Just in case you don’t know how to separate the yolk from the white, this is a quick tutorial.  No special tools are necessary, but be sure to have two separate bowls if you want to save both parts.  If you only need the yolk or the white, you can pour the other one down the disposal.

Gently crack your egg, and slowly open it over a bowl. Be careful to let the white fall into the bowl while using the shell to keep the yolk from going with it, and watch that no pieces of shell fall in. Dump the yolk back and forth between the halves of shell, allowing more of the white to go into the bowl. Then put the yolk in a separate bowl.

That’s it!  

If you’re going to whip the whites for a meringue, be sure to put them in a very clean glass or metal bowl.  Don’t put them in a plastic bowl because residual oils in plastic will prevent them from setting up.  Speaking from sad experience, it’s really frustrating!

You might even want to wipe the glass or metal bowl with vinegar, then rinse and dry it before you begin.