An egg cooker is a small spend that ends the stovetop guesswork
Boiling eggs on the stove is the kitchen's most over-thought task: you set a timer, forget it, peek under the lid, and still end up with a grey-rimmed yolk or a too-runny middle. An egg cooker fixes that. You drop the eggs onto the rack, pour in the measured water that sets the firmness, press a button, and an auto shut-off with a buzzer tells you exactly when soft, medium or hard is done. No watching the pot, no guessing.
The seven picks below sort into four jobs: simple boilers for everyday eggs, units that poach as well as boil, big batch cookers for meal prep and a microwave cooker for poached and scrambled eggs, and our best overall is the Sunbeam EC1300 Poach and Boil. Recognised Australian names such as Sunbeam, Philips and Breville sit alongside other steamers, so the trick is matching capacity and modes to how you actually eat eggs rather than buying on brand alone.
| Pick | Best for | Standout feature |
|---|
| kawu 6-in-1 Egg Boiler | Multi-mode cooking | 6-in-1 modes, 300W |
| Healthy Choice Electric Egg Steamer | Simple boiling | Boils up to 7 eggs |
| Philips 3000 Series Egg Cooker | Everyday use | 6 boiled or 3 poached |
| QualityLife 18-Egg Rapid Cooker | Large batches | 18 eggs, double-deck |
| Sunbeam EC1300 Poach and Boil | Best overall: poaching and boiling | Boils 6 or poaches 2 |
| Breville the Eggspert Egg Cooker | Precise results | Water-temperature sensor |
| Sistema 1117 Easy Eggs | Microwave poached and scrambled eggs | Steam release vents in the lid |
kawu 6-in-1 Egg Boiler
The kawu 6-in-1 is a budget multi mode cooker that punches above its weight. It is a genuine six-in-one: the preset modes cover soft, flowing, hot-spring, hard-boiled and tea eggs, and it stretches beyond boiling to steam eggs and even make egg custard or yoghurt. A 300W element heats it quickly for a small unit.
Safety basics are covered too, with an automatic shut-off when cooking finishes and anti dry-burn protection if the water runs low, plus a BPA-free egg rack and a stainless steel bowl that are easy to clean. The honest catches are a very small review base of just 10 ratings, stock that can run low, and a four egg capacity, which it shares with the Breville as the smallest of the electric cookers here.
Healthy Choice Electric Egg Steamer
The Healthy Choice is the pick if you want a simple, no-nonsense boiler from an Australian brand. It cooks up to seven eggs at once, more than most single deck cookers here, which is enough for a family breakfast or a batch of meal prep eggs, and it runs on a single button with no timers or settings to learn.
Load the eggs, add the water, press the button, and it steams soft, medium or hard eggs with consistent results. The compact, lightweight body stores neatly in a small kitchen or cupboard. The honest trade-off is that this is a plain boiler with no poaching tray and no firmness dial, so you set the result by how much water you add rather than by choosing a mode.
Philips 3000 Series Egg Cooker
The Philips 3000 Series is the step up if you want a trusted brand and a little more versatility. It cooks up to six boiled eggs or three poached at a time, which suits most families, and the firmness is set using the water markings on the included measuring cup: more water for harder eggs, less for soft, so a single unit covers soft, medium, hard and poached.
A 400W element cooks quickly and evenly, and the design is genuinely compact, with the measuring cup, poaching tray and egg piercer all storing inside the body so nothing goes missing in a drawer. The honest caveat is the one common to most cookers here: firmness depends on measuring the water accurately rather than a digital setting, so your first couple of batches are a quick calibration exercise.
Breville the Eggspert Egg Cooker
The Breville the Eggspert is the premium pick, and it is the one to choose if you want the most precise, even results from a trusted Australian brand. Where cheaper cookers rely purely on how much water you pour in, the Eggspert adds sensor technology that measures the water temperature and controls the cook time, taking more of the guesswork out of soft, medium, hard or poached eggs.
It boils up to four eggs or poaches two, the four-egg rack has easy-lift handles for removing eggs cleanly, and the lid, rack and poaching tray are BPA-free and dishwasher-safe. The honest caveats are that its four egg capacity is on the small side, and that for what remains a simple job you are getting sensor control and a Breville finish, not extra capacity.
