Why twenty-five minutes, and why the break is not optional
Francesco Cirillo named the method after a tomato-shaped kitchen timer in the late 1980s. The interval is not magic — it is short enough that starting feels cheap, and long enough to reach real depth. That first point is the whole trick: the hardest part of focused work is beginning, and a 25-minute commitment is easy to accept.
The break is the part people skip, and it is the part that makes the method work. Attention is a finite resource that recovers when it is left alone. Five minutes away from the screen is not lost time, it is what allows the next block to be as good as the last.
The long break, and honest limits
After four Pomodoros, take fifteen to thirty minutes. Working through it produces sessions that look identical on a timer and deliver a fraction of the output.
The method does not suit everything. Work that needs long unbroken immersion — debugging a subtle problem, writing a difficult argument — can be actively damaged by an alarm at minute 25. Use it for tasks you tend to avoid, not for the ones you already lose yourself in.
Frequently asked questions
Is my session counter saved?
Yes, in your browser's local storage. It survives a reload and stays on your device.
Does the timer keep running in another tab?
Yes, the countdown continues. The alarm may be delayed by a few seconds if the browser throttles background tabs.
Can I change the durations?
The three standard presets — 25, 5 and 15 minutes — are available. They cover the method as it was defined.
Do I need an account?
No. No sign-up, no data sent anywhere.