When we tested the Cuisinart Egg Central CEC-10, we ended up with perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs with great texture and taste. The yolks were cooked completely and displayed a pale yellow color, and they were somewhat crumbly.
We also didn't have to contend with any mess from dripping water flowing out onto the kitchen counter, which was the case with some of the other best egg cookers we tested. In addition, the cool-touch handles on both sides let us lift the lid safely, which is an important feature since nearly all egg cookers use steam for cooking, which can pose a safety hazard when you take off the lid.
This electric egg cooker has two egg-holding tiers, so you can cook up to seven eggs on the bottom of this device. If you choose, you can attach the top tier that holds three eggs and can cook a total of 10 eggs at one time. Made of BPA-free plastic and brushed stainless steel, this device steam cooks your eggs and lets you prepare soft-boiled, medium-boiled, or hard-boiled eggs using the two trays.
Besides boiled eggs, you can use two other included trays to make as many as four poached eggs or a three-egg omelet. The included user manual describes each cooking method with clearly written step-by-step instructions, along with a small selection of recipes. If you misplace your manual, you can download another from the Cuisinart website.
When you turn the electric egg cooker on using the convenient slider switch on the front, a blue LED indicator lights up so you know the machine is working. When the cooking is complete, an audible alert lets you know. This 600-watt hard-boiled egg cooker measures 7.1 inches wide and 7.5 inches high, and it weighs in at 2.1 pounds.
It is a sturdy but still compact kitchen tool that helps you cook a variety of classic egg dishes, and it’s easy to store when you're done cooking. One helpful feature is a cord-storage area on the base that you can wrap the cord around to get it out of the way.
The amount of water in the device determines the cooking time for different degrees of doneness, and the set includes a 180-milliliter measuring cup with a piercing pin to measure the precise level of water you need based on the instructions. The sharp piercing pin comes with a small plastic cover to protect your fingers when this is not in use. It helps that the pin is quite sharp; some egg-cooking models we tested came with dull piercing tools and ended up cracking the shells of raw eggs.
The Cuisinart's pin allows you to make a tiny hole in each eggshell to keep your eggs from cracking while they cook in the appliance. Our testing showed virtually no cracked eggs during the cooking process, and we didn't break any while piercing the shell before we started cooking.
The Cuisinart Egg Central CEC-10 costs somewhat more than other egg cookers on the market, but we found in our testing that this machine is easy to use. And this high-performing machine outshines the competition with its consistently first-rate cooking results. If you want to spend less, consider the lower-priced Dash Rapid Egg Cooker that can cook six eggs at once.