How to choose: capacity, modes and the buzzer
Start with capacity, because it is the spec you will feel every morning. A four-to-six-egg cooker like the kawu, Philips or Breville suits a couple or a small family, a seven-egg unit like the Healthy Choice adds a little headroom, and the 18-egg QualityLife is built for genuine meal prep or feeding a crowd. Buying far more capacity than you need just means a bigger appliance on the bench, so be honest about how many eggs you actually cook at once.
If you batch cook eggs for the week, plan around how many you will actually eat: the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension advises that hard cooked eggs should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and used within one week. An 18 egg run only makes sense if your household will get through it in that time.
Then think about modes. The simplest units only boil, with firmness set by the water you add; do-more cookers like the Sunbeam, Philips and Breville add a poaching tray, and the kawu stretches to steaming and even custard or yoghurt. Finally, value the small conveniences: an auto shut-off stops the cooker the moment it is done, and a buzzer means you can walk away and still pull the eggs at exactly the firmness you wanted instead of overcooking them.
Egg cooker, stovetop or microwave?
An electric egg cooker is the hands off choice: it steams eggs in the shell and most switch off and sound a buzzer when they are done, where a pot on the stove needs watching. Consumer Reports, which tried seven egg cookers for boiled and poached eggs, also timed an air fryer and the stovetop method against them. A microwave cooker such as the Sistema 1117 Easy Eggs is a different tool: its listing covers poached and scrambled eggs, omelets and egg muffins, not eggs boiled in the shell.
Why the water measure matters more than the brand
The thing that surprises most first-time buyers is that an egg cooker does not have a soft, medium or hard button in the way you might expect. With nearly every model here, including the Australian-brand ones, firmness is controlled by how much water you pour into the base: more water boils for longer and gives a harder yolk, less water gives a softer one, and the included measuring cup is marked to guide you. The Breville is the exception, using a temperature sensor to take some of that judgement away.
What this means in practice is that your first batch or two with any cooker is a calibration run: note the water level that gives your perfect egg, and after that the results are genuinely repeatable. It also means the included measuring cup and the egg-piercing pin are not throwaway extras: the cup is how you control the cook, and the pin stops shells cracking and makes the eggs easier to peel. Look after both and a cheap cooker will give you the same consistency as a dearer one.
How we picked
This guide is research, not a hands on test. We compared each egg cooker's capacity, boil and poach modes, power, materials and safety features from its Amazon AU listing, and checked every card's listing, seller and stock on Amazon Australia; the two that could not be bought carry a dated warning on their cards. Breville's own Eggspert 4 Up page confirms that model's capacity of up to 4 boiled or 2 poached eggs.
Star ratings and review counts come from the Amazon AU listings. For storage and method questions we used the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension guide to egg safety, the published introduction to Consumer Reports' evaluation of seven egg cookers and Better Homes and Gardens Australia's review of the Kmart egg cooker.
Last checked: 9 October 2026, covering the stock, seller and rating of every listing on Amazon Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does an egg cooker know when eggs are done?
Most egg cookers work by measuring water, not time. You pour a marked amount of water into the heating base, more for hard eggs and less for soft, and the cooker runs until that water has boiled away, then an automatic shut off cuts the power and a buzzer sounds. Because the water level sets the firmness, the result is repeatable once you have found your ideal measure. The Breville the Eggspert is the exception here, using a temperature sensor to control the cook time more precisely rather than relying on the water alone.
How many eggs should my egg cooker hold?
Match the capacity to your household. A four-to-six-egg cooker like the kawu, Philips or Breville suits a couple or a small family cooking a fresh batch each time. A seven-egg unit like the Healthy Choice gives a little more room for a busy breakfast. If you meal prep eggs for the week or feed a crowd, the 18 egg QualityLife has the biggest capacity here, though its card carries a dated warning that it could not be bought on Amazon Australia. Buying far more capacity than you need only means a larger appliance taking up bench space, so be realistic about how many eggs you cook in one go.
Can an egg cooker poach eggs as well as boil them?
Some can. The Sunbeam EC1300, Philips 3000 Series and Breville the Eggspert all come with a poaching tray and can poach up to two or three eggs alongside their boiling function, and the kawu also steams. Simpler units like the Healthy Choice steamer only boil. If poached eggs are part of your routine, choose a model that includes the trays, since a plain boiler will not poach. Check the listing for a poaching tray in the box rather than assuming every cooker handles both jobs.
