[Marika (OP)]

Chris asks:

When separating egg yolks and whites, to avoid damaging the yolk, should I crack the egg on its underside against the bowl or from above with a knife?  Or in other words, do egg yolks float or sink inside the egg?
 
What do you think?
 

[RjMaan]

I think you should simply crack it form the upper side with spoon and then carefully separate the York and white.

[Adam Murphy]

I'm not sure if the egg yolk is denser or not, but if I remember rightly there are two little filaments which hold the egg yolk in place within the egg. Sometimes you see them when you crack an egg, the little white stringy bits.

[Colin2B]

The way I use is to tap the egg sharply on the side of a bowl at the eggs widest part, just enough to break the shell. Then I put both thumbs into the crack and ease the halves apart tipping the wide end down to hold the yolk.
I was told that cool eggs - straight from fridge - are less likely to break the yolk.

[alancalverd]

Best to use an egg separator - a small metal dish with annular gaps. The yolk sits neatly in the cup at the bottom and the white flows through the gaps. Chef's advice is to separate one egg at a time into a cup then transfer the white to your mixing bowl, because whilst the first dozen will separate perfectly,the fifteenth will split and ruin the entire meringue.

[diogenesNY]

Be careful, Marika!

You don't want to inadvertently start a war.

diogenesNY

[rami999]

simply crack it in the middle gently and split it