I ruined four eggs in one Sunday morning before my mother-in-law walked into the kitchen and saved me. She did not use vinegar. She did not swirl the water. She pulled out a roll of plastic wrap.

At that point I had tried every poached egg method on the internet. Vinegar made my eggs taste like a salad. The whirlpool technique left me with egg drop soup. The silicone cups stuck to the egg and tore it apart. I was ready to give up on poached eggs entirely.

What you need

Three things. Plastic wrap. A small bowl or ramekin. An egg. That is it.

Line the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to gather up. Crack the egg into the center. Gather the corners of the plastic wrap and twist them together so the egg is sealed inside a little pouch. Tie a knot or use a clip to hold it shut.

Then just drop it in

Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer. Not a rolling boil — you do not want the pouch bouncing around. Drop the pouch into the water and let it cook for about four and a half minutes.

Lift it out with a spoon, cut the twist open with scissors, and slide the egg onto your toast. The white is set, the yolk is runny, and there is zero mess in the pot. No egg threads floating around. No saucepan scrubbing.

Why it beats every other method

The plastic wrap holds the egg in a perfect shape without adding any flavor. You can cook multiple eggs at once — just make separate pouches. You can even season the egg inside the pouch with salt, pepper, or a pinch of herbs before cooking.

I have done four at a time for brunch and they all come out the same. Try doing that with the swirl method.

The one thing to watch

Make sure your plastic wrap is microwave-safe. Most brands are fine at simmering temperature, but cheap off-brand wraps can melt. If you are worried, double-layer the wrap.

Also, do not let the pouch touch the bottom of the pot. It should float freely. If it sinks and sticks, the egg can overcook on one side.

I have made poached eggs this way every weekend for over a year now. The mother-in-law has not let me forget that she taught me. Fair enough.