Quick answer
Four minutes is the classic French press brew time, a full-bodied steep for black tea, and exactly one Tabata block of eight 20-second efforts with 10-second rests. Playxoft's free 4 minute timer is preset and ready: press Start or the Space key and it sounds an alarm at zero. Use Add timer to time a second brew alongside it.
- Set to 4 minutes
- Alarm rings in background tabs
- Multiple timers
- Six alarm sounds
- Fullscreen focus mode
How to use this 4 minute timer
- 1The timer is already set to 4 minutes. Press Start or the Space key to begin.
- 2Optional: name it (for example "French press"), pick an alarm Sound, and turn on Repeat to run it again automatically.
- 3While it runs, use +1 min or the quick chips to adjust, and Focus mode for fullscreen digits.
- 4When the alarm rings, press Dismiss, or Snooze 5 min for more time.
What is a 4 minute timer used for?
- French press coffee. Four minutes is the most common brew time: add hot water to coarsely ground coffee, start the timer, then press the plunger and pour.
- Black tea. Four minutes lands in the middle of the usual 3 to 5 minute range for a full-bodied cup.
- A Tabata block. Eight rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest add up to exactly four minutes. The interval timer runs the rounds with beeps.
- Running history. Roger Bannister ran the first mile under four minutes on May 6, 1954, and four minutes is still the most famous number in middle-distance running.
- Short meditations. A four-minute practice is long enough to settle and short enough to fit between meetings.
How do you brew French press coffee in 4 minutes?
- Heat water to just off the boil, around 93 to 96 °C (200 to 205 °F).
- Add coarsely ground coffee to the press. A common starting ratio is about 1 gram of coffee to 15 grams of water.
- Pour in the water, give it a gentle stir, put the lid on and press Start.
- When the alarm sounds, press the plunger down slowly and pour straight away, so the coffee does not keep extracting.
Prefer it stronger? Use a little more coffee rather than a much longer brew, which tends to taste bitter.
Tips for using a 4 minute timer
- Use Add timer to time a second brew or the milk at the same time.
- The Bell sound carries well from the kitchen to the next room.
- For a Tabata workout, the interval timer adds a 10-second get-ready and beeps in the last three seconds of every phase.
- Need four and a half minutes? Type
4:30.
How many seconds is 4 minutes?
4 minutes is 240 seconds, or 0.067 of an hour.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Seconds | 240 |
| Minutes | 4 |
| Hours | 0.0667 |
| Back to back in one hour | 15 |
| Back to back in one day | 360 |
With Repeat on, this timer goes off 15 times an hour, which makes it a dependable interval reminder.
Need a different length?
- Shorter: 3 minute timer, 2 minute timer
- Longer: 5 minute timer, 6 minute timer
- Any length: the online timer takes whatever you type, for example
4:30. - Focus sessions with breaks: the Pomodoro timer.
- Work and rest rounds: the interval timer.
- Counting up with laps: the stopwatch.
Frequently asked questions
About four minutes is the usual starting point. Then press the plunger and pour right away so the coffee does not over-extract.
One Tabata block is eight rounds of 20 seconds of hard work and 10 seconds of rest, which is exactly four minutes. Many workouts string several blocks together with rest in between.
Phones pause web pages when the screen locks. Keep the page open and turn on Keep screen awake, and the timer will ring on time.
Last updated by the Playxoft engineering team.