Your 4 minute timer is ready
The timer is already set to 4 minutes. Press Start and the countdown begins: the digits, the progress bar and the tab title all show the time left. When it reaches zero, the sound rings until you stop it. Four minutes is the sweet spot for a cup of black tea, and the exact length of a Tabata workout.
What a 4 minute timer is good for
- Black tea: Most black teas steep for 3 to 5 minutes. The Black tea preset in the Cooking category is set to 4.
- French press: Four minutes is the usual steeping time before you push the plunger down.
- Tabata: Eight rounds of 20 seconds of hard effort and 10 seconds of rest add up to exactly 4 minutes.
- Runny egg from the fridge: A cold large egg needs about a minute more than one at room temperature: 4 minutes for a liquid yolk.
- Steamed vegetables: Broccoli florets or green beans are crisp-tender after about 4 to 5 minutes of steaming.
- Quick write: In class or at work, write without stopping for four minutes on a single question.
- Mindful pause: Sit down, close your eyes and follow your breath until the sound.
4 minutes in seconds, and what fits in them
4 minutes is 240 seconds. In 1954, Roger Bannister became the first runner officially timed under four minutes for the mile, in 3:59.4. The four-minute mile is still a milestone for middle-distance runners.
A tip for your 4 minutes
Pour water just off the boil over the tea and start the timer at once. When it rings, take the leaves or the bag out: black tea left longer turns bitter. For a stronger cup, tap +1 min. To mark each 30-second Tabata round, run the stopwatch with a beep every 30 seconds. For green tea, the 2 minute timer is gentler.
How to use the 4 minute timer
- Press Start. The countdown runs from 4 minutes down to zero.
- Pick a sound if you like. Turn the list to hear a bell, a chime, a classic beep, a digital beep or a gentle rise.
- Switch tabs freely. The countdown follows your device clock and stays exact. Keep this tab open to hear the sound.
- Stop the sound at zero, or tap +1 min if you need a little longer.
Need another length? Turn the minute wheel, or tap the digits and type the time on the keypad. The online timer also has presets for cooking, sport and relaxing, and a full screen mode that makes the countdown readable from across the room.