Pluck Egg Separator |

Testing out the Pluck egg separator.

Separating eggs takes a moderate amount of confidence, but once you have it mastered you don’t need any tools, just your hands and the eggshell. But for those who feel a bit less confident in that arena, a well-designed egg separator is a practical kitchen aid. Invented by Mark Fusco, Pluck is the latest release from the product development company Quirky. It features a clear end nozzle and a white silicone top with a visible seam that I wish could have been avoided in the manufacturing process; the two parts come apart for cleaning. Pluck is easy enough to master: Break an egg into a bowl, then squeeze the white silicone bulb to suck out the yolk from its dear friend albumen (the white) into a clear plastic chamber. When you release the squeeze, the yolk slips out intact and ready to use or discard as needed.

Squeezing the yolk out of the bulb is strangely satisfying.

I gave the Pluck a test-run this morning as I prepared some egg whites for breakfast. I rarely eat yolks anymore, and I usually separate eggs using just the shells. The Pluck greedily sucked up the first egg yolk, but also took a bit of albumen with it. I placed it in a bowl and decided to give it another chance by sucking it up again to see if that last bit of of clear goo would come off, and it did. The second egg was a complete success — the pure golden orb was the only passenger to arrive in the other bowl. So is Pluck a much better solution than other egg separators on the market? I’d say it’s probably just as effective, but way more fun. $12.99 via Quirky.