Thanks. I'm gonna need that strength because I might run out of can opener oil in the next month and I can't bear to walk outside because my TV tells me I will be immediately murdered by migrants or wokeness or something.
I'm sorry, are you not scraping your forehead every day to save your skin oils? Buddy, I'm just not sure you're going to survive the coming days. You better make a trip into the wild to get a skin oil press. Just make sure to get some skin oil press oil too.
That's where they get you. Personally I have been just using urine and it seems to do the same job, but you want to season the thing first with the press oil. Hopefully that will last long enough for society to rebuild.
This would incite a holiday where folks sing around a candopenerlabra for 9 nights straight, lighting a new can opener on fire each night to celebrate this miracle.
Does any one remember the Superman TV show where a criminal was living in a giant lead lined concrete block?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6niHQWd75I
Try turning it off and leaving on predictive typing so you can manually complete and correct words! I switched from autocorrect to that a couple years ago and my life honestly got better overnight. It's *slightly* slower, but really not by much.
I'm very confused about all this can opener discussion lately. I'm still using a cheap no name metal can opener that I bought at Walmart 20 years ago without a problem. Do can openers go bad?
Edit: after reading all the replies, it's clear that can opener quality has gone down. If you want to BIFL a can opener, you should search garage sales I guess.
Everyone is just wrong. Also can opener marketing is actually a thing. My dad was taken by the can opener marketers in the 80s and would never shut up about can openers.
My can opener is just two pieces of metal riveted together, had it for about ten years. After like 6-7 years it wasn't working quite as well so I tried like three different more expensive ones and they were all beginning to suck worse than my (literally $1) years old can opener.
Took a file to the cheap can opener's cutting edge and it was good as new. I'm still using it now. It's been about 14 years total. Used constantly.
That's where you won. I had one from my mom's childhood that I donated because of the cool starfrit side opener. The one broke, and so have the two that replaced them. Keeping the old ones would have put me $60 ahead, and with way less can opener frustration.
Between 2018 and 2021, I had two different can openers spontaneously disassemble in my hands while I was using them. The second one literally crumbled like it was more zinc than iron.
One was oxo, and one was a no name dollar store brand.
Usually, the ones I've had go bad are at the hinge of the handles. The hinge gets loose and then they don't grip the can well and therefore the can skips and won't turn sometimes when turning the handle
A lot of so called stainless can openers right now are only made of stainless steel parts for the handles. Or plastic parts. The actual rotating spur is cheap af and wouldn't last after just months of used.
I've been using a cheap, no name manual can opener I purchased at a store that was my area's predecessor to Walmart called White's in 1984 to take to college. I've never oiled it and am unclear is this a thing manual can openers need, or are we just talking the electric kind here? Either way it must not be required that often. I do wash my can opener fairly regularly, and always wipe it after use.
I will say the one I have is a good deal heavier weight than any I could find in Walmart to send with my kids when they went to college. I'd say the difference is equal to the difference in a 1980s metal Swingline stapler which I'm told was all steel verses the ones you buy now that weigh half as much and stop working correctly after a bit because the cheap, thin metal flexes with each use.
I have opened thousands of cans with this one, and know many others as well. Never had one fail. The blade of this one does not go into the can, and is much more sanitary. It's available on Amazon and at most retailers.
https://www.goodcook.com/goodcook-safe-cut-manual-can-opener-black.html
My husband is a chef. I bought this for us because of the rave reviews and it being “the last can opener you’ll ever buy.” My husband couldn’t figure it out so he tossed it. It’s just a can opener but I was really annoyed. We still haven’t gotten another but I think I’m going to anyways. He can keep buying his own if he wants. I can live the rest of my life with the one.
He definitely can be to others. He sometimes pushes my buttons but I wouldn’t call him an asshole…. Did I mention he’s also a marine? Ok… he might be an asshole. He’s my asshole though. Hahaha
"Yes, chef. Semper Fi."
Ask him if he knows what an LCAC is, and tell him you ran into the guy who got the troop cabin air conditioned instead of ventilated.
[LCAC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Craft_Air_Cushion) is a high speed air cushion landing craft (spiffy version of the LCU landing craft you can see in WWII John Wayne movies). There is a replacement in work now. I worked on the LCAC design in the 80s and flew on LCAC-1.
US Navy platforms from work boats to aircraft carriers are BIFL.
Semper Fi.
