The Brilliant Egg Cracking Hack You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner
Tired of finding shell in your eggs, or wiping down your yolky counters? This hack will help you crack an egg perfectly every single time!
Every Food Network-addicted amateur cook knows the complicated feelings that arise when you see a Michelin-starred chef pick up an egg. You know they’re going to do it: the trick you’ve tried (and failed) to do so many times… The fancy one-handed egg-crack.
Maybe your hands just aren’t big enough. Maybe they’re too big. Maybe chefs use more crackable eggs… Whether or not any of those factors come into play, it turns out anyone can learn how to crack an egg perfectly with the help of one simple hack.
Most egg cracking tricks just don’t work
Some people are proponents of the flat surface for optimum cracking, such as the kitchen counter, but we find this just splinters the eggshell and often doesn’t crack it enough. Others prefer to use an edge, such as the side of a pan or bowl; the hard edge acts like a knife to which the eggshell must yield. This can work, but it’s unlikely to be neat—you have to apply the right amount of pressure, and to have sufficient hand-eye coordination to ensure you apply that pressure to the centre of the egg. Too hard, and the egg shatters into a yolky mess. Too soft, and it doesn’t crack enough, leaving you tapping your egg cautiously on the side.
How to crack an egg perfectly every time
This time, you’re just going to drop the egg straight into the pan. Don’t believe us? Take a look at the video below.
@nelliesfreerangeLook ma, no shell! 🍳•The #e#ggcrackchallenge works best with our #f#reerangeeggs because of their strong, thick shells. #l#ifehack #n#elliesfreerange♬ Pump Up The Jam – The Hit Crew
A perfect egg crack—and clean hands as well. It’s worth noting, as Nellie’s Free Range eggs does, that eggs from free-range (not just cage-free) hens have stronger shells due to the hens being able to express natural behaviour and consume enough grit to make nice, strong shells. More robust shells are more likely to crack perfectly, as shown in the video. Of course, if you can afford it you should be buying free- or pasture-raised eggs anyway, as raising hens in these ways allow them to lead happier, healthier lives (and make better eggs).
So now you know how to crack eggs like a pro. We bet the Michelin-starred chefs don’t know this trick! Next, find out how to store eggs the right way for optimal freshness.
