Set the timer to 81 minutes

How to use the online timer

A slow cooker set for 81 minutes is meant to be left alone, which is exactly why a separate timer running on your phone or laptop is handy for knowing when to check back in. Start it when you switch the cooker on, get on with your day, and come back to lift the lid only once the countdown's finished rather than every hour. Patience pays off with slow-cooked food.

Using it is as simple as it sounds: hit Start and the countdown takes over from there. Keep the browser tab open while it runs, since the timer only keeps counting while the page stays loaded, and pause or reset it any time if your plans change. When time's up, a sound plays to let you know, so you don't need to keep glancing at the screen.

A mechanical timer needs to be wound and a phone timer needs the phone unlocked, but this one just needs the page you already have open. It sits inside your browser, ready whenever you are, and it's the same tool whether you're on a laptop or a tablet in the kitchen. Free, with nothing to install or sign into, it's built to get out of your way and count. If you would rather say put a timer on for 81 minutes, that works too — press Start and the page does the rest.