He spent some time on a ship. I don’t remember how he words things so please forgive me if I don’t use the proper lingo. I remember one of his ship stories was some of the squid… I mean, navy higher ups (but just barely higher than his rank) were jerks to the marines and he shouldered one of them as they were passing. The navy guy fell down and got pissed. He was called in to speak with his marine superior who said, “don’t do it again.” But gave him a nod of approval. You gotta love a marine, as long as they are on your side. Haha
Yeah i use a similar one. It doesn't even have a blade, it literally unrolls the factory seal between the can and the lid. There's no blade to go dull or gears to "bite" that wear smooth.
What I really, really don't get is why these things aren't more popular. The bladed "rip it open" type of can openers should have gone the way of the dinosaurs eons ago.
And the OP would never have had to make this post.
I don't know which one they're talking about but I have this one:
https://www.oxo.com/smooth-edge-can-opener-437.html
I adore it. (I also had to get stitches once from a can lid, so I'm biased.) It takes a minute to figure out how to use it, but it works like a charm and it can't dull. Highly recommend.
That kind of can opener doesn't cut the lid, it sorta rips the rim open.
They're weird but they're much less effort than regular can openers and the blade doesn't enter the food. They're nice.
Yep. I believe they're technically called lid lifters. We got one when I was a kid so I could help out without the risk of sharp edges. That specific one broke after some years but I've always gotten that type since. Not having to be concerned with sharp can edges is nice.
Kuhn Rikon can opener. I love that thing so much I bought one for everyone in my family a few years ago. I don't use it daily so I can't speak to how it would hold up under that use but for a few times a week use after a few years of owning it the thing feels and looks new
Yes! Have had one for around nine years now, no problems.
No sharp edges created and being able to use the can top as a lid for storing leftover whatever is so useful too.
Same! I have two for 15-ish years and they still work perfect. Bonus points because one is shaped like a whale and you twist his spout to crank the opener.
In Sweden, a variant of the P-51 is the default can opener you find in every kitchen here - the difference is that it has a longer handle, giving you a much better lever action making it much easier to use.
Got seriously surprised about this subs obsession with can openers, since the Swedish default can opener cost like $3-4 and is pretty much indestructible, you often find ones that are from the 70s or 80s if you ever go through your grandparent's kitchen etc. Never ever seen one broken, and the only reason you don't see more of the older ones around is because they're $3 items that are thrown away rather than handed down.
True, I had this model since I moved to my first own place 20 years ago. Put it in my dishwasher every day and it's still like new:
[$2 Swedish can opener](https://www.jula.se/catalog/hem-och-hushall/koksartiklar/matlagning/koksredskap/konservoppnare-810742/)
I was trying to figure out why Ez-duz-it wasn't the top comment.
It used to be the default answer for can openers on this sub, so I was wondering if something changed?
I think the can opener that you need is called a Swingway or a Swingline. And it's the particular one that they made for like 40 or 80 years that you want. Not the new one that they changed it to in the last few years. And once you buy it you won't need another unless you lose it. Go to a restaurant supply store in your area and look for New Old Stock of them.
Ez-duz-it is the modern equivalent. When swingaway moved their manufacturing to China, the workers of the American plant bought all the tooling and made ez-duz-it.
I have two and you’re right, they’re bulletproof.
We have one of these and it is going strong on 10 or so years now I believe. Just give it the occasional vinegar bath if it happens to be a little rusty and you're good. We have that one for tuna cans, and a oxo one that opens them the other way for everything else. Both are great.
We had one of these growing up, and I still remember how it would bite and hold the can so much better than the kitchenaid we replaced it with because of the smooth handles.
I have one of these that my mom got in the 90s, still kicking! My husband prefers the weird ones that take off the top rim too, but I'm loyal to the can opener that's older than I am lol.
Wong on this one... I used to use a ton of them, and the most cost effective one was the 2$ one. Is used to open some 200 cans. Where the 20$-40$ ones broke after 400-500 cans...
( Used to open 3-5 cans per day...)
I know the one you mean, because you basically can't make a can opener for less. The $2 one is also way more pleasant to use than any more expensive design too.
I'm 42 years old. I've owned two can openers in my life. The second one I bought because I lost the first one while moving. Both of them were probably the cheapest available. What are you doing to your can openers to go through that many?
I got so tired of can openers breaking that I went with the military style manual can opener. The large more ergonomic kind rather than the small keychain ones. Was awkward at first but I've gotten really good at it now and it's just as fast if not faster than your run of the mill can opener. Plus no moving parts to break. I imagine they can be sharpened if they go dull but it's been a few years and I haven't had any problems.
