Is this silly egg gadget the secret to a healthier brunch?
Don't judge a bawk by its cover.
Credit:
Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison
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The first time I saw an egg separator, I thought, I would never use one of those in my kitchen. Then I took some time for self reflection: I'd never actually used an egg separator, so how did I know for sure that I didn't need one? What if the gadget was totally worth it? What if it made my life easier?
As a professional chef, I love playing around with kitchen tools, so I decided to nab Amazon's top-rated egg separator—the kooky, bird-shaped Egg Yolky (just $2.99)—and put it to the test. Would it turn out to be a kitchen must-have, or could I live without it?
The Gadget
Using the Egg Yolky Egg Separator - quick, easy, and clean.
There are a couple different egg separator brands out there (including a novelty version called the “Bogeyman” that's designed so the egg whites look like snot coming out of a nose...humorous, but no thanks). We chose the Egg Yolky Egg Separator from MSC International because more than 250 Amazon reviewers gave it the highest rating of any egg separator.
The gadget’s purpose is to catch egg yolks. When you crack the egg into the bowl, the egg yolk stays put while the whites pass through its grates. This particular model looks like a chicken (how cute!) and has “feet” that cling to the edge of the bowl, making it a hands-free device.
The Alternative
Using the eggshell - kinda messy, and with dangerously jagged edges.
Without using a gadget, the most common way to separate an egg is by using the eggshell. After you crack the egg against the countertop, position the cracked egg over a bowl. Remove the top half of the eggshell and allow the whites to spill over the edge. Pass the yolk from one shell half to the other until all the whites have oozed into the bowl.
Alternatively, you can use your hands (which is super common in restaurants, where you have to separate dozens of eggs at a time). After cracking the egg into your hand, jiggle your fingers back and forth until all the whites have strained through your fingers. I find this method easier and faster than the shell method, albeit much messier.
The results
The results - the Egg Yolky on the left gave me cleanly separated yolks, while the eggshell method on the right was messier broke some yolks.
I’m completely surprised that I love the Egg Yolky! First of all, it looks totally adorable clipped on the side of the bowl—a functional feature, but mostly just super cute. More importantly, it did exactly what it was supposed to do and separated all the eggs quickly and easily. While some of the whites did cling to the yolk, they came off with a vigorous shake. And the most important factor: not one yolk broke as I used the device.
When I separated the whites and yolks using the shells, some of the yolks caught on the side of the jagged shell, breaking the yolk into the whites. The finger method kept the yolks more intact, but I made a mess as I used my hands to both crack and separate eggs, trailing egg whites pretty much everywhere.
The winner
I gotta give this one to the gadget! It’s easy to use, was a breeze to clean, and it’s certainly worth the price—a bargain at $3.99 with Prime shipping. The separator worked just as well (if not better) than the all-purpose methods, and its small profile makes it easy to store in your gadget drawer.
At the end of the day, you don't need this gadget to get great results, but it did make separating eggs a little bit easier. I'm pretty egg-static to try my favorite egg-filled baking recipes of cook up an egg white omelet now that I have one of these!