# The Eggstractor: has our civilization really come to this? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 17, 2004, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819 "2004-03-17T07:16:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/21 "2004-03-17T15:37:06Z")
The one that gets to me is the automatic cheese grater. You hold the cheese to the grater, and it moves itself. C’mon - move your hand! Susan ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/22 "2004-03-17T15:47:37Z")
I think my favorite has to be the one that helps you make “healthy” doughnuts. Cause man, I’d make my own doughnuts all the time, if only they were “healthy!” ---
**Author:** ![Bangiadore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@Bangiadore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bangiadore)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/23 "2004-03-17T15:49:42Z")
There’s nothing the Eggstractor can do that a five-pound sledgehammer can’t – and the sledgehammer isn’t a one-use space-taker-upper. I have a Perfect Pancake maker. Everyone on my block does. Larry from across the street makes his living hauling trash, and he found a whole dumpster full of 'em last fall, so everybody got one. I don’t know if anybody’s ever used theirs, though…hold on, I’ll check. ::::exits, whistling theme from ‘The Andy Griffith Show’:::: ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/24 "2004-03-17T15:50:40Z")
I was thinking about getting an Eggstractor, not because I’m lazy. The thing with hard boiled eggs is the fresher they are, the harder they are to peel. Try it. Take some eggs you just bought, boil them then try to peel them - you’ll be lucky to get the shell off easily, no matter which cooking method you use. Try it again with some eggs that have been sitting in the fridge for a week - the old ones will peel easily. I do Atkins and HB eggs are a staple. I don’t always have week-old eggs sitting around, sometimes I must use fresh. I hate having to pick pieces of the shell off, and the eggs often come apart while trying to peel them, when they are fresh. I get aggrevated and end up throwing them out if too much comes off with the shell, so the Eggstractor could save me some money. I have a lot of kitchen gadgets, I bought a sideboard to store them all. I fit my GF grill, crock pot, blender, stick blender, water boiler and ice crusher in there. I love gadgets to make my life easier. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/25 "2004-03-17T16:27:11Z")
Boscibo, try it under a gentle stream of lukewarm tap water. I’m curious to know whether it works as well for others as it does for me. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/26 "2004-03-17T16:32:00Z")
> [@Earthling](#): > > You do that?!? I thought I was the only one, judging by the strange looks people give me when they see me pop a whole egg into my mouth. > > Anyway, looking at its [instructions for use](http://www.smartinventions.com/Egginfo.asp) – especially the troubleshooting section at the bottom – I get the impression that peeling an egg with this thing really isn’t any easier than the traditional method… Are you guys serious? Sounds like a great way to choke to death some day. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/27 "2004-03-17T17:04:32Z")
Now potential criminals won’t be disuaded from their crimes by the prospect of first having to peel all 50 hard-boiled eggs. Thanks Eggstractor, because of you no parking meter is now safe. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/28 "2004-03-17T17:51:33Z")
Those 50 eggs were supposed to be peeled first? Why didn’t anyone tell me sooner? Now I’m MAD, not to mention sick! ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/29 "2004-03-17T18:04:47Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Are you guys serious? Sounds like a great way to choke to death some day. Well, I do chew before I swallow. **Boscibo** , c’mon, take a look at the instructions website. With all those caveats, precautions, and specific steps to follow, my feeling now is that the Eggstractor actually makes the task more difficult. BTW, it happens that I just bought some eggs last night (no telling how long they’ve been sitting in the store, I’ll grant you), boiled one up, dropped it in a glass of cold water, and peeled the shell off with no problems. > [@Jenaroph](#): > > Are you tired of the amazing difficulty and effort it takes to get those eggs perfectly scrambled every time? Do you throw up your hands in exasperation as you clumsily slop your partially scrambled raw eggs all over the counter, floor, clothing and family members? Here’s an easy way to scramble eggs: crack them into a wide-mouth jar, close the lid, and shake! shake! shake! As James Bond would say, “shaken, not stirred.” Who needs Ron Popeil? ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/30 "2004-03-17T18:06:53Z")
> [@Libertarian](#): > > Boscibo, try it under a gentle stream of lukewarm tap water. I’m curious to know whether it works as well for others as it does for me. I’m willing to try anything, so I boiled some eggs and tried peeling them under lukewarm water. My results [can be seen here.](http://home.comcast.net/~pattis_garden2/eggs.jpg) These eggs were very fresh. I am holding off on the Eggstractor until I have heard if they can handle fresh eggs. I know the badly peeled eggs still taste the same, but if I happen to get a little piece of shell still stuck to the egg, that totally grosses me out. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/31 "2004-03-17T18:21:58Z")
