Customer Reviews

CDN Direct Entry Timer

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I already had a kitchen timer but I wanted to have a second one so that I could time more than one thing at a time. Of course, an alternative would be a dual timer but as I already owned one timer I didn't need to buy a dual timer, and besides, there was method to my madness.

My current kitchen timer is not a direct entry timer, meaning that each press of the minute button adds one minute to the timer setting. I wanted a timer where I could just enter the number of minutes I wanted to time, which this CDN Direct Entry Timer does. If I press "4500" it sets the timer for 45 minutes, whereas with the other timer I would have to either press the minutes button 45 times or hold it down while it counted up to 45 minutes - both methods being a pain. However, to set one minute on the CDN direct entry timer, I have to press "100" - not a biggie, but two more presses than the other timer, and you would be surprised how often you want to time something for just one or two minutes more, particularly if you are baking cookies. While my old timer could time up to 9 hours and 99 minutes (but could not do seconds), the CDN can only do up to 99 minutes and 99 seconds, but it obviously does seconds. The CDN kitchen timer complements my other timer quite nicely.

One of the important things I was looking for in a timer was that it did not use a button battery. It is a real pain to have a battery die and not have a spare on hand, and the button batteries can cost almost as much as a whole timer. The CDN Direct Entry Timer uses 2AAA batteries - commonly available and I have them as rechargeables. The timer came with two batteries, too.

It is an "always on" type of timer, which means that the number display is always on. I'm not sure how much of an impact this will have on battery life, but since it only uses AAA batteries I am not too worried about it. The display is not huge - the minutes numbers are about 3/8" high and the seconds numbers are 1/4" high. It does have nice contrast, though, and is easy to see in dimmer light, even with my old eyes.

It has four small but pretty powerful magnets on the back - two on each end. It holds onto the refrigerator quite well. It has a hole in one end where you could attach a lanyard if you wanted (it does not come with one) but the timer is so long that I think it would get in the way if you tried to wear it around your neck. It will also stand on its edge at a slight angle if you want to set it on a table and be able to see the time.

The timer alarm is loud enough without being obnoxious. A neat feature is a red light that flashes when the time gets down to eight or nine seconds. You will see it if the timer is in your field of sight, but don't expect to see it flash if your back is turned to it - it won't light up the room. If you are working in a noisy environment the flashing light could be helpful.

It also has a "progressive" alarm, where it chimes two series of four beeps when it first sounds, then two series of three beeps, then goes into a series of two beeps. After about a minute and a half, it stops sounding, but the timer counts up to let you know how long it has been since the time expired.

The buttons are of the membrane type, meaning that the surface is smooth and sealed, so if you manage to get a little cookie dough on the button it will wipe clean without a problem, though you would be pretty silly to submerge the timer in water. The window for the time display and for the visual alarm are recessed below the membrane, so if you get something in there you will have more of a challenge to clean it out.

This is probably way more information that anyone wants, but there it is. I'm happy with this purchase and as always Amazon had a good price and very quick delivery, although when I bought it the price was almost one-half of what it is listed for as I write this review.

The product description doesn't note one of the coolest features! There are 4 small but powerful magnets on the back of the timer. These are awesome because it allows me to stick the timer to the fridge or the range above my stove (which is where it lives now). It's nice and thin so it fits perfectly next to the fan and light buttons on the range.

Another feature not listed in the description is the flashing LED. When the time gets down to about 10 seconds a bright red LED starts flashing to let you know the timer is about to go off. This works really well since I have it sitting just above eye level attached to the range. It gets my attention and allows me a few seconds to get to a stopping point, or to stop the timer before it goes off if I don't want to hear the beeping.

The direct entry is awesome and works just like entering the time on a microwave, but the horizontal button layout does take some getting used to. I use this timer for pretty much everything now. I'm sure my old built-in oven timer is jealous.

I even found myself timing things I wouldn't normally time because it's so easy to use. For example: I had a friend over the other day and made him some kool-aid, but wanted to make sure the sugar had enough time to dissolve before drinking it. Since the timer was right there I set it for 10 minutes, stuck the kool-aid in the fridge and we went into the other room. Instead of forgetting about it like I would normally, the timer went off and he enjoyed a glass (over ice of course). I feel like stuff like that happens all the time since this thing is so handy.

I have another one on my wishlist so I can time two things at once!

One small downside to note is that the display is a tad small. I feel like the numbers in the display could be a bit larger without changing the size of the overall product. If you have bad eyes you may want to look for something with a larger display. If you have half decent eyes I would highly recommend this product!

I love this timer, but I wanted to mention something that I find particularly useful about it: it's very light-- not big, round and awkward. I sometimes set the timer and carry it in my pocket-- so I don't miss the alarm, while I'm gardening outside, or working in the basement.

When the time's up, it doesn't beep constantly for the next minute, but beeps a few seconds and takes a break and then beeps again. This is an excellent feature. Another good feature is that you don't have to pull out a stand in the back to make it stand upright. You just set it at an angle and it's fully visible. Of course, the direct entry feature is one of the reasons I bought it, and I like that feature a lot because I've never liked having to listen to 60 beeps just to get to 60 minutes, which is standard on many timers (even some of CDN's older models). Also, it's always bothered me on my alarm clock that I have to cycle through the entire day just to get to an earlier time. I think I need to look for a direct entry alarm clock next. Thanks, CDN, for improving the design of your timers!