Cook Timer Portable

Designed as the portable counterpart of CookTimer, Cook Timer Portable is a straightforward application that enables you to schedule a countdown timer.

Its name suggests that it's designed for kitchen work. However, it contains generic options that make it suitable for any type of activities involving a countdown timer.

The main difference between the portable and installer edition is that this version keeps all settings in a single place, giving you the possibility to easily uninstall the program via basic folder deletion. Plus, it can be stored on a USB flash drive to be able to seamlessly launch it on any PC with minimum effort and no previous installers. It doesn't add new entries to the Windows registry, unlike many installers.

Once started, Cook Timer Portable creates an icon in the taskbar notifications area, where it gets minimized and sits silently until the timer goes off.

Double-clicking the tray icon bring up the main configuration panel, where you can select one of the four presets available to quickly set the countdown timer: 3, 5, 10 or 15 minutes.

Alternatively, you can opt for the custom mode to specify any number of hours, minutes and seconds. After starting the timer, the program shows a progress bar indicating the remaining time.

Worth noting is that it doesn't show notifications before time stops running. On the other hand, it's possible to reset the timer, instruct the PC to automatically restart afterward, or ask the tool to continuously ring until halted by the user.

It worked smoothly throughout our evaluation, without hanging, crashing or prompting errors. Unsurprisingly, it had minimal impact on the computer's performance. Thanks to its intuitive GUI and clear-cut options, Cook Timer Portable can be used by anyone looking for a countdown timer.