Another Swing-A-Way toady here. They’re more expensive than some, but vastly more robust. We had one of those side-cutting things Lemur mentions, and it was okay once we got past the cognitive dissonance, but it just didn’t last. The teeth wore down and it became useless. Of course, if you’re a tough ombre, you can just rip the top off the can with your bare hands.
The other problem with the side-cutting openers is if you usually use the cut top to drain the contents, this is no longer an option.
I went bananas a couple years ago and bought a forty dollar Krupps side opener.
I’ts now under the sink with some other junk. I now use a wallyworld twister non-electric that work’s better but not perfect.
Show me a person who can make a perfect can opener and s/he will rule the world!
'specially on bent cans. 
I was about to say “Why are you guys having so many problems? I bought a generic one at Target for less than $10 and it works beautifully.”
It turns out it’s a Swing-A-Way. I guess I was lucky to have chosen it.
Just checked the brand name on the second manual can opener I bought at Ace Hardware-- the most expensive one Ace hardware had–for about $12--------the one you have to play with and eventually have to use a knife to pry one side open making it look like a Popeye spinach can.
It is an OXO.
I guess it’s Swing A Way for me.
I really like the side-opening model that I have. It does take time to get used to, but it leaves the cover intact so it can be used to store the food in the fridge. Great for the kitty food - I open it one day, and it’s still fresh in the fridge the next. Much better than aluminum foil on top of the can!
But I do also have a plain old-fashioned kind for when I want to use the cover to drain the contents of the can. So I guess I’m a proponent of both kinds.
I don’t know what brands I have though. Good luck finding something that works for you.
The best can-openers don’t cut through the metal, (either from abov or from the side) but through the soldeer (sp) the metal that glues the two together. That means the knife has to “work around the corner”, but as the soldeer is much softer then the can-metal, it goes much easier. And like others said: no sharp edges.
I’ve got one like that, it cost me about 10 bucks from a salesman. Great buy. I’ve seen them occasionally in stores, too.
Most likely their parents didn’t teach them manners. They got in with a bad crowd, started drinking, doing drugs, etc. Sad, really.
More and more cans have tabs on the top these days, even some generics. It might not be important for much longer.
Another vote for the OXO. Sucker cuts through the rim from the side, takes the whole top off the can with no sharp edges. You can even put the top back on the can if you’re not using it all, and put it in the fridge.
If your Swing Away stops cutting well…
get your self a mandril from one of those old orbital disk sanders you put into your portable drill;
get some PB Blaster and then loosen the nut on your Swing Away
Remove the cutter wheel and attach it to the mandril with a ? 1/4"x20 flat head screw;
run your drill with the cutter wheel carefully against a fine sharpening stone and look at the edge with a magnifying glass
Voila a new cutter wheel!
When I have an old, beloved kitchen thing bite the dust the first thing I do is check ebay to see if someone is selling the exact same thing that broke on me. I did a search for “vintage electric can opener” and the first thing that came up was a harvest gold, GE model. $22 plus $6 shipping.
I have an Oxo (sharp) and I think a Kuhn Rikon (smooth). Both work fine.
Interesting that this link is still alive and well 10 years later.
I’ll bet the can opener is too.
Yep. This is wise advice. We got a new Swing-a-Way in 2008, and it’s still chugging along just fine.
I’ll second this too. Once you get the hang of using them, you won’t go back. Oxo’s rendition of the waiter’s corkscrew is pretty solid as well.
Kalhoun hasn’t posted here in 2 1/2 years. You’re replying to a zombie.
I have a dedicated Swiss Army Knife in the kitchen that is used as a can opener.
Our old electric died a couple of months ago. It had a good life, but, at twenty, it was pretty tired. We inherited a Swing-Away from my in-laws, and it works well enough, and we open few enough cans, that I don’t plan to replace the electric.
Yes, yay! I used a P38 for many years because the regular hand-operated metal can openers really hurt my hand to use. It’s a marvel that such a tiny little piece of hinged metal can work so much better than the fancy stuff and also not hurt to use! But… these days I’ve also joined the OXO party. Hubby talked me into it. I still have a deep affection for the P38, though.