Useless function......?

I never use mine either. I use my phone as a timer. And I can’t do the clock thing either without a FaceTime lesson from son or daughter in law !

When I was juggling work, children, after school activities and a loco pony the oven timer became my trusty friend.

I'll bet that " useless function" added about £80 to the price of the item as do most things with extra bells and whistles

Plain, simple and so long as it does the job for me.

Did used to love my oven timer when I had a large oven. So useful, for going out, and having meal ready for when I returned. Many oven displays require two buttons pressed at the same time to set the clock.
I have never minded an oven clock, to me the pointless one is on the microwave. Must admit that my current one is a combi/convecotr one and when not in use I press the eco switch which turns the clock off.
These days, if I am timing something, I let Alexa do the remknder for me.w

I agree- I almost bought a new oven because I thought mine had broke, Turned out to be the timer needing re-setting. Now I use my phone timer. In the past I used Alexa, but I don't have her anymore!
I find some many gadgets have useless functions and it seems to be these that cause the problems. Built in obsolescence I think it's called.

I used to use the oven timer a lot more (but, of course, we can't go out now) and every time I would feel a slight anxiety when opening the front door in case there was no smell of cooking.

I use it for timing now even if not using the oven itself.

We had a power cut the other day - the phone, oven, microwave all needed resetting!

I worked out how to use mine early on, and do use it a lot.
If I’ve got two things needing timing, I use a relatively new but old fashioned mechanical timer with a nice loud ring - louder than my phone. I also use it to wake me up after a reasonable time if I have a quick afternoon kip on the sofa!

My pet such peeve is microwaves with umpteen functions, where it’s not at all obvious how to work the wretched thing. A BiL has one such in a holiday home we visit now and then. I dread having to replace my old one - just 2 functions, cook and defrost - for one of these blasted things.

IMO you shouldn’t really need instruction manuals for such things - it should be intuitive. I once went mad trying to find the manual for a friend’s new oven - we were ‘babysitting’ her dh while she was away - and it just wasn’t at all obvious how to use it.

Phone timer is much more useful, much simpler, thats what I use.

So many gadgets and appliances with far too many functions that few of us really use.

A good, basic washing machine for example.

Calendargirl you have now mentioned my pet hate. The silly multi button washing machines. When I needed to purchase a new one when I moved here 18 months ago, I searched everywhere for a basic one. I knew that I would probably only ever use one programme and, at the most, two heat settings. I was more concerned in drum size and the ability to have a faster spin.
Not able to find anything at all like this. I am so certain there is a large market out there if one of the manufacturers would bring one out - at a good price.
So, the one I have has so many so-called automatic programmes, none of which I will ever use. I set it to the same 'daily' programme each time I use it, one wash on lower temperature, one of higher. Both with highest spni. Twice in the last 18 months I have used one of the very quick washes, so I supppose that is reasonably useful. But I am sure I paid for all sorts of programmes that I never wanted nor will use.

I used to use the oven timer on my first cooker.

My washing machine has four buttons, what for I don’t know. One or all do beep if I stand too close while the machine is on. Perhaps they are telling me to do social distancing ?

I use my cooker timer a lot.
Alexa is also good and easy, you just have to tell her.

I 7se Alexa because I can time loads of different things.

Alexa is also good and easy, you just have to tell her.
I never thought of that

What do you say?
Tell me my dinner will be ready at 6.30 PM?
Or buzz me in 25 minutes?

I have an echo in my kitchen too. I just tell Alexa to set a timer.
The timer on my oven stopped working some years ago. I did use it, but not frequently.

When I said oven timer, I really meant the delay, so you can set the oven to cook whilst out.
I would be far too nervous! Also I would worry about food sitting at room temperature until cooking started.
I use Alexa as my timer, she is brilliant!

Regarding washing machines, I had one that had a temperature dial and short,medium and long wash options.
What else do you need?

A delay cooking time was essential to my life when I was working. Hurl frozen meat, veg etc into a casseroleand put into the oven before I went to work. Set the timer to come on at lunch time and come home in the evening to a fully cooked meal.

Now, in retirement and the owner of a slow cooker. I rarely use it. Only at Christmas, when I put the turkey in the oven over night so that it turns itself on and I do not need to go near the kitchen until at least 12.00pm.

Washing machines! I love my washing machine. It has all manual buttons so I can see exactly what I need. Type of wash has a dial, spin speed and temperature has push buttons and it’s all I need. My daughter’s on the other hand has a digital display and online instructions. It does an unnecessary rinse when all that is needed is a spin and no clue as to how to change the spin speed.

I have a wireless manual heating control and I can set the heating exactly as I want. Daughter’s is digital and every time she needs to change it she has to go online to check it out.

All this functionality is great for some but so unnecessary IMO. I just want something that does the job and can be set easily without wasting my life looking online for the model no., ploughing through lots of detail etc. etc.

It’s obvious to me that the designers probably don’t use the equipment and just want bells and whistles that are of little use to the end user.

I could mutter on about this for ever so ........

I never set the clocks on anything that has a digital clock, apart from on the central heating controls. I have a watch. It is always on my wrist if I need to know the time. I also have a kitchen clock.

I find the timer on the cooker incredibly useful for timing lots of cooking operations which might suffer from age induced 'forgetfulness'. Use it all the time.

The Central Heating control is my one, lived here 16 years and still can’t do it right!

I always imagine that these things are designed by the sort of blokes who love gadgets, the more complicated the better.

If anyone can assure me that women do design washing machines like mine, with 17 different programmes EXCEPT the ‘just spin’ programme I want after hand washing woollens, I will be happy to stand corrected.

Aargh! You've just reminded me, it's That time of year again - when you have to re-set it.
OH always did it & when he left I had to ask my neighbour!
The next time I thought I knew what to do - by trial & error eventually set it again. But I still have the same faff every 6 months & same on the car too!

My washing machine has a rinse and spin function which I use quite a lot but it also has lots of settings that I will probably never use.

DD1 (who incidentally has an Msc in computer science) has managed to persuade her Partner and 14yo Son that setting or resetting cooker, washing machine, dishwasher, central heating, clocks, computers, etc. is quite beyond her. They are both delighted to show off their manly skills in these departments. Only drawback is that she is required to heap endless praise and thanks upon them.

Strangely, she is my 'go to' person if I have any difficulties in this department.