There’s a stunning amount of discussion and video footage out there about the best way to crack an egg—including strong opinions over the two most common methods: bowl versus counter.
The Best Surface For Cracking an Egg Is Another Egg
Tap two eggs together—a classic restaurant trick—and only one of them will break. Plus, you can make a game of it and try to find a “super-egg.”
By Published July 28, 2022.
Some sources claim that the counter’s flat surface is less likely to rupture the yolk; others argue that the edge of a bowl produces a cleaner break. We’ve weighed in, too, and—perhaps not surprisingly—found that there are pros and cons either way.
But there is another egg-cracking method long used by restaurant chefs that just might be the most effective, reliable—and surprising: egg on egg.
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How (and Why) to Crack an Egg With Another Egg
To do it, hold the eggs upright and gently, but with intention, tap one against the other. (The goal is not to smash both eggs to smithereens.)
Inevitably, only one of them will crack because there will always be one egg whose shell is slightly stronger or weaker than the other. The break will be a clean divot right in the center of the egg, making it easy for you to work your thumbs into the opening, and the interior membrane should keep the shell fragments in place, so relatively few (if any) bits fall with the egg when it drops into the bowl.
The only drawback? When you’re down to the last egg, you’ll have to crack it on something else.
Can You Find a Super-Egg?
Fancy a little competition? After identifying the strong egg in a pair, keep using that egg as the “cracking station” and see how many rounds it can survive. My current super-egg record is 19! Can you beat me?
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