While living in Fort Lee New Jersey, Abel Sharlow invented a new and useful vessel for cooking eggs. The United States Patent Office issued Abel a patent (47,228) on April 11, 1865. At that time, the most common method for cooking eggs was to immerse them in boiling water, which requires some attention to the time they are boiled to ensure they are properly cooked.
Abel’s invention consisted of a vessel with a perforated disk or strainer on which the eggs would rest. Below this disk was space to hold water. The vessel had a hinged lid with a small hole in the center. Finally, a small measuring cup could be attached to the vessel for convenience. This cup was graduated and more or less water could be used to regulate the degree to which the eggs were cooked – soft, medium, or hard.
The operator would fill the vessel with eggs, fill the measuring cup, pour the water into the vessel, and place it on a fire. The steam generated by the boiling water would pass over the eggs and out the hole in the lid of the vessel. When steam was no longer seen the eggs were done.
Interestingly, devices of this type are still sold today. Performing a search for “egg boiler” will reveal a wide array of devices that use this exact approach to cooking eggs.
The drawing and patent application for Abel Sharlow’s invention can be found here: Abel Sharlow Egg Boiler, Patent 47,228.