Finally, a small, portable, intelligent timer for someone like me who runs all over the house while the cookies are in the oven, and who can’t even hear a normal oven timer in the next room. The push-button controls are intuitive, the beeper attention-grabbing but not obnoxious, and the overall convenience of the item just wonderful. Re-setting the timer for a few extra minutes of cooking is quick and simple. The LCD digits are large for easy reading. The combination of clock with timer with stop-watch is easy to negotiate.

One VERY useful feature, at least for this cook: the beeper goes on forever (well, exactly one minute) until one physically stops it. No more hearing the oven timer alarm and then promptly forgetting it.

One LITTLE nuisance: the magnet is necessarily on one end (the right end, away from the display), so that very quickly the device is hanging by its end rather than horizontally. This results in the display and touch-button array turned perpendicular and a bit harder to read or manipulate. A slightly stronger and/or even more elongated magnet would probably solve that. Is the manufacturer listening?

I bought this for my mother for Christmas, but since I cook far more than she does….

(Ten years later, early in 2011, and Mother is long dead; both timers still hang from my refrigerator and are used at least daily. I’ve put a new battery in each, but otherwise I’ve had no problems whatsoever. I add this because I was delighted to find the timer still for sale in a cooking supply catalogue. This is without doubt one of the best tools in my kitchen! Honorable mention to the 40+ year old Oster blender.) –bc

This product does exactly what it says. It’s a clock (the least useful things it does), a count-up timer, and a count-down timer.

Carrying it around is a great idea, though the string could be a little longer. Being able to press 5 0 1 0 for 50 minutes and 10 seconds (called direct time entry), instead of pressing the minute button fifty times (as most timers require) is fabulous!

One thing not mentioned in most reviewes is that all three functions operate simultaenously, that is you can time two functions at once, as well as look at the clock.

Highly, highly recommended.

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Update June 2013: I am a professional cook, in a moderate-sized kitchen (normally 6-8 people working in it at once) of a catering company.

In the past two years, we have gone through a LOT of timers. We purchased a pair of timers, each of which is capable of timing four things at once. Both broke within 18 months. We bought a timer that allows direct time input (like this one) and it broke with 6 months. The company did replace it, but still ….

We now use three of these timers-one in hot food, and two in the cold food section. While they could be a little louder, they have all been working perfectly for more than a year, and everyone loves the direct time entry system. Great little units.

I admit it, I bought this because I saw it recommended on America’s Test Kitchen. My husbands reaction, “another timer, but you already have 4 why do you need another one.” “The portability, it will be very useful to hang around my neck.” Little did I know how right I was about the usefulness of a timer I could wear around my neck. I use this timer for so many things.

Uses I have found for the timer so far:

1. I wear it when I garden to tell me that it is time to come inside or apply more sunscreen.

2. I put it around my neck when I go for a walk. I am a numbers geek and like to chart my progress (time to cover a specific distance) so that I can see improvement. It is also nice to have a clock with you that isn’t on your sweaty wrist.

3. I use it when I throw a load of laundry in the washer and/or dryer so that it doesn’t sit too long and wrinkle. Having the timer around my neck makes certain that I don’t get away from the timer and miss hearing “the beep”.

4. I use the timer when I am proofing bread dough (again great not to miss the beep).

5. I play games with myself to increase my productivity. I give myself a particular block of time to work on a project I have been avoiding. I use the timer to tell me that time is up and I can stop if I want. It is amazing how much easier it is to start a project you hate when you know that you can stop when the timer goes off if you want to. It makes it easier for me to get those dreaded tasks accomplished more quickly.

6. If you are self employed or a consultant that bills by time this item is great. You can easily track how much time you spend on each task for each client. It is very efficient for tracking your billable time. I love the count up timer for this function.

7. Do you know someone that talks too much on the phone? Have you lost hours without realizing it. Set a timer when the chatty person calls for the block of time you can spare. When the beep sounds, you have to go. It works wonderfully. The beep is loud enough for the other person to hear, and you have an excuse to terminate the conversation.

PROs of this product:

1. The timer was very intuitive to use, I didn’t need to refer to the directions.

2. I like the added clock feature.

3. The count up clock feature is nice when steeping tea.

4. I like that the timer doesn’t zero out after reaching its time. Many of the things that take place with me happen in thirty-minute increments. Since the timer does not reset to zero I don’t have to plug in the time with each new event.

5. The timer is small, so you don’t have a big clunky thing hanging around your neck. It tucks easily into your shirt so that it doesn’t get into the way when doing other things.

6. The neck strap is wonderful. I love being able to have the timer with me whenever I am doing things and not worry about pressing a button as could occur if the timer was in my pocket. If you find strap too short, it would be easy to replace the existing one with a longer piece of cord.

CONS of this product:

1. You do feel a little geeky with a timer around your neck.

2. The buttons are a little small, but that would only be a problem for big fingers.

Overall, I love this silly little gadget. It has improved my efficiency in more ways than I expected. And I thought it was just for food preparation. Boy was I mistaken. If you are an efficiency geek, give this item a try. It is a very useful product.