Appliances think in sixty-minute cycles. A standard wash runs about that long, a soup wants an hour to come together, and a full gym session with a proper warm-up lands in the same place. This is the timer you set when something can look after itself for a while.

What people use this timer for

Tracking a washing machine cycle so damp laundry does not sit
Simmering stock or soup long enough for the flavours to build
Running a full training session including warm-up and stretching
Charging a device or battery pack to a usable level
Taking the dog out for a proper walk rather than a lap of the block
Letting a large dough rise until roughly doubled
Giving a paint or varnish coat time to dry before the next one

Set the timer slightly short on anything you have to physically go and deal with. Five minutes of warning means you can be at the machine or the oven when it finishes, instead of coming back to it half an hour later.

Questions about this timer

Does laundry really need moving straight after the cycle?

The sooner the better. Damp fabric left sitting in a warm drum develops a musty smell within a few hours, and creases set hard, which usually costs more time in ironing than the wash saved.

Is an hour too long for one gym session?

For most people an hour is comfortable, including warm-up and cool-down. Sessions creep past it when rest stretches out, so if you are regularly running over, look at the gaps rather than the exercise list.

How much does an hour of simmering change a soup?

A great deal for stocks, pulses and tough vegetables, which need sustained heat to break down. Delicate additions such as leafy greens, herbs or seafood should go in near the end instead.