Best Kitchen Timers

[judiu]

I purchased a timer with a probe thermometer, count down and up feature, and a very audible beep for under $20.00 at Target, of all places! It even came with an extra battery. I love the darn thing and even use it when I have a load of laundry in our communal washer and dryer here at my condo. It ain't elegant, but for the price, who cares? (It, by the way, is going on three years old, and so far, I haven't used the second battery.)

[alanamoana]

clicky

only has one timer, but also works as thermometer, and has the count-up feature...for ten bucks, can't really beat it.

[Richard Kilgore]

My Polder timer/thermometer is on its last legs, so I'll be interested in the results here, though I think I'm committed to a unit with thermometer probe, which radically limits my choices.

←

I ordered the Maverick ET-7 Remote Cooking Thermometer with two probes from Amazon for $36.99. Time & temp for two items. 100 foot range. They will replace probes that go bad for free, and a check of their website shows that heavier duty, high heat , longer probes are available, too. Just got it in, but have not used it yet. I'll report on how this performs after I have had some experience with it.

I also found that my old thriple timer needed a battery. Duh. Although, in my own defense, I thought that I had replaced it a few months ago. It is still not as loud as I would like, but okay for timing some things such as coffee and tea brew times.

Edited June 17, 2007 by Richard Kilgore (log)

[LindaK]

Just in time for holiday baking, my kitchen timer has died. My previous timer did not have a multiple time-keeping feature nor the "count down" feature that Fat Guy mentions up-topic--both would be nice but are not deal breakers for me. I've looked in a few local stores and all I see is the OXO. The choices on Amazon are overwhelming. Any updated recommendations?

An added bonus would be something nicely designed. I will admit that I bought my previous timer because it was elegant. The fact that it functioned well for 10 years was a nice surprise. Hey, I have to look at it every day, why not?

[andiesenji]

I have the combo thermometer timers made by Thermoworks

Click here

I have had the Maverick that did not function correctly, and the replacement broke.

I have been using the Thermoworks timers for three or four years and have never had a problem.

I have three - I use one just for the oven and the others are for timing whatever I need.

As they are magnetic, you can stick them on or near whatever you are timing or set them on the counter.

The price is right too.

[snowangel]

I finally found a timer that fit my bill -- it's an Acurite -- from Walmart. The big thing I was looking for, as I noted up-topic, was one that started to count down when it went off so if I missed the buzz, I'd know by how much I missed the mark. Magnet on the back. Nice, big easy to read numbers. It's small, so doesn't have the number buttons (so you have to keep your finger on minute or second to advance the time), but it does the count-down trick. Best of all -- $2.99 and it takes standard batteries.

[Katie Meadow]

It's doubtful anything can beat a $2.99 price. I have a simple little TM8 timer made by CDN. CDN makes dozens of timers, and they are available on Amazon. It is small, and you do have to hold the buttons, but it has three buttons for time: hr, minute and second, so at least you never have to hold beyond 59 (and it is very fast.) It has a clock feature, a memory feature, counts up after the buzzer goes off, a magnet on the back, and uses standard batteries. Cost is around $12. It is not elegant, but for a little plastic object it tolerates abuse, like being dropped on a tile floor.

I do see the value of multiple timing, but timers with that feature have always confused the hell out of me, plus they usually use weird batteries. In my experience anything made by Polder is more annoying than it's worth.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

As I once again have a working pressure cooker, I have a need for a kitchen timer. I bought a Presto timer which was dead on arrival. The Polder mentioned previously does not appeal to me because of the shape. Several of the links in this thread no longer work. I would like a timer with more than 99 minutes range. Easy to set and easy to see are important. And, yes, functionality comes first, but aesthetics do matter.

Anyone have current timer suggestions, since it's been a while since this thread was last active?

[Martin Fisher]

This is what I have....

Chef's Quad-Time Professional


It works great.

[scubadoo97]

I've been using my phone and a free app called sous chef which has like 6 count down timers

[JoNorvelleWalker]

This is what I have....

Chef's Quad-Time Professional

It works great.

Is it true, as one reviewer said, that after 30 minutes it can only be set in 5 minute increments?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I've been using my phone and a free app called sous chef which has like 6 count down timers

My phone was built by Western Electric, then part of AT&T, in the 1970's. Not many apps for it.

