I am a minimalist when it comes to eggs. I prefer them plain, seasoned with a little salt and pepper, maybe a bit of cheese, rather than gussied up in an omelet, frittata or quiche.

Simple preparations can be tricky, though. Many people I know can’t soft-boil an egg, much less poach one without the help of a special appliance.

It doesn’t help that there are many ways to approach each preparation. As a frequent consumer of eggs, I’ve come up with this guide to the best and easiest ways to deliver an egg to the table:

Hard-boiled: Place eggs into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a rolling boil, then turn off the heat. Cover and let the eggs sit for at least 10 minutes. I find this method results in fewer cracked eggs than simmering them or adding the eggs to already-boiling water.

Note: Color a full pot of eggs by adding food coloring to the cooking water, plus a teaspoon or so of vinegar to help set the color.

Soft-boiled: Fill a pot with water a half-inch deep. Bring to a boil, then carefully lower eggs into the water. Cover, reduce heat to medium (or medium-low, whatever it takes to maintain a low simmer) and cook 6 minutes. Run eggs under cold water to stop the cooking and make peeling easier.

This method works for any number of eggs in any size pot, although you might need to adjust the time slightly to your stove and depending on just how soft you like your yolks.

Scrambled: Break eggs into a bowl and add milk, cream or half-and-half, about a tablespoon per egg. Beat with a fork or whisk — gently if you like dense eggs; vigorously to add more air if you like a lighter scramble.

Set a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add a teaspoon of butter or vegetable oil to the skillet (or for a lighter scramble, use cooking oil spray). When the pan is hot, pour in the eggs. Gently stir and fold to get large, soft curds; stir more rapidly and constantly for smaller, drier curds. Reduce the heat if the eggs are cooking too fast. They shouldn’t brown.

Sunny side up: Grease a skillet well with oil or butter and heat on high. Carefully crack an egg into the pan (or if you’re afraid you’ll break the yolk, crack it into a dish first). If the whites spread too much, push them with a spatula to make a cohesive shape. Reduce heat to medium and cover the pan (a glass cover is best so you can see what’s going on). Leave it alone for about 6 minutes, or until the whites are set, which you can determine by prodding the egg a little with your spatula.

Loosen the egg with the spatula, then lift the pan and slide the egg onto a plate. This also works with multiple eggs, although they’ll probably run together.

Over easy: This is the trickiest preparation because of the danger of breaking the yolk when you turn the egg. A very thin spatula makes this easier, and it also helps if you grease the spatula (spray it with cooking oil). Make sure your skillet is very well lubricated.

Follow the previous directions for a sunny-side-up egg, but leave the pan uncovered. When the whites are almost set but still partly clear, loosen the egg all around, using the spatula. Run the spatula under the egg, gently lift and turn it over.

Cook briefly, then slide the egg to a plate. Until your skill level improves, it’s best to do this one egg at a time.

For over medium, let the egg cook longer on the second side; for over hard, let it cook until the yolk is no longer runny. Or break the yolk and let it pool under the whites and cook through.

Baked: This less common technique is great for preparing several eggs at once: Grease the cups of a muffin tin and break an egg into each one. Season with salt and pepper or other spices. Sprinkle with cheese if you like. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your oven and how soft you like your eggs.

To make just one egg, use a custard cup or ramekin and a toaster oven.

Poached: I accept that it is possible to drop an egg into boiling water and, with a combination of luck and skill, poach it beautifully. But I don’t have the patience to learn that technique, so I trust in my silicone egg-poaching cups.

Grease the cups well, break an egg into each and lower into a pot of simmering water, about a half-inch deep. Cover for about 5 minutes, lift the cover carefully (tilt it so it doesn’t drip condensation onto your eggs). Turn off the heat, and when the steam subsides, grab the sides of the cups and lift them out.

Get the cups for $8 to $10 for a set of four to six on amazon.com.

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