The modern kitchen clock but which one should you choose for your home?
Late for dinner? Perhaps you need a new kitchen clock!
A kitchen clock makes a most useful and attractive addition to the busiest room in the home. How often have you been cooking and lost track of the time? It's easy enough to glance at your watch in most situations but not so when you are covered in flour or some sticky substance which could easily gum up the movement.
It is much simpler to have a big clear face with easy to see hands and numerals poised just above head height. A second hand makes it even more useful for short-term activities like boiling eggs or infusing drinks.
The simple kitchen clock has come a long way from the rather unsophisticated cheap white plastic offering that first appeared a couple of decades ago. Nowadays, a kitchen clock can be made out of earthenware, stainless steel, wood - pine is a favorite - or a higher and less obvious grade of plastic. Hands are often made of metal such as brass.
A modern kitchen clock often comes with other functions besides its ability to tell the time. For example, the better quality ones can have a thermometer, hygrometer and a timer with alarm.
There is an argument about whether it is better to have Roman or Arabic numerals and even whether it is better to choose a kitchen clock which does not have numerals at all. Personally, I prefer to be able to just glance quickly at the clock so I like it to have ordinary numbers and be very easy to read.
For the fashion conscious, there are all sorts of variations available with the kitchen clock mounted to all manner of backgrounds from fans to maps and even favorite photographs. My favorite might not be to everyone's taste as it consists of two rather large meat flies mounted on the ends of the hands with the message 'Time Flies' printed on the face. Well, it makes me smile, anyway!
The early kitchen clock was mains-powered which meant the visit of an electrician (and associated cost) but nowadays most are battery-powered with a simple but accurate quartz movement. Although it is a bit of a nuisance replacing the battery, the act of taking it down from the wall gives a chance for a spot of regular cleaning of otherwise hard to reach places.
Don't forget though. If you want to get that job done, don't spend all your time admiring your new kitchen clock!
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