The Best Egg Separator

Buying Guide

If you need to separate an egg’s yolk from its white for a recipe, the process can get messy and frustrating if you try to do it by hand. While you can use other tools like a funnel or turkey baster, a specialized egg separator best suits the task and may help you with cracking your egg more cleanly too. This type of kitchen tool comes in various styles that all accomplish the same task of catching the egg yolk, but they differ in ease of use and portability.

The classic type of egg separator looks like a long spoon with a spiral receptacle and a long handle that often has a rubber grip. You can attach this separator to the side of a bowl or use it by hand. You simply empty the egg’s contents into the receptacle, and it catches the yolk and drains the egg white into the bowl below. This type of egg separator usually is made of metal for durability and easy cleaning.

If you’d like something more portable, you can find plastic and metal egg separators that are much smaller and attach to the side of a bowl. These don’t have the spiral design but instead have slots or holes in the receptacle to let the egg white drain out. Some of these tools are multifunctional in that they have a surface for cracking eggs and a place to catch pieces of shell.

Another egg separator option is a standalone tool that has an attached container to catch the filtered egg white. These are convenient when you want to separate multiple eggs at a time and then add the whites or yolks to the bowl with the rest of your ingredients. They’re often made of plastic or stainless steel.

If you’d prefer an egg separator that can look especially stylish in your kitchen, you could get one that resembles a small pot and often takes the shape of an animal or character. Often made of ceramic or plastic, these separators involve pouring the egg’s contents into the top and then tipping the pot so that only the egg white pours out through an opening.

Lastly, you can consider squeezable egg separators made of silicone. These are generally small and simple to use and take the form of fun shapes. You’d first empty the egg’s contents into a bowl. You can then squeeze the separator, let it suck up the yolk and then squeeze it again to release the yolk into the desired container. 

• If you plan to cook with others or just want an extra in case one gets lost, you might want to buy a few egg separators. Some of them come in packs for convenience.
• Before using any eggs, make sure that you follow some important food safety guidelines. These include ensuring that you’ve stored the eggs properly and checked that they haven’t expired. If the eggs look unusual or have cracks, just toss them and buy new ones. Also, wash your hands before you handle any eggs.
• Only crack an egg on a clean, hard surface such as the side of the bowl. Be careful not to break the yolk or end up with shell pieces in the bowl. If you want something that cracks the egg for you, consider buying an egg cracking tool. You can also choose an egg separator with a suitable surface for cracking eggs and a place for catching shell pieces.
• If you buy an egg separator that attaches to a bowl, you usually don’t have to worry about it not fitting. However, consider options with long handles for stability with large bowls.
• Take your time separating eggs with your tool so that you don’t experience any messes.
• If you buy a metal egg separator, look for aluminum or stainless steel to avoid issues with rusting. You should also make sure to dry off metal egg separators after you use and wash them.
• Ceramic egg separators are fragile, so they may chip or shatter. Keep them somewhere safe and be careful if you allow little ones to help with using them.
• Make sure that you properly sanitize your egg separator since eggs can have bacteria that present dangers. While metal, silicone and plastic egg separators can usually go in the dishwasher, you may need to wash ceramic separators by hand. Make sure you remove any leftover egg from the separator’s crevices.
• Be careful with the sharp edges that metal egg separators may have.