Well…I actually _own_ two of the colander pots. They are very handy. The perforations only cover about a third of the lid, and it doesn’t seem to affect the boiling times or heat retention of the pot measurably. The key advantage in using them is that you have one less item to clean afetrwards. Anyone who is too uncoordinated to pour pasta into a colander is too uncoordinated to cook, but one less item to wash is one less item to wash. 😃 Scrambled eggs take salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tobasco Sauce. Hot dogs are irrelevant to the issue, **MsRobyn.** As for shelling hard-boiled eggs, I use a little device that clips on to the kitchen faucet. It pierces the egg shell, and sends a stream of water into the shell to separate it from the egg. Works like a charm, and saves a ton of time and effort when you are trying to make 2 dozen devilled eggs for a party, which seems to be the only time I make hard-boiled eggs lately. ---
**Author:** ![TaxGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TaxGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TaxGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/32 "2004-03-17T18:53:32Z")
> [@Kiger](#): > > I love those commercials. I love the people in them who can’t drain pasta or peel an egg without a special device - my favorite is the woman who throws up her hands after the collander fails to catch her poorly aimed spaghetti and dumps it down the drain. I’m sure glad they pointed out what a complicated device the collander is and saved me some heartache. I also like the Perfect Pancake. The mind boggles at how long it would take to make a stack of pancakes using that thing. I couldn’t agree more. The lady trying to flip pancakes in the Perfect Pancake commercial always cracks my shit up. I think I could flip a pancake better with a spatula shoved up my ass then she can with her right hand. ---
**Author:** ![Kiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiger)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/33 "2004-03-17T19:19:37Z")
> [@TaxGuy](#): > > I couldn’t agree more. The lady trying to flip pancakes in the Perfect Pancake commercial always cracks my shit up. I think I could flip a pancake better with a spatula shoved up my ass then she can with her right hand. Great now someone is going to create the Ass Spatula - LEAVES BOTH HANDS FREE! …and **Boscibo** will buy it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/34 "2004-03-17T19:48:03Z")
> [@Kiger](#): > > Great now someone is going to create the Ass Spatula - LEAVES BOTH HANDS FREE! I can’t WAIT to see the commercial for this one :eek: ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/35 "2004-03-17T20:15:49Z")
> [@Boscibo](#): > > I’m willing to try anything, so I boiled some eggs and tried peeling them under lukewarm water. My results [can be seen here.](http://home.comcast.net/~pattis_garden2/eggs.jpg) Quite obviously, that plate is your problem. 😃 I don’t think I could get anything done right with something like that in the room with me. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/36 "2004-03-17T20:32:23Z")
Per Bridget Jones’s Mom, hawking these in the mall: “Whoops, mind the overspray!” ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Norse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/big_norse/32/9954_2.png) [@Big\_Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Norse)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/37 "2004-03-17T20:56:47Z")
> [@Boscibo](#): > > I’m willing to try anything, so I boiled some eggs and tried peeling them under lukewarm water. My results [can be seen here.](http://home.comcast.net/~pattis_garden2/eggs.jpg) These eggs were very fresh. I am holding off on the Eggstractor until I have heard if they can handle fresh eggs. I know the badly peeled eggs still taste the same, but if I happen to get a little piece of shell still stuck to the egg, that totally grosses me out. I sure you just love more and more advice, but instead of lukewarm water, try cold water. If you read the Eggstractor instructions, you have to keep the eggs in icewater for 10 minutes, so I’m sure it’ll help with hand peeling. And reading the small print of the Eggstractor instructions: > [@](#): > > Also, please be aware that because the innerlining of the egg sticks more to the shell, fresh eggs are generally harder to peel regardless how you peel. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/38 "2004-03-17T21:01:12Z")
I find that I can easily peel even a fresh egg under a gentle stream of lukewarm tap water. I’ve also been told that I may listen to the radio at a reasonable volume. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/39 "2004-03-17T22:21:21Z")
Thank you, **Libertarian** , at least your mom taught you properly too. When I saw that commercial, my first thought was, “What for? Peeling hard boiled eggs is easy!” Really - under a stream of cold water. (I always use cold, not lukewarm. Works for me.) No eggshells cling to the egg and the shell comes off really easily. Didn’t your mothers teach you properly? Snicks ---
**Author:** ![AveDementia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@AveDementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AveDementia)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819/40 "2004-03-17T22:32:09Z")
Well, I can’t speak for anyone else, but my mother taught me not to be wasteful with water. When I’m done boiling eggs, I empty the hot water out of the pan and fill it with cold water, then I use that water to rinse the eggs as I’m peeling them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eggstractor-has-our-civilization-really-come-to-this/234819.md?page=3)