I think damp climates can weaken the wheels of the cheap ones.
I’ll second EZ-DUZ-IT. We went through about three or four can openers in a few months a few years ago until we got this. Swing-a-way used to be the Cadillac of can openers, but they’re cheaply made now.
My decades old one still works, even if it is a bit tarnished. But the newer ones we bought all keep failing. (We like to have at least two.) I’m hoping that if I buy one that looks like the same build as my old one, that it will last.
On one, the plastic crank broke. I finally just broke it entirely on one final can. The other just doesn’t rotate anymore, and I don’t know what happened.
So are Cadillacs.
Some screwy rabbit keeps taking mine.
Yes, but is she willing to mount the base to the side of her countertop?
We bought this one a month or two ago and love it. Paid about $22 for it at Walmart.
I suppose in desperation that’s an option. There just has to be a decent can opener out there that the OP won’t have a problem with though.
Yes, the Tornado. It works wonderfully, even eliminating sharp lid edges so you can’t cut your fingers even if you tried.
Yours truly uses the explorador type, if possible. The one at Mom’s is older than me.
I adore side-cutting openers! The concept is a delight! No sharp edges! Less wasted food trapped under the rim!
But I do find that they don’t last as long as the other kind. Maybe they’re having to slice through a greater thickness of metal? I’ve had two side-openers. The first lasted about two years, and the second, also about two years old now, is starting to give me trouble. Time for a replacement.
So you’re saying that Cadillacs are not the Cadillacs of cars?
As for the OP, I’ve only owned one can opener my entire life. It still works fine after ~40 years.
Mine is 13 years old and has never had an issue. My mother still has them from my childhood and I turn 39 in a month.
I didn’t know they broke.
Mine’s at least 15 years old. I don’t open too many cans with it, though. Most of my cans have the pull tops with a ring on it.
And the opener part does take up space on the countertop unless you remove it and put it aside. She says her counter space is very limited.
I have a butterfly style can opener that’s probably older than I am.
Nogent Classic Service Super Kim Manual Can Opener. A little awkward to use at first but works very nicely. Takes up hardly any room in the drawer.
I’ve examined cans after using a side-cutting can opener and see absolutely no sharp edges. My guess is that these openers aren’t actually cutting any metal but instead are mechanically separating the top of the can from the side.
Now I’m totally curious how cans are sealed in the first place! I just did some Googling, but didn’t find a clear answer.
Anyrate, aye, no sharp edges, and that’s a real plus!
Here is a YouTube video illustrating how cans are sealed.