Mechanical timer for short durations?

May 10, 2020 9:45 AM

Most kitchen mechanical timers seem to be for an hour, making it hard to precisely set for, say, 3 minutes. Do you know of a good mechanical (aka wind-up) timer that is good for short durations?

I'm also OK with electronic timers that ring once in a non-annoying way, but my experience has been that electronic timers make a frantic beeping noise that often goes on until you push a button.

I do want *some* audio alarm so an hourglass-style timer isn't useful.

posted by splitpeasoup to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

You can make your phone‘s alarm anything you want it to be.
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:48 AM on May 10, 2020 [6 favorites]

I know what you mean about the nonstop beeping noise from digital timers. A single "ding" is much nicer. If you google "dial kitchen timer" is the type of timer you see in the results the type you find hard to set for a time like 3 minutes? They have marks for each minute. They're not as precise as a digital timer but would be good enough for me.
posted by Redstart at 10:02 AM on May 10, 2020

this style is most common and generally works fine if you don’t drop it very often. The trick for many 60 min windup kitchen timers is to turn it all the way to 60, then back to the amount of time you want, perhaps this has been the issue previously?
There are many magnetic digital timers on the market and I have never used one that didn’t die within a month, but that could be a price point issue.
posted by zinful at 10:03 AM on May 10, 2020 [3 favorites]

Best answer: For an odd suggestion - I use an old darkroom timer in the kitchen. Easy to quickly set for accurate short durations, and if the buzz is too obnoxious you can plug in a light. Great retro points; plenty on ebay.
posted by achrise at 10:42 AM on May 10, 2020 [10 favorites]

My microwave oven gets more use as a timer than for anything else. I agree about the beeping, mine beeps a few times only, easily missed if I am engrossed in something else when it goes off. I have seen the mechanical ones sold in kitchenware shops if you must have one of those.
posted by GeeEmm at 2:30 PM on May 10, 2020 [3 favorites]

Best answer: You want to search for an egg timer, where the setpoints are all sub-15 minutes.
posted by janell at 4:36 PM on May 10, 2020 [1 favorite]

Oh yeah, the microwave with the power level set to zero gets used often as a timer in our house. I didn't even think of that until I saw GeeEmm's comment. Only beeps once and you can make it as precise as you want.
posted by Redstart at 4:40 PM on May 10, 2020

If you don't find what you are looking for, this battery operated timer has one of the lesser annoying beeping sounds I've found.
posted by gudrun at 6:40 PM on May 10, 2020

Best answer: re: an hourglass-style timer isn't useful

Are you sure? Sand Clock as Timer in Kitchen (1937)
posted by tinker at 7:14 PM on May 10, 2020

We use this: https://smile.amazon.com/Time-Timer-Optional-VolumeControl-Management/dp/B07BR4CHPG/ not the sturdiest but gets the job done. Comes in a few intervals.
posted by Tehhund at 5:49 PM on May 18, 2020