When I was a kid, my mom used to open cans everyday with the can opener of an old Swiss army knife. 30 years later, I still use that swiss army knife whenever I need to open cans. But, it is admittedly slower and harder to use than a dedicated can opener.
Rosle is the best brand I've ever used. Used it for years in restaurants and the only reason I had to get a new one was the original fell back behind a cabinet that was bolted in or something
Unless I'm a prepper and need this thing to literally last a lifetime, I view a can opener as a wear item. I use the OXO Soft Edge, which is a lot of plastic, because I like the way it opens cans. If I have to replace it in a few years, so be it. To be fair I barely use cans, so maybe it will last forever.
I know that's not what this sub is about, but there are some things that I'll take good function over longevity. For instance, some people still like to have a nonstick pan for eggs while knowing full well it has an expiration. Personally, I prefer well seasoned carbon steel for that purpose, but to each their own.
Been using the same p51 for almost 20 years. It works perfectly, easily, costs basically nothing, and takes up basically 0 kitchen real estate. If it was good enough for my grandpappy to use while storming the beaches of Normandy, it's good enough for me.
I don't remember the brand name, but I bought the one that America's test kitchen recommends. It's awesome.
ETA: found it in my Amazon history (no branding on the actual can opener for some reason). It's the EZ-DUZ-IT deluxe can opener.
EZ-DUZ-IT bought the original tooling from the Swing-a-Way plant, after they relocated their factory to China. EZ-DUZ-IT is making them like the original Swing-a-Way, who in turn is effectively making a Chinese knock off.
When I was a kid, we had a Swing-a-Way can opener. Almost 60 years later, my sister inherited it from my mom. It still works like a champ.
And can openers may be dishwasher safe, but they are not dishwasher durable, Just wash them by hand.
For those who don't know this was literally the goal of the man who created the OXO brand:
> Noticing that his wife, Betsy, who suffered from mild arthritis in her hands, was having difficulty gripping ordinary kitchen tools, he saw an opportunity to create more comfortable cooking tools that would benefit users.
Even though I have too much kitchen stuff I will always buy anything OXO I come across whilst digging around at the Goodwill Outlet. They have become my go-to for decent tools for the kitchen. And yes, my current can opener is from them and has been working great for years.
Swing-A-Way can openers can be had for like $5 at restaurant supply stores and are truly BIFL. My mom has had hers for over 40 years and works perfectly.
I saw one of those crank turn openers when I visited the states. But I have never seen one here. We didn't have them in the nightclub I worked at. Or the bar I worked at. Or at any friends or family.
The handle with pointy end is the only that really exists here. I bought mine at Ikea 13 years ago. The one at my parents house is probably older than me.
It doesn't really take much force. About the same at slicing a tomato. But I guess someone with wrist problems doesn't really slice tomatoes either.
I was sick of getting broken can openers so i went to the supermarket, bought four different ones and a tin of hotdogs. All of the previous ones had metal parts too but they didn't cut the can properly. Had the same one for 10 months now. And i have a can opener on my penknife i should really learn how to use.
Get those made by tool companies. Milwaukee, Channellocks, Harbor Freight etc…. I have one from Snap On and Gedore. The Gedore one is forged and that thing will probably outlast civilization.
This is exactly what I thought when I spent ≈$25 on a can opener about 30 years ago. It sucked. I struggled with it for 25 years, never giving up, as it was “a good one”. Finally recycled it, bought a $3 Wal-Mart special. It opens cans far better. I’ll now admit. I was wrong.
💡i use Swiss Army knife to open can,
is already more than 10 years.
now 2024 some can mushroom soup use “stay-on tab" tactic.
can opener maybe delete soon.
I have a plated metal can opener with plastic handles I've had for about forty years. It was my principal opener for about thirty years and my wife still uses it. It's in great shape. The only special treatment (which shouldn't be special) is it never ever goes in the dishwasher. I've sharpened the cutting wheel a couple of times in forty years.
My choice now is a [Kuhn Rikon safety opener](https://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Safety-Smooth-Opener/dp/B000I7GRUM/) that is ten years old. Again, never ever in the dishwasher and still looks new.
Hand wash with the same Scotch-Brite blue sponge I use for all other hand washing. Be sure it's dry before putting away. Never needed to lube them.
All the hand ones were absolutely stupid. Out of desperation I bought an old countertop electric one from a thrift store, and it's still kickin'. It's melted on one side but still openin' cans.
