The best can openers we tested
Best electric can opener: Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener
Best manual can opener: Oxo Good Grips Soft-Handled Manual Can Opener
Opening cans of food with an intuitive and durable can opener provides a certain convenience that today’s home cooks have come to expect while cooking dinner or conducting meal prep for the week. You can stock up on canned goods for their unparalleled value or enjoy your proteins and produce in canned form for their accessibility so they don’t spoil in the fridge. Either way, a can opener — be it electric or manual — opens your cans and leaves a safe smooth edge on them, helping you save time, stress and grocery money.
Many cooks prefer manual can openers, but there are also automatic, battery-powered can openers that are best for seniors or people with arthritis. Some can openers fit easily inside a drawer, on the counter or under the cabinet along with other cookware. But with so many on the market, it can be difficult to know which can opener is perfect for your unique needs. That’s why we tested 11 popular models to find you two of the best can openers available.
During testing, we appreciated the Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener's compact, space-saving design. We found it easy to use on a variety of cans large and small, plus the can opener was easy to store in a drawer. Also, its simple, one-touch operation let us go completely hands-free during our tests.
The Oxo Good Grips Soft-Handled Manual Can Opener impressed us during testing with its ability to widen out to a straight 180 degrees, letting us access and clamp down on cans from all angles with ease. We also liked its wide arms that were easy to handle. Plus, its built-in bottle opener is handy for many home cooks.
Best electric can opener: Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener
The Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener is a neat can opener that allows for hands-free operation. Testing was a breeze, as all we needed to do was align the blade and arm with the top of our can, press the top power button and watch it get to work all on its own.
If you’re looking for the convenience and compactness of a manual can opener paired with the effortlessness of an electric can opener, then the Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener is what you seek. No bulkier than a couple of soup spoons stacked together, it features a compact and sleek design that was easy for us to store — even more so than a standard manual can opener since it features a power button as opposed to a clunky turn knob. Unlike other electric can openers we tested from brands like Oster and Cuisinart, the Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener didn’t suspend cans mid-air during our testing, which can introduce drops and spills. Allowing cans to stay flat on our surface was far more hygienic and low-maintenance.
Because its blade is hidden under the opener’s magnetic stabilizing arm and feels surprisingly dull to the touch, it’s safe enough to store as-is, free of any protective sheaths in the junk drawer or pantry, without having to worry about any accidents. Despite said dull blade, it opened cans both large and small in mere seconds, leaving behind an embossed lid dull enough to remove with our bare hands and a can perimeter of equal dullness that didn’t leave us with any fingertip nicks.
As our top electric can opener pick, the Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener is ideal for folks with mobility or wrist issues since it operates independently. Unlike electric can openers we tested from brands like Black+Decker and Cuisinart, the Kitchen Mama is cordless. This means we didn’t?have to worry about counter clutter associated with wires or electric shock issues linked to introducing moisture to the unit’s cord while we handled wet ingredients nearby.
While the Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener boasts numerous strengths — like its compact design and one-touch operation — it’s not without its pitfalls. Unlike other models we tested, like the Hamilton Beach, the Kitchen Mama didn’t detect when it had completed a full cycle around the can. It just continued to rotate unless we clicked the power button again. It also runs on four AA batteries that we had to change after numerous uses (and none are included with the unit upon purchase).
Aside from those drawbacks, the Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener is a space and sanity saver wrapped up into one neat little package — and it’s the best electric can opener you can buy.
Best manual can opener: Oxo Good Grips Soft-Handled Manual Can Opener
There’s not much more we can ask for in a manual can opener than the Oxo Good Grips Soft-Handled Manual Can Opener. During testing, its standout feature was its ability to widen to a straight 180 degrees, which let us easily access and clamp down on cans from all angles. Its enlarged smooth dial was easy to maneuver and felt comfortable in our hand (with enough traction against damp fingers) while its sharp blade cut smoothly through cans both big and small. It took us exactly seven turns to open a small can and 12 turns to open a large can with minimal effort, and there was zero snagging. Adding value to the can opener is a built-in bottle opener that works like a charm.
The wide arms of the can opener themselves were a dream to handle too; they weren’t too circular or too bulbous in the palm of our hand, giving true meaning to the term “ergonomic.” The wide arms worked to help absorb some of the pressure associated with biting down on the lip of the can’s lid, letting us save energy for the remainder of our meal prep. If we got food stuck between the crevices of the grips and the can opener arms, we could just slide these parts off and hand-wash them; we could even pop them into the dishwasher. They do require some elbow grease to slide them off, but that means we didn’t need to worry about them coming undone during normal use.
