Meet Timer.Coffee 3.0!

Timer.Coffee 3.0 is here! This major release marks a significant milestone in Timer.Coffee’s evolution. Read on for more details.

How it all started

When I started Timer.Coffee two years ago, I didn't have a specific plan in mind. I just wanted to make good coffee at home. Honestly, if there had already been an app good enough for me, I wouldn't have bothered developing my own.

However, somehow it evolved in a logical way—from initially creating something just for myself, to gradually understanding user needs and expanding the app’s capabilities step by step.

Timer.Coffee 1.0 was all about functionality. It had exactly what I wanted: numerous recipes for different brewing methods, clear instructions with timers for each step, and the ability to brew as much coffee as desired. For me, the last feature was particularly important, as I often found myself wanting to brew more coffee than indicated in the recipe, and calculating all the amounts (and remembering them during the process) was challenging.

Timer.Coffee 1.0 was, of course, far from perfect. For example, all recipes shipped with the app, and the only way to add new ones was by updating the entire app. Users had to wait for updates to try something new. It also posed difficulties when quick recipe fixes were needed. Moreover, when I decided to make the app multilingual, managing different recipe versions became a developer's nightmare.

So, Timer.Coffee 2.0 was born. I refactored the architecture to store all recipes in a remote database (big respect to the team from Supabase for their great product). Now, users could access new recipes instantly without needing to update the app each time. Along the way, I added more features, such as a Brew Diary to track brew history and the ability to log coffee beans (including AI-powered recognition of coffee labels). I also introduced an optional data sync feature across multiple devices. It was inspiring to watch user numbers grow and see people brewing more coffee each month (currently over 2000 liters/month!).

However, Timer.Coffee still lacked one significant feature: the ability for users to create their own recipes. I understand how important it is to tweak brewing parameters, especially considering factors like water quality, grinders, and more. This had been sitting in my backlog (and mind) for a long time, but I didn't want it to be just another technical update; I implemented it with a specific vision.

Timer.Coffee 3.0 is about community

Community is one of the things I love most about specialty coffee. I've learned tremendously from people willing to share their advice and knowledge, both online and offline. I want to keep this exchange thriving, so there will be many new features to connect coffee lovers in Timer.Coffee’s latest version.

First and foremost—available right now—users can create their own recipes within the app and share them with others!

The recipe creation process is simple and straightforward. You enter the information and recipe steps, and the app does the rest. Once saved, you can use the recipe and share it with friends by sending them a link. They can even use the recipe without installing the app—Timer.Coffee works seamlessly in any modern browser.

What's next?

I'll continue adding more ways for users to communicate. While I don't intend for Timer.Coffee to become Yet Another Social Network, I think it would be great for users to follow creators of their favorite recipes or leave reviews for the coffee beans they've brewed, helping others achieve excellent results.

What will stay?

Timer.Coffee will always remain free, open-source, and independent. I believe apps like this democratize specialty coffee, making excellent home brewing accessible to everyone. This will always remain our core mission.

Private vs. Cloud

There's an ongoing debate about how much data users should share with services. I believe people should have a choice. While you can sign up for a Timer.Coffee account to sync your data, it's not mandatory—the app will still function perfectly without it. Timer.Coffee connects to the internet and collects minimal anonymized statistics to improve functionality, but I strive to keep data collection minimal. You don't have to trust me; the source code is open and always available for review.

Huge thanks

Last but not least, I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who supports me on this journey—my family, friends, all code contributors, and of course, Timer.Coffee users!

P.S.

If you want to support the development – here's a link to Buy me a coffee.

Wish you a lot of great brews! ☕️

Anton