Appliance and method for cooking eggs and other foodstuffs

A cooking appliance, comprising:

• a base;
• a heater basin mounted above the base and comprising a floor and a side wall that form a cavity configured to hold water, the side wall having a perimeter edge;
• a heating element mounted beneath the floor of the heater basin and configured to be connected to a power source, the heater basin including internal dams that separate the heater basin into first, second and third sections;
• an egg cup unit comprising a main panel and at least first and second cups depending from the main panel, the first and third sections of the heater basing located beneath the first and second cups, the main panel having a perimeter edge, the at least first and second cups having a floor that contacts the floor of the heater basin;
• and
• a lid mounted on the base and configured to cover the egg cup unit;
• wherein the perimeter edge of the egg cup unit rests on but is not fixed to the perimeter edge of the heater basin, the interaction of the perimeter edge of the egg cup unit and the perimeter edge of the heater basin configured to impede flow of steam generated by boiling water in the cavity of the heater basin.