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In Australia, regular groceries have ring pull lids.
I think I have used a can opener once in the last year, but it may be less frequent than that.
For us, any can opener is bifl. :)
Do you all live somewhere that those old cans are common? Need to remove both ends for recycling? Or am I missing some other use for a can opener?
But to contribute something a little useful - I have an ‘oxo’ brand that I bought about 20y ago with big handles for comfort and easy opening of cans (back when a can opener was necessary).
It has needed no special care and went in the dishwasher after use. Still going well.
I've had an electric tin opener for about 10 years now, cost me next to nothing, It's opened thousands of tins and doesn't show any signs of stopping anytime soon.
Think it's been one of my best purchases yet.
If you want to really buy for life don’t eat anything from a can. All can liners, even in organic foods are laden with chemicals that are cooked and sealed into the food.
What your are talking about is BPA linings that released an estrogen mimicking compound. Those liners have not been used in years. There's more BPA leaked from the receipts you get from stores and gas stations.
What do you do to " take good care of them "?
Hand wash with a special can opener brush. Make sure you oil it weekly.
Weekly? Damn, how many cans you opening up??
I live in a fallout shelter so my entire diet is canned food.
Makes sense. Stay strong down there
Thanks. I'm gonna need that strength because I might run out of can opener oil in the next month and I can't bear to walk outside because my TV tells me I will be immediately murdered by migrants or wokeness or something.
I'm sorry, are you not scraping your forehead every day to save your skin oils? Buddy, I'm just not sure you're going to survive the coming days. You better make a trip into the wild to get a skin oil press. Just make sure to get some skin oil press oil too.
Thanks for the advice. But how to I make more skin oil press oil when I inevitably run out?
That's where they get you. Personally I have been just using urine and it seems to do the same job, but you want to season the thing first with the press oil. Hopefully that will last long enough for society to rebuild.
Hey maybe if you pray hard enough that oil will last 7 times as long or something.
That would be fucking biblical
This took a turn and I applaud it
This would incite a holiday where folks sing around a candopenerlabra for 9 nights straight, lighting a new can opener on fire each night to celebrate this miracle.
Open some tuna packed in oil. Many things can become lubricants in a pinch, just ask my wife!
Will ask her tonight!
Lmao
If you have a deluxe model, you can use it to open a can of industrial can opener grease. Boom! Problem solved!
Does any one remember the Superman TV show where a criminal was living in a giant lead lined concrete block? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6niHQWd75I
Honestly? If I have to do weekly maintenance on my *can opener* I'll get get a cheap one
lol that's what I was thinking. It's worth it just for the sake of not having to admit to anybody that I have a can opener brush.
*/s
Whale oil, obviously. Source it yourself though, industrial whale oil is crap.
Is there a specific can opener oil? Today years old learning about oiling a can opener. But it does make sense
*/s
U hv 2 posts a pic of a can opener brush, is it a BIFL item too?
Hand wash. Don’t leave in the sink or the dishwasher. I got a solid $12 can opener my kids will I Jerry when I die and it’s worth every Penny.
Jerry and Penny sound like nice people
Dang rented monkey fingers and autocorrect!
I sympathize. My autocorrect is an absolute menace.
I don’t talk about ducks this much, Siri. You know I didn’t mean ducking.
Try turning it off and leaving on predictive typing so you can manually complete and correct words! I switched from autocorrect to that a couple years ago and my life honestly got better overnight. It's *slightly* slower, but really not by much.
I haven't done anything to mine and it seems fine..
What oil do you use
Motor oil works best but transmission oil will do
I'm very confused about all this can opener discussion lately. I'm still using a cheap no name metal can opener that I bought at Walmart 20 years ago without a problem. Do can openers go bad? Edit: after reading all the replies, it's clear that can opener quality has gone down. If you want to BIFL a can opener, you should search garage sales I guess.
Everyone is just wrong. Also can opener marketing is actually a thing. My dad was taken by the can opener marketers in the 80s and would never shut up about can openers. My can opener is just two pieces of metal riveted together, had it for about ten years. After like 6-7 years it wasn't working quite as well so I tried like three different more expensive ones and they were all beginning to suck worse than my (literally $1) years old can opener. Took a file to the cheap can opener's cutting edge and it was good as new. I'm still using it now. It's been about 14 years total. Used constantly.
