The Best Can Openers That Actually Work (And Won’t Quit on You)
A can opener should be one of the simplest tools in your kitchen. Yet somehow, finding one that actually works and keeps working can feel like a full-time job. Iโve tried more than my share of duds, from rusty cutters to lids sharp enough to require a Band-Aid. So I went looking for the best can openers that wonโt leave you wrestling with dinner.
A can opener is one of those things you don’t think about until it fails you. And it always fails you at the worst possible moment… hands full, dinner half-made, that one gadget standing between you and a can of beans.
Why is this still a problem? We’ve put a man on the moon. We’ve got phones that unlock with our faces. And yet most can openers on the market today can’t reliably do the one job they were built for.
I’ve owned more can openers than I care to admit. Some worked great for a month, then started slipping. Some rusted shut. One left a lid edge sharp enough to draw blood. So I went looking, again, for the ones that actually hold up. Here’s what I found.
A little history, because I find this stuff fascinating
In 1810, an Englishman named Peter Durand patented the tin can. Great idea. One problem: those early cans were so thick, you needed a hammer and chisel to get into them. Practical for the home cook? Not even close.
It took until 1858 for Ezra Warner to patent the first can opener. It was crude… basically a bayonet that stabbed the lid, paired with a blade you dragged around the rim, leaving a jagged edge behind. It wasn’t exactly kitchen-safe. But it worked, in the sense that it got the can open, and that’s more than I can say for a few “modern” openers that have crossed my counter.
Jump to:
- Best Inexpensive: Starfrit MightiCan Can Opener
- Best Budget: EZ-DUZ-IT Deluxe Can Opener
- Best Electric: Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch
- Best Luxury: Rรถsle Stainless Steel Can Opener
My one non-negotiable rule
Here’s the thing that changed everything for me, and I mean everything: never put a can opener in the dishwasher. Not the manual ones. Not the fancy stainless models. Not the removable cutting parts of an electric one. Doesn’t matter what the box says about being “dishwasher safe.” It’s lying.
The dishwasher’s heat and moisture will rust that cutting wheel faster than you’d believe, and once it rusts, it’s done. The gears seize. The blade drags instead of cuts. You end up hacking at a can of tomatoes with a butter knife, which, ask me how I know.
Wash it by hand. Hot water, a little soap, a quick dry so it doesn’t sit wet. That’s it. Do that, and a good can opener will outlast your microwave.
Alright. On to the openers themselves.
Best Inexpensive: Starfrit MightiCan Can Opener
Starfrit MightiCan Can Opener
A reader named Tara is the reason this one’s on the list at all. She mentioned it in a comment, I’d never heard of it, and I figured I’d look into it out of curiosity more than anything. Big mistake, in the best way. I ordered one, and it’s been the only opener in my drawer ever since.
It’s mostly plastic, with just the blade and its housing in metal, so it’s light in your hand. It sits on top of the can rather than gripping the side, separates the lid cleanly, and holds onto that lid until you’re ready to let go. No fishing a sharp disc out of your soup. Works just as well whether you’re left-handed or right-handed, which is rarer than it should be.
Tara says hers has held up for 30 years. Mine’s newer, but I believe her completely, because this thing feels built to last, not built to sell you a replacement in six months. And it’s the least expensive of everything on this list. Comes in black, red, and blue.
Why I like it:
- Lightweight, mostly plastic body
- Sits on top of the can and separates the lid cleanly… no falling into the food
- Smooth edges, no sharp lid to deal with
- Works for lefties and righties
- Non-slip comfort grip and knob
- 3-year warranty
- The price. Seriously.
Best Budget: EZ-DUZ-IT Deluxe Can Opener
EZ-DUZ-IT Deluxe Can Opener
If you want something with a little more muscle, this is it. Heavy gauge chromed steel, a carbon steel cutting blade, and thick rubberized handles that actually stay put in your hand. It takes a touch more elbow grease to work it around the can than the Starfrit does, but for most people, that’s a minor trade for how solidly it’s built.
