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Egg Cracking Showdown: Bowl vs. Counter

By Lan Lam Published

It might be time to revisit your cracking technique.

Most cooks crack eggs the way we learned growing up, without ever thinking about it. But—especially as holiday baking presents the prospect of cracking dozens—what better time than right now to take a close look at the two common methods? Breaking the shell on the rim of a mixing bowl, or cracking it against the flat surface of a countertop: Is one of them better? Let’s look at the benefits, and drawbacks, of each.

Choose Your Egg-Cracking Style

Bowl Counter

PROS

More control: The shell usually breaks along the equator.

 

Cleaner break: The rim of the bowl is more likely to tear the shell’s membrane, making it easier to separate the two halves.

Bigger shards: The countertop spreads the impact over a larger area, so the shell is crushed more gently into larger pieces. These are less prone to separating from the membrane and falling into the egg; any that do are easy to fish out. 

CONS

Smaller shards: The bowl’s narrow edge provides more force at impact, shattering the shell into smaller shards that can be harder to fish out if they fall into the egg and can also possibly puncture the yolk.

Less control: Using a large, flat surface to crack means that the break is more likely to occur in multiple places.

 

An incomplete break: Often, the egg’s membrane stays intact, requiring you to break it by hand.

Article Our Favorite Holiday Cookies

Over the last 25 years we've developed a lot of cookie recipes. Here are 10 of the cookies we—and many of our readers—love the most.

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Holiday Eggnog

Recipe Holiday Eggnog

A custard base provides well-rounded, creamy flavor, and a technique that combines the milk and eggs in several stages yields an ultrasmooth texture.

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Recipe Omelet with Cheddar and Chives

Rolling sunny, tender eggs around a tidy filling doesn't require much more skill or time than a hearty scramble—but the result is much more polished and satisfying.

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JC
JOHN C.
16 days

Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!

Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.

MD
MILES D.
JOHN C.
9 days

Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!

CM
CHARLES M.
11 days

John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.