How to Crack an Egg

Have you ever seen a Chef crack open an egg with one hand?

Or separate an egg in a matter of seconds? Well, it’s not quite as hard as it looks. Here are a few methods on cracking, separating, and looking like a bad*ss in the kitchen.

 

First, a few notes on eggs…

Not all eggs are the same. Some are big, some are small, some are brown, and some are white. The point is that different eggs crack in different ways. Some have thick shells that split open easily, while others have soft and weak shells that will crumble in your hand. Despite shell or size differences, you can still master cracking and separating eggs!

When cracking or separating eggs, always have a few bowls around. For separating, we recommend using 3 bowls: 1 for yolks, 1 for whites, and 1 for shells. If you’re simply cracking, then 2 bowls will suffice.

 

 

Cracking:

Most people crack open an egg on the side of a mixing bowl. This method pretty much guarantees you will get a bit of shell in the mix.  A much better and safer approach is to tap the egg with some force (not too much!) on a kitchen counter. You’ll hear a crack and should notice the shells starting to break apart. Place your two thumbs on opposite sides of the crack, and gently pull apart the shells.

Like we said, you may occasionally get a few shell fragments in your egg mixture. That’s ok — we have some baking hacks on how to get them out (read here).

If you feel like being a show-off in the kitchen, you can use the one-handed approach. That’s how all chefs demonstrate their fancy skills. It’s tricky, but grab the egg in your palm. Crack the fattest part of the egg on a countertop with force, then separate your hand as if it’s a claw. You’ll want to continue to hold the egg with the bottom of your fingers and palm, but the tips of your fingers will do the work. Slowly rip apart one side with your thumb, and the other with your other four fingers. Pro tip: practice alone before you start showing off to your friends, you don’t want to covered in yolk while surrounded by your best buds.

 

Separating Method #1: Crack Egg Open, Separate Yolk Using The Shell

Break the egg in half along its widest part (where it’s the fattest). Hold both halves broken side up. One of them should have egg white and yolk, and the other only egg white. Empty the egg whites without yolk into a bowl. Slide the yolk from the other half-shell into the emptied shell, taking with it as small an amount of egg white as possible. Pay attention to the yolk and try not to pierce it at the jagged shell edges. Repeat until there is no longer any separable egg white remaining. Don’t fret – it’s OK to have a tiny amount of whites with the yolks. We won’t tell.

Separating Method #2: Use Your Hands to Separate Egg Whites from Yolks

Break the egg in half into a clean hand over a bowl. Hold your fingers a little bit apart and let the white slip through, leaving the yolk in your hand. Place yolk in another bowl.