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Eggs have an unhappy tendency to explode when they're cooked in the microwave, unless they're beaten or at least well-perforated first with a toothpick. That's bad news for fans of poached eggs, but glad tidings for omelet lovers. With a microwave omelet maker and a very modest degree of effort, you can whip up a very creditable omelet in just a few minutes. Omelet makers come in two broad styles, the clamshell design and the half-moon design.
Prepare your fillings ahead of time, either in the morning or the night before. Time-consuming fillings should be prepared the night before, whenever possible, to make your morning less stressful.
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Whisk 2 to 4 eggs, depending on your omelet maker's capacity, in a small bowl. Season them lightly with salt and pepper if you wish. Pour the eggs into your omelet maker, dividing them evenly between the two hinged halves.
Microwave your eggs on full power, for about 1 1/2 minutes, with the omelet cooker open. The eggs should only be partially cooked at this stage. Add your choice of fillings, dividing them evenly between the two halves so their cooking time will remain consistent.
Cook the omelet for another minute, still open.
Close the omelet maker and microwave the preparation for another 30 seconds to finish cooking and melt the cheese, if present. Serve immediately.
Whisk 2 or more eggs, depending on the capacity of your omelet maker, and season them lightly with salt and pepper as desired.
Prepare or reheat any meat or vegetable fillings, and place them in the bottom half of the omelet cooker. Scatter shredded cheese or chopped herbs over the sturdy fillings, if desired, then pour in the eggs.
Cook your omelet for 2 minutes at full power, then flip it over and microwave for another 30 seconds.
Open to reveal the omelet and garnish the top with shredded cheese, if you wish. Gently slide it from the cooker to your plate with a fork or nonmetal spatula.
Onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and similar ingredients take time to saute and soften, so they're good candidates for advance preparation. Silicone omelet makers are more heat-resistant than their plastic counterparts, and are sometimes capable of microwave-cooking their own fillings if desired. This simplifies cleanup but still requires extra time, so making up your fillings in advance still offers some advantages.
Clamshell-type omelet makers vary slightly in size, and those with a larger diameter might require shorter cooking times because the eggs will be spread more thinly. The same holds true for 2-egg omelets, which are both thinner and lower in volume and will therefore cook more quickly.
Half-moon-style cookers using 3 eggs or more will require longer cooking times. This style of cooker is more compact than clamshell designs, and it's possible to cook two omelets simultaneously in even a compact microwave. Double the cooking time for each step.
For a lighter, fluffier omelet, whisk a tablespoon of milk or water with the eggs. For a richer omelet, use 1 or 2 tablespoons of cream. The liquids will also soften your omelet's texture slightly, a benefit with microwave omelet makers.
Don't oil or spray your omelet maker unless you're specifically told to do so in the user's guide. Oils become very hot in the microwave, and can melt otherwise safe plastic cookware.
Handle the hot microwave omelet maker with care, to prevent burns. This is especially important when opening it after cooking, as the steam that escapes from the cooker can be painfully hot.
