We Opened 100 Cans to Find the 3 Best Can Openers
We tested 10 traditional, safety, and electric can openers, and results varied. Hands got tired and achy, confusion ensued, and some openers didn’t open cans.
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Single-use kitchen tools like can openers should just work. They have one job, and they need to do it well. They should be intuitive and effective.
Think about it. Would you use a whisk whose wires tangle after each use, or a spatula that warped each time you flipped a pancake? Probably not. What about a can opener that never fully opens cans (it happens!)? Absolutely not.
- Can Openers We Tested: Bartelli Soft Edge 3-in-1 Ambidextrous Safety Can Opener Cuisinart Deluxe Electric Can Opener (Model CCO-50BKN) Ez-Duz-It Deluxe Can Opener Gorilla Grip Manual Can Opener Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Electric Can Opener (Model 76606ZA) KitchenAid Stainless Steel Manual Can Opener With Locking Handles Kitchen Mama Auto 1.0 One-Touch Electric Can Opener Kuhn Rikon Auto Deluxe Safety Can Opener Oxo Good Grips Soft-Handled Manual Can Opener Oxo Good Grips Smooth Edge Can Opener
- How We Tested Can Openers
Meet Our Testers
Photo: Consumer Reports Photo: Consumer Reports
Our grandfluencers and CR staffers share which type of can opener they use at home.
Grandfluencers
Barbara, 91, has a manual can opener but is open to an electric one. She uses a can opener occasionally.
Gladys, 97, previously had an electric model that didn’t work well. She switched back to a manual can opener for the occasional can of tuna.
Jack, 92, previously owned an automatic, didn’t like it, and switched to a manual/traditional model, which he uses now mostly for opening soup and tuna.
Nick, 91, is the grandfather of a CR staffer, and Cathy’s husband. “My favorite is the automatic. I’m from the old school, and that’s all I knew,” he says, noting that he doesn’t really use can openers these days.
Cathy, 90, is the grandmother of a CR staffer, and Nick’s wife. Cathy said she previously never liked the electric can openers, but she has one now and likes it. She usually opens very big cans of tomatoes for making her sauce.
CR Staffers
David Schipper, associate director of audience expansion, currently uses an old Oxo can opener that he says is absolutely adequate, but it is very big, round, and bulbous. He always has problems getting it to fit in his kitchen drawer, as it often prevents the drawer from closing if not laid down perfectly. The opener also requires a good amount of physical force while using.
Jodhaira Rodriguez, a senior writer and lab tester, uses a Kuhn Rikon safety can opener that she says is terrible. She doesn’t open cans often, but every time she uses it, she is reminded how much she hates it.
Lisa Fogarty, a senior writer and product tester, uses a KitchenAid can opener, which she’s had for about three years and dislikes because it’s difficult to turn the handle and position correctly on the can lid. She’s been avoiding using it by buying cans with a pull tab.
Read on to find out which models our grandfluencers and CR testers liked most. We found winners for the best electric can opener, a safety model we could live with, and an overall Top Pick, which happens to be a traditional manual option.
