Buzz
Cracking an egg is an essential skill in the kitchen. It's necessary for preparing everything from a basic scrambled egg to more complicated dishes. By using a flat surface, you can easily break an egg and pour it into a bowl.
Steps
Crack an egg
Hold the egg in your dominant hand. It's best to use your dominant hand when cracking an egg. Hold the egg firmly in your hand, making sure the egg's horizontal axis is parallel to the countertop. The grip doesn't need to be perfect, just hold it comfortably.
Tap the egg on a flat surface. Avoid cracking the egg against the edge of a bowl or plate, as the shell may shatter and fall into the bowl. Instead, tap the long side of the egg against a hard surface a few times. The kitchen counter will work fine too.
Look for a dent on the egg. Flip the egg to examine the crack you've just made. You'll notice a crack running along the shell with a small dent near the middle of the crack.
Separate the two halves of the shell. Press your thumb gently into the dent on the egg while the other fingers hold the rest of the egg. Hold the egg over the bowl and carefully separate the shell so the egg contents fall into the bowl.
Crack two eggs simultaneously
Hold one egg in each hand. If you’re comfortable using your non-dominant hand, you can crack two eggs at once. Hold one egg in each hand. Grip them in whatever way feels most natural, but remember to place your pinky and ring finger at the base of each egg.
- You may need to adjust how you hold the two eggs slightly to avoid interfering with the cracking process.
Crack both eggs with your hands. Crack the eggs on a flat, hard surface like a kitchen countertop. Simply tap them a few times, and the shell will crack slightly. You can break both eggs at the same time.
Separate the eggshell. Hold both eggs above a bowl. Secure the egg by pinching it with your index finger and pinky at the bottom, then use the other fingers to break the shell so that the yolk and egg whites fall into the bowl.
- This technique requires practice, as cracking eggs with one hand is challenging. You may want to try cracking several eggs in this manner.
Fixing issues
Use your dominant hand for most of the egg cracking process. Unless you intend to crack two eggs at once, you should always use your dominant hand. It's much easier and more natural to perform tasks with your dominant hand.
Remove any egg shell fragments. Even with perfect technique, sometimes bits of eggshell can fall into the egg whites or yolk. To handle this, wet your finger and dip it into the yolk or whites. The water will naturally attract and pull the shell fragments out.
"You can even use half an eggshell to scoop out any small shell fragments."
Vanna Tran
Experienced Chef
Experienced Chef
Avoid cracking eggs directly into a bowl's rim. Never crack an egg directly against the edge of a bowl or plate. While this may seem like a common method, it's not ideal as it often causes the eggshell to shatter into smaller pieces.
