Poached eggs

A poached egg needs only an egg and a pan of hot water. Small changes to the water and to the egg decide whether the white holds together. Three kitchens publish their methods, and they differ in useful ways.

Three methods

Great British Chefs bring a small pan of water to a rolling boil and then turn off the heat. They slip the eggs in, cover the pan and set a timer for 4 minutes. They say this way suits one or two eggs.

The British Egg Information Service keeps the water at a gentle simmer, with small bubbles just breaking the surface. Each egg goes into a ramekin first and is lowered into the centre of the pan. Its recipe poaches for about 2½ to 3 minutes, for a set white and a runny yolk. For a slightly firmer yolk, it goes up to 3½ minutes.

The cooks at BBC Good Food bring the water to the boil and turn it down to a simmer. They cook each egg for 3 to 4 minutes, until the white is cooked through.

Why the white spreads

Freshness comes first. "The fresher the egg, the easier it is to poach," say Great British Chefs. The British Egg Information Service puts feathery whites down to older eggs.

Straining is the next fix. All three kitchens suggest cracking the egg into a fine sieve first, so the thin, watery white drains away. Great British Chefs keep this for eggs a little past their best, because a very old egg can lose half its white in the sieve.

Cooks differ on vinegar. The British Egg Information Service adds a teaspoon of white wine vinegar and says one teaspoon per litre is plenty. Great British Chefs find a small splash makes little difference, if any.

Great British Chefs say you don't need to swirl the water at all. BBC Good Food's cooks never salt the water, because salt makes the white break up.

Several eggs at once

Great British Chefs warn that many eggs in one pan bring the water temperature down. The water can then be too cool to cook them through, and the eggs may stick together. The British Egg Information Service lowers several eggs in one by one, without a swirl, as long as the water is below the boil.

Poaching ahead

Great British Chefs poach eggs in advance and keep them in a bowl of fresh cold water in the fridge for a few hours. They rewarm the eggs in hot water before serving.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) gives kitchens a short rule for egg dishes. "Serve egg dishes straight away, or cool them quickly and keep chilled."

Runny yolks and who can eat them

In its guidance for caterers, the FSA names eggs with runny yolks among the raw or lightly cooked egg dishes that need extra care. For pregnancy, the NHS says hen eggs with the red British Lion stamp, or from the Laid in Britain scheme, can be eaten raw, partially cooked (runny yolk) or well cooked. It says other hen eggs should only be eaten well cooked.

Eating out is a separate case. The FSA advises young children, pregnant people, older adults and people with an underlying health condition to make sure any eggs they eat out are thoroughly cooked. Its reason is that eggs used outside the home may not carry the British Lion mark or be Laid in Britain assured.

For a brunch service

Kitchens poaching for a crowd follow the FSA's caterer guidance, last updated on 20 August 2026. For vulnerable customers, it says to use British Lion or Laid in Britain eggs in lightly cooked dishes. If a kitchen cannot check the scheme, the FSA says to cook egg dishes thoroughly or use pasteurised egg products.

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