Hi DJ, sorry I missed this. Tabasco is a cool idea. Along those lines, how about some yuzu kosho https://norecipes.com/yuzu-kosho-yuzu-chili-paste/? Or maybe some furikake for a little extra texture https://norecipes.com/furikake-seasoning/?

In reply to Marc Matsumoto.

P.S. It's hard to resist using Tabasco or shichimi togarashi in lieu of the dashi sauce on occasion. I tend to reach for one of those red bottles for my morning eggs to wake me up, and the dashi sauce when I'm going for more serious presentation. Scallions/green onions/spring onions are really a huge boost: color, texture, contrasting flavor. Any other garnishes you might recommend to add a little variety (since I'm eating 4-6 a day!)? Nori flakes? A few minuscule pieces of anchovy? Diced kimchi?

Hi DJ, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this so much! My sous vide machine is from almost a decade ago, but I still use it regularly mainly for making onsen tamago😆

No, the cold water bath is to prevent carry over cooking. Since the sous vide method cooks the egg at exactly the right temperature there's no risk of going over that temperature.

Using the sous vide method, is is still necessary to put into a cold water bath afterwards?

Holy cow! I can't believe I nailed this on the first try (Made 12 eggs in 12 hours they were so good). I used the sous vide method, and I'm not sure I could have done it with the other methods nearly as neatly with my amateur skills. Of note, I have a pretty cheap sous vide model (Russell Hobbs with a heavy ceramic insert, no thermal circulation per se) but have zero complaints. Thanks a million, Marc. Those little details you highlight make all the difference... I think I'm going to leave my sous vide on all day from now on just for these!

You're welcome! Glad to hear you were able to get it to work in a thermos. 200°F might be a little hot (even after accounting for the temperature drop from the eggs), so if the eggs turned out firmer than expected you might want to lower the water temperature a bit with tap water.

Marc, thanks for showing these different methods and explaining the science behind onsen tamago! I’ve wanted to try them at home but haven’t gotten around to it. I combined the pot and rice cooker methods to adapt this for a small thermos jar instead. I used my electric kettle which has preset temperatures to start at 200, added two eggs, and let it set for 25 minutes. For a first try this worked out remarkably well! I will definitely experiment with this idea again 🙂