After reading many excellent reviews on Poachpods, I was keen to get my hands on a set. These cute looking green silicone pods promise to cook perfect poached eggs every time - and I love poached eggs!

My local Sainsbury's put temptation in my way with a hanging display of Poachpods which I could just quickly pull off the column as I passed. They cost me £5 and I found it very easy to amalgamate them into my weekly shop without too much guilt.

~~Who makes them? ~~

The Poachpod is created by Fusionbrands; an American company that produces silicone kitchen gadgets such as the Fingertong and the Foodpod. Each of these gadgets look incredibly clever and useful on the website, and I am going to look out for them in the future.

Fusionbrands also sells the Poachpod lift, a shaped spoon-like tool for safely lifting the Poachpod out of the boiling water.

~~What do they look like? ~~

The pack includes two Poachpods; one a dark green and one a light green which fit neatly inside each other for storage. They are soft silicone cups, with a wavy edge which rises in three places at the lip, having a diameter of 7cm and a depth of 6cm. The depth of these pods means that one egg will be well below the level of the lip, sitting easily low down in the pod. Each of these three raised lips has a hole, for storage and dishwashing. They are fairly large but can be cupped easily in the palm.

They are tough (heat-resistant to 357ºC) and they are microwave and dishwasher safe

~~How do I use them? ~~

To avoid the pod tipping over, they should be used with in shallow boiling water, with a lid that can be place on top of the pan to speed up the cooking process. Carefully crack the eggs and tip them into the oiled Poachpod, being careful not to tip the pod over. Then lower the pod into the boiling water. I found that this was a fairly tricky manoeuvre. I had to turn the heat right down to avoid being burnt by the steam and splashes of boiling water. Lowering the pod into the water is a bit scary and it is difficult not to panic an drop the pod. The technique can be acquired after a few uses, but I did scald myself a few times and also allowed water to enter the pod due to not putting it down levelly.

The instructions tell me to cover the pan and boil for 4 to 6 minutes. I left my eggs for 6 minutes as I like them fairly firm.

Removing the pods from the water without letting water inside is just as difficult as placing them in the water. There is a choice of two techniques; the fast dive - grabbing the raised edges firmly and quickly with both hands; or the fork fiddle - trying to hook the prongs of two forks into the holes of the raised edges and removing the pod.

Neither method is ideal. I have also tried using a large spoon for both putting the pod into the water and taking it out, but this is better for placing the pod than removing it, as you collect a large amount of boiling water in the spoon as you remove the pod, which is then deposited over your other food.

~~What are the results? ~~

Once the pods are removed from the water, the eggs can easily be slipped out and onto a plate. The results are fantastic! Perfectly formed little flying saucers, soft and golden in the middle with beautifully cooked whites all around. Symmetrical and perfect, they make all the scalding worthwhile.

~~How do I clean them? ~~

I find that there is no egg residue left on the pods if I oil them properly before use. I do this by dripping a tiny drop of sunflower oil inside, and sweeping it around the pod with a finger.

I initially tried putting my Poachpods in the dishwasher. As they are fairly light, they can be swept away by the water unless I attach them securely, so I use two of the holes in the side and hook them over the longer prongs for safety. I recommend that you put them on the top shelf of the dishwasher, as they do become detached from the prongs and I have found them resting on the bottom of the dishwasher. Although this has not damaged them, I have found that resting on the heating element stains them, leaving a brown mark on the plastic that cannot be removed.

I prefer to handwash them after use. Handwashing is a very quick process, as the pods are never dirty. It is only necessary to wash away the oil residue but they take a little while to dry and I usually have to pat them dry with a tea towel. I find that handwashing gives a better result.

~~What else can they be used for? ~~

The obvious use for these two silicone pods is to march around the house, shoving them up your jumper and pretending that they are breast implants - which the whole family did as soon as I bought them home. My two sons also invented an interesting game, whereby they pushed the pod down on the work surface and took bets as to which one would pop back up first.

More sensibly, these pods can be used for cooking flan, frittata, cakes or other baked goods. I have not felt any temptation to cook a frittata or flan, but if I did, the instructions are exactly the same as for poached eggs; fill the oiled pod with favourite batter and cook as directed.

I imagine that these instructions are designed at non-Brits, but I would be interested to hear if anybody has successfully cooked a frittata in the pod.

~~Conclusion~~

This is a fantastic idea and a great design. The Poachpods themselves are a simple but good quality product which make absolutely perfect poached eggs. The results are far better than the old fashioned metal egg poachers that I have used in the past, and much neater and more attractive than just dumping an egg into boiling water.

The difficulties I experience with putting them into the water and getting them out could easily be remedied by buying the special tool, and I may well invest in this one day.