You will need 3 bowls to ensure there isn’t a trace of yolk in your whites. The first bowl is where you will crack the eggs, the second is for the yolks and the third is for the whites.

Crack the egg on a flat surface to get the most even break and avoid shell fragments. Holding the egg over the first bowl, stick your thumbs in the break and pull the egg apart. Let the yolk sink into one of the shell halves. Now slide the yolk over into the other half. As you do, the whites will fall into the first bowl leaving the egg yolk in the shell. Repeat until there is only yolk in the shell then pour the yolk into the second bowl. If there are only whites in the first bowl (no shell or yolk), empty the whites from the first bowl into the third bowl.

The whites need to be pristine in order to whip correctly. There can be no yolk or fat in them or they will not gain any volume. By using the first bowl as a safety measure, you will not risk getting yolk in the whites! If a yolk does break into the first bowl, discard the white and move on if you intend to whip the whites.