Favorite Tea Timer

[Thirsty Daruma]

So I'm moved into the new apartment, and my roommate's stuff has woven pretty nicely into mine in the kitchen. The oven's timer, sadly, no longer works, and the microwave's timer tends to forget it is timing my tea steeping about half the time. My iPhone works okay as a tea timer, but requires more fiddling with than other options. Why the Zojirushi water heater doesn't have a timer is beyond me.

So anyway, it looks like I need a tea timer for the kitchen.

Any suggestions?

[shogun89]

I would say just any old timer from walmart, target what ever. Eventually you want even need a timer you will just know when it is right. I always thought it was embarrassing to turn on a timer when serving to guests. . Like I said, I dont think you need anything fancy off the internet just pick up something simple that suits you.

[Chip]

I would look for one with a count up function, they do not always say this on the package though.

I like the count up so the timer is not BEEEEPING and taking away from the calming effect of preparing tea. I also have to pay a little more attention to what I am doing, more focused. I quite like this.

[Cinnamon Kitty]

I have a cheap $3 or $4 timer that goes up to 59 minutes, 59 seconds. You can set it at a certain time to count down, or just hit the start button and it counts up. It was the cheapest one at Wal-mart that was still digital and works great.

[heavydoom]

dollar store.

[Victoria]

I like the one from TeaSource. If it is gong to have advertizing, it might as well be a tea store I frequent. It is free standing/clip on/magnet.

[jackcheng]

iPhone here as well, but like Thirsty, it takes some fiddling.

If I'm near a computer, I use the Minutes widget on my Mac.

[Perennial Tears]

the iPhone

[JRS22]

Some of my Japanese greens are only supposed to steep for 15 seconds so I need a good digital timer. I bought this one after reading all the positive reviews on Amazon.

http://www.harney.com/poldertimer.html

[eor1122]

Sometimes I use my microwave timer, but then half the time I can't hear it beep if I even remember to set it.

I sometimes use the one I downloaded from adagio's site, but again I forget to set it, but since my laptop isn't in my kitchen, it's not going to be a truly accurate time.

I was thinking on getting a digital timer while I was out today, but just remembered my digital thermometer has a timer on it so I suppose I'll start using that (I might as well since I never seem to use it, except maybe on Thanksgiving) that way I can also keep track of the temp of the water (bonus is that the temp probe can be unplugged from the unit)

the only downside is that the one I have it is only minutes & hours (no seconds) so it wouldn't work for me for those very short infusion times, luckily I think most of the teas I have aren't geared for those really short times.

this is similar to the one I have....mine is probably 10 yrs old and still works great

http://www.poldertest.com/602.html

[olivierco]

I use my cooking timer

[battra]

Before I never timed my tea, but I recently bought this hourglass:

The sand runs through in 60 seconds, perfect for the first sencha infusion!

[tenuki]

The Pulse of the Universe. If you are open, it will guide you.

[chad]

I usually use the timer on the microwave when I'm in the kitchen at home.

I've got one nice, small, timer we picked up at BB&B and an assortment of electronic thermometers/timers I use when cooking large pieces of meat.