Black & Decker Extra-Tall Can Opener

I purchased this can opener about a year ago. The unit is capable of opening cans up to 7 inches tall without having to lift the unit. The base is stable and can support heavier cans without hand support. The unit automatically shuts off after the can is open. The handiest feature is the fact that you can remove the cutting blade and pop it into the dishwasher for easy cleaning. I was not impressed with the knife sharpener on the back of the unit as it didn't sharpen my knives well enough (ended up investing in a Chef's Choice stand-alone sharpener instead and am glad I did). Also the durability of the unit is limited. After a year, my unit has a loud grinding sound and is very slow to complete the cut of the can. Sounds like a gear is stripped inside. This damage may have been caused by more than average use of the opener over the past year. Nevertheless, this is considered a good value in my book.

I thought this would be a great can opener. Not so. It works with extra tall cans, and that's about it. Don't even think about trying to open small cans, such as a 6 oz. or so. It just will not work. This can opener does indeed shred labels and is most difficult to line up with the place where it's supposed to lock on to the lid. Since I bought this can opener, it has taken me an average of about three attempts to open any given can.

In short, I'm taking this thing back. My manual can opener works better than this!

I like the fact that you can remove the blade to clean it easily. The blade has been sharp enough to open every can, but it's sometimes difficult to get the blade to lock onto the can. It consistently shreds the labels. So I usually remove the label to prevent the paper mess. The little chore of removing each can's label negates the time saving benefit of an electric can opener.