Basically you can classify timers into different categories. One of the most popular ways to distinguish between them is by the way the work.

Technology

Hour Glass Timers
Analog Timers or Electromechanical Timers
Digital Timers or Programmable Timers
Space Age

Location

Indoor Timers or Timer Switches
Outdoor Timers

Application or Purpose

Appliance Timer
Kitchen Timer
Egg Timer
Interval Timers
Sports Timer
Medicine Timer
Countdown Timer

Like most timer products outdoor timers usually come in two flavors: Digital Timers and Electromechanical Timers. Digital timers rely on integrated circuits to switch lights or appliances on or off. This is the high tech timer.

The simplistic electromechanical timers accomplish the same with a dial that mechanically rotates. This rotation can complete a circuit using pegs or tabs that you can lock in place. This mechanism allows the timer to switch lights or appliances on and off.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages but generally speaking a digital timer will offer tons of features while the electromechanical timer has reliability and simplicity of setup on its side.

Aside from either being digital or electromechanical, an outdoor timer can come with or without a stake. A stake can make it super easy to install the timer anywhere. This may be a huge advantage to people without a mounting location for their timers.

All outdoor timers are weatherproof. Some may go as far as waterproofing. Generally speaking the assembly of an outdoor timer will be more robust than its indoor counterpart. Furthermore, since a timer outdoors usually control several lights or pumps they will come with 2 or more outlets.

Outdoor timers can be used in several different ways. Common applications for them include: Pool pumps, landscape lights, security lighting, fountain control and even holiday lights.

Below are the best Outdoor Timers we’ve found that are available online.

1. Intermatic HB31R All Weather Outdoor Timer

At only $12.27 Usd online this outdoor timer is a great buy for someone looking for a basic timer they can mount on walls.

Read what we had to say about the Intermatic HB31R All Weather Outdoor Timer

2. Westek TM16DOLB Outdoor Daily Stake Timer

The Westek TM16DOLB Outdoor Daily Timer, can be found online for as low as $24.99 Usd Best for those looking for a timer that comes with a stake and a lot of outlets.

Read more about the Westek TM16DOLB Outdoor Daily Timer.

3. Woods 13660 Outdoor Photoelectric Timer

The Woods 13660 Outdoor Photoelectric Dusk Timer can be found for as low as $12.95 Usd and is best for someone looking for a cheap timer that can turn itself on when daylight ends.

Read a little more about the Woods 13660 Outdoor Photoelectric Dusk Timer here.

4. Westek TM11DOLB Outdoor Daily Timer

This outdoor timer can be found online for as low as $14.49 and is best for someone looking for a compact and simple outdoor timer.

Read our comments on the Westek TM11DOLB Outdoor Daily Timer

5. Sylvania SA200 Outdoor Timer with Light Sensor

The Sylvania SA200 Outdoor Timer is best for people who do not want to bother tinkering with complicated stuff. It can be found online for as low as $14.99.

Read a bit more about the Sylvania SA200 Outdoor Timer

Generally speaking these timers are contraptions which turn power on and off at set intervals to appliances or light stands attached to them.

For example you can set your lamp shade to automatically turn on at 6pm and shut itself down at 10 the same night.

Another ingenious use for an appliance timer is for your morning coffee. Set it the appliance timer just before waking up and plugin your coffee maker. You’ll wake up to the aroma of your favorite coffee beans every single day.

Timer switches can generally be divided into two. Digital Timers and Electromechanical Timers.

This lists includes both of them. They have their own advantages. Digital timers include some pretty advanced functions like random switching. Some can even be programmed to a specific day for your calendar month.

Electromechanical timers on the other hand are sturdy and dependable. You do not have to replace any batteries. They just keep working as the years go by. But they are fairly simple timers and need re-adjustment every once in a while.

1. Intermatic DT620CL 15 Amp Indoor Astronomic Digital Timer

The Intermatic DT620CH is a timer big in features. Quite possibly the most high tech timer in this round up. There is practically nothing that this digital timer cannot do. You can program upto 14 on and off cycles into it.

The astronomic part of the name refers to the timer being able to switch on or off during sunset and sunrise times. It can compensate for daylight savings too. There is even random programming built into if you are concerned with security issues at home.

Some reviews indicate that the downloadable manual at Intermatic’s site might be useful. This is not a simple timer. The noticable dial on the middle makes for scrolling through the programmable times a breeze.

