Customer Reviews

Amco Two Timer, Nickel

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a cute little timer with a creative gimmick. One dial counts to 60 minutes; the other dial counts up to 20 minutes in 15 second intervals, making it perfect for those shorter kitchen tasks. The knobs are rubberized and the timer itself has a non-skid base. You must wind the knob all the way around (one full revolution) in order to set the timer. This gadget also comes in neat colors: blue, red, yellow, white, and nickel.

Sounds good so far, and I thought so too, until I actually got my hands on one. The 60-minute timer will ring a full minute BEFORE the set time, while the 20-minute timer will ring 30 seconds BEFORE the set time. Both timers will NOT RING AGAIN after the first ring. I don't know about other people, but I prefer my timers to go off at a pre-set time, not a minute or several seconds later. So if my cookies need to come out of the oven in 10 minutes, I set the timer for 11 minutes instead. I find that inconvenient.

Also, I don't know if I got a defective unit, but I have to wind up the 60-minute timer TWICE and let it ring, before it starts to tick. The 20-minute timer needs just a once-around.

Lastly, if you are in any way absent-minded, you might want to consider just getting those old-fashioned single timers instead of this one. With two timers going at the same time, I found that I sometimes forget which timer was timing which task. However, if none of the above comments fazes you, then this timer might be worth it.

I have really enjoyed using this timer, regardless of the fact that it rings before it should. It's been really practical for me to have two alarms on one timer. However, in my opinion, a product like this should last forever. There is no reason why it shouldn't. Mine lasted just over seven years, and now the only option is to throw it in the garbage where it will go to some landfill. Only because of this, I cannot recommend this product.

I LIKE that the timer goes off BEFORE the actual time has elapsed. That way, I have a minute (or 30 seconds for the 20-min timer) to get to the oven and take out my cookies (or whatever). Once I understood how this early-warning system works, I came to appreciate it very much. I also like the two-timers-in-one approach. The timer is solid and looks great on my counter.
2011 Update: Uh-oh. The bell stopped ringing. Fortunately, I have a handy husband. He took it apart and fixed it. See his review below. Unless you have a Tool Guy/Gal in the house, you can count on this timer only lasting a couple of years. I'm dropping my rating from five to three stars.

My husband gave me this timer for Christmas & I use it nearly every day. You do have to take the knob almost completely around the dial & then back to the time you want, but that is not a big problem. I had to do the same thing with my old timer. Having two timers is great when you are timing two different items in the oven or on top of the stove. Is it my favorite item in my kitchen? No, but I do appreciate it's function.

This timer is a joy to use. It goes off without fail and is totally dependable. I find the fact that you have to wind it around once first a very minor thing as is the fact that it goes off a little early. Finally, a timer you can depend on! (It looks good, too!)

I was drawn to this timer because of it's somewhat retro, stylistic look. Unfortunately, only one of the timers on it worked. After reading ratings in Cook's Illustrated, I have decided to go with a digital readout thermometer which they recommend. Save your money and get a digital timer!

To my disappointment, this attractive timer doesn't work reliably. I'm hoping I have a bad one and can get it exchanged, but I do advise testing both timers several times and using it for a few weeks before discarding the return form.

We have had this timer a little over a year (see my wife's review-N. Harrison). We love everything about it except that one ringer stopped working. As a mechanical engineer, I decided to find out why. It appears that the clanger is very cleverly designed to quit working after a certain number of uses-in typically one to five years. The good news is that if you know what to do it can be fixed and will then likely last a long time. Ours works great now. Contact me if you want.

I just bought another of these. We like the analog double timer and they just seem to work for us. That is until they don't. After 4 or 5 years both timers stopped dinging with in a month or less of each other. I couldn't find a better one so we replaced it. By the way, the picture is not correct. They've changed it so it's all "nickle" it used to be mostly black as the picture shows. Not a big problem just a difference. Finally, we rarely have to wind it more than to the time we want, maybe a little over winding but not even a full turn.

This timer looks great and that is where it stops (literally). The one I received, stops (on either side) well before the time is up, I need to use a back-up timer! I paid too much money for a timer that is NOT reliable. Perhaps mine is defective, but I would not recommend this product.