A soft-boiled egg served in an egg cup is a traditional British breakfast.  

Why won’t Americans embrace egg cups? You’ve surely delighted in a perfectly jammy ramen egg or an oozing sunny side up egg with bacon? So why, then, is there a lack of soft-boiled eggs for breakfast in America?  

The British have got this right. Alongside tea, egg cups are a breakfast tradition and a staple in every household across the pond. Egg cups are the little dishes that soft-boiled eggs are served in. They keep the egg upright to maintain its form. When you cut the top of the egg off while it's positioned in an egg cup, you end up with the perfect yolky dipping bowl for toast.

There's something wonderful about the runny yolk, and every last morsel having to be mopped up with slices of golden toast cut into long fingers. (Those slices of toast are colloquially called "soldiers," and they are even better if they’re topped with Marmite). Scoff all you want at the sheer Britishness of it but really, how are soft-boiled eggs different than the holy grail of brunches; poached eggs? You get a perfectly cooked white, an oozy yolk, and no extra calories. 

And given you can snag egg cups for under $20, maybe it’s worth broadening your breakfast horizons? Allow me to show you the dark side.

First up is a no-frills, no-fuss plain stainless steel eggcup . The kind you buy when you’re unsure whether or not they really deserve a place in your kitchen. Basic, but functional. So you can keep all your focus on the eggs, you know?  

If form is just as important as function to you, then let it be known that eggcups can indeed be stylish. A set of 4 porcelain polka dot eggcups for $17 is one choice, and you can typically find them in all kinds of dainty hand-painted styles or modern designs to fit your interior décor and kitchen style.  

Then of course, there’s novelty ones. This kids sloth eggcup might make things easier for the smaller members of the family to join in the soft boiled eggs trend, but fun stuff isn’t just for kids. I’m a fan of these sumo eggcups but you can get all kinds of things: chickens (predictably), bunnies, cartoon characters, you name it.   

And finally, for those with the delicate hands. It has to be noted that you do need to cut the top off soft boiled eggs, usually by banging on the side with a knife and then sawing through. If the eggs are hot, this can be (ever so mildly) annoying. Never fear: If you want truly minimal effort or an option which really does require only one hand, you’re going to love the eggcup and cracker combo to save you from cutting off the top with a knife.

I’ll make one concession: Hard boiled eggs can still go in your salads. But let soft boiled ones take over from the scramble now and again. Go on, give it a try!