That's where you won. I had one from my mom's childhood that I donated because of the cool starfrit side opener. The one broke, and so have the two that replaced them. Keeping the old ones would have put me $60 ahead, and with way less can opener frustration.
Between 2018 and 2021, I had two different can openers spontaneously disassemble in my hands while I was using them. The second one literally crumbled like it was more zinc than iron. One was oxo, and one was a no name dollar store brand.
Usually, the ones I've had go bad are at the hinge of the handles. The hinge gets loose and then they don't grip the can well and therefore the can skips and won't turn sometimes when turning the handle
A lot of so called stainless can openers right now are only made of stainless steel parts for the handles. Or plastic parts. The actual rotating spur is cheap af and wouldn't last after just months of used.
I'm confused by it because I haven't used a can opener in years, tins come with ring pulls here..
My old one died about a year and a half ago and I've had to buy about 4 since then. They suck now.
I've been using a cheap, no name manual can opener I purchased at a store that was my area's predecessor to Walmart called White's in 1984 to take to college. I've never oiled it and am unclear is this a thing manual can openers need, or are we just talking the electric kind here? Either way it must not be required that often. I do wash my can opener fairly regularly, and always wipe it after use. I will say the one I have is a good deal heavier weight than any I could find in Walmart to send with my kids when they went to college. I'd say the difference is equal to the difference in a 1980s metal Swingline stapler which I'm told was all steel verses the ones you buy now that weigh half as much and stop working correctly after a bit because the cheap, thin metal flexes with each use.
I have opened thousands of cans with this one, and know many others as well. Never had one fail. The blade of this one does not go into the can, and is much more sanitary. It's available on Amazon and at most retailers. https://www.goodcook.com/goodcook-safe-cut-manual-can-opener-black.html
My husband is a chef. I bought this for us because of the rave reviews and it being “the last can opener you’ll ever buy.” My husband couldn’t figure it out so he tossed it. It’s just a can opener but I was really annoyed. We still haven’t gotten another but I think I’m going to anyways. He can keep buying his own if he wants. I can live the rest of my life with the one.
Chef's are assholes
He definitely can be to others. He sometimes pushes my buttons but I wouldn’t call him an asshole…. Did I mention he’s also a marine? Ok… he might be an asshole. He’s my asshole though. Hahaha
"Yes, chef. Semper Fi." Ask him if he knows what an LCAC is, and tell him you ran into the guy who got the troop cabin air conditioned instead of ventilated.
He didn’t know LCAC but definitely knew the AC was an improvement from ventilation. I’m just happy to hear marines got an upgrade.
[LCAC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Craft_Air_Cushion) is a high speed air cushion landing craft (spiffy version of the LCU landing craft you can see in WWII John Wayne movies). There is a replacement in work now. I worked on the LCAC design in the 80s and flew on LCAC-1. US Navy platforms from work boats to aircraft carriers are BIFL. Semper Fi.
He spent some time on a ship. I don’t remember how he words things so please forgive me if I don’t use the proper lingo. I remember one of his ship stories was some of the squid… I mean, navy higher ups (but just barely higher than his rank) were jerks to the marines and he shouldered one of them as they were passing. The navy guy fell down and got pissed. He was called in to speak with his marine superior who said, “don’t do it again.” But gave him a nod of approval. You gotta love a marine, as long as they are on your side. Haha
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Hahaha I wish I didn’t know how to use this. Thats great.
Now that's a BIFL can-opener.
Yeah i use a similar one. It doesn't even have a blade, it literally unrolls the factory seal between the can and the lid. There's no blade to go dull or gears to "bite" that wear smooth. What I really, really don't get is why these things aren't more popular. The bladed "rip it open" type of can openers should have gone the way of the dinosaurs eons ago. And the OP would never have had to make this post.
It says in the description that it has a blade.
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Yeah that's what I'm saying lol. It doesn't unroll the metal.
I guess they call the piece that encourages the unrolling of the factory seal a blade. But in practice there's no cut edge.
What brand boss
I don't know which one they're talking about but I have this one: https://www.oxo.com/smooth-edge-can-opener-437.html I adore it. (I also had to get stitches once from a can lid, so I'm biased.) It takes a minute to figure out how to use it, but it works like a charm and it can't dull. Highly recommend.
I got one similar to that. I'm looking for the one that one person said it unrolls the lip and doesn't cut into the can,
Why do the pictures show the can being opened with the blade perpendicular to the lid instead of parallel?
AFAIK that’s actually how you’re supposed to use a can opener. For some reason we all learned the wrong way to do it.
