Crack an egg into a small cup. The cup should be sturdy enough not to break in hot water. The best way to test this is to pour hot water into the cup before using it for this purpose.

Hold the cup by the handle. The poaching water should be barely simmering. This means only small bubbles should break the surface of the water.

Carefully dip the cup into the hot water. Hold the cup there just until the outside of the egg white begins to harden slightly. Slip the egg into the water. This will help hold the egg together during cooking.

Gently stir the water.

With a slotted spoon, remove the poached egg. The best way to check whether the egg is done is to poke gently into the yolk. For soft-poached the yolk should give quite a bit but the white should be firm.

Drain the poached egg well before eating. Alternately, they can be shocked in ice water and reheated in simmering water for use if the eggs are being poached for a later time.