Time's up in the kitchen

Gravy bubbling on the back burner, potatoes boiling away on the front burner, green beans steaming, and a chicken in the oven – all with only one timer. A recipe for disaster?

It can be quite difficult to manage timings in a kitchen, especially when the green beans are best al dente, while that gravy needs a few extra minutes to reduce.

Those clever folks back in the US have come up with a four-way timer designed to look like the common hob to help the frazzled cook weave his way towards dinnertime.

Retailing for approximately £30 in the UK (available at Lakeland), the Chef’s QuadTimer seems a bit pricey, but considering the average kitchen timer ranges from £3-£15 (depending on the spec), £30 might not too off the mark. (And just in time for Christmas, how fortutitous.)

Given that I have not tried the product out myself, I can’t really give a proper review – though if the controls are not too confusing, the device could be a useful one for dinner parties and holiday meals. (Though the timer should not be a substitute for advance preparation and meal planning, which I think is key to any delicious, non-stressful dinner party.)