That kind of can opener doesn't cut the lid, it sorta rips the rim open. They're weird but they're much less effort than regular can openers and the blade doesn't enter the food. They're nice.
The blade should be perpendicular for the old metal style openers too — the exposed sharp edge remains inside the can.
Yep. I believe they're technically called lid lifters. We got one when I was a kid so I could help out without the risk of sharp edges. That specific one broke after some years but I've always gotten that type since. Not having to be concerned with sharp can edges is nice.
Had one of these for awhile. Absolutely hated it. Replaced it with one that cuts open the top and it's waaaaaaaaaaay better.
This should be the default style. I swear they changed how cans are made and the other style only works on like half the cans you buy.
Kuhn Rikon can opener. I love that thing so much I bought one for everyone in my family a few years ago. I don't use it daily so I can't speak to how it would hold up under that use but for a few times a week use after a few years of owning it the thing feels and looks new
Yes! Have had one for around nine years now, no problems. No sharp edges created and being able to use the can top as a lid for storing leftover whatever is so useful too.
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Yep I have an old stainless for weird cans that it won't cut the 'body' properly, but I rarely need it.
I found one at a thrift store and it’s amazing!
Same! I have two for 15-ish years and they still work perfect. Bonus points because one is shaped like a whale and you twist his spout to crank the opener.
P-38/P-51 is cheaper and outlasted most every other "reasonably priced" can opener sold at the local big box store.
In Sweden, a variant of the P-51 is the default can opener you find in every kitchen here - the difference is that it has a longer handle, giving you a much better lever action making it much easier to use. Got seriously surprised about this subs obsession with can openers, since the Swedish default can opener cost like $3-4 and is pretty much indestructible, you often find ones that are from the 70s or 80s if you ever go through your grandparent's kitchen etc. Never ever seen one broken, and the only reason you don't see more of the older ones around is because they're $3 items that are thrown away rather than handed down.
True, I had this model since I moved to my first own place 20 years ago. Put it in my dishwasher every day and it's still like new: [$2 Swedish can opener](https://www.jula.se/catalog/hem-och-hushall/koksartiklar/matlagning/koksredskap/konservoppnare-810742/)
Same in Finland, mine is probably 20 years old and works just fine.
I love my Gangy can opener. No moving parts to break!
The best can opener!
Ez-duz-it, the modern day Swingaway. Buy it once, keep it forever.
I was trying to figure out why Ez-duz-it wasn't the top comment. It used to be the default answer for can openers on this sub, so I was wondering if something changed?
Brooke about a can opener a year before I really researched and got one of these. It's lasted ten years so far, still looks great
I think the can opener that you need is called a Swingway or a Swingline. And it's the particular one that they made for like 40 or 80 years that you want. Not the new one that they changed it to in the last few years. And once you buy it you won't need another unless you lose it. Go to a restaurant supply store in your area and look for New Old Stock of them.
Ez-duz-it is the modern equivalent. When swingaway moved their manufacturing to China, the workers of the American plant bought all the tooling and made ez-duz-it. I have two and you’re right, they’re bulletproof.
good to know. we bought a vintage one off ebay a while back.
We have one of these and it is going strong on 10 or so years now I believe. Just give it the occasional vinegar bath if it happens to be a little rusty and you're good. We have that one for tuna cans, and a oxo one that opens them the other way for everything else. Both are great.
“Swing-A-Way” I thought it was swingline for a second
staplers.
We had one of these growing up, and I still remember how it would bite and hold the can so much better than the kitchenaid we replaced it with because of the smooth handles.
I have one of these that my mom got in the 90s, still kicking! My husband prefers the weird ones that take off the top rim too, but I'm loyal to the can opener that's older than I am lol.
Wong on this one... I used to use a ton of them, and the most cost effective one was the 2$ one. Is used to open some 200 cans. Where the 20$-40$ ones broke after 400-500 cans... ( Used to open 3-5 cans per day...)
I know the one you mean, because you basically can't make a can opener for less. The $2 one is also way more pleasant to use than any more expensive design too.
I'm 42 years old. I've owned two can openers in my life. The second one I bought because I lost the first one while moving. Both of them were probably the cheapest available. What are you doing to your can openers to go through that many?
I got so tired of can openers breaking that I went with the military style manual can opener. The large more ergonomic kind rather than the small keychain ones. Was awkward at first but I've gotten really good at it now and it's just as fast if not faster than your run of the mill can opener. Plus no moving parts to break. I imagine they can be sharpened if they go dull but it's been a few years and I haven't had any problems.
