Can anyone recommend a fairly priced mechanical kitchen timer? I've
gone through three cheap Chinese ones in the past year. All of them
worked OK at first and then crapped out after a few weeks or months.

I want one that ticks and has a loud, sustaining bell (not just one
that goes *dink* once.) I like the ticking so I can tell it's still
counting down without looking at it, and the long bell so I can hear it
while in another room.

I can't seem to find anything but the cheapie Chinese ones, and they
all seem to be unreliable, according to reviews on amazon.com and my
own personal experience. I did find a couple of ones that seemed to be
marketed toward professional kitchens. Great, except they were selling
for over $100. I can't quite bring myself to pay that kind of dough
just to time my dough.

On 12/29/2013 05:59 PM, Nil wrote:
Can anyone recommend a fairly priced mechanical kitchen timer? I've
gone through three cheap Chinese ones in the past year. All of them
worked OK at first and then crapped out after a few weeks or months.

I want one that ticks and has a loud, sustaining bell (not just one
that goes *dink* once.) I like the ticking so I can tell it's still
counting down without looking at it, and the long bell so I can hear it
while in another room.

I can't seem to find anything but the cheapie Chinese ones, and they
all seem to be unreliable, according to reviews on amazon.com and my
own personal experience. I did find a couple of ones that seemed to be
marketed toward professional kitchens. Great, except they were selling
for over $100. I can't quite bring myself to pay that kind of dough
just to time my dough.




My wife and I have been using one of these for three years and have had
no problems with it. The ring is long and loud


http://www.goodcook.com/kitchen-gadg...mer-p-355.html

Sounds (pun intended) like this timer is axactly what yu are looking for. Just don't put it in the dishwasher if the case gets dirty!

On 12/29/2013 6:59 PM, Nil wrote:
Can anyone recommend a fairly priced mechanical kitchen timer? I've
gone through three cheap Chinese ones in the past year. All of them
worked OK at first and then crapped out after a few weeks or months.

I want one that ticks and has a loud, sustaining bell (not just one
that goes *dink* once.) I like the ticking so I can tell it's still
counting down without looking at it, and the long bell so I can hear it
while in another room.

I can't seem to find anything but the cheapie Chinese ones, and they
all seem to be unreliable, according to reviews on amazon.com and my
own personal experience. I did find a couple of ones that seemed to be
marketed toward professional kitchens. Great, except they were selling
for over $100. I can't quite bring myself to pay that kind of dough
just to time my dough.

If you have a smartphone, there are many free apps for cooking timers as
well as the one which may already be on the phone. We use them now.
Prior to the apps, we had this type for many years (15+) with no
problems. We still actually use it periodically.

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/CDN-Digital-Kitchen-Timer-Count-Down-Big-Digit-Loud-Alarm-Cooking-Food-NEW-/00/s/NTAwWDUwMA==/z/btoAAOxyrUZRzhlo/$T2eC16RHJGkFFm5VzRCmBRzhlo!8K!~~60_12.JPG

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This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
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On 12/29/13, 3:59 PM, Nil wrote:
Can anyone recommend a fairly priced mechanical kitchen timer? I've
gone through three cheap Chinese ones in the past year. All of them
worked OK at first and then crapped out after a few weeks or months.

I want one that ticks and has a loud, sustaining bell (not just one
that goes *dink* once.) I like the ticking so I can tell it's still
counting down without looking at it, and the long bell so I can hear it
while in another room.

I can't seem to find anything but the cheapie Chinese ones, and they
all seem to be unreliable, according to reviews on amazon.com and my
own personal experience. I did find a couple of ones that seemed to be
marketed toward professional kitchens. Great, except they were selling
for over $100. I can't quite bring myself to pay that kind of dough
just to time my dough.


I know you said mechanical.... however consider this.

A 'apartment dweller' friend big into cooking has a smallish digital
'clip on' timer she loves & uses very often.

Not only does it allow her to comfortably be out of kitchen earshot, she
also uses it for the timing laundry (so neighbors don't dump her clothes
all over), and overtime parking meter citation evasion.

Haven't talked to her in some years... if your interested, I'll try to
get hold of her and get a make/model.

Erik

Nil,

Timers are mostly digital now but there are many used in industry.
Here's an analog timer.
http://www.sciencelab.com/page/S/PVAR/10622/45-1004

Dave M.

On Monday, December 30, 2013 10:29:25 AM UTC-5, David L. Martel wrote:
Nil,



Timers are mostly digital now but there are many used in industry.

Here's an analog timer.

http://www.sciencelab.com/page/S/PVAR/10622/45-1004



Dave M.

Sorry, the digitals are much better. Is there a reason for the mechanical?

