Egg Coddlers from Royal Worcester

Egg coddlers have been made in Worcester since the 1880's, however there is no record of when they were invented or who was the first to manufacture them. The first known Worcester coddlers were made at Grainger's China Works in the 1880's. They were made of earthenware, fired at a very high temperature. They were sold plain white or decorated with a single coloured, printed pattern such as Willow or printed birds. Very early coddlers have a flat cover without the ring handle.
Royal Worcester purchased the Grainger factory in 1889 and eventually closed down the Grainger works in 1902, moving all staff and production to the present Severn Street site. Royal Worcester continued to make coddlers, Worcester Willow and Pekin being the most popular designs. From 1910 until 1928 Egg Coddlers are recorded in the Royal Worcester factory ledgers as 'Premier Egg Cups'.

In 1931, a new material, Fireproof Cooking Porcelain was used to make coddlers and other Oven -to tableware items. This true hard porcelain was developed by Royal Worcester to resist thermal shock

What is an Egg Coddler?

An egg coddler is a porcelain or pottery cup with a lid that is used to prepare a dish called, appropriately enough, coddled eggs. Coddled eggs are very much like poached eggs, except that the egg is cooked inside the coddler. The egg(s) are broken into the buttered coddler, and seasonings are added, if desired. The coddler is then closed with the lid and partially immersed in boiling water for a few minutes. When the eggs are cooked to the desired firmness, the coddler is lifted from the boiling water, the lid removed, and breakfast is served.

Ham and Eggs Recipe from Royal Worcester

Butter - ¼ teaspoon
One egg
Cooked ham - ½ oz (15g)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Butter the inside of the coddler and the inside of the metal lid. (You can use a brush for this. You can also use margarine, or a non-caloric non-stick spray such as Pam if you are trying to cut out the butter).
Cut the ham into fine strips and line the inside of the coddler with the ham strips.
Break the egg into the coddler, season with salt and pepper. (If you have bad luck breaking eggs without the shells, break the egg into a small bowl, inspect for shells, then pour the broken egg into the coddler).
Screw on the lid and stand the coddler in a pan of boiling water, taking care that the water level only reaches halfway up the porcelain body.
Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.
Remove the coddler from the water using the end of a fork/spoon through the lifting ring. Alternatively, you could lift using oven mitts or other heat-proof gloves.
Set the coddler on a towel, or trivet ... not on a cold heat-conductive surface, such as a counter top. Using a towel and holding the lid by the rim, not by the lifting ring, twist the lid to loosen it.
Serve at the table in the coddler.

Safety Notes
During cooking, the egg coddler should not be totally submerged in boiling water. Stand the egg coddler in a pan of boiling water taking care that the water level only reaches halfway up the body of the coddler.

Egg coddlers should not be used in a microwave oven.

Egg coddlers should not be exposed to an open flame, nor placed directly on the burner of an electric range.

Food Safety Note. Eating undercooked eggs poses an increased risk of contracting a food-borne illness, such as Salmonella poisoning. Children, the elderly, and anyone with a depressed immune system, are at high risk. Please cook your eggs according to your own tastes, but keep in mind your health risks as well. Also, be sure to avoid allowing cooked foods to come into contact with surfaces or utensils that have been used to handle raw food.