Who Makes the Best Manual Can Opener?

All suggestions considered.

Thanks!

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eggs Benedict is genius. Its eggs covered in eggs. I mean, come on,
that person should be the president. Wylie Dufresne

Prosaic but true, I believe that the best can opener is the one
that many of us grew up with, the ultra-dependable Swingaway.
Either wall mount, which one Amazon reviewer described as a
"silent piece of perfection," or the non-wall mount that goes
into a drawer between uses. Either way, one of the finest
kitchen products ever made, IMO, and it hasn't been
cheapened over the years. And it is under $12.

http://tinyurl.com/mgt6z8

pavane

> I am seriously considering trading up from my Swingaway to this one for
> hygiene, comfort and safety reasons. I like all my OXO products so far,
> not any complaints.
> http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=198946

I had a Krupps electric version of one of these. They are so-so. Not
all cans are workable with these things. When they work, they are
incredible. But I used too many brands that didn't work. Those ended
up being more trouble with a regular can opener after the edgeless
didn't work. If you try one, make sure you are a return period to try
it out, and return it if it doesn't work out for you.

jt

I have a swing-away that I got when I worked for the machine shop that
made the blades and gear for swing-away. That was 11 year ago. Since
then, the company owner has passed on, and his widow sold the company.
I understand that it is now made in China, and not so good anymore. I
wash my "vintage" swign-away in the dishwasher, no problem. If you can
find one used and verify it is 6 years old or more, then it is the
older, made in the USA ones, and those will last.

jt

Susan, I like your recommended product.

I purchased for a similar reason http://www.cutleryandmore.com/rosle_can.htm
It says:
Cutting wheel runs smoothly & safely along the rim without contact to the
contents.

I hate a dirty can opener wheel. The others I have, which DH will pick up
and use, always need a washing. Putting them into the dishwasher only
creates rust. I've even resorted to blow-drying out the water that collects
around the wheels.

It also says:Cutting along the side permits easy lifting of the top for
re-use as a lid.
Since I wouldn't store food in its can, this is not necessarily an enhanced
feature. But I do like not having a sharp lid to dispose of after opening.

I note that it does recommend handwashing. But this one certainly doesn't
require the usual hand brushing to clean.

When I bought the above product, it was $29.95, and it might have been on
sale.

Dee Dee

> x-no-archive: yes

> I don't think you can legitimately rate OXO's manual baseed upon your
> experience with a Krups electric.
>
> There are a LOT of reviews on the link I provided.
>
> Susan

The engineering of the compression/pry-roller is very similar. All I am
saying is to make sure you have a refund period so that if it doesn't
work out, you don't lose out on the money. I don't have that much
confidence in the engineering.

jt

Mine is about 10 years old and is USA made. I just rinse it in water after
use, dabbing it with a sponge if the opening proves messy. But I can
see the China origin as being an issue, however, I believe all OXO stuff
is made in China. Who knows, my feeling would be that if you can find
a Made in USA Swingaway you should grab it.

pavane

I'm not trying to pass judgement about Made in China in general, but I
know what has changed in Swing-Away can openers now that they are china
made. A cheaper grade of stainless that can corrode, looser tolerances
that can allow shafts to float too much, matter to wedge into places it
shouldn't which leads to abnormal pressures and causes abnormal wear and
play, and the gap between the drive gear wheel and the blade can vary to
where either the two are too close together, and you have to force the
can opener into the engage position, or too far apart, and the grip
isn't right and the can doesn't turn. Due to sloppy tolerances, these
newer units tear themselves apart quickly sometimes, other times they
last and last, but the consistency people expect isn't there any more.
It was about six years ago that the owner passed away, and it was less
than a year after that the widow sold company, and the new owners
quickly moved production. The old owner had operated for years with his
suppliers, including Jack Steuby, the owner of the company I worked for,
with simple hand shakes. With no contracts in place, it was a chaos the
new owners wanted cleaned quickly. And their new policies lead to the
old suppliers asking higher prices, so the newbies took the supply side
overseas. The cheapened production has lead to a poor quality can
opener. Based on comments I have head in the last three years, I will
stick with pre-2003 made Swing-Aways only. And I am satisfied with the
1997 made unit I have.

jt

I appreciate the information, and as you am very sorry to hear this.

I personally would just go with the Swingaway - even if (as some in this
thread allege) the current models won't last as long as the old ones. I
toss mine in the dishwasher all the time, so I'm not concerned about its
cleanliness. Yes, the cutting wheel eventually rusts - I generally get
2 or 3 years from one before the damage to the cutting wheel makes it
problematic. But a new opener is only $6 at Publix (my local
supermarket), and I prefer the convenience - I would be more concerned
about caring for an opener that cost 4-5 times as much (and won't last
4-5 times as long).

That was our experience too, to a "T". Maybe Oxo has perfected the conecpt, but
I'd like to hear it confirmed here before I buy one.

-- Larry

Thanks for linking the epinions to read. I enjoyed them; particularly this
helpful comment (snipped):

"I.... This is an odd device for sure, and a bit less than intuitive. The
right way to use is to place the guide bar flat on the can top. Then (here
comes the less-than intuitive part) turn the crank about 1/4 turn backwards
(to engage the opener with the lid seam), and THEN turn the handle forward
to open the lid. Then back a 1/4 turn to disengage."

