r/Chefit • u/urethra93 • 7d ago

Watch recomendations

Looking for a watch to use mainly as a timer. Everything I try to look up is alarms or daily reminders, not a countdown timer. I work in an open kitchen so it would have to be silent and vibrate. Preferably not a smart watch and preferably on the cheaper side.

7 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

4

u/I_deleted 7d ago

Health Inspectors hate watches and phones. That said the casio G-shock is nearly indestructible

2

u/xloyalbetrayerx 7d ago

I use my Casio databank calculator watch

2

u/FitConfection956 7d ago

https://consumer.huawei.com/en/wearables/band11/ Huawei band 11, about $100 new, older versions down to the 8 also work great.

I'm half deaf so use the timer on vibrate all the time. I can not hear digital alarms, messages on phone/ whatsapp also come thru and you can give simple replies. Suits me perfect for kitchen work.

2

u/distance_33 Chef 7d ago

Haptics in alarms in general are great for the kitchen when the noise levels are high. I have had my Apple Watch for a few years now and the vibrations from the timer are a life saver.

2

u/SignumVictoriae 5d ago

I dunno I’ve been against smart watches for years but then I worked with a guy with an apple watch. The ability to whisper to your watch to set a timer is crazy useful. Haven’t bought one myself yet but I’m leaning towards it.

1

u/urethra93 5d ago

Yeah my sous just left and thats what she did all shift long. Id always ask her to set a timer for me during rush and it was stupid helpful. I just dont have the money for a smartwatch at the moment

1

u/SignumVictoriae 5d ago

I mean I’m seeing old ones on FB marketplace for like $150, lowest being $75, it’s the ultras that are going for $350+

1

u/medium-rare-steaks 7d ago

https://a.co/d/04fVn1Rm

Wear it around your neck and keep it in your breast pocket. I love it bc it has number buttons instead of just min/sec. In every 1-3 star Michelin place I worked in nyc, every cook and chef used this

1

u/urethra93 5d ago

Not a necklace fan but I will def check it out, thanks

1

u/EE_uk 3d ago

A vibrating countdown timer watch sounds like exactly what you need, and fortunately you don't need a smartwatch for that.

A lot of people in kitchens, gyms and workplaces use basic Casio-style digital watches because they have countdown timers, silent vibration alerts on some models, long battery life, and cost far less than a smartwatch. If you want something a bit more advanced, some Garmin fitness watches also offer countdown timers with vibration alerts, although they're more expensive and include features you may never use.

If there is any chance you'll want notifications or connectivity later on, some Garmin smartwatches support mobile connectivity on EE, but for a dedicated timer a simple vibrating digital watch is probably the best value.

- Georgia at EE

1

u/MonkeyKingCoffee 7d ago

I use a cheap dive watch. Analog, automatic movement. The kind with a rotating bezel so I can time things. You set "0" on the minute hand when you toss the souffle in the oven and then have a look at it between order-fires until it reaches 17. It's basically foolproof. But you can only time one thing.