EZ Cracker: An Example of Bad Design

When people think of a task that they want to be made easier, cracking eggs may not be the first thing to come to mind. Sure, some people might not be comfortable with cracking them correctly or may be unwilling to get eggwhites splashed on their skin and clothing. Of any of the contraptions in the market for cracking eggs, though, the EZ Cracker is definitely not the tool to go with.

The tool consists of a claw and two plastic handles with two rings on both sides. You place the egg in the rings and when you squeeze the handles, the claw cracks the egg, allowing the yolk and whites to drop down. It even comes with a little contraption that catches the yolk as it falls, allowing you to separate it from the whites. It sounds pretty unique, which it is, but it also has it pitfalls. It cracks eggs very inconsistently; one egg will crack split down the center cleanly, whereas another egg can have bits of shell in it afterwards. In addition to that, it is not dishwasher safe so good luck cleaning the egg out of the thing after you use it. Same thing goes for separating egg yolks and peeling hardboiled eggs. Plus, it is just so much more efficient to crack your own eggs with your hands than to get the egg, place it into the tool, crack them, then take out the shells. If given the choice, I would purchase this as a gag gift than an actual kitchen implement.