the “microwave egg cooker does all the work for you!,” leaving you with “perfectly peeled eggs!”

I had to test it.

HOW IT WORKS

Open pod and fill with 50 ml of water (about 1/4 cup; a measuring cup is provided). Place four eggs into the cavities in the pod’s base. Cover and lock at two ends, then microwave on high for nine minutes. Let rest two minutes. Remove the cover (be careful, it does get hot) and run cold water over the eggs for two more minutes. Leaving the water in the base, cover and “shake vigorously up and down 10 times.” Make sure to keep the container upright and do it over a sink because it does leak. Remove the cover and peel the eggs.

On my first try three eggs came out perfectly. The fourth egg cracked during the cooking process so some egg whites leaked. I removed that egg before shaking the pod. The shells did not fall off the eggs as depicted in a picture on the box, but they were very easy to remove.

I repeated the test with four more eggs — this time, all stayed intact. Next, I tried microwaving two eggs instead of four. Those were perfect.

In a last round of four eggs, I got impatient and eliminated the two-minute resting time and ran cold water over the eggs for just 30 seconds, instead of two minutes. They turned out just fine, plus I saved time. But I had to be extra careful when removing the cover because the pod was really hot. There wasn’t much difference between this batch and the eggs I made following the instructions, except the yolks were more orange.

DOES IT WORK?

Yes.

PROS

Most of the eggs were boiled perfectly! Easy to remove the shell. Doesn’t have to be monitored.

CONS

Only makes up to four eggs at a time. Although the gadget isn’t huge, it doesn’t fit in a standard-size drawer. Also, it gets really hot and leaks when you shake it.

A metal piece in the lid is hard to remove and the bottom isn’t removable, so it can’t be washed thoroughly.

COST AND AVAILABILITY

$17.12 at Walmart ($14.88 plus shipping if ordered online) or $39.99 plus shipping at homedepot.com

WORTH IT?

I was surprised at how much I liked it.

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.