9 best kitchen timers to stop you ever burning a cake again

This is the mother of all kitchen timers, with heaps of whizzy features. We especially like the loud alarm (no need to burn anything due to barely audible beeps), the fact that it’s weatherproof (great for BBQs), the 99 hour, 59 min, 59 second timer (a godsend if you like slow cooking) and there’s even a turn reminder.

There’s a temperature-check reminder so you don’t forget to check your cooked meat is definitely ready and there’s a nice clear LCD display. Exceptionally practical and user-friendly. Includes two batteries.

No need to faff about with batteries, thanks to this mechanical vintage look, conventional mechanical timer that can be set for up to 59 minutes. You won’t miss the alert even if you’re not in the room – it’s a very loud ring. And because it’s magnetic, you can attach it to your fridge, oven or cooker hood. Available in cream or vintage blue, there are also plenty of other kitchen accessories in the living nostalgia range from pie dishes to storage jars.

However you like your eggs in the morning,  simply bung this in the water with your them and keep an eye out for the changing colour, depending on whether you like your eggs soft, medium or hard boiled.

It will do for several eggs at one time, even if everyone likes theirs done differently. But you’ll need to be sure the eggs go in the water at room temperature, not straight from the fridge. There are cheaper versions available but we didn’t find they were a patch on this one.

Kitchen timers don’t get more stylish than this, with its Scandi looks, chic black finish and wooden top that fits ergonomically in the hand ready to twist round to the time required. You get up to 60 minutes in total, with the clearly marked figures allowing you to be exact.

There are other equally chic Nordic kitchen accessories from the same range which, like this, you’d be only too pleased to display on your worktop. But the bell isn’t as loud as some and it’s expensive.

They’ve thought of everything here – a large, clear LCD screen, a counter that can go up or down, a timer that goes to 19 hours and 59 seconds and a loud (albeit a bit shrill) sound when you’ve reached your time.

It’s magnetic at the back so you can attach it to a fridge or oven but to do so you’ll need to remove the stand that allows it to be freestanding. We’d like the buttons to have been a little further apart, though – butter fingers (all the more likely with cooking) mean it’s easy to press more than one at once. Battery included.

We love this fun looking mini alarm clock style timer that couldn’t be simpler to use. Made from stainless steel and small enough to find a place on your worktop or – for example – on top of the microwave – it will stand the test of time and there’s no need for batteries.

It can be set up to one hour by twisting the white knob on the front. It’s nice and small too, so you can store it away in a drawer or cupboard when not in use. Not the best for setting to the precise second, however.

This stands out for its extra-large display and buttons – great if you can never seem to find your reading glasses at critical cooking moments. You won’t miss the very loud beeps and it sets up to 99 minutes 59 seconds, so it’s another good option for slow cooking. The four magnetic feet stick easily onto fridges or ovens or you can stand it up on the worktop. You can use it as a stopwatch too. But it’s more flimsy than other timers, so treat it with care. Battery included.

This mechanical timer is shaped like an egg ready to time your morning eggs, although it will of course time anything else you want too, provided it’s no more than an hour. We found it reasonably precise when it comes to minutes and the stainless steel gives it a classic look, while the ringer is reasonably loud, although you might want to look elsewhere if you want something that can be heard from other rooms. It adds a touch of nostalgia too – these types of timers have been around for yonks.

Available in black and (our favourite) terracotta, this simple but smart kitchen timer fixes to your fridge, cooker hood or oven magnetically. You can set it to 99 minutes by rotating the outer ring and choosing from the timer or stopwatch function, with the alert continuing to beep until you turn it off. There are masses of products in the range if you want to complete the look – everything from corkscrew to garlic press to kitchen scales. Battery included.