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.
