There are so many different ways to cook eggs [1], but one of the best has to be boiling them. Soft- and hard-boiled eggs are great on their own for breakfast [2], as a topping for avocado toast [3], or in a salad [4]. If you've ever wondered about the perfect amount of cooking time to get your desired runny or hard egg, this guide should help.

Here's the easiest way to hard-boil eggs [5]: place eggs in a pot and cover with an inch or two of cold water, bring to a rolling boil, and then turn off the heat and set the pot aside, covering with a lid. From there, you can let the eggs cook for various amounts of time to give the yolk different consistencies. Keep reading to see photos of every level of doneness, from a runny three-minute egg to a fully cooked 11-minute egg. What's your preference?

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11 Minutes