Cracking the mystery of the perfectly boiled egg

The most derogatory description of a cook is to say he or she can't even boil an egg. But as most cooks know, it's not that easy. Now there's a way to solve the egg-cooking problem.

It's a colorful, plastic, egg-shaped gadget called a temperature sensor that sits in the pan with the eggs and water.

As they cook, the timer changes color on three marks - soft, medium, and hard. It's easy to read and works like a charm.

The sensor takes into account the number of eggs, the amount of water, even the altitude at which the eggs are being cooked.

Soft-boiled eggs will be the same every time. Hard-boiled eggs will not be overcooked and will have perfectly colored yolks and a smooth texture.

The new timer makes eggs easy to cook in quantity at Easter, or at picnic time in the summer when eggs are always welcome in sandwiches, as salad garnishes, or to eat whole sprinkled with seasoned herbs, celery salt, and paprika.

Busy or working parents may find it convenient to cook a dozen on the weekend , to store in the refrigerator and use throughout the coming week.

You may also find that the timer will work well with sweet corn on the cob, or other foods that should be carefully timed.

The Eggrite egg timer is manufactured by Wahl Instruments and is available in department stores and kitchen and gift shops, priced under $5. It is also available in French and German as well as English.