Cooking hard-boiled eggs isn't difficult and doesn't require special equipment. The key is timing—knowing how long to hard boil eggs makes all the difference. Even an extra 30 seconds can result in rubbery whites and dry and crumbly yolks, while not cooking them for long enough yields inedible results. We spoke to three eggsperts to learn the ideal timing for hard-boiled eggs and the factors that can impact cooking time.

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The size of eggs you're using (medium, large, or jumbo) determines how long to cook them. Most people cook large eggs, which require 10 to 12 minutes, says Lisa Steele, a fifth-generation chicken keeper and author of The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook. "A 12-minute egg is the maximum amount of time I'll do for a (large) hard-boiled egg," she says.

Steele says when cooking a medium- or jumbo-sized egg, decrease or increase the cook time by approximately 1 minute, depending on how firm or jammy you like your yolk. The timing here is for a fully cooked yolk:

Medium eggs: 8 to 10 minutes

Large eggs: 10 to 12 minutes

Extra-large eggs: 12 to 14 minutes

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These factors will affect your hard-boiled egg cook times:

Egg temperature: The times stated above are for eggs taken straight from the refrigerator to the pan. If eggs are already at room temperature, they will cook slightly faster.

Amount of eggs: A large number of eggs in one pan will take slightly longer.

Volume of water: For consistent timing, always use enough water to cover the eggs by about 2 inches but don't fill the pan more than that.

Boiled eggs cook through a process called conductive heating, says Rosemary Trout, the program director and assistant clinical professor of Culinary Arts & Food Science at Drexel University. "The yolk has a lot of fat in it, whereas the white does not, which is one of the reasons why you have a slower coagulation point for yolks," she says. "The fat slows down the cooking process."

This explains why there isn't a huge difference between the texture and firmness of egg whites in soft-boiled and hard-boiled eggs, yet the runniness of the yolk changes from minute to minute.

Now that you know how long to cook hard-boiled eggs, let's talk about the best cooking method:

Start the eggs in cold water: Place eggs in a saucepan and cover them with about an inch of water.

Cover when the water boils: Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. As soon as the water reaches a boil, cover the pot and set a timer for 10 to 12 minutes.

Stop the cooking with an ice bath: Once the eggs are fully cooked, carefully transfer them to an ice bath to instantly stop the cooking process.

If you want to warm them up for serving, place the eggs back in a pot with a little bit of warm water to serve with ramen or toast, says chef, cookbook author, and food personality David Rose.

Yes, hard-boiling eggs fully kills off any bacteria. "From a food safety perspective, you should not consume eggs under 165 degrees Fahrenheit, unless you're using pasteurized eggs," says Trout. Just as with pork or beef, there is some risk associated with consuming undercooked eggs, but we do indulge in a runny yolk on occasion.

To test the temperature of eggs, use a bimetallic stemmed thermometer, like the Thermapen.

The USDA recommends cooking hard-boiled eggs a little longer than our recommended times to ensure there are no lingering foodborne pathogens: Twelve minutes for medium-size eggs, 15 minutes for large eggs, and 18 minutes for extra-large eggs. However, the longer the eggs sit in hot water, the drier they'll taste (even when tossed with mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar for their devilish alter ego).