The Intermatic DT6620 is a timer that is complete and retails for $18.75 Usd

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2. Intermatic TN111GC Lamp and Appliance Timer

The Intermatic TN111GC Lamp and Appliance Timer is a small and compact timer the offers 2 on and off settings.The face of the dial lights up and according Intermatic can be used as a night light! One thing that this timer is known for is its silent switching. A must for people who don’t like hearing their timers tick!

Coming in at a fraction of the price of its bigger brother, the Intermatic TN11GC is great for those who want a simple and quite timer at a bargain price of only $6.23 Usd

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3. Woods Indoor 7 Day Digital Timer

This Woods timer comes double grounded three-prong outlets. A rarity in timers of this class. Like all digital timers this doesn’t make a sound when switching. You can have 8 ON and OFF Cycles for each day of the week. Giving you a total of 56 programmed events.

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Quite comparable in features to the Intermatic DT620CL above. It also can be found online at around the same price of around $18 dollars.

4. Intermatic TB121C Digital Tabletop Lamp and Appliance Timer

For people needing only needing to power smaller loads this digital timer by Intermatic is a good investment. Unlike the other timers featured on this round up which are tied down to their sockets the Intermatic TB121C comes with a long five foot cord.  This instantly transforms it into a movable timer. Easy to set with easy to read readouts. It comes  with batteries and includes a 1-year limited warranty.

Price Check

The Intermatic TB121C can be found cheap at $11.99 Usd. Best for people wanting a moveable digital timer for low power loads like lamps, tvs and stereos.

5. General Electric 50462 7-Day Random Vacation Timer

This timer is a set and forget type. Basically you just set it to the right time and trust it to turn on randomly during evenings and turn off on the morning. There nothing much else to say about it. It works and its simple. No frills and pretty basic. Best for those looking for a timer they can just plug quickly before running of the house.  This timer can be found online for as low as $9.09 Usd

First we should define what an egg timer is. There are two types of “egg timers.” First are general purpose timers  or kitchen timers that are shaped like eggs. Second are timers specifically made to time eggs that are cooked by boiling. The former technically can be called egg timers because setting them to 3, 5, 12  minutes will yield a soft boiled, medium cooked, and hard boiled eggs respectively.

So whatever you might be looking for any of my favorite egg timers below should be a good choice.

1. Norpro Egg Rite Egg Timer

It’s so cheap everyone should have one!

As if coming from the future, the Norpro Egg Rite Egg timer might leave the uninitiated dumbfounded. The technology that allows this egg to change colors seems it came from outer space. Basically you place this “timer” together with your eggs. As you heat it up the red area of the egg gets smaller and smaller.  The lines on the egg indicate that the eggs are done as soon as the red spot’s ring touches them. The red spot gets smaller as the eggs are getting nearer to the hard boiled state.

The beauty of this egg timer is that  by virtue of its timing nature, you get perfectly cooked eggs no matter how many you cook. Twenty eggs might require a different time from boiling one egg with a traditional timer. The Nordic futurama egg timer does away with all the guess work and even compensates for high altitude cooking.

The Nordic Egg Rite Egg Timer can be found online for as low as $4.99 USD

2. HIC Harold Import Eggsact Egg Timer

Just like the Nordic Egg Rite Egg Timer, the HIC Harold Egg timer indicates visually if the eggs are already cooked or not. It uses the same scale from Hard to Soft boiled eggs.

This is even cheaper

It only marginally loses out to its Nordic branded cousin due to its current higher price. However, deals might make this a better buy when its listed below its current $5 Usd Price tag.

3. CDN TM12-W Digital Egg Timer

Topping the list behind the space age indicator timers, the CDN TM12-W is our first digital egg timer to make its presence felt here. It may look unappealing but several different colors are available for this model. Priced at $12.99 usd this egg timer can count up to 100 minutes. Another helpful feature is that it can also count down. So you can set it to 3 minutes and wait for your eggs to get cooked in perfect soft boiled tradition.

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For those who prefer an audible alarm rather than a visual one the top 2 egg timers provide this is your best bet.

The CDN TM12-W Digital Egg timer comes with 1 AAA battery and is made of food-safe ABS plastic.

4. Cusinart Stainless Steel Egg Shaped Timer

A thing of beauty form and function shaped like an Egg. That’s how we define the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Egg Shaped Timer. The name says it all.  With dimensions of 3 inches x 2 .5 inches x 2.5 inches this thing is a lot bigger than an egg . Its stainless steel construction gives it a bit of heft too. This is ideal for those people who are serious about their kitchen and leave out the fad toys for the kids.

