Timer times two

Vintage Sicomatic Timer

How many timers does a person need? Browsing the shelves of a local thrift shop I stumbled upon this beauty, a Sicomatic-brand timer probably from the '60s or '70s made by the fine people at Silit, who continue to manufacture high-quality pressure cookers.


I simply could not resist. Yes, I hesitated. If you will remember I purchased a retro timer by Zassenhaus just last month. But once I heard how little the store owner wanted for my little Sico (I will have to come up with a better nickname soon), I caved in.


In case you were wondering, the prefix "Sico-" derives from the first two syllables of "sicherheits-Kochtopf", or "safety cooking pot" in English, with the small orthographic change of k to c.

This handy device not only fills the kitchen with the cheery ringing of a metal bell when the set time is up, but it also provides cooking times for a number of dishes. Although I won't be preparing most of the foods listed, the idea is nevertheless quite ingenious.

You can either set it on a flat surface or hang it up by the chain fastened to the top.

Now, everybody likes getting a good deal, right? As I was preparing this entry, I did a quick search and stumbled upon the following eBay auction:

The resolution of my screenshot is not very high, so let me highlight one particular portion for you.

I was beaming with delight until I realized that the person who listed this never actually sold the item for this price. Sighing heavily, I did another eBay search and turned up a current listing priced at just under 15 Euros.

Sico and I will not be parting ways just yet, but if we ever do, it is comforting to know that my red friend is worth at least a little bit of money.