It’s made in the USA. Wash it by hand (ee above, I’m not repeating myself again) and it’ll keep going for years.
Why I like it:
- Heavy gauge chromed steel construction
- Carbon steel cutting blade
- Thick rubberized grips
- Gear-driven for smooth operation
- Made in the USA
- Long service life, hand-washed only
Best Electric: Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch
Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Electric Can Opener
Not everyone wants to crank a handle, and that’s fair. Arthritis, hand strength, or just plain preference. An electric opener earns its counter space for a lot of people, and this one’s it.
It cuts along the side of the can instead of across the top, so the lid comes off smooth, not jagged. That means you can toss it right back in the can to store leftovers in the fridge, no transferring to a container required. It handles regular cans and pop-tops both, and opens with one light touch of a lever… genuinely one-handed. It’s also the best-selling can opener brand in the country, which tells you I’m not the only one who’s noticed.
Why I like it:
- Cuts along the side for smooth, safe, reusable lids
- One-handed, easy-touch lever
- Opens regular and pop-top cans
- Retractable cord
- Sleek chrome and black design
- 1-year warranty… as long as you never, ever run it through the dishwasher
Best Luxury (and yes, I know): Rรถsle Stainless Steel Can Opener
Rรถsle Stainless Steel Can Opener
I’ll be honest, this one feels a little fancy for a cheapskate roundup. A German-engineered can opener with pliers-style grips and an 18/10 stainless steel body isn’t exactly where you’d expect to find me. But here we are, and I’m not sorry.
It clamps onto the top of the can like a pair of pliers, lifting the lid clean off without your hands ever touching the food. No sharp edges, and the lid can go right back on the can to store what’s left. It’s smooth to operate and genuinely satisfying to hold, which is not something I say about kitchen tools often.
Why I like it:
- Durable 18/10 stainless steel
- Pliers grip lifts the lid without touching the food
- Works for lefties and righties
- Ergonomic thumbscrew for smooth turning
- Lateral cutting wheel avoids sharp edges entirely
- Lid can be reused to store leftovers
The bottom line
You don’t need to spend a fortune to open a can without a fight. Start with the Starfrit if you want the best value, hand it off to the EZ-DUZ-IT if you want something heavier duty, go electric if that’s what your hands need, or splurge on the Rรถsle if you feel like treating your kitchen drawer to something nice. Just promise me one thing: keep it out of the dishwasher.
Question: What’s the best can opener you’ve ever owned and how long has it lasted? Share your favorite in the comments below.
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Grateful I’m not alone!
I’ve struggled with this can opening dilemma for decades I’ve been threw the gauntlet of can openers from the inexpensive simple hand wrenching openers to the complex electric ones, always fumbling the can like a football.
I’ve tortured and cut my hands.
I’ve demolished cans that are impervious to openers and I have dispensed more bits of paper and metal than canned food.
I recently purchased Pioneer Woman’s Stainless Steel Olive wood handle can opener from Walmart for about $8 so far so good It’s large easy grip olive wood handles are easy on my hands, no more fumbling cans and it gets the job done with precision!
I believe I’ve found the best fit for me and those confounded cans
I’m a Happy Can Opening Camper!
Journey Onโฃ๏ธ
โค๏ธโฎ๏ธโฏ๏ธโพ๏ธ
I LOVE theHamiltons beach can opener. It is exactly as everyone describes, and even the 50 oz cans open easily. I too am left handed, no problem with that aspect either. This is my second year to have it and it works SO well! Would definitely recommend!And buy again!
SwingAway by far!
Back in 1990 I was entered into a contest and won a prize of a Cuisinart Can Opener. I fell in love with it from the first time I used it. After about a year I went on line to purchase one for our camper and found out…much to my dismay, that they stopped making them. I still have my original Cuisinart Can Opener and everyone want to know how to get one. Sigh…they don’t produce them anymore. But its till going strong after all this time.
what is the difference between ‘best inexpensive’ and ‘best budget’?