I use the Taylor brand from Walmart.

On 30 Dec 2013, "David L. Martel" wrote in
alt.home.repair:

Timers are mostly digital now but there are many used in industry.
Here's an analog timer.
http://www.sciencelab.com/page/S/PVAR/10622/45-1004

Well... I might consider that. The description makes it sound
industrial-strength. I wish it didn't cost that much, but since the
only alternatives I've found are either $10 (for ones sure to break) or
$110, this one falls more toward the "reasonable" end of the spectrum.

TimR wrote:
On Monday, December 30, 2013 10:29:25 AM UTC-5, David L. Martel wrote:
Nil,



Timers are mostly digital now but there are many used in industry.

Here's an analog timer.

http://www.sciencelab.com/page/S/PVAR/10622/45-1004



Dave M.

Sorry, the digitals are much better. Is there a reason for the mechanical?

I use the Taylor brand from Walmart.

I don't think I have ever used a piezo buzzer that didn't fail, or become
muted over the years. My kitchen timer worked good for 10 years, now iffy.

Greg

On 12/30/2013 10:34 AM, TimR wrote:

[snip]

I use the Taylor brand from Walmart.


For a digital timer, it matters how easy the controls are to use. Some
have a lot of extra features, and require VERY non-obvious sequences to use.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us

"There are scores of thousands of human insects who are ready at a
moment's notice to reveal the Will of God on every possible subject."
[George Bernard Shaw]

On Sun, 29 Dec 2013 18:59:40 -0500, Nil wrote:

Can anyone recommend a fairly priced mechanical kitchen timer? I've
gone through three cheap Chinese ones in the past year. All of them
worked OK at first and then crapped out after a few weeks or months.

I want one that ticks and has a loud, sustaining bell (not just one
that goes *dink* once.) I like the ticking so I can tell it's still
counting down without looking at it, and the long bell so I can hear it
while in another room.

I can't seem to find anything but the cheapie Chinese ones, and they
all seem to be unreliable, according to reviews on amazon.com and my
own personal experience. I did find a couple of ones that seemed to be
marketed toward professional kitchens. Great, except they were selling
for over $100. I can't quite bring myself to pay that kind of dough
just to time my dough.

This is a different approach. If you have a computer nearby, this site is
fantastic as a kitchen timer. When cooking something that needs timing, I end
up in front of the computer which is quite a distance from the kitchen. This
can be made very loud depending upon the sound system in your computer.

http://www.timer-tab.com/

On Tuesday, December 31, 2013 7:24:15 PM UTC-5, Mark Lloyd wrote:
On 12/30/2013 10:34 AM, TimR wrote:



[snip]



I use the Taylor brand from Walmart.





For a digital timer, it matters how easy the controls are to use. Some

have a lot of extra features, and require VERY non-obvious sequences to use.



--

Mark Lloyd

http://notstupid.us



"There are scores of thousands of human insects who are ready at a

moment's notice to reveal the Will of God on every possible subject."

[George Bernard Shaw]

I like the ones with very large digits, as my eyes have faded over the years, and the ability to set hours, minutes, and seconds.

These are totally intuitive. But the ones with two separate timers aren't.

You can also use your microwave and set power to zero. Microwaves aren't intuitive but you've learned to set yours.

I like the ones with very large digits, as my eyes have faded over the years, and the ability to set hours, minutes, and seconds.

These are totally intuitive. But the ones with two separate timers aren't.

You can also use your microwave and set power to zero. Microwaves aren't intuitive but you've learned to set yours.


I totally agree about display size, especially for something like a
timer. It's nice to be able to comfortably read them from across the
room. Control and key markings are another matter... often they're tiny
and not of contrasting color/s. Some TV remotes and the like are just
plain miserable.

Our (Sharp) µwave has a dedicated timer function, complete with it's own
key... runs the timer only, no fan, turntable or light. We use it a good
bit too! Several times a week minimum. The awkward part is that you
can't use the µwave as a µwave unless the timer is first cancelled.

However, like you say it's also possible to run it at 0% power, but the
fan, turntable & light then operate, just no magnetron. We sometimes use
0% if someone has let something sit, and the oven's accumulated a lot of
condensation ... we mop out the worst then let it run 5 min or so @ 0
for the fan to complete drying.

I'm sure condensation takes it's toll on the magnetron, keypad,
processor, display, interlock switches and everything else... we're in
the habit of trying to remove items asap after heating.

Erik

On 02 Jan 2014, Wayne Boatwright wrote
in alt.home.repair:

Over the past couple of years we've had at least 4 mechanical
kitchen timers, none of which were paraticularly accurate.

