ProTip: If you're cooking something, set a timer.

Pro tip: if you're cooking rice, use a rice cooker. A really cheap one does a much better job than the stove. It also doesn't burn the rice, because when it's done it switches to keeping it warm.

27

I want one, but don't have room for yet another kitchen gadget

8
- That sounds like quiter talk to me and mama didn't raise me to be no quiter.
  
  More gadgets!
  
  6
- Kitchen island time!
  
  2
- My house has a solid ban on any product with "maker" in its name.
  
  1
hmm.... Yeah maybe I should get another one of those.

6
- If you're feeling fancy, get one with a timer in it. Other than that it just needs a power switch and a cook/warm switch. Rice is honestly the only food that really deserves its own cooker IMO.
  
  5

Pro tip: get a rice cooker. No more burnt rice. Also: much better rice.

17

This, so much. Especially if you cook short grained rice like sushi, makes it almost impossible to fuck up.

6
- I resisted getting one for so long because I didn't want a single purpose appliance when I could make it in a pot.
  
  So I finally allowed myself to get a little one, and I love it so much. 1 part rice, 2 parts water, push button, walk away... perfect rice.
  
  7

Even without ADHD, this is good advice.

9

Especially for pasta. I only really eat Barilla, and do it a minute less than they say on the packet for al dente. Rolling boil first, salt, chuck pasta in, stir it so they get a good coating, cover, stir every other minute, drain immediately then mix into whatever sauce I'm cooking (or sauce into the pot with the pasta) to cook it in for a minute.

2
- Guess what, it's exactly the same as the much cheaper store brand stuff.
  
  1

As someone who once put some tortillas on the griddle, turned to the fridge to get cheese, and…walked right out of the room and back to my desk, I 100% agree. I sometimes feel dumb that I am literally setting 1 or 2 minute timers, but it’s better than burning stuff. I don’t always need them, but they are really helpful during times of stress when I’m especially preoccupied with other things.

7

ProProTip: Rice cooker. You think "meh I don't need it" but they're the tits, get you one that can steam too (the instapot style, not the little bullshit $15 ones. Those are good too though.)

7

Do you have one you can recommend?

1
- I just have a cheap one of the instapot style ones, I don't even know the brand, sorry.
  
  1
I was wondering how they burnt rice. But then I remembered people will make it in a pot.

1

Sometimes timers aren't enough. I set a frozen pizza in the oven, put a 7 minute timer on my Google home, but I was in the middle of a game and absent minded my turned off the alarm when it went off without realizing that the pizza was done and I need to grab it. 45 minutes later I'm wondering how long 7 minutes can truly be and why it smells like burnt pizza.

I got a little old fashioned wind up kitchen timer since the sound is different than the timer I use for anything else. Idk if it helps.

7

Good timers are only on the oven/microwave timer. You have to physically be there to turn it off.

1
- They're too far away and I won't hear them if I have my headphones on which I do almost always
  
  1
I think for cooking, it's important to have habits. I don't turn off the alarm until I'm physically getting up. I try to avoid cooking when gaming, too. Or at least try to avoid any gaming situation where I couldn't quickly leave to cook. It's actually something I wish PC games could copy from consoles. Every modern console can pause anywhere, which isn't possible in some PC games and makes it easier for me to take breaks.

1
- I play mostly online competitive games which you can't pause on console either haha. Yeah I've gotta built better habits for sure but I do slip up here and there.
  
  1

I learned young that I have to use timers for all cooking tasks. I have zero ability to identify how much time passes. I've always been jealous of people who just throw food in the oven or on the stove, do a bunch of stuff, and instinctively retrieve all the food, properly cooked.

6

Wierdly, when I do put a timer on, I can. I suddenly realise it's been about 17 minutes and I'll check and the timer is 20 seconds off ringing. Only happens when I actually put a timer on though, and I can't intentionally do it.

6
- My partner (also ADHD) can sometimes count down a timer to the second, it’s incredibly eery. Though, to be fair, she is a drummer.
  
  2

Alexa in the kitchen has saved many a meal.

5

Also the multiple NAMED timer feature has been tons of help keeping things in order. "Potatoes timer 45 minutes" "Roast timer 2 hours"

4

I find using a timer on a smart watch or yelling at a voice assistant works for keeping me on task.

If I dont... Well, the other day I found some cold cinnamon donuts I had been heating up in the air fryer.

5

Do y'all's stoves/ovens not have built in, repetitive, annoying timers?

I can't imagine putting something in the oven without hitting that

4

Mine plays a little tune, both my dad and I use the timers on our phones instead

2
I have a gas cooker that will continue to cook long after your house has burned down around it.

2
Yes but when you walk out of the room and get distracted, you can't hear the oven timer.

1
Mine will shut off after the timer finishes

1

Oh, I try, but I use "ok google" and my girlfriend's phone, my mum's phone, my kiddo's phone and my own all then set timers. And then they won't stop going off from my voice command, even though they started from my voice command.

It's crazy when I'm in the kitchen :P

4

When I worked in kitchens, I had five seperate timers on my station so I could keep from constantly burning things. I’m so glad I realised it was burning me out before I finished my apprenticeship.

4

I keep a lid on the rice and kill the heat once the water is boiling. Twenty minutes later it's perfect, and it literally can't burn.

4

What kind of rice are you cooking?

1
- Typically sushi, jasmine, and basmati. I add water at about a 1.25:1 ratio for each (and presoak and parcook the basmati).
  
  3

Why is it that when I see post about things people with ADHD find helpful like this, its a hard lesson I learned on my own? I often wonder if I have ADHD.

4

This is pretty much how I went undiagnosed into middle age.

4

Oh shit! My pasta! Thanks!!

3

Phone timers and alarms are an absolute game changer. I set them for waking, sleeping, all my meetings, cooking, whatever has a time dimension. It still amazes me how easily I can forget to do something on time. It also helps to apologise for being late and wasting people's time. You can't apologise to burnt rice so set a fcking timer, bro.

3

Yes! The timer function on my phone has really helped my cooking improve.

2

Yeah, this is a good idea.

Wish the twat that fell asleep after starting to cook some food had done that at my previous place. Almost burnt the entire building down and because of her stupidity, it displaced at least 2 families and a couple of pets were lost.

2

Holy shit!

2

I learned to do that after burning soup.

Yeah, let's be glad I didn't take the whole house with me that time.

2

I was about to write that only idiots and amateurs need a timer for cooking, but then I saw that this is an ADHD group. Knowing people with those issues, I can only support your idea. Yes, for people who do have problems focusing, a timer is a good idea.

2

Ummm yeah cooking complex dishes it makes things pretty easy when you set a timer for things that don't need your attention constantly.

Also helps me not to burn a pizza in the oven.

4
What an odd thing to say. I worked in kitchens for 3 years and most professionals I met would use timers often.

1
- Amazing. I always considered a sense for timing to be among the most important skills of a cook.
  
  1
I am definitely an idiot and an amateur sometimes so you're not wrong

1

I don't have ADHD (afaik) but recently while I was making coffee, my brother told me something while the coffee was pouring from the machine, and after a while I turn and find it overflowing and leaking watered down coffee everywhere. It wasn't a fun start to my morning and it left me concerned for my short term memory lol

2

@luthis No thx. Music, a glass of whiskey and dancing in the kitchen is my solution.

2