Bird Wind-Up Kitchen Timer with Bell

This wind-up kitchen timer puts a sweet pink bird on top of a deep green base, and the bird itself is the handle you turn to set it. She has sleepy closed eyes, a small grey beak and a grey-green wing picked out with white stripes and dots. The white minute markings run around the top of the base, numbered every five minutes, so you can read the time left at a glance. It stands 8.3cm tall and 7.2cm across, small enough to tuck into the corner of a worktop, and the body is ABS plastic with a rubber coating that feels soft in the hand.

We like it on the kitchen worktop beside the hob or the mixer, where it keeps track of baking, roasting, simmering and the steeping of a pot of tea. It counts down from a maximum of 59 minutes in one-minute steps, which covers a batch of cupcakes, a pan of pasta or a tray of scones, and when the dial reaches zero a loud, clear bell rings for three seconds so you know time is up. No batteries are required, so there is nothing to replace or charge, and it works wherever you set it down. It is just as useful on a desk for timing a short break or a focused spell of work.

Inside, the mechanism is made from zinc alloy, stainless steel and ABS and POM plastics, and setting it is simple: turn the bird clockwise to 0, then clockwise again to the time you want, and the countdown begins. Take care not to overwind it. To keep it looking its best, clean it only with a soft fabric cloth and never immerse it in water. Set it on the worktop where you can reach it with floury hands, and it makes a cheerful little gift for a home kitchen.

Does this bird kitchen timer need batteries?

No batteries are required. It is a wind-up timer, so you simply turn the bird to set it and the mechanism does the rest.

How long can it time?

It counts down from a maximum of 59 minutes in one-minute steps, and a loud, clear bell rings for three seconds when the dial reaches zero.

How do I set the timer?

Turn the bird clockwise to 0, then clockwise again to the time you want, and the countdown starts. Take care not to overwind the timer.

How big is it?

It stands 8.3cm tall and measures 7.2cm across, so it sits neatly on a worktop, a windowsill or a desk without taking up much room.

How do I clean it?

Clean it only with a soft fabric cloth and never immerse it in water, as the timer has a working mechanism inside its rubber-coated body.

What colours is it?

The bird is soft pink with a grey-green wing patterned in white stripes and dots, and she sits on a deep green base with white minute markings.