Budget is more affordable that our inexpensive tier.
I bought the Starfrit can opener on Mary’s advice, mostly because I have very bad hands. I do have issues with it, however. It works best if I take all the paper off the can first. OK no problem. And if you are opening a large can with oily contents โ like tuna โ the top of the can is not structurally
strong enough to keep its shape well when you’re trying to pick it up. Not really my favorite can opener.
I bought the Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch because Wirecutter recommended it. It fails to open at least half of the cans I try to open with it. For example, it won’t open the new thin metal Blue Buffalo pet food cans.
I bought the Starfrit can opener two years ago and itโs still going strong. Itโs easy to use. I was having trouble turning my old can opener and this one makes it so much easier. I hope it does last a long time. If Iโve been using the oven Iโll put it on the stove top so the heat from the oven helps dry it completely.
I bought a pampered chef can opener in 2007. It was always a pain to use. I couldnโt find anyway to return it, so I gave it away. I then got a swing away. It also jammed up, and was hard to turn. I kept both of them very clean. My mom has a hard time opening cans, so for Christmas I bought her the Kitchen Momma. Iโm very impressed with how easy it opens the can with no rough edges. It just pops the glue ring loose. It has a magnet to hold the lid. Itโs very small, and fits in the drawer like a manual can opener. It takes 4 AA batteries. Itโs $30.00 on Amazon.? Iโll be ordering myself one.
I see that your Kitchen Mama runs $30. Take a look at this post and I think you’ll find an even better option for a lot less money! The Best Inexpensive Can Openers Check out ECs #1 pickโโStarfrit! I’d put this miracle gadget up against your Kitchen Mama, and for a third of the price!
My vote goes to the Hamilton Beach Can opener. It is the best.
I bought the Starfrit can opener after reading your article. I love it! It is so easy to use and it works great! Thank you for doing the research!
Another satisfied reader! Ha. Thanks, Carol
I have the Hamilton Beach opener, and it is perfect! No sharp edges to the can lid is a great feature.
I bought the Starfrit after seeing this article. Both my husband and I LOVE IT. I am left handed and he is right. It is smooth and comfortable for both of it. It turns so easily, sometimes I think I am not opening the can. Thank you for the recommendation, Mary!
I rely on my manual can opener by Henkelโs. This can opener has served me well for over 25 years.
I’ve long been frustrated with can openers, a love/hate relationship! thank you for the suggestion, I ordered one!
I have arthritis in my hands and wrists and find can openers that you have to twist/turn too painful. Also, the current ones, even if they have the same brand name, are nothing like the quality of the ones I grew up with. I ended up buying a Kitchen Mama can opener because that’s all I could find online during lock down. I’m really happy with it. It turns down the edges of both the lid and the can so you don’t cut yourself. It’s small enough to live in my silverware drawer so I don’t have to give it counter space and it’s batter operated, so it doesn’t need to be plugged in. Sometimes, I do need to let it go around twice, but that’s no big deal. I’d be interested if you think there’s a better one out there.
I invite you to use the links in the post to do your own independent research!
I received the Ez-Duz-It can opener as a wedding shower gift in 1976. It is finally time to replace it. I’m happy to see this is still available.
So if a can opener (manual) has started rusting, how can I fix that?
Replace it. That’s my experience. I could never successfully remove the rust and restore it back to new.
My mother had a Swingaway on the wall in the house I grew up in. When we moved, she bought a handheld Swingaway. They lived in that house for at least 30 years. When I got married, that was the first kitchen appliance I bought. I returned the two electric can openers I received as wedding gifts. I am still using my original Swingaway. We have been married 53 years! When my son was about 16, a friend’s family got a new electric can opener. He wanted to buy me one and I said NO. They always break. A few months later, he admitted that his friend’s electric can opener was already broken. I do have two can openers, both Swingaway, because when he started to work, he was taking cans of food to work for lunch. He always borrowed mine…..I bought the second one in self-defense. He is married now, and he bought a Swingaway for himself!