I'm not all that concerned about accuracy. This is for cooking, and a
minute or two over the course of an hour is not going to make much
difference. I just want a mechanical timer that ticks and DOESN'T STOP
WORKING AFTER TWO MONTHS!

When I was a kid I recall that we always had a particular brand of
timer around (Lux, I think.) They lasted years or decades. Now I find
Lux timers that look just the same as those old ones except that
they're made in China, and they just plain don't work. Why can't I find
one like in the good ol' days?

Last August I bought a very cheap ($5) digital timer at Target.
It has proven to be accurate down to the second. It has a
sustained beeping that only stops when you turn it off.

I do understand the benefits of digital timers - they're accurate and
cheap and reliable. But I gotta have my ticking.

On Thu, 02 Jan 2014 02:39:44 -0500, Nil wrote:

When I was a kid I recall that we always had a particular brand of
timer around (Lux, I think.) They lasted years or decades. Now I find
Lux timers that look just the same as those old ones except that
they're made in China, and they just plain don't work. Why can't I find
one like in the good ol' days?

I had the same exact experience, As a kid we had a long-ring, Lux timer. Housing
was made of sturdy Bakelite and the bell was loud as hell. A couple of years
ago I purchased a new Lux timer, it worked, but it wasn't anywhere near as good
as the older units.

On 12/30/2013 9:29 AM, David L. Martel wrote:
Nil,

Timers are mostly digital now but there are many used in industry.
Here's an analog timer.
http://www.sciencelab.com/page/S/PVAR/10622/45-1004

Dave M.

Heck, I paid a few dollars for a mechanical kitchen timer at the dollar
store. I don't need a lab quality timer to roast a chicken. ^_^

TDD

On 01/01/2014 07:09 PM, TimR wrote:

[snip]

I like the ones with very large digits, as my eyes have faded over the years, and the ability to set hours,
minutes, and seconds. These are totally intuitive.

The timer I've been using for holiday lights is good. It has 4 buttons
"set", "+", "-", and "on/off". There's no problem figuring out what to
do. Large, readable digits are good too.


Another timer I have used in the past has multiple features and
incomprehensible operation, requiring access to the instruction sheet
(small print on what seems like institutional toilet paper). To set the
time, you:

1. press "A". While continuing to hold "A", press "C". Hold both buttons
until the hour flashes (about 3 to 4 seconds).

2. press "B" until the hour is correct.

3. press "A" for set the minute.

4. press "B" until the minute is correct.

5. press "A" to set AM/PM.

6. press "B" until AP/PM is correct.

7. press "C" to set the time and resume normal operation.

Also, in step 4 the timer will unexpectedly enter a fast setting mode
after a few seconds. This is likely to make you overshoot the desired
minute. Since there is no reverse setting button you have to go around
again. The tiny LCD display was hard to read (impossible to read if not
held at the right angle).

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us

"Warning: end of message imminent. Stop reading now."

On 1/2/2014 8:38 AM, Lab Lover wrote:

Now I find
Lux timers that look just the same as those old ones except that
they're made in China, and they just plain don't work. Why can't I find
one like in the good ol' days?

I had the same exact experience, As a kid we had a long-ring, Lux timer. Housing
was made of sturdy Bakelite and the bell was loud as hell. A couple of years
ago I purchased a new Lux timer, it worked, but it wasn't anywhere near as good
as the older units.


Sadly, many appliances and gadgets went that way. Companies do it for
greater profit, but consumers buy crap because they think it is "normal"

Nil wrote:
On 02 Jan 2014, Wayne Boatwright wrote
in alt.home.repair:

Over the past couple of years we've had at least 4 mechanical
kitchen timers, none of which were paraticularly accurate.

I'm not all that concerned about accuracy. This is for cooking, and a
minute or two over the course of an hour is not going to make much
difference. I just want a mechanical timer that ticks and DOESN'T STOP
WORKING AFTER TWO MONTHS!

When I was a kid I recall that we always had a particular brand of
timer around (Lux, I think.) They lasted years or decades. Now I find
Lux timers that look just the same as those old ones except that
they're made in China, and they just plain don't work. Why can't I find
one like in the good ol' days?

Last August I bought a very cheap ($5) digital timer at Target.
It has proven to be accurate down to the second. It has a
sustained beeping that only stops when you turn it off.

I do understand the benefits of digital timers - they're accurate and
cheap and reliable. But I gotta have my ticking.

Do you have an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch? If so, purchase Wind Up Timer
for $1.99.

The accuracy, cheapness and reliability of a digital timer, along with the
ticking that you so desire. Hook it up to a sound system and you'll be able
to hear the ticking from anywhere in the house or yard.

You can probably find an iPod Touch on Craigslist for under $50.