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This egg timer is capable of  60 minute countdowns that end with a very professional and loud alarm. And as with all things professional, this Cuisinart Egg Timer comes with a limited 5 year warranty. All for just $13.50 Usd.

5. Timey – Mechanical Egg Timer  by MSC

I couldn’t believe I’d say this in a “review” but this egg timer is cute. It would have been perfect and top this list if it was a linux pengiun timer. The Timey Egg timer is a best-seller online. That’s how cute it is. It features a basic 60 minute setting that have users a bit disoriented by its hard to read scale.

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Retailing at just $6.99 usd this egg timer by MSC is best for those who want a smile on their face while waiting for those eggs to be done!

1) Polder Original Cooking All-in-One Timer / Thermometer ( Model 362-90 )

The rolls-royce of Kitchen timers, this ever popular timer comes with a temperature probe. The probe comes with a longer cable. It comes with an alarm that automatically goes off depending on the temperature you set. This takes the guesswork out of cooking your roast!

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Along with the the temperature features, the Polder All-in-One Timer / Thermometer of course features a handy timer that can work together with the temperature mode. Set any time and wait for the alarm to go off!

2) Presto 04213 Electronic Digital Timer

The Presto 04213 Electronic Digital Timer is a handy gadget to have inside your kitchen. Simple but functional this kitchen timer can be be set anywhere from 99 minutes down to 30 seconds. A handy clip behind the digital timer makes it a very versatile timer. Also a magnet is included so you can place it on metallic surfaces. The magnet on this digital kitchen timer is strong enough to hold itself vertically. Although a very simple timer compared to the Polder branded one at first place the price of this can’t be beat! The Presto 04213 Electronic Digital timer only retails for $6.99!

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Since it small and can be pocketed it can double as any kind of timer. The value that this timer provides is incomparable.

3) Taylor Digital Minute / Second Timer ( Model 5806 )

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Measuring just 2.5  x 0.8 x 2.1 inches  this is one small timer. The Taylor Digital Minute / Second timer features a large 0.7 inch LCD and like the Presto timer above features a clip and magnet behind it. It also features a handy stand so you can place it over a counter or anywhere where it can be left standing. Timer can display from 99 minutes and 59 seconds.

What’s nice about this digital kitchen timer is that it can count up or down. This greatly enhances its usability outside of the kitchen. This may be important to some who need a timer that can function outside the kitchen.

The Taylor Digital Minute/Second Timer comes with a free AAA battery and 1 year limited warranty from Taylor.

4) Presto 04212 Electronic Clock/Timer

Presto calls this digital kitchen timer a 4-in-1 model. It comes with a timer, stop watch, a calendar and a clock. Presto didn’t leave anything behind this great kitchen timer. Unlike the previous timers this one is able to retain three memory settings.

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Measuring 7.4 x 5 x 1.4 inches this big timer is one that you would not want to carry around. Though its size is offset by an equally very large screen, taking up the half the space of at the front. Its visibility is great from a distance.

It comes with a magnet, stand and clip. An AAA battery required is included free with the Presto 04212 Electronic Clock / Timer.

5) Cook-Rite 60-Minute Quartz Timer (Model 91030-2 )

Closing up our Top 5 best kitchen timers is the Cook-Rite 60-Minute Quartz Timer. This is a traditional kitchen timer with a rotary dial taking up most of the facade of this 3.5 x 1.7 x 3.5 inch timer.

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This mechanical or analog timer will make itself attractive in a traditional minded cook’s kitchen. There is something about having mechanical things that move compared to the more modern LCD display based timers.

Although it may look like a traditional kitchen timer the Cook-Rite requires a battery which you may want to pickup when buying this one. It gives off a 90-second alarm that progressively gets louder when time is up.

The fastest timer to set in this round up the Cook-Rite 60-Minute Kitchen Timer is a great timer for those looking for that “traditional kitchen timer” look on their kitchens.

The problem was that it had exotic 2 volt batteries that I wasn’t very fond off. So I decided to research more and find another kind of charger which didn’t require any special batteries or special kinds of screwdrivers to prop them open!

I gathered my notes and just typed them here at this website. Hopefully I could help some of the people who were in the same situation as I was. Looking for the best timer for different kinds of uses.

Good luck and please drop me an email if you have any questions at: timercentral at yahoo.com

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TimerCentral.com Admin