The Egg Skelter: efficient storage solution or fun gimmick?

So you've got your own chickens, and now you have more eggs than you know what to do with. How do you store those eggs?

Storing chicken eggs the haphazard way.

It's what happens when you have chickens – you get lots of eggs.

Here's how I stored mine when I first had my girls. I only had six hens but I hadn't thought through what I would do with all those eggs. 

Even giving a lot away to friends, this what what ended up in my fridge after just a week. (At that point I didn't realise that I didn't need to store eggs in the fridge).

I ended up with a heap of eggs but no way of knowing which were the oldest. I just had to take pot luck. 

Not very efficient.

Enter the Egg Skelter!

The Egg Skelter is an ingenious invention, originally made by a husband in Devon, England, who couldn't think what else to buy his wife as a Christmas present.

She loved it so much that he made a few to sell privately to friends and family. It sold out in a matter of days.

Since then, tens of thousands of Egg Skelters have been made by the same family business in the same rural part of England.

It's now sold all over the world.

The original version was made of powder-coated steel, which is both light and very strong. 

The Toplife version is made from a general "metal".

It  holds up to 24 medium to large sized chicken eggs (there is also a bantam version). The idea is you put each egg on starting at the bottom, in the order they're laid. 

Older eggs are therefore always at the bottom so you have no doubt which to use first.

Genius!

What do other people think?

As well as having used this daily for over twelve years, I've read more or less all the reviews of the Egg Skelter.

Strangely, a lot of them don't focus on the quality of the Egg Skelter but on how well the eggs do or don't roll.  

There's one important thing to remember here: this is not a toy! It's a way of storing eggs!

• Some reviews say the eggs smash if you let them roll. Well, clearly, if you let eggs bang into each other that does tend to happen!

• Others say theirs don't roll at all. I've found with my own that because they tend to be different sizes (and sometimes weird shapes) they don't always roll. 

• Is this a big deal? No! Just help them along with a gentle tap, or even pick them up and put them in position. It takes seconds.

• Store bought eggs, because they're often from caged birds whose size and shape is much more uniform, do (I have found) roll well. But I prefer my girls' multi-coloured, multi-shaped eggs.

• So, as long as you buy this with a view to storing your eggs efficiently rather than using it as a toy, I think you'll be as delighted as I am.

Positives.

• The larger size holds up to 24 medium to large chicken eggs.

• There's now also a smaller version for bantam eggs.

• You know exactly which eggs need to be used first.

• Light and easy to handle (even when it's full!).

• Cleans very easily - just wipe down with a damp cloth from time to time.
  

• Extremely well made: paint doesn't scratch off and joints are almost invisible.

• Range of colours means it will fit in most kitchen schemes.

• It just looks good!
  

Things about the Egg Skelter that don't quite work.

• Be sensible. Don't try to play "helter skelter" with it. Your eggs may smash!

• Eggs won't necessarily roll by themselves – they'll need a bit of help.

• It's not cheap. I think it's worth it, particularly as a gift. It's far more well made than other, less expensive versions.
  

• If you want to keep your eggs in a fridge this is not the right storage solution for you because it's too big. (But why would you? See this article for information about the best way to store eggs).

• The biggest issue for me? It's not big enough! My girls lay very regularly and, even though we give a lot away to friends and neighbours, we don't have enough room on the Skelter.

How to solve that problem? 

Simple. I bought another one!

My Golden Egg award.

I will only ever recommend goods I either already have myself, or wish I had. I always award any product I review between one and five 'Golden Eggs'.

So how many does the Skelter deserve?

I'm giving it a great big well deserved...

Five Golden Eggs!

More about eggs!

Want more information about eggs and how to make them the best? No problem! Click on these links.