Multi-preset kitchen timer recommendation?
February 12, 2013 10:03 AM   Subscribe

Can you recommend a kitchen timer with adjustable volume, pleasant alarm sounds, multiple simultaneous timers, and multiple presets?

My preferred way to time standard tasks in the kitchen (my tea steeping, eggs boiling) has been to use the Widgets on my Mac - I can set multiple timers and use custom tones for each one. (In fact, my favorite widget announces "Your tea is ready" using the built-in speech synthesizer.)

However, my Mac is far away from the kitchen, and sometimes I forget to turn up the volume, so I don't hear the alarm.

Is there a good device that

* can withstand being in the kitchen (so won't be destroyed by a spill)
* can track multiple tasks at once
* has preset times for common tasks
* has a pleasant alarm sound (ideally even different sounds for each timer)
* is loud enough to hear but not loud enough to make me jump?

I've looked at various options, but they all seem to have drawbacks I'd prefer to avoid:

* many digital kitchen timers are ridiculously loud and have annoying-sounding alarms
* these cube timers seem cool but I don't know what their alarms sound like, they aren't flexible (you're limited to the handful of preset times), and you can't set more than one at a time (unless you buy two or three cubes, I suppose)
* wind-'em-up egg timers seem imprecise and potentially too loud

Is there any way I can get multiple widget-like presettable timers in a kitchen-proof device that costs less than buying 4 iPods?

Thanks!
posted by kristi to Home & Garden (3 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
There are tons of iPhone or iPod touch apps that offer multiple alarms. I like Yocto Clock, myself. A ziplock sandwich bag makes it pretty darn kitchen-proof.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:07 AM on February 12, 2013


Best answer: I've got this digital timer (link to Amazon.de) with four different timers in one. The alarm is one to four beeps, and it doesn't have any preset times, but it will remember the times you set. For example, I've got it set up so that the first timer is preset to 3 min (black tea), the second to 6 minutes (rooibos tea), the third to 12 minutes (pizza), and the fourth one is usually empty. The alarm is loud, but not too loud, and while not in use it shows the time. It's also got a magnet, a clothespeg-like attachment and a stand much like a picture-frame on the back, so there are different options for placing it conveniently.

I don't know if it's available in the US, though.
posted by amf at 12:25 PM on February 12, 2013


Best answer: I totally believe in America's Test Kitchen's ratings, and here are the two they recommended without reservations. I haven't used them personally, but they're good at testing things!
posted by mccn at 1:46 PM on February 12, 2013


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