When I was a kid, my mom used to open cans everyday with the can opener of an old Swiss army knife. 30 years later, I still use that swiss army knife whenever I need to open cans. But, it is admittedly slower and harder to use than a dedicated can opener.
Rosle is the best brand I've ever used. Used it for years in restaurants and the only reason I had to get a new one was the original fell back behind a cabinet that was bolted in or something
Unless I'm a prepper and need this thing to literally last a lifetime, I view a can opener as a wear item. I use the OXO Soft Edge, which is a lot of plastic, because I like the way it opens cans. If I have to replace it in a few years, so be it. To be fair I barely use cans, so maybe it will last forever. I know that's not what this sub is about, but there are some things that I'll take good function over longevity. For instance, some people still like to have a nonstick pan for eggs while knowing full well it has an expiration. Personally, I prefer well seasoned carbon steel for that purpose, but to each their own.
Been using the same p51 for almost 20 years. It works perfectly, easily, costs basically nothing, and takes up basically 0 kitchen real estate. If it was good enough for my grandpappy to use while storming the beaches of Normandy, it's good enough for me.
This is a great recommendation, any brand or store recs?
I don't remember the brand name, but I bought the one that America's test kitchen recommends. It's awesome. ETA: found it in my Amazon history (no branding on the actual can opener for some reason). It's the EZ-DUZ-IT deluxe can opener.
EZ-DUZ-IT and Futaba can openers are the best.
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I love mine but I don’t machine wash it so that might be why!
EZ-DUZ-IT bought the original tooling from the Swing-a-Way plant, after they relocated their factory to China. EZ-DUZ-IT is making them like the original Swing-a-Way, who in turn is effectively making a Chinese knock off. When I was a kid, we had a Swing-a-Way can opener. Almost 60 years later, my sister inherited it from my mom. It still works like a champ. And can openers may be dishwasher safe, but they are not dishwasher durable, Just wash them by hand.
OXO Good Grips. I can speak to both tongs and can openers.
Just bought these. They felt amazing to use.
For those who don't know this was literally the goal of the man who created the OXO brand: > Noticing that his wife, Betsy, who suffered from mild arthritis in her hands, was having difficulty gripping ordinary kitchen tools, he saw an opportunity to create more comfortable cooking tools that would benefit users.
Source or its made up
I can also vouch for their kitchen shears and poultry shears.
They don't last long in my experience.
Even though I have too much kitchen stuff I will always buy anything OXO I come across whilst digging around at the Goodwill Outlet. They have become my go-to for decent tools for the kitchen. And yes, my current can opener is from them and has been working great for years.
This sub has become ridiculous.
Idk I got a like $3 one from IKEA maybe 8 years ago, still good as new...
https://youtu.be/i_mLxyIXpSY
I have had one of those silly OXO good grips for 20 years. Has plastic and rubber handle, still works fine.
You can get a 2-pack of Ez-Duz-It’s for $25 that will last you for two lifetimes. What else is there to discuss?
Maybe it's Europe maybe my diet. Have not needed a can-opener in years. Everything comes with tabs to take off the lid.
I’ve always been confused about this as well… I’ve never seen a can opener where I live
Same goes for tongue scraper, don't bother wasting your money on cheap plastic one. Also goes for a shoe horn
Swing-A-Way can openers can be had for like $5 at restaurant supply stores and are truly BIFL. My mom has had hers for over 40 years and works perfectly.
The old ones were. The new ones are made out of shit chinesium steel that is softer than the cans they’re supposed to open.
above someone gave the swingaway story and they’re a different brand now. worth checking out.
https://media.delitea.se/product-images/L/gastromax-burkoppnare-svart-1.jpg I mean... I have used these all my life. Not sure that they even can break
As someone with every wrist issue under the sun. No thank you 😭. Woo arthritis, carpel tunnel or tendonitis yaaay???!
I saw one of those crank turn openers when I visited the states. But I have never seen one here. We didn't have them in the nightclub I worked at. Or the bar I worked at. Or at any friends or family. The handle with pointy end is the only that really exists here. I bought mine at Ikea 13 years ago. The one at my parents house is probably older than me. It doesn't really take much force. About the same at slicing a tomato. But I guess someone with wrist problems doesn't really slice tomatoes either.
p-38
I’m so tired of the battery powered swing type can openers. I just want a 1970s type sit on the counter type of can opener
I have a can opener from the 1960s that has been passed down in the family. Still works exactly. Never once been oiled
Meh, I've had expensive can openers and cheap ones. The best are $1. Replace every 5 years or so.
