Blog — Kitchen timer

Most years, we find ourselves getting into the holiday spirit here in early November. For many, this holiday season will take on even greater importance, allowing us to slow down and give ourselves a few days to decompress given the challenges of 2020.  While our gatherings will likely be smaller and more intimate, we can make efforts to continue to make the fall and early winter a special time of year. 

With less family coming for visits and inevitably pitching in to help on family holiday meals, this is the year to get the kids more involved. Surely not often an easy task, but that’s where your favorite Time Timers can come in handy. 

Time Timer in the Kitchen  

With many members of the cooking community - including celebrity chefs Alton Brown of Good Eats, Rocco DiSpirito of Rocco’s Dinner Party, and Cincinnati’s own Jean-Robert de Caval - all utilizing Time Timer visual timers in their own kitchens, it’s never too early to get the kids on board. Who knows, maybe a Time Timer is key on the path to stardom (for you or the kids)! 

One of the challenges of cooking with kids is keeping their focus on the tasks at hand. This is only exacerbated during the holidays when we typically trade in our one pot meals for something a bit more complex, with many sides and desserts added to go along with our standard fare. That’s where Time Timer can help you out. 

You can never have enough visual timers in the kitchen. A variety of Time Timer products can all be useful to keep the kids focused and on track for timely holiday meals rather than sitting down to eat in the early hours of Boxing Day.  

Let’s take a look at some options that can keep you and the kids on schedule. Pro tip: with the exception of those with sensory processing issues, keeping the sound on can be helpful in case the kids (or you) don’t see the time wind down! 

Let Time Timer Help Keep Holiday Meals on Track 

Have a complex meal and need to stick to a schedule? Use the Time Timer MOD + Dry Erase Board. Line up your tasks and their allotted times and cross them out as you go! The checklist and visual timer will help your kids understand how each task plays a part in putting together the entire meal, and give them the sense that dinner is getting closer. No more “are we there yets?”  Or at least maybe a few less to worry about. 

Have a dish that needs a longer time in the oven? Here’s where the Time Timer PLUS 120 Minute comes in handy. It’s the same visual timer you’re used to, but with the ability to set it for a full 120 minutes. Use it in conjunction with the shorter timers to keep track of your side dishes. 

Have a lot of dishes all going at once and the kids jumping back and forth? Remind them to keep those hands clean! Use the Time Timer WASH to ensure the kids are properly washing their hands between prepping different dishes. 

Have limited counter space or tend to have too many hands and utensils flying around the kitchen? The Time Timer TWIST can help you out. A 90-minute timer with a magnetic backing, this timer can be placed up out of the way on your metal appliances like the fridge or range hood. This timer is great in the kitchen and hard to misplace or lose on cluttered countertops. 

Many of us will likely be spending even more time in our own kitchens than usual over the holiday season. Make the most of this time with your family and kids and let us know on our social media channels how you use your Time Timer to help you keep on track. You may be surprised how useful they can be and find many uses for them in the kitchen through the holidays and into the new year! 

Jean-Robert De Cavel is a French Master celebrity chef and a huge fan of Time Timer. When we asked him to be a part of our 25^th Anniversary Celebration, we weren’t sure what to expect. However, he walked into the photoshoot fully prepared – with all his outfits, ready to be photographed, and, man, was he passionate. Chefs are meant to be passionate – they are known for being passionate – but maybe not so much about the Time Timer. And for that, he was.

In December, Jean-Robert De Cavel publicly announced that he is fighting leiomyosarcoma, an aggressive soft tissue cancer. He was diagnosed in May. This meant that he was fighting it during the photoshoot, unbeknownst to anyone outside of his close circle of family and friends. We would have never known with his energy and charisma. We wish him all best in his battle and hope for a speedy recovery!

This is a man that creates creative dishes known throughout the world, and not surprisingly, has also come up with creative ways to use the Time Timer. Below is his Time Timer Story.

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Jean-Robert de Cavel’s daughter was quite young when a friend gave him his first Time Timer. Around his busy home, he found several successful uses for the visual timer with the big red disk — including helping his daughter with her homework. She stayed on track, and he didn’t have to constantly watch the time for her. Then one day, a light bulb went off — he imagined the endless possibilities for Time Timer in his world-class kitchens. So, he packed it up and took it to the restaurant.

Today, Time Timer helps the front-of-house staff and kitchen staff communicate accurately and silently at Jean-Robert’s six restaurants. Everything from eggs to bread is timed down to the second to ensure they are prepared to perfection before placed on customers’ plates. And, the visibility of the timer and optional alarm keeps the kitchen quiet, preserving the restaurant’s ambience.

Jean-Robert has used a Time Timer both at home and work, and he depends on it to provide precise communication without saying a word.