Dee Dee

Not sure of the brand we have, but it is a hand turned job that you clamp on
and then turn the handle to open the can. About $10 and can go in the
dishwasher. Just be sure to get one with a good sized handle, not the
really cheap model.

Soon to be announced, the "new and improved" version of the Swing-away. At
only a slightly higher (3x) price.

I just looked for reviews of manual can openers. Pretty much
what we have said so far:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/357934
http://www.galttech.com/research/household-DIY-tools/best-can-opener.php

Wayne, did you ever tell us what you are replacing and why?

pavane

I'm replacing a Swing-a-Way which is probably 12-15 years old. It often
mis-tracks on the can now and becomes frustrating.

Given all the comments, both fore and against, I think I will still get
another Swing-a-Way.

Thanks to all for your comments, references, and recommendations!

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life goes faster on protein. Martin H. Fischer

I had an ancient swingaway die on me last year, and picked up a new one. It
only lasted 4 or 5 months. Picked up a succession on manual models from
various places, most of which could not do the most basic function it was
designed for, to open a stinkin' can.

I did some research (just on Amazon) and gave the Kuhn Rikon a try (see link
below).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000II0EPA/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

This took me a while to get used to (I actually had to RTFM to figure it
out. Hurt my feelings.) It's worked fine in the four months I've had it. I
haven't run into a can it wouldn't open but I probably haven't tried hard
enough.

Jon

Right, you shouldn't. But I would have had to with the OXO as well, only
because I had never seen this style used and was trying to put it on the
side of the can like normal can openers.

Now that I'm used to it I don't think I'd go back to the old style.

Jon

Swingaway. They always get good reviews. I still have mine.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller - Yes, I Can! blog - check it out
And check this, too:
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=8279841&page=1

That's the only brand I've ever bought, but have gone through 4-5 over the
years. I don't like to hand wash them and I don't think they take kindly
to the dishwasher. They do an excellent job of removing lids though.

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is no sight on earth more appealing than the sight of a woman
making dinner for someone she loves. Thomas Wolfe

I run mine through the dishwasher, and it holds up fine. Again, mine is
from before 2005, so it is made in the USA. Not sure how the china made
openers hold in the dishwasher.

jt

Regardless of when they were made, the cutting wheel and its attached gear
wheel are not usually impervious to rust, which is why they recommend hand
washing. Apart from that, the rest of the can opener holds up fine.

Swing-a-Way used to make a *very* heavy electric model that mounted on the
wall. In fact, it used the same wall mounting bracket as the current wall-
mount manual units. I would love to find one, but they no longer make that
model (or any electric that I can find). I haven't even seen one on eBay.

I will probably buy another manual model, but would prefer to get the model
with the long easy turn handle this time. I don't think you can beat a
Swign-a-Way for cutting and staying on track.

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great food is like great sex. The more you have the more you want.
Gael Greene

Having worked at the machine shop that made those gears and cutting
wheels (and yes, I did run a couple shifts on it myself, though that was
not my standard work station), I can tell you that they were made out of
a grade of stainless, so rust does not come easy to those, but it is not
a non-magnetic stainless, so rust IS possible. But mine has not rusted
yet.

jt

The cutting wheel, but not necessarily the attached gear, seemed to react
more like carbon steel when it came to rusting. Nothing at all like SS.

Oh well, I finally found the model I will buy, inasmuch as they no longer
make the wall-mounted electric model. I think they discontinued that model
sometime in the 1960s or earlier. The one my parents had was purchased in
the late 1950s.

I like the "easy crank" feature of this model...

<http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3623956&CAWELAID=
352492801>

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined
well. Virginia Woolf

Andy

Andy

I carry the Victorinox SwissTool X.

http://alturl.com/q2a5 (pdf)

What do you do, saw the top off the can? Yeah. Real swift.

-sw

what a sissy. I just give the can a good squeeze, and the top pops right
off.

Ok, Popeye.

-sw

I really feel badly, Wayne. I misled you and withheld information.

The absolutely best manual can opener is the US P-38, the gadget issued
with WW II C-rations. Here are two of numerous descriptions of it. Having
used these, believe me, they are incomparable. Although it might be
argued that they take a bit more work than Swingaways or whatevers,
the sheer *simplicity* and *elegance* of the P-38 cannot be matched.
They seem to be always available on ebay, every thinking home chef
ought to have one or a dozen of them. Become a part of History.
http://www.georgia-outfitters.com/page52.shtml
http://www.bestglide.com/p38_p51_military_can_opener.html

pavane

>| = 352492801>

LOL! I actually have a couple of these in my kitchen "junk" drawer that my
dad brought back from WWII. I've taken them on camping trips, and they do
work effectively. They're not great for arthritic hands, however.

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Never work before breakfast; if you have to work before breakfast,
eat your breakfast first. Josh Billings

Simplicity, yes; elegance, no way. "A bit more work" means "slow as hell." And
they have trouble with deep-rimmed cans.

My last P38 from Vietnam is upstairs on my dog tag chain; I've never been
tempted to move it to the kitchen. 8;)

-- Larry