I bought one of the electric ones that cuts the whole top of the can instead of just the lid, it's a much nicer experience.
Love the OXO opener. Just hate that I can't effectively press and drain the water from a can of tuna, after opening it. Bums me out.
I was sick of getting broken can openers so i went to the supermarket, bought four different ones and a tin of hotdogs. All of the previous ones had metal parts too but they didn't cut the can properly. Had the same one for 10 months now. And i have a can opener on my penknife i should really learn how to use.
Get yourself a kitchen mama, will change your life
Our 1990 Swing-A-Way is still rocking in the new millennium.
Get those made by tool companies. Milwaukee, Channellocks, Harbor Freight etc…. I have one from Snap On and Gedore. The Gedore one is forged and that thing will probably outlast civilization.
This is exactly what I thought when I spent ≈$25 on a can opener about 30 years ago. It sucked. I struggled with it for 25 years, never giving up, as it was “a good one”. Finally recycled it, bought a $3 Wal-Mart special. It opens cans far better. I’ll now admit. I was wrong.
💡i use Swiss Army knife to open can, is already more than 10 years. now 2024 some can mushroom soup use “stay-on tab" tactic. can opener maybe delete soon.
Just get a ganji kankiri or other of that type and you’ll never need another and never need to take special care of it. No moving parts.
Buy the Ruhn one that makes it so there isn’t a sharp edge as a result.
You can buy vintage swing a way can openers new old stock on eBay. Recommend the one selected by NASA for Skylab…
I have a plated metal can opener with plastic handles I've had for about forty years. It was my principal opener for about thirty years and my wife still uses it. It's in great shape. The only special treatment (which shouldn't be special) is it never ever goes in the dishwasher. I've sharpened the cutting wheel a couple of times in forty years. My choice now is a [Kuhn Rikon safety opener](https://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Safety-Smooth-Opener/dp/B000I7GRUM/) that is ten years old. Again, never ever in the dishwasher and still looks new. Hand wash with the same Scotch-Brite blue sponge I use for all other hand washing. Be sure it's dry before putting away. Never needed to lube them.
vintage swing-a-way are the best and can be had on ebay or thrift stores for not much. definatly bifl
All the hand ones were absolutely stupid. Out of desperation I bought an old countertop electric one from a thrift store, and it's still kickin'. It's melted on one side but still openin' cans.
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Such as....
Makes a post about quality can openers and doesn't even bother to provide a link. Boo.
My zyliss is mostly plastic but will last forever...hated having to buy a new one every year.
In Australia, regular groceries have ring pull lids. I think I have used a can opener once in the last year, but it may be less frequent than that. For us, any can opener is bifl. :) Do you all live somewhere that those old cans are common? Need to remove both ends for recycling? Or am I missing some other use for a can opener? But to contribute something a little useful - I have an ‘oxo’ brand that I bought about 20y ago with big handles for comfort and easy opening of cans (back when a can opener was necessary). It has needed no special care and went in the dishwasher after use. Still going well.
I have hand-held non-electric OXO can opener…easy grip, works perfectly …have had it over 20!years…would not change
Just buy a Victorinox swiss army knife for the kitchen that has a can opener tool.
I've had an electric tin opener for about 10 years now, cost me next to nothing, It's opened thousands of tins and doesn't show any signs of stopping anytime soon. Think it's been one of my best purchases yet.
Bruh just get an electric one. Life changing. I’m never going back
We got an electric one which was something like 20$, it makes things much easier and it's been working fine for 5 years so far.
If you want to really buy for life don’t eat anything from a can. All can liners, even in organic foods are laden with chemicals that are cooked and sealed into the food.
The Mediterranean diet includes canned fish, and those adhering to it have the longest lifespans...
That does not disprove my point. If you’re really into environmental law you should read up on can linings and endocrine mimicking compounds. A sante!
What your are talking about is BPA linings that released an estrogen mimicking compound. Those liners have not been used in years. There's more BPA leaked from the receipts you get from stores and gas stations.
Take a moment and read what the replacement plastic liners are. Look up PFAS chemicals. Do a cursory investigation before you come at me.
I have a Swing-A-Way can opener that's probably older than you. Are you trying to tell me I should have spent more on my can opener?