Perhaps you’re jealous of the perfectly round and evenly-cooked eggs you see in restaurants. Perhaps you’re tired of sloppily-cooked eggs that are a pain to get right. Or maybe you’re just looking to complete your kitchen utensil set. You could use egg rings.
Cooking rings, or egg rings, are useful and are utilized in restaurants the world over. And if restaurants use them, you can bet they are the key to making the perfect griddled egg. They make cooking eggs over easy or sunny-side up simple, as well as allowing you to cook multiple foods in the same pan without mixing, messes, or spills.
They’re named ‘egg rings’ but they can be used for quite a few foods on a stove or a smooth grilling surface—pancakes and hash-browns are two common alternative uses. Another is food preparation—as in cutting out cookies or making sliders and smaller hamburger patties with extra ingredients added in. The main draw for using egg rings is the ability to cleanly and tidily divide multiple eggs among different people, or make eggs perfectly sized to go in a biscuit or English muffin.
When you use them, be sure you are using a flat grilling space, as something with a curved lip will lift the egg ring and make it run everywhere. You may find that if you are using a pan with a curved lip, you can only use one or maybe two egg rings on the interior portion that remains flat.
Place some cooking oil in a flat-bottomed frying pan, skillet, or griddle, and rub the egg ring over the oil as it heats. When you pour the egg inside, make sure the temperature is high, as this keeps the egg from running underneath. After around thirty seconds, lower the temperature to let your egg cook more evenly. Then, when you think it is cooked well enough, give the ring a wiggle, and see if it comes loose from the egg at all. If it does, then feel free to remove the ring! Be sure to cook them until the yolk is set, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There are many other uses for cooking rings, however, a complete rundown of recipes and techniques is very much beyond the scope of this article, and certainly this introduction and buyer’s guide.
Getting a non-stick product is important, as they reduce a lot of hassle when cleaning the extra utensils. Otherwise, what might take a minute to quickly scrub a pan after cooking, will turn into scrubbing a variety of objects, taking that annoying bit of extra time. Still, you should always use plenty of cooking oil if only to prevent the egg from sticking to your pan, as well as helping the cooking process along.
Having long handles to keep your fingers away from grease is useful, but having handles that fold or collapse is even better to save on storage space and convenience. As with all cooking products, it’s best to aim for one that is BPA-free (bisphenol A) as this coating can seep into foods, and has been linked to adverse effects in developing children.
The egg ring is a simple product. Most of the differences between them occur in the specific materials and construction, with a large selling point being the aesthetics of the product itself. It’s human nature to want your utensils to match after all, or to at the very least not be garish.
This is a list of the top 5 best products we’ve found in 2020. It will primarily go over key features and impressions of the products themselves.
These cooking rings are made by YumYum Utensils, a more modern company founded recently that has a unique passion for sharing recipes and tips on cooking. As such, when you purchase this item, you may also receive a pair of free e-books: «Silicone Egg Ring Recipes» which, as stated, contain over 50 recipes to use with egg rings; and «How to Use Egg Rings with the YumYum Family» which serves as an instructional booklet on how to best use the product.
As for the product itself, these cooking rings are made with silicone, with a detachable metal handle, meaning that these are the only egg rings on the list that can be used in the microwave if you ever have the need. These are also wider than the average egg ring, coming in at four inches, making them better for pancakes and the like. On the subject of pancakes, the edges are beveled, with the two sides being different sizes—this serves as a marking point for making pancakes, and also doubles as a way to cook different sizes of pancakes or eggs.
These rings are made of FDA approved food-grade silicone which means they are non-stick, and simple to clean.
However, there are a few issues that crop up when considering this product. The product is rather light, and it is easy to jostle them or for the egg to leak out from underneath. Many users find it helpful to use a good deal of oil when cooking and to monitor the temperature to prevent this. This isn’t enough to label it a bad product, but enough has been said on their reviews to make it a point to be mentioned. Still, always remember that having good technique is more important than the brand of utensil. That mostly comes down to personal preference.