There’s lots to love about this practical manual can opener, but if you’re looking for an easy-to-wash option, this isn’t it. While the stainless steel blades are indeed razor-sharp, they’re prone to rusting, which is why the brand recommends hand-washing them and then drying them thoroughly. Though the arms did collect a bit of dirt during testing due to their grippy rubberized texture, it was nothing a quick trip under the running faucet or a wipe with a damp towel couldn’t fix.
With virtually no setup required, the Oxo Good Grips Soft-Handled Manual Can Opener was as easy to use as pulling it out of our cutlery drawer and turning the dial a few times. We found it intuitive during testing, with its wide angle that didn’t confine us to a particular cutting angle. We also liked its sharp cutting wheel, which meant fewer trips around our cans. Its cushioned, ergonomic design helped ward off pain and fatigue while we were opening large volumes of cans during testing.
How we tested
We started our testing by purchasing 11 can openers, including five electric and six manual, as well as 22 cans of food in both small and large sizes. We then tested each can opener, beginning with the manual models. We started with the larger-sized cans and worked our way down to the smaller cans. We then followed this same format in testing the five electric can openers.
We looked at several features when testing, including:
- Ease of setup: Did the can opener require any setup? Did the electric can opener feature a retractable cord or one that needs to be attached?
- Design and build: The can opener’s overall design informs its performance, so we looked at its weight, how much storage space it takes up, hands-free shut-off, speed variation, any safety features and any built-in features like bottle openers or pull-tab mechanisms.
- Performance and ease of use: How did the can opener perform overall? We looked at factors like whether it’s beginner-friendly or appropriate for those with limited mobility and whether the can had smooth edges after it was opened. The knob’s ease of use, the blade’s ability to latch, wattage and the angle at which it latches onto the can were also crucial factors in testing.
- Ease of cleaning: Kitchen cleanliness is paramount to human health, so we identified how easy these can openers were to clean. Is it dishwasher-safe or easy to clean manually? Is it made of rust-proof materials? Is the cutting portion removable and easy to clean?
- Customer service: We looked at whether customer service held satisfactory opening hours or responded promptly to any questions or concerns and if they were helpful once they did respond.
- Pricing: To only promote products with superior value, we looked at whether the can opener’s pricing made sense given what was included and how effectively it performed.
How to choose a can opener
When choosing the right can opener for your unique needs, there’s a lot to consider. Palak Patel, home chef, lifestyle blogger and author of the cookbook “The Chutney Life: 100 Easy-to-Make Indian-Inspired Recipes”, offers tips for choosing a can opener.
“Firstly, I prefer to have a can opener that has rounded arms for easy control and a large turning knob that allows for a comfortable grip,” says Patel. She also recommends looking for a rust-proof stainless steel cutting wheel for enhanced durability that’s easy to clean.
If, like Patel, safety is a priority for you and you’ll be cooking in the presence of young children, she says to look for a manual can opener that features a magnetic piece that grips the lid of the can so it can be discarded safely.
“The best can opener is the one that fits your needs, so keep in mind comfort like ergonomic design, ease of use and how convenient it is to store,” she says. “Reading reviews can be helpful before making a decision and I also love additional features, like a beer opener attached to manual can openers, making it a multi-use tool.”
Deciding between a manual and an electric can opener ultimately comes down to personal preference, Patel says. She added that a manual one is quicker, easier and doesn’t require any batteries, making it simpler to operate daily. However, “those who may have trouble or physical limitations with creating a firm grip on a can opener may find an electric can opener provides more ease,” she says. An electric can opener might also be favorable for someone who needs to open a large volume of cans at once.
Storing and cleaning your can opener properly won’t only help you extend its lifespan, but may also help keep you and your family safe. Patel says to start by using a soft brush to clean the wheels and then ensure each part dries completely before storing to prevent rust.
“Some manual can openers have removable parts that are dishwasher-safe, so you can just pop them in. Otherwise, you’ll want to soak them in soapy water and scrub gently then dry them completely,” she says. “You’ll want to thoroughly clean the blade and wheel before each use instead of soaking if you’re going with an electric can opener.”
For safe and effective use of your can opener, take these cues from Patel. “Placement is important and placing the cutting wheel firmly into the lip of the can so you can seamlessly pierce it is important,” she says. “Moreover, applying even pressure all the way around until the lid is removed from the can is equally important.”
