I only figured out through trial and error that I can name my Alexa timers without waiting for it to prompt me:

  > Alexa, set a pasta timer for 10 minutes
  > - Pasta timer, 10 minutes, starting now.
  > Alexa, cancel pasta timer
  > - Pasta timer canceled

I can't speak for the chef, but it does on HomePod. Each gets its own name and that name is announced when the alarm goes off.

"bleep bloop bleepity boop! Eggs timer. bleep bloop bleepity boop!

It has for at least the past couple years now.

Hey Siri, set a timer for 5 minutes. "OK."

Hey Siri, set another timer for 10 minutes. "A timer is already running, do you want to replace it?"

If you miss hearing the distinction in the confirmation, you'll miss the scheduled event

Edit: They also have distinct classification of alarm/timers. You can use either word to create one but checking what you've set or trying to cancel will result in 'no timers/alarms' set if your request doesn't match their system design.

I do have to specify "Living Room TV", even though the speaker and chromecast are configured to be in the same room, it still just turns off a bedroom tv if I'm not specific about which tv.

Also "Hey Google, turn off the Xbox" works, because I linked that at some point.

So not just timers! ;)

The thing I use Siri most for is "Hey, Siri. Tell me a joke."

My dream job is to work at Apple compiling jokes for Siri to belch out on demand.

> Hey Siri, set a timer for 13 minutes

> 30 minutes and counting.

> Hey Siri, set a timer for thirteen minutes.

> oh you already have a timer running, do you want me to change it?

> yes

Also I have set timers and lock the phone ‘too early’ and the timer was lost

It used to do a cheesy "Starting your timer.... Now", which would have been okay if a bit tedious repeatedly, apart from the fact that actually you could see that the timer started immediately, so the whole delayed "now" thing was completely misleading. It was like that for well over a year until I noticed it was fixed just recently.