And speaking of preference, those consumers who care about aesthetics may find this product lacking in appearance, being made out of plastic. For some kitchen set-ups, this product may not fit in with other utensils. By all means, this isn’t a point against the product’s effectiveness and quality, but something some readers may wish to keep in mind.
Jordigamo has a small number of other offerings, mostly being cooking and griddling sets. This time, they bring an impressive showing in their cooking ring set.
The materials are high-quality, as well as being BPA-free. The size and shape of the product lend itself well to easy cleaning and handling. The actual construction is sturdy, and well-made, to the joy of their reviewers on Amazon. Higher quality materials also allow for better conduction, so your food cooks better as well.
Of all the rings on this list, this is the tallest, which allows for more options and more food in general when cooking.
Note that when compared to other items in this list they are a bit more expensive for what you get—this pack only contains two egg rings, as compared to the four you get with every other product on this list. However, you receive a sturdy product, one that many customers used many times quite happily.
We recommend this product for discerning customers who want a higher quality product and aesthetic, and are willing to pay a bit more.
These egg rings, made by Slomg, are a set of food-grade stainless steel cast in a variety of unique and fun shapes—with teddy bears, elephants, hearts, stars and more.
One of the biggest draws is the quantity, for this set, you receive 8 for the same price you might pay for four. This is more than enough for a large family, and with a sizable pan, it can let parents get breakfast out of the way quickly.
As for construction, they’re made with food-grade stainless steel material that’s FDA & LFGB approved. Dishwasher safe, and easy to use and clean, being made with pure stainless steel means they carry no mildew or odor. The handle folds down for easy stacking and storage and has a plastic cap made with non-BPA materials.
The real draw for these, besides the quantity, is the variety of shapes they offer, making them ideal for those with families and kids to enjoy. Beyond this, these also work very well as cookie cutters, more so than other egg rings on this list. This bumps them up over other rings that might have made an appearance here.
Simple, straightforward, and solid—these are the types of egg rings that you might find in a professional kitchen or a restaurant. These look professional and give a professional and consistent end-result. They’re the second-tallest product on our list and allow for a variety of different foods and uses.
These rings are produced by the company Koicaxy which are more well-known for their electronics and novelty products. Nevertheless, they’ve done a fine job producing these, with a solid and lasting construction.
The complete and solid stainless steel they’re made of grants them a far greater temperature range than other models with silicon and plastic or wooden handles. If you have a recipe that requires the use of an oven, then these might be your best bet.
Keep in mind the handle on these is shorter than other rings on this list, and the metal conducts heat well. If you handle these, be sure to be careful, or cover your hands and fingertips to avoid burns.
This product is produced by HIC—or Harold Import Co.—which has been in business since 1957 and has been producing various culinary products ever since. They offer a variety of brands and utensils, as seen on their Amazon webstore here.
These rings are made from non-stick carbon steel, and coated with a premium PFOA and BPA-free coating. This puts them above other products that are made with either silicone or plain stainless steel. Normally the coating would be an excuse to overcharge and get more money, however, the price is very fair on these, coming out roughly in the middle as far as the rings on our list go.
The handle is long with an easy-to-grab wooden bulb at the end to prevent burns and accidents. The only potential issue with construction is the fact that the handle folds on the inside, with a small gap where the handle rests. However, any standard kitchen scrub brush—or anything with bristles really—will get inside and clean it in a matter of seconds, so this isn’t too much of a concern.
The version we link to is the standard non-stick version. You can also purchase a heart-shaped version of this product, either for special occasions or a bit of fun variety.
It’s important to note, this item is coated, and a few users report paint and covering chipping off after a few months or years worth of use. If you choose this product, be sure to use and clean it properly and keep an eye out.
All in all, there’s no shortage of good products available to help with your cooking—the only trick is deciding which one to get! There’s an egg ring for any style of cooking or preference, and we hope we’ve helped you to figure out what kind of product you wish to buy. Before long, you will have the perfect sunny-side-up egg for your morning breakfast, and be one step closer to mastering your kitchen!
