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Boiled eggs. Keeping a special pan.

(127 Posts)
Grammaretto Tue 04-Feb-20 12:36:26

Just curious. My DM always insisted on having a dedicated pan for boiling eggs and would never use it for anything else. The water used for boiling would be thrown away. She would never boil vegetables in it for example. She was born in 1915. Was this typical? Was it because of the sulphur from the eggs discolouring the pan? Or was it to do with the toxic metal in saucepans in those days, leeching out into the water?

I haven't heard this advice since but although I wouldn't cook anything with boiling eggs in the same water, I would use the pan for other things. My pots and pans are stainless steel.

gt66 Tue 04-Feb-20 14:01:59

I always kept one particular pan just for boiling eggs, only because of the scale build up and nothing to do with warts, but a couple of years ago I bought an egg boiler and never looked back! They cook very quickly, are easy to peel and the boiler is easy to clean.

Hetty58 Tue 04-Feb-20 14:03:58

Oh, yuk (glad I'm vegan) 'spose the chicken s**t's harmless though - when boiled!

NotTooOld Tue 04-Feb-20 14:05:19

Yes, my mother had a special pan for eggs and I never knew why. Unfortunately it is too late to ask her now.

Lins1066 Tue 04-Feb-20 14:13:37

I have a small stainless steel saucepan that I use for boiling eggs, it holds three. No limescale as I live in a soft water area. I use it about twice a week I suppose and it is years old. I used it on Sunday to boil some peas, just enough for DH and I.
I've never cooked anything with the eggs, but the little pan is too small anyway for that.

Urmstongran Tue 04-Feb-20 14:28:06

No special pan, but 2 Burford Brown boiled eggs with a hot buttered crumpet is food for the gods! Fact.
?

jo1book Tue 04-Feb-20 14:31:45

Supermarket eggs are washed!

Namsnanny Tue 04-Feb-20 14:44:39

Urmstongran ...sorry no. It has to be crisp toast, white unsliced or brown. NOT granary! wink
Crumpets are too rubbery to compliment the texture of the egg white.
Each to his own though....smile

libra10 Tue 04-Feb-20 14:49:47

I have a very small pan especially for boiling eggs, it will fit 2 eggs (at the most) in. The eggs soon boil as there is such a small amount of water in the pan.

Have to confess though that I occasionally use when boiling a small amount of veg.

May7 Tue 04-Feb-20 14:53:51

Yep me too I’m still laughing orgasmically

May7 Tue 04-Feb-20 14:57:04

Sorry that message was in response to Lucywinters post About preferring this post to vibrators

Mapleleaf Tue 04-Feb-20 15:01:30

I, too, use a separate pan for boiling eggs.

tanith Tue 04-Feb-20 15:01:37

I have a small pan for egg boiling only because of the limescale that gathers on the pan. I descale it occasionally with same tablets I do the kettle with.

Oopsadaisy3 Tue 04-Feb-20 15:04:07

My mum also thought that the water from boiling eggs gave you warts. I must admit that although I don’t have a special pan, I always throw the water away, I never reuse it.

kittylester Tue 04-Feb-20 15:38:48

My egg pan is the only remaining pan from a set we had for a wedding present. So it's nearly 50 years old. And, I have no idea why I have an egg pan either. confused

Davida1968 Tue 04-Feb-20 15:45:33

In this household it's whichever saucepan is convenient (depending upon the number of eggs). It's always cleaned afterwards - usually in the dishwasher.

harrigran Tue 04-Feb-20 16:19:45

Dedicated pan for boiling eggs, don't allow anyone to use my good pans.

Elegran Tue 04-Feb-20 16:34:48

Interesting - some people believe that egg water gives you warts, others that it is a cure for warts. Can't be both! However, warts appear unexpectedly, and vanish equally mysteriously, so all kinds of things are blamed for causing them, or sworn by as cures.

kittylester Tue 04-Feb-20 17:32:23

I forgot to say that no one in their right mind would contemplate using my egg pan for anything else - it's deshusting as Persie would say.

TwiceAsNice Tue 04-Feb-20 17:39:29

I use a non stick good quality milk pan for boiling eggs. Use the same pan for scrambling eggs and making porridge. Always throw the egg water away and the pan gets washed in the dishwasher each time. Always clean for the next time no build up of anything

Callistemon Tue 04-Feb-20 17:46:19

what is a vibrator

You can set it for a certain time, eg 3 minutes and when it vibrates you know your eggs will be done!

jacq10 Tue 04-Feb-20 17:51:45

My Mum had a special pan for eggs - I know this because I use it for the same purpose! I reckon it must be over 80 yrs but it could be older if it was passed on from DGM. It's quite heavy and can do 3 eggs at a time. I never really use it for anything else. Will pass it on to daughter. She also uses a similar one which was Mum's too but it is a bit lighter and although the handle is worn a bit she uses it frequently.

Fennel Tue 04-Feb-20 17:55:11

I have an egg pan, but I only chose it because it's too small for anything else.
Except sometimes I boil up a small amount of milk in it, for a hot drink.

Harris27 Tue 04-Feb-20 17:57:19

My mum had a green pan and it was just for eggs couldn’t use it for anything else she called it the egg pan always!

Feelingmyage55 Tue 04-Feb-20 18:05:44

Like my gran and mum I have a dedicated pan for boiling eggs, a dedicated milk pan and a frying pan strictly only for omelettes. I also have a glass disk (vibrator?) which goes in the bottom of the milk pan and rattles when the milk is coming to simmer - so that it does not scald or worse boil over. The jelly pan is also dedicated to jam making and is not allowed to be used at parties for vast quantities of soup or pasta. If doing big cook ups then I use two pans. You’d think my mum or gran were looking over my shoulder checking that I stick to the rules ?

Grammaretto Tue 04-Feb-20 18:10:35

jacq10 I think mother's is still in my attic. It is possibly pre war. I think the only thing it tells me now is that I need to urgently declutter.

I stopped using it because the handle was dropping off.