OXO Good Grips Digital Triple Kitchen Timer - Black

I cook a lot and when I do, I am usually cooking multiple items at once. Typically, a protein and a side dish or two. I got tired of setting a timer on my microwave (which doesn't do hours), a timer on my stove and a timer on my phone when I am cooking dinner. With this timer, I can have all of my timers set on one device and I can take it with me if I go into another room. Previously, when setting a timer on my microwave or stove, I found it difficult to take them with me!Overall, the minor "issues" that I have with the timer are outweighed by the convenience and ease of use, so I still give it 5 stars and would recommend to anyone that cooks a lot.Those minor "issues": The timer screen goes dark when you are using it. This is to save battery, of course, but it prevents you from being able to read the timer at a distance. The screen does not go completely dark, so you can still see the countdown when you are up close, but it would be nice to be able to see from a distance, as well. It does illuminate the screen during the last minute of any of the three timers, so that is nice, and you can always just touch a button and the screen will illuminate. The other minor "issue" would be the audible beep when it goes off. The timer will beep a certain number of times based on which timer is going off. While this is nice, I would prefer if the tones were different pitches, instead of just beeping a different number of times. It is my silly preference, so I really can't ding OXO for that.

I love this timer! The loudness is adjustable. It sits at an angle, making it easy to view. The three timers really help when you've got a lot going on in the kitchen. You can set it for hours, which is important with sourdough so you can do other things without wondering if you're going to forget the dough.

There's a reason America's Test Kitchen named this a best pick. Three separate timers with different tones that sets, runs and clears easily. Finally, an electronic gizmo that works intuitively. Two pots on the stove and a roast in the oven and this thing pulls them all together. Makes timing things to be ready at the same time - or within minutes of each other - a breeze. A tad pricey but not by much and it's proven its worth around here repeatedly.

I miss the stainless steel version I have in my other kitchens, it tells the time of day & stainless steel is just classic. This version does not have the time of day, did I mention this? A battery operated clock is important in the kitchen even with the iphone, computer or ipad..I like "at a glance" clock. Setting the volume for each time is dumb, obviously if you can't hear the first one, you're not going to hear the other two, but I set the volume to "Hello I Can Hear You Now!". I love the stop-watch feature, very quick & easy. OXO, please bring back stainless steel & the time of day on the timer and I'll give you 5 stars. More is more.

My only problem with this timer is that I didn't have it 20 years ago. It's bright enough for me. I saw this on America's Test Kitchen as the best timer they tested, and it is. I use it every time I'm cooking big meals and need to layer my times based on whatever I'm serving, grilled meats, side orders, whatever. It's a real help to me so I can handle multiple dishes at a time. Also, the ability to do a timer or stopwatch is uber helpful too. Cooking potatoes, pasta, grilling meats (large batches) it really pulls it's own weight and then some (especially for someone with ADHD) and I just wish I'd had one this perfect a long time ago. One recommendation to customers not the manufacturer, if you use it as often as I do at least once a month remove the batteries and put them on the tester. You don't want to lose power in the middle of meal prep, that happened to me once and hasn't happened since because I do use it at least six days a week.

UNUSABLE - CAN'T READ THE DISPLAY EXCEPT WHEN YOU SET IT OR WHEN REMAINING TIME IS ZERO!The facts: The real dimensions are 2.55 x 3.00 x 4.00 inches so much smaller than stated 2.55.x 4.5 x 8.2 inches (that is the package size not the size of the timer itself)The alarm is moderately loud at 88 dba at 12”in any direction and 90 dba at the back of the caseThe Good: Because the case is prismoidal, the display face is held at an angle that makes it visible when the backlight is on and the timer is sitting on a flat surface. The buttons are a little small but usable and each timer has a memory that can be set to a different time which can be re-initiated without clearing and re-entering the value (by pressing the “memory” button twice (the first time clears the display and the second time re-enters the value in memory for that particular timer).The Bad: THE DISPLAY IS WORTHLESS. It is a white fluorescent or LED backlit 7-segment display which is transparent when the backlight is off. This means that you cannot see the remaining time on the timer without walking over to the timer and pressing a button. When you initially start the timer, the backlight stays on for one minute (which you cannot shorten or cancel) after which it turns off and the timer face is totally black. If you shine a bright flashlight on the display you can see the remaining time and watch it count. This means that you have no idea how long it will be until the timer is done unless you interrogate it by shining a flashlight on the display or pressing a button (any button) at which time the backlight turns on and stays on for a full minute with no way to turn it off. As somebody discovered, the resulting battery life is short (apparently a few weeks with normal use). So at 50 cents for a AAA battery ($1.50 for the required set of three) the operating cost of this timer is $0.50/week or ~$25 per year. So you will pay enough for batteries that you could have bought a few less expensive timers, or a better one, but at least one that shows the remaining time all the time.This one is going back to Amazon.