Since I now have a dependable source of totally fresh, organic, first-quality local eggs worthy of soft boiling, I’m looking to acquire an egg topper. I see from the Google that there are basically two serious styles: (a) a toothed scissors; and (b) a dome-shaped “clacker”. I want to buy the best and be done with it, not have a discard cluttering my other clutter.
Which is best, and why? Bonus points for answers from Onions who’ve tried both.
Mahalo,
Kaleo
Never used one, but I love soft boiled eggs. Are you saying some eggs lend themselves to boiling more than others? Tell me more. 
The domed "clacker"for me. Mine is Rosle, I think. The scissor type may cut into the yolk, if it is off-center, causing a messy drip. The clacker makes a clean cut, and the top usually comes off along with the dome as you life it away. If not, a little nudge with the tip of a spoon will pop it off.
I’d say that which eggs, and how best to cook them, is a Cooking topic, not Cookware.
I shall ask over there. Thanks
Toothed scissors … probably because I grew up with this kind.
I haven’t encountered any problems, but I’ve also had years of practice.
I’ve had the toothed scissor kind for at least twenty years. I think it’s perfect.
I can never make either kind work consistently. I just use a sharp serrated steak knife and tap tap tap a line across the top of the egg and then insert that knife to lift off the lid. That being said, my husband is the executive chef of a large catering company. When they have those soft boiled eggs with caviar and such on top, they use the clacker kind. He swears by them and they often do hundreds at time.
Thanks. Fantes has a pro model that is $40, but the “home” one is $30, so I think I’ll get the heavier one.
NB: Fantes sells both types, and they recommend the clacker style.
I use the back of a knife, either a utility or a slicer.
I have a ‘clacker’ and am pretty much in love with it except for one thing. Depending, I think, upon the shell thickness/hardness (something that varies a lot more than I’d imagined) the cut it makes can be clean or rather broken. Broken means there are very small pieces of cracked shell along the line formed by the dome which means care is necessary.
My solution is to use a very thin knife i insert by pressing slightly along the crack with two fingers to open it up enough to slip in the knife edge. I then move the knife along the crack opening to 'cut away the top portion. I’ve tried just using the done itself to pry the egg open but have found that to not work very well.
Seems like a lot of extra work to my wife, who has always just used the edge of a spoon to crack in the area on the egg. Neither of us has ever used the scissor discussed here. I eat enough soft boiled eggs to look into it though.
This is really helpfu, thank you.
Aloha,
Kaleo
