[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This is an amazing small appliance, that unlike all others that get stored in the pantry, is a main-stay on my kitchen counter. I'll start off by saying that it was the promise of pached eggs that convinced me to get this - I am yet to figure out how to make that type of eggs. I'm not one to worry too much about soft, medium, or hard boiled eggs, and I have a microwave thing to make omelletes that always worked just fine for what I wanted. But this appliance can do all of that- soft, medium, or hard boiled, omelette and poached eggs.
This is essentially a steamer. Using the measuring cup provided, you place water directly on the metal tray, then you add eggs directly onto the plate, or if poaching/making an omellete, place that tray on top of the egg plate. You cap, and turn it on. When your eggs are done, the machine beeps until you turn it off. No need for a timer or anything - though the directions do give you an indication of how long it will take. Essentially, once all the water has evaporated and come out of the two vent holes in the cap, the beeping begins and only stops when you turn the appliance off.
The measuring cup has lines for the various ways to cook your eggs, and as the directions say, you should customize. I live at altitude, so I find that I need to add a little more water than is recommended- especially for the soft and medium-boiled eggs, so you may have to do a little bit of trial and error. I wish the measuring cup had like a scale on the side, so you can always know how much water to add (if making modifications), but this is not a big deal- you can mark it with a permanent marker or make indentations with a kitchen knife.
Note, when taking the lid off, be mindful of where hte vents are so you don't burn your fingers. And when they say to use tongues to remove the egg trays, definately do so to avoid burning your hands and/or dropping your eggs.
I really like the poached egg feature (see pictures), and the boiled-eggs. Because of how it works, there is no guessing as to how long you need to cook your eggs, and because of the way it works, it essentially accounts for if the eggs started at room temperature or came straight from the fridge. Note, you will need to puncture your eggs before boiling, and a poker is included at tthe bottom of the measuring cup.
Overall, GREAT appliance, highly recommend. My only "wishes" is that the measuring cup had a scale on the scale on the side, and an auto-off feature.