Are cheap egg cookers any good?
Yes, for what they are. A budget cooker does the core job well: preset modes, fast heating, an auto shut off and anti dry burn protection, all from a small unit. They are genuinely good for everyday boiled eggs in a small kitchen. The honest limits are smaller capacities, smaller review bases and sometimes patchy stock. As long as you treat the price as a guide to capacity and finish rather than to whether the eggs cook well, a cheap cooker is a sensible buy.
Why do egg cookers come with a measuring cup and a pin?
Both are essential to how the cooker works, not throwaway extras. The measuring cup is marked so you can pour the exact amount of water that gives a soft, medium or hard egg, and it is effectively your firmness control. The small pin on the cup pierces the wide end of each egg before cooking, which releases trapped air so the shell is less likely to crack and the cooked egg is far easier to peel. Keep both with the cooker, because losing the cup makes setting the firmness much harder.
Is an egg cooker easy to clean?
Generally yes. Most have a removable egg rack and a small heating base that wipes clean, and several here go further: the QualityLife is all 304 stainless steel inside and out, while the Breville's lid, rack and poaching tray are BPA-free and dishwasher-safe, and the kawu's accessories are dishwasher-friendly too. The one part to keep an eye on is the heating plate in the base, which can build up mineral scale over time, and a quick wipe with diluted vinegar every so often keeps it working and the buzzer timing accurate.
Which Australian brands make egg cookers?
Several recognised Australian names appear in this category. Sunbeam makes the EC1300 Poach and Boil, the most reviewed electric cooker in this guide, Breville makes the premium Eggspert with sensor cooking, and Healthy Choice is an Australian brand behind the simple seven egg steamer. Philips is a trusted global name with strong local availability. Buying a familiar brand mainly buys you easier local support and spare parts; the actual cooking is similar across the field, so weigh the brand against the capacity and modes you need rather than choosing on the name alone.
How do you use an egg cooker?
Pierce the wider end of each egg with the pin in the measuring cup, then stand the eggs on the tray. Pour in the amount of water the cup marks for soft, medium or hard, less water for softer eggs and more for harder. Close the lid and switch it on, and the cooker steams the eggs until the water runs dry, then a buzzer or auto shut-off tells you they are done. Drop them into cold water so they stop cooking and peel cleanly.
Can you boil eggs in a rice cooker instead?
Yes, a rice cooker can cook eggs: add water and a steamer basket or trivet, then run a cook cycle and check the eggs, giving them more or less time to reach the firmness you want. A dedicated egg cooker is built for the job, using a measured amount of water to set how firm the whole batch comes out, so it is more repeatable if you cook eggs often. For timings, follow your rice cooker's manual.
What is the best stainless steel egg cooker?
The QualityLife 18-Egg Rapid Cooker is the stainless steel model in this guide: it is 304 stainless steel inside and out, with no plastic in the cook zone, and it holds up to 18 eggs across two decks. Its card carries a dated warning that it could not be bought on Amazon Australia, so check the card before relying on it.
What is the 3-3-3 method for cooking eggs?
The 3-3-3 method is a pressure cooker routine for soft boiled eggs: 3 minutes at high pressure, a 3 minute natural pressure release, then a 3 minute ice bath. Piping Pot Curry suggests it as the softer version of its 5-5-5 Instant Pot method. An egg cooker needs no timing, because its marked water cup sets the firmness.
How long does a Kmart egg cooker take to cook eggs?
Allow about 8 to 15 minutes. Better Homes and Gardens Australia says the Kmart egg cooker cooks up to six eggs, soft, medium or hard boiled, in that time, with the water you pour from the included measuring cup deciding how firm they turn out and a buzzer sounding when they are done.
Which is the best egg cooker to buy?
The Sunbeam EC1300 Poach and Boil is our best overall egg cooker for most Australian kitchens. It boils up to six eggs or poaches two, sounds a buzzer when the eggs are done, and its Amazon AU listing shows 4.3 stars from more than 600 reviews, the most of any electric cooker in this guide.
What is the best egg cooker according to Consumer Reports?
Consumer Reports names three best egg cookers after trying seven models, including a Dash cooker, for boiled and poached eggs, and its named picks sit behind its membership paywall. It found the cookers did not all cook eggs equally well or prove equally easy to use and clean, so compare evenness, ease of use and cleaning when you choose.
