If you’re short on time, you can place whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes to bring them to room temperature quickly. [3] X Research source If you only need egg whites for your recipe, separate the eggs while they’re still cold. The white and yolk will separate easier before they warm up to room temperature.
You can also crack the egg into your opened hand. Keep the yolk in the palm of your hand while letting the whites slide through your fingertips into the bowls. Use a small bowl to catch your egg whites, then transfer them to your larger mixing bowl. That way, you can help prevent any yolk from getting into the rest of your ingredients.
Soft peaks are those just starting to hold their shape. If you stop whisking and turn your whisk upside down, the peaks will hold for a second before melting back into themselves. [4] X Research source Some recipes ask you to whip the whites to a soft peak stage before adding other ingredients, like sugar. Firm, or medium, peaks hold their shape longer than soft peaks, but they gradually lose their form, and their peaks flop over. [5] X Research source Stiff peaks stand firm when the whisk is turned upside down. The egg white mixture will be stiff and heavy at this stage. [6] X Research source Recipes for meringues require you to whisk or beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Chefs prefer copper bowls, because tiny amounts of copper ions combine with the egg whites and help make the egg whites more stable. Additionally, it is difficult to overbeat eggs in a copper bowl. [8] X Research source Copper bowls are expensive, so home chefs typically use glass or stainless-steel bowls.
Whisks with at least eight sturdy, flexible wires are best for whipping egg whites. [10] X Research source
You can also try using a figure-eight motion in this step. [11] X Research source Keep your egg whites moving constantly and occasionally lift the whisk to incorporate even more air into them.
The addition of cream of tartar is not necessary if you are using a copper bowl.
As you continue to whip more air into your egg whites, you should reach maximum volume for them in 12–18 minutes. [13] X Research source Whisking whites by hand to a stiff peak stage requires tremendous arm strength and much time. It will take several minutes to achieve stiff peaks when whisking by hand.
Handheld electric mixers are less expensive than stand mixers, and they are easier to store. Stand mixers offer the advantage of keeping your hands free to do other jobs in the kitchen while your eggs are being beaten. Use the whisk attachment with your stand mixer.
Add a pinch of cream of tartar at the foamy stage to help stabilize the whites.
Since handheld mixers are not as powerful as stand mixers, you may have to use the high speed to achieve the consistency required by your recipe. If using a stand mixer, which is quite powerful, do not go above the medium-high speed. Your mixture will have more stable, smaller bubbles if you don’t use the highest speed on your stand mixer.
Over-whipped whites look dry and curdled or grainy and clumpy. The structure of the whites will break down, and liquid will then weep out of the mixture. You can try to salvage overbeaten egg whites by beating in another egg white. This may help the mixture recover its structure. Otherwise, throw everything out and start again.
If you use a hand mixer, be sure to circulate it through the mixture while beating to achieve the proper loft. [17] X Research source
Batters that aren’t whisked long enough to attain the ribbon stage will result in dense, rubbery cakes. [20] X Research source
