Sounds a bit like a dance move, right? But properly whipped cream or eggs can make you the life of the party in a different way. Knowing the difference between soft, medium, and stiff peaks is helpful for homemade whipped cream (lightly sweetened, it’s a nearly perfect dessert on its own) and whipped egg whites make for lighter batters for quick breads and baked goods such as the aforementioned pavlova, waffles, and pancakes.

A couple of things to know about whipping: Cold heavy cream whips faster, but eggs whip better at room temperature. A little sugar helps both by creating more air bubbles to puncture the fat and add air to the mixture. Use a clean bowl and a big whisk (or hand mixer) to give yourself plenty of space for whisking. Soft peaks will form first and you can test for this by pulling out the whisk and seeing what the tip of the whisked blend does. If it slumps back onto itself immediately, you’ve got soft peaks. Medium peaks make a cute little curl at the top of the whisk while stiff peaks should stick straight up.