Equipment & safety

Heat source and cookware are separate choices. A compatible pan and a visible heat cue matter more than a numbered hob setting.

Three hobs, the same cues

Heat source	What changes	What to watch
Induction	Use a flat, induction-compatible magnetic base. Power changes act quickly. Avoid boost for butter, eggs and frying oil.	Foaming butter, shimmering oil, or a gentle simmer. Reduce power before the cue becomes smoke or a rolling boil.
Gas	Keep flames under the base. A round-bottomed wok needs a stable, approved support.	Edges can heat faster. Keep handles away from flames and adjust the flame while watching the food.
Electric	The ring stays hot after you turn it down. Have a cold ring or heatproof trivet ready.	Move a pan or bowl away to stop rapid cooking. Switching off alone may not stop butter browning.

No universal “setting 4” works across these cookers. Start cautiously and adjust from what the guide tells you to look for.

Choose the cookware separately

Nonstick pans

A useful choice for pale fried eggs, scrambles, French omelettes and rolled eggs. Use silicone or wooden tools. Avoid an empty, very hot pan; follow the maker’s heat limit. Oven use depends on both coating and handle ratings.

Steel and seasoned pans

Useful for crisp edges and frying. “Steel” in the kitchen filter includes stainless steel and suitable seasoned carbon-steel or cast-iron pans. A long acidic sauce simmer is better in stainless than bare cast iron.

Steamers, bowls and tins

A rack in a covered saucepan can act as a steamer. The bowl must be heat-safe and sit above the water. Ramekins need the appropriate oven or microwave rating. Muffin tins, tart tins, food thermometers and circulators are separate equipment choices.

The filter assumes basic cutlery, mixing bowls, a spatula and measuring tools. It checks equipment categories; read the guide for size, depth, lid and temperature requirements.

Microwave methods need their own instructions

The microwave mug eggs guide is written for the microwave from the start. The firm-scrambled and gyeran-jjim guides include separate 800 W alternatives. A microwave heats unevenly: use short intervals, stir when directed, allow standing time, and check the centre. Higher wattage needs shorter intervals.

Never microwave an egg in its shell. Do not reheat a whole cooked egg. Steam can build pressure and cause an explosion. Use microwave-safe containers and vented covers, never a sealed lid or foil. Open covers away from your face.

Microwave mug eggs · Firm scrambled (microwave alternative) · Gyeran-jjim (microwave alternative)

Reference: American Egg Board microwave precautions.

Doneness and safety

Runny yolks and soft custards are texture choices with an increased food-safety risk. The FDA recommends cooking whites and yolks until firm. Choose pasteurised eggs for preparations served raw or undercooked; appearance alone cannot establish safety.

Children, pregnant people, older adults and people with weakened immunity should choose fully cooked eggs. Egg dishes should reach 71°C / 160°F. Ground pork in Scotch eggs and steamed meatloaf also needs at least 71°C / 160°F; probe the meat, not just the surrounding egg.

Here, “large egg” means a chicken egg of about 60 g in its shell unless a guide says otherwise. Most timings start with refrigerated eggs. Egg size, starting temperature, altitude and pan shape affect the result.

References: FDA egg safety; FoodSafety.gov minimum temperatures.

Chill promptly, preserve carefully

Keep eggs and cooked dishes at 4°C / 40°F or below. Refrigerate cooked food within 2 hours, or 1 hour if the air is above 32°C / 90°F. Use refrigerated cooked egg dishes within 3–4 days, and hard-cooked eggs within 1 week. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F.

Tea and soy marinades do not make eggs shelf-stable. The pickled-eggs guide follows a refrigerator-only formula from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Do not can pickled eggs or pierce them to speed up marinating.

References: FDA storage guidance; NCHFP pickled eggs.