How to Work an Oven Timer

Setting the timer on your kitchen oven lets you prepare meals in advance, take off for a few hours and return to hot food that's ready to eat. Working an oven timer requires three settings: when you want the oven to turn on, the temperature and the duration of the cook or bake time. The labels and arrangement of the control panel and buttons will vary, depending on the stove model, but the essential settings are the same.

Set the oven timer and return to a hot meal.

Step 1

Press the "Clock" button and adjust the hour and minute settings to the correct time.

Step 2

Press the "Timer" button and the minute and hour controls (use the "+" and "-" buttons on some ovens) to select the time of day you want the oven to turn on for cooking or baking.

Step 3

Enter the temperature for baking or cooking during the timer setting, for example, 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 4

Press the "Cook Time" button to enter the minutes and hours required for cooking the food.

Step 5

Open the oven to insert the food and close the door.