Which can open do you recommend? The white one has a handle to turn, the black one has a “knob”.
The black and white are basically the same … mine is the white one, but I’ve used both. You can’t go wrong either way. Hope that help;s …
With your recommendation, I bought an Ez Duz It and love. Love, LOVE it.
I have had an EZ-DUZ IT can opener for about 10 years. I bought 5 different brands of can openers to test them and EZ- DUZ IT is the only one that still works as well as the day I bought it. In fact, I was just thinking today that I should probably pick up one or two more to have on hand in case this one gets lost (or taken by one of my kids!). Thanks for the link!
Love my Hamilton Beach smooth touch can opener! Have given to adult kids who also love it. Favorite feature: no sharp edges as Mary mentioned. (I probably first read about it years ago in a prior column as most all my good tips come from Mary!)
I am a doofus who canโt even use the cheap dollar store side hinge ones, as I grew up with an electric and then a starfrit. Star frit is the brand I trust most for can openers- I have 2, and one Iโve had for over THIRTY years!! And it still works fabulously!
I agree! the Starfrit is the best, and last, can opener I’ve bought.
(not a fan of the sound of an electric can opener, plus I’ve found they frustrate THIS doofus even more) ๐
I love the swing away wall opener…put it up when we bought our house in 1973….still working.
We have had the same for about the same length of time. Just now replaced with a new Swing-Away. Great product, still available.
I have a can opener I bought from a Pampered Chef party years ago and I love it. It opens cans like the Rosele one here. I LOVE this canb opener!
i also vote for the one from pampered chef! mine is about 25 or more years old. i have arthritis in my hands but i can operate this one easily. i love it!
I too have the Pampered Chef can opener and love it. I actually bought a second one because I was afraid they might not have it anymore. Best can opener Iโve ever used!
The Pampered Chef Can Openerdidn’t make the cut with me as I found it to be challenging to open large cans. And the $50 price tag was completely off putting when inexpensive Starfrit is, in my opinion, so much better. (I don’t know what the price is at a Pampered Chef party, and I’ll never know because I do not participate in MLM in any way, which is probably a sujbect for another time).
I’ve had my Hamilton Beach can opener for over 5 years. Never have had problems, still works great every time!
I bought the EZ-duz-it can opener. t was very disappointed. It didn’t work properly & broke after a couple of months.
Are you certain it was the EZduzit brand? There are a number of knock-offs out there. Either way you should return it for a replacement or refund!
Lisa … I want to encourage you to return it! That is not right. Should not happen at all.
Like the article on can openers but Iโm looking for an electric under the counter model as I donโt like appliances on counter. I have arthritis issues and donโt wanna open manually! Any advice on a product to attach under the counter?
Thanks in advance, Mary!
Glenda, I don’t think they’re available anymore. I had one in my old life and loved it. Now, the only electric ones I can find are countertop.
I have the Hamilton Beach electric can opener and it is the best can opener I have ever owned. I always had trouble with can openers. I am left-handed and it always seemed that every can opener I tried felt “backwards.” Finally along comes an electric can opener that works for me! I am thinking I might get a second one, just in case this one breaks down in the future! It has a great price as well. Not expensive.
Best inexpensive jar openers. I had an all in one can opener and jar opener from black and decker but the jar opener doesn’t work anymore. They have discontinued this model. Any suggestions?
My wife and myself are OLD. We’ve used all types of manual and electric can openers over decades. The BEST can opener we’ve ever used is the Nogent can opener.
I can personally vouch for the Hamilton Beach!! Wonderful can opener.
I 2 nd the comment on the Hamilton Beach Can Opener