Kitchen timer: several dishes, one screen
For one dish, a single countdown is enough. For a full meal, run several named timers at once (Rice, Pasta, Oven) and work backwards from the time you want to eat, so everything lands together.
Free tool: Open multiple kitchen timers →
Start now: Soft egg 6 minRice 15 minPasta 10 minTea 4 minRest meat 15 minDough 1 h
Why one timer is not enough for a real meal
Most kitchen mistakes are not about one dish. The rice is fine and the vegetables are fine, but one finished ten minutes before the other. A single mechanical timer forces you to remember everything else, which is exactly when something boils over.
The multiple timers page lets you start several named countdowns side by side. Each shows its own name and time left, and each plays an alarm when it ends. They are saved in your browser, so the same set is there next time you cook.
Common cooking times at a glance
Times vary with altitude, pan, hob and the size of what you are cooking. Treat these as starting points and taste or check.
| Food | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Egg, soft boiled (runny yolk) | 6 min | Large egg into boiling water, then cold water |
| Egg, medium (jammy) | 7 to 8 min | Good for ramen and salads |
| Egg, hard boiled | 10 to 12 min | Cool quickly to avoid a grey ring; see the egg timer |
| White rice (simmer) | 12 to 15 min + 5 to 10 min rest | Lid on; see how long to cook rice |
| Brown rice | 30 to 40 min | Check the packet |
| Dried pasta | 8 to 12 min | Taste 1 to 2 min early; see pasta timings |
| Fresh pasta | 2 to 4 min | Watch it closely |
| Resting a steak | 5 to 10 min | Roughly half the cooking time |
| Resting a roast joint | 15 to 30 min | Loosely covered with foil |
| Black tea | 3 to 5 min | Green tea shorter and cooler; see the tea timer |
| Bread first rise | 1 to 2 h | Until roughly doubled; see dough rising |
Weeknight pasta, worked back from serving
Say you want to eat at 7:00 pm. Work backwards from that time, then start timers at the right points.
| Clock time | Step | Timer |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 pm | Put a large pan of water on to boil, start chopping | - |
| 6:35 pm | Start the sauce: onion and garlic, then tomatoes | Sauce 20 min |
| 6:45 pm | Water boiling: salt it and add the pasta | Pasta 10 min |
| 6:53 pm | Taste the pasta; save a mug of pasta water | - |
| 6:55 pm | Drain, combine with sauce, loosen with pasta water | - |
| 7:00 pm | Serve | - |
The "ends at" time shown under each countdown helps here, because you can check that the Sauce and Pasta timers finish within a couple of minutes of each other.
Sunday roast, worked back from serving
A roast chicken dinner for four, aiming to serve at 1:30 pm. Cooking times depend on the bird's weight and your oven, so check the meat is cooked through.
- 11:45 am: oven on to heat. Prepare the chicken.
- 12:00 pm: chicken in. Start a timer called Chicken for about 1 h 20 min for a 1.5 kg bird.
- 12:30 pm: parboil potatoes for 8 to 10 min (timer: Potatoes), then drain and rough up.
- 12:45 pm: potatoes into hot fat in the oven, about 45 min (timer: Roasties).
- 1:20 pm: chicken out to rest, covered, 15 to 20 min (timer: Rest). Make gravy from the pan juices.
- 1:20 pm: greens into boiling water for 4 to 6 min (timer: Greens).
- 1:30 pm: carve and serve.
Four or five timers is a lot to hold in your head. Named timers on one screen take that job off you.
Using a timer with messy hands
ClockAura does not use voice commands, so be realistic about touch. A few things make it easier when your hands are floury or wet:
- On a laptop, the spacebar starts and pauses; a knuckle press is enough.
- The buttons are large, so a clean fingertip or the back of a finger works on a phone.
- Start the next timer before you get your hands dirty, not after.
- Wash or wipe your hands before touching a phone or keyboard after handling raw meat.
- Keep the device away from the hob and sink. A stand on a shelf is ideal.
When a physical timer is the better choice
If the laptop is not in the kitchen, or the phone is your only device and you need it for a recipe, a cheap wind-up kitchen timer is a sensible backup. For quick single jobs, a plain countdown timer or the cooking timers collection is quicker than setting up a full meal.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run several kitchen timers at once?
Yes. The multiple timers page runs several named countdowns side by side, each with its own alarm, and saves them in your browser.
Will the alarm go off if I switch to a recipe tab?
Yes, the timers keep running in a background tab and the alarm plays when time is up. Keep the volume up.
How long should I boil an egg for a runny yolk?
About 6 minutes for a large egg added to already boiling water, then cool briefly in cold water. Smaller eggs need slightly less.
Does it work with voice commands?
No. It uses large buttons and keyboard shortcuts such as the spacebar. You can say the time aloud to a smart speaker if you have one, but that is separate.
How long should meat rest?
Steaks around 5 to 10 minutes, larger roasts 15 to 30 minutes, loosely covered.