The Coffee Gadget Martha Stewart Uses For Perfect Scrambled Eggs

For Martha Stewart, there are many ways to make scrambled eggs, each technique achieving the desired outcome of that perfectly fluffy, custardy, smooth consistency. Whether she's serving them in their shells with caviar, mixing them with fresh herbs or smoked salmon, or cooking them in clarified butter to seal the deal, Stewart's always got a little trick up her sleeve when it comes to a good scramble.

One of those tricks is a surprising technique she picked up from talented New York chef Jody Williams, which Stewart has been using for years to make her own breakfasts at home. It involves all the usual suspects — eggs, butter, salt, pepper — and one unexpected kitchen gadget to bring it all together: an espresso machine.

Essentially steaming the eggs using the milk frother of her cappuccino machine, the cooking guru swears by this method to achieve the softest, creamiest scrambled eggs (though Alton Brown has a different scientific hack for creamy eggs). Something about eggs in an espresso machine just seems wrong. But for Martha Stewart, it's so right.

There's just one small part of the espresso machine that you need to make what Martha Stewart calls "scrambled eggs à la cappuccino machine" — the steam wand. It turns out that the little metal nozzle that steams and froths your milk is also perfect for steaming your eggs into a fluffy, creamy, impossibly soft scramble.

To make these steamed eggs, simply whisk your eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper, and then add about a teaspoon and a half of butter (plop it in small solid chunks, and it'll melt into the eggs once steamed). Pour the scrambled mixture into a heat-proof mug, jug, or pitcher, and directly insert the steam wand from the espresso machine, releasing the steam to "froth" the eggs. Move your eggs up, down, and around to cook evenly until the eggs are just set.

As Stewart shows us, the method couldn't be easier — and on top of that, the whole process takes under a minute and doesn't even require a pan or spatula. There you have it: soft, buttery, fluffy, lightning-fast scrambled eggs, à la cappuccino machine.

Using an espresso machine to make scrambled eggs may seem a little out there, but there are a surprising number of ways to cook delicious scrambled eggs that go beyond the traditional stovetop method. So next time you find yourself without a stove, or you just feel like changing it up, try one of these techniques for your morning scramble.

First, there's always the microwave. Simply beat your eggs with a splash of milk or cream and add them to a microwave-safe dish, then nuke them for 90 seconds (giving them a stir every 30 seconds to prevent explosions). Or if you'd rather go with the oven, you can pour your scrambled eggs (about two dozen, so this is great for bulk cooking) into a casserole dish with some melted butter and bake at 350°F for ten minutes, then give them a stir and bake for another ten. 

But like the cappuccino machine, there are other ways to get creative by using the kitchen appliances at your disposal. For example, you can use your rice cooker to make soft, fluffy scrambled eggs — just spray the inside of the machine with some cooking spray and set your egg-salt-pepper-milk mixture to COOK (covered) for three or four minutes. Of course, there is also always the traditional way to make perfect scrambled eggs.