[ojisan]

As I once again have a working pressure cooker, I have a need for a kitchen timer. I bought a Presto timer which was dead on arrival. The Polder mentioned previously does not appeal to me because of the shape. Several of the links in this thread no longer work. I would like a timer with more than 99 minutes range. Easy to set and easy to see are important. And, yes, functionality comes first, but aesthetics do matter.

Anyone have current timer suggestions, since it's been a while since this thread was last active?

The specs on this Thermoworks timer looks very good:

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/timers/timestick.html#Specifications

[Martin Fisher]

This is what I have....

Chef's Quad-Time Professional

It works great.

Is it true, as one reviewer said, that after 30 minutes it can only be set in 5 minute increments?

Yes, that is correct but it's never been an issue because I find that I very rarely have to set it at anything other than 5 minute intervals beyond 30 minutes.

On the rare occasion that I need to set it at something like 48 minutes, I set it at 45 minutes and when the time is up, the timer will count up from zero at the point the alarm goes off- so in this case - you're done after the additional 3 minutes.

No big deal.

Edited October 11, 2013 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

As I once again have a working pressure cooker, I have a need for a kitchen timer. I bought a Presto timer which was dead on arrival. The Polder mentioned previously does not appeal to me because of the shape. Several of the links in this thread no longer work. I would like a timer with more than 99 minutes range. Easy to set and easy to see are important. And, yes, functionality comes first, but aesthetics do matter.

Anyone have current timer suggestions, since it's been a while since this thread was last active?

The specs on this Thermoworks timer looks very good:

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/timers/timestick.html#Specifications

Unfortunately I am not enamored of the long shape, which is similar to the Polder.

[judiu]

This is what I have.... Chef's Quad-Time Professional It works great.

Is it true, as one reviewer said, that after 30 minutes it can only be set in 5 minute increments?

Yes, that is correct but it's never been an issue because I find that I very rarely have to set it at anything other than 5 minute intervals beyond 30 minutes.On the rare occasion that I need to set it at something like 48 minutes, I set it at 45 minutes and when the time is up, the timer will count up from zero at the point the alarm goes off- so in this case - you're done after the additional 3 minutes.No big deal.

Yeah, but then you have to stand over the timer to watch for 3 minutes! I love my timer from Target (no brand name that I remember) that can be set minute by minute fo up to 23 hours and 59 mins, and then starts counting up, and has a probe thermometer on a cable as well as a temp. setting to go off when the food reaches the target temp. and all for about $10.00 a few years ago. HTH!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Here is the product that I ordered:

Thomas 4-Channel Alarm Timer

I just hope it works better than the Presto.

[lindag]

I have two of the Polder's and I like them a lot EXCEPT that they are unbelievably LOUD.

I'm thinking I need to get the Chef's Quad Time.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Having had the Thomas timer for a few days I am happy with it. For one thing it works. I like the looks and the shape. Since there are four timers with recall, it will remember four frequently used times. Alarm is loud but not too loud. Only negative, the digits are if anything too large. In less than good light the bezel casts a shadow that makes the top row of the digits hard to see, more so from an angle. In bright kitchen light this should not be a problem.

[blue_dolphin]

Here is the product that I ordered:

Thomas 4-Channel Alarm Timer

I just hope it works better than the Presto.

Having had the Thomas timer for a few days I am happy with it. For one thing it works. I like the looks and the shape. Since there are four timers with recall, it will remember four frequently used times. Alarm is loud but not too loud. Only negative, the digits are if anything too large. In less than good light the bezel casts a shadow that makes the top row of the digits hard to see, more so from an angle. In bright kitchen light this should not be a problem.

I concur. This was my workhorse lab timer for many years. I often had all 4 timer channels running and appreciated both the recall and count-up functions . I have not tried the Thomas-branded version - most of the scientific supply houses sell this timer under their own brand. Some units have the display visibility issues common to LCD units, not a problem unless there are specific positioning requirements. It is a bit annoying that the Amazon price is about 30% above what I would pay for one of these at work but I think it's still worthwhile.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Amazon sells the same timer in a different color from a different company for much less. I think part of what one is paying for in the Thomas timer is the signed calibration certificate traceable to NIST. You may object that NIST traceability is not always required for a kitchen timer, however I kind of like the color.