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What is an Egg Shell Cutter?

Malcolm Tatum
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Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 10,244
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As a handy way of preparing a soft- or hard-boiled egg for serving, the egg shell cutter makes the job easy and quick. Sometimes referred to as egg shell scissors or an egg snipper, this device is indeed much like a pair of scissors. With two handles and blades that are formed into a circle and feature a row of teeth, it is capable of delicately lopping off the top portion of the egg shell without shattering the entire egg. The cutters are normally made of stainless steel and may come with handles coated in a hard plastic, not unlike sewing shears.

In order to use egg shell cutters, a person should hold the egg in one hand, while running the fingers of the other hand through the holes in the handles. He or she should gently position the blades of the cutter along the top of the egg, but low enough on the shell that an opening large enough to admit a spoon will result. The handles of the egg topper are then gently squeezed until the teeth penetrate the shell. The cutter is then gently pulled upward, and the top portion of the egg shell will come up as well, leaving an opening that will allow the egg to be consumed by dipping a spoon into the remaining body of the shell.

Cleaning and maintenance of the egg shell cutter is relatively easy. Because of the stainless steel construction, the utensil can easily be washed in soapy water or be placed into a dishwasher. It is important to make sure the device dries thoroughly. This will reduce the potential for dulling and rusting of the blades and handles. Sharpening the teeth on the blades can be accomplished with any standard knife sharpener.

There are several excellent versions of the egg shell cutter on the market today, varying only in size and the color of the handles. While a very simple kitchen utensil, it is sometimes hard to find this device in discount retail stores. More often, it can be located in a kitchen boutique and specialty shops dedicated to cooking devices and utensils, such as a restaurant supply store. In spite of the fact that it may take some effort to find one, the utensil is really not very expensive and certainly can be one way to put some fun back into eating a cooked egg.

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Malcolm Tatum
By Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum, a former teleconferencing industry professional, followed his passion for trivia, research, and writing to become a full-time freelance writer. He has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGeek, and his work has also been featured in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and newspapers. When not writing, Malcolm enjoys collecting vinyl records, following minor league baseball, and cycling.

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Discussion Comments
By KoiwiGal — On Jan 19, 2013

@pastanaga - Well, they have actually proved that eggs don't have bad cholesterol. And I can see a restaurant or even a bed and breakfast needing one of these egg shell cutters, particularly if the person making the breakfast is inexperienced or if they have a lot of eggs to go through.

Serving eggs in an egg cup would be a nice touch at such places I think.

Although there might be other uses for an egg shell cutter as well. People who use eggshell in crafts might be able to think of some way to use it, for example.

By pastanaga — On Jan 18, 2013

I don't understand why people feel the need to get gadgets like this. I mean, it's just as easy for people to use a spoon to chop off the top of their egg, even if it's not quite as tidy.

Even egg cups seem quite old fashioned to me now, to tell the truth. I like the idea of them, but in practice they are so fiddly and don't really add anything to eating the egg, except that they keep the process a bit neater.

I'd rather just boil my eggs, shell them and chop them onto a piece of toast. That's my ideal breakfast right there and I don't care if my egg has cholesterol or not.

By irontoenail — On Jan 17, 2013

@anon14426 - I would look on Ebay and Amazon if you're looking for something like that. I can almost guarantee that they will have several different kinds to choose from.

I think that you'd be able to find it at a standard or gourmet kitchenware shop at any mall though. They tend to have all kinds of gadgets. It might not be completely obvious on the shelves, but if you ask the shop assistant, they can help you.

By anon14426 — On Jun 16, 2008

Sooo, other than Williams-Sonoma, where can we get an egg cutter (also for semi-soft eggs?)

thanx - bsl

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum, a former teleconferencing industry professional, followed his passion for trivia, research, and writing...
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