Customer Reviews

Sunbeam, 91640, 99 Minute, 59 Second Digital Count up/Count Down Timer, White/Grey

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This timer does its job just fine. I happen to really like it. It's user friendly, the buttons are easy to push, it's loud enough to hear, small enough to take with you to another room while something is cooking, and it has a magnet on the back to keep it on the fridge PLUS a little fold out stand on the back so you can place it upright on a counter or such.

The only thing I don't like about it, is that when it is on the fridge you have to hold it while pressing the buttons. The stand on the back, even when folded away, makes it stick out from the fridge rather than flush with it. So if you firmly press the start button to the side the timer goes flying off the fridge. It now sounds a little funny after taking so many blows to the floor... but it does still work!

When I received the timer, I read the instructions and put it use. Simple to use and counts up or down. The buttons are easy to use and the display is big and easy to read. When I was done, I proceeded to try and turn off the timer. I thought I was missing something. There is no on/off button so I have to take the battery out or the timer stays on constantly. I can't believe they would design a timer without a way to turn it off. I should have read the other reviews more carefully, others have complained of the same thing. I am very disappointed with my purchase and would not purchase again. Make sure the timer that you buy has an on/off button and save yourself batteries and hassle.

I also wanted to mention that this timer only has a 99 minute timer which is not long enough if you plan on using it when cooking something like a roast, turkey or ham.

No real problems with it.
It beeps loudly, you can set minutes and seconds and it's one of the cheapest timers around.

However, the only con is that it doesn't turn off, but that isn't such a big problem to me.

You'd think that by 2009 they would have pretty much figured out how to make a simple kitchen timer. Sunbeam has amazed us all with this ill-conceived design. Some highlights:

* In order to set the time for 30 seconds you have to hit the keys 0-0-3-0, not 3-0 like EVERY other timer out there. Why they decided to make such an unintuitive UI choice is beyond me.

* The magnet on this timer is narrow and sticks out about 1/2 an inch from the back, turning the entire unit into a see-saw that sits on your fridge. When you push the start button, it sends the timer plummeting to the ground.

It's almost worth buying just for the novelty of having such a poorly designed product!

Sunbeam makes great timers. We use these to time exercises for patients in a physical therapy setting. They are the most user friendly of all that we have used.

This is the second one I am buying and the reset key always gets stuck.

This timer is inexpensive and simple to use. However, there is no 'off' button, so the display is always on and therefore draining the batteries. I probably wouldn't buy it again.

The Sunbeam kitchen timer is an exceptional value and seems perfectly serviceable. At about $7 (ours were $5 after a special) you can buy 2 or 3 for what one might cost of another brand (I've never figured out why kitchen timers cost $15-$20!).

Several people commented on the volume, some feeling it was too loud. Well, it isn't really "loud," it's more the nature of the "beep." It is quite pronounced in the high frequencies and a little grating, probably more so if your hearing is good (high frequencies). Having said that, the volume itself seems appropriate.

If the beep annoys you, you REALLY won't like that the minutes and seconds are always entered as four digits beginning from the left, and each press of a button is accompanied by a beep -- Note this is different than most timers that start from the right. In other words, to enter 10 minutes you must enter 0-0-1-0, rather then 1-0.

And the buttons, as some have commmented, are a little small. Not a problem, just not "fun" to use. They work fine.

Also as some have said, the timers feel a little light (or maybe not balanced?) and are a little thicker than some. Not dramatically so and it doesn't bother us, especially at the price.

The timer does have a "recall" (press stop just once to reset the starting time), uses standard AAA batteries, has a decent sized display and, of course, has direct entry (instead of holding down minute and second buttons). All-in-all, a good value.

This is a very nice timer that's easy to use AND the price is very reasonable. The number display is large and the alarm is loud plus it only requires one AAA battery. It's faster and easier to enter the time via the 10 digit keypad rather than scrolling to the time you want as many other timers require. Like many digital timers, it only times up to 100 minutes but this is adequate for my purposes (taking the timer to another room with me while cookies bake, working out, taking naps, etc.) although it may be a drawback to some. Just be aware.

My one and only minor criticism is that the stand/clip on the back is too flimsy to function as a clip -- at least not for clipping it to your clothing. It can hold a piece of paper, like a recipe, but only if the paper is fully inserted behind the timer, but that can block much of the text. Since I don't trust magnets on most timers, the only way I use this one is with the stand.

If this one lasts me a few years, I'd be willing to replace it with the same model.

NOTE: A couple other reviewers mentioned that you can't turn the timer off except by taking out the batteries. At first I thought they meant to turn off the alarm sound so I almost didn't buy it because of that. But after reading an older review, it seems I probably misunderstood: they most likely meant you couldn't turn off the display. I have had several digital timers with LCD displays. Not one had an on/off switch for the display. I suspect this was intentional since another button would likely add to the cost & complexity without significant battery savings in return. So if there is anyone else who misunderstood the criticism as I did: you CAN turn the alarm off but you CANNOT turn off the display (it won't likely be an issue to most users).

Unlike most of other timers out there, this timer starts at the "ten" digit number first and then works it's way down to the single "seconds" digit (most other timers do just the opposite, and start at the "seconds" digit first and are pushed over from right to left). The irritating thing about this is that anything under 10 minutes must first have the "0" button pushed once, and anything that is under 1 minute needs to first have the "0" pressed twice. For example, a 9 minute time is entered by pressing 0--9, and a 50 second time is entered by pressing 0--0--5.

It's not a big deal, but often irritating when you have to actually stop and think about how this timer is different than most other timers. Pressing a "0" one or two times before you even start to enter the actual time was too awkward for me, and I often had to hit "clear" and re-enter it the correct way. Zero's should be pressed last, not first. Who thinks about pressing zero's first? It's probably fine if your not used to the way most other timers work, but other than that, who really wants a "learning curve" on a simple kitchen timer?

Also, the printed numbers on the buttons are way too tiny and not easily read. Plus the magnet stand design makes a "see-saw" action when used while on the refrigerator.