The Egg-Cracking Method You Better Leave At The Kitchen Door

If you're just learning your way around the kitchen, cracking eggs can seem like a pretty intimidating task. Something that seems so fragile when dropped or rattled in the carton apparently gains the exterior strength of a four-foot thick panic room door when you actually want the shell to crack. You might even be tempted to call in the big guns — a sharp-edged utensil that you can bang against the egg to break it open.

But we're begging you: Don't use a knife to crack your eggs. While it does work (if you must, do it while holding the egg in your palm and swiping at the middle with the knife) there are a few reasons why you shouldn't. First, you're more likely to end up with tiny shell shards in your egg, which can make for an uncomfortably grainy bite. And second, you'll end up dirtying an extra utensil, which if you're not careful with it, can potentially spread salmonella to otherwise clean parts of your kitchen. Luckily, there's a much better way to open everyone's favorite nutritious breakfast option.

The gold standard for egg-cracking is to do it against a flat surface, rather than a sharp rim. This method is cleaner and neater, meaning you're less likely to end up with shell shards in your egg or disrupt the yolk (which is especially important if you're making dippy eggs). Cracking an egg against the edge of a bowl or pan can also lead to egg whites dribbling down the side, which again, increases the chances of contamination in your cooking space and can burn onto the pan when it's heated. 

So, to crack an egg against a flat surface, like a countertop, bring it down with a small amount of force so that the counter hits the middle, rounded part of the shell. (You'll likely have to practice to find what level of strength and speed works best for your arm, which is a great excuse to cook sunny side up eggs all week for breakfast.) Once cracked, hold the egg over the bowl or pan, and use both thumbs to peel open the shell and let the yolk and whites slide out. This technique is also a great way to check if your eggs are still good as, rather than cracking them directly into a bowl with other ingredients, you can smell the contents of the shell before you add the egg to your dish.