Eggcellent! The best poached egg cooking aids for National Egg Week

Whether they're for breakfast, brunch, tea or dinner, poached eggs are a universal favourite and simple to prepare. Richenda Oldham got cracking to check out the latest aids to making perfect poached eggs.

‘How do you like your eggs in the morning?’ Such a statement is a pleasant introduction to the day for most of us, it is fair to assume, and with the poached variety undergoing a revival in popularity over the last year or so and British Egg Week beginning today, now is a good moment to look at some of the myriad of options on cooking them.

Poached eggs are quite easy to get wrong, cooking them is no yolk and timing is all important and varies according to how you like them cooked, runny or a bit more solid, but as well as being a healthy egg option, they are also delicious and made even more so by cooking them in the right way.

Whether you’re a masterchef or a nervous amateur these six egg poaching options are sure to be a winner and help you cook perfect poached eggs.

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1 The VonShef 7 egg boiler, also poaches eggs, £10.99, www.amazon.co.uk

2 The Swan egg boiler and poacher can poach three eggs and has three settings - soft, medium or hard. A buzzer sounds when the eggs are ready, £19.99, www.swan-brand.co.uk

3 ProCook's 20cm egg poacher with lid can accommodate up to four eggs at a time, £25, www.procook.co.uk/stores

4 The Judge Vista four-cup egg poacher, £46.20, www.hartsofsur.com

5 The Lakeland egg cooker can poach two eggs and is dishwasher safe, £17.99, www.lakeland.co.uk

6 Sistema Easy Eggs has been specifically designed to cook eggs in a microwave oven and is simple to use, £4.99, www.tesco.com