Soft-boiled, meaning firm white and runny yolk, should be achievable with our induction stovetop, which keeps water heated at a steady temperature. The yolk itself should not reach 149F, while the white needs to reach and maintain that temp for enough time to set it. Sous-vide says 45 minutes to an hour, which is a long time to wait. What else can we do?
First attempt
- Boil, insert, 10 min at 4; 10min at 2: hard boiled eggs.
Lovely on avocado toast.
Trial Two
10 min on 1 is raw: white 1140F; yolk 1100F after cracking/opening.
10 more minutes at 1 from above trial 2; egg had running yolk, white formed but not sufficient for either S or I.
The under-cooked eggs were fried until edible.
Second Day’s Try
Bring water to 175 F; gently add eggs from fridge, cook for 10 minutes on 2, keeping water at 165-170F. Egg white was almost congealed. Watery white not so. Yolk runny.
Cooked with same procedure for 5 minutes more and there was little difference. White slightly more cooked.
Another failed attempt
This trial was 20 minutes on 2, which maintained 160F – was at 165F before eggs were gently spooned into water, went down to 160F, and maintained near 165F.
This attempt again ended hard-boiled.
Egg nearly Firm-white+Runny-yolk, but not perfect. Eggs placed in rapidly boiling water, set at 3 for 10 minutes.
Temperature was 163F on entry and 175F for majority of the time.
Eggs were removed to a warm dish and cracked when the meal was ready. First one cracked was fried until edible.
The second egg was return to boiling water, rapidly boiled for 1 more minute, timed. Edible. But not for the squeamish.
S wants to go 45 minutes on 1 or 2. I want to try 15 minutes on 3. Surely this predictable heating device can make soft-boiling easy. Or we give up entirely and get some silicon poaching cups.