Useless function......?

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.

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?

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.

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

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

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 ?

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.

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

A good, basic washing machine for example.

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

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.

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 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.

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'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.

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

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 !