Oxo Good Grips Smooth Edge Can Opener

Comment: I read a review of this smooth edge can opener and decided we needed one for our daily pet foot can opening ceremony. We had cut our fingers more than once on pet food cans and I was looking for something different. I've noticed two big differences with this opener compared to a standard one: one doesn't cut one's fingers because all edges are smooth, and it handles mildly deformed cans better than our old "typical" can opener. We've had a lot of can openers over the years, both hand and electric, and I can honestly say that this one is the best one we've had. It took us a couple of times to figure out how to use the built in mini-jaws/tweezer/grips to remove the cut top but that was the only user interface issue we ran into. For the first week or so we collected the tops of the pet food cans because we were sure that there must be some useful thing we could do with them. :) We've gone back to just putting them in the recycle bin along with the rest of the can. :) We won't go back to the old style of can opener!

Comment: The only problem is that you're used to using other openers that look somewhat like this and this just doesn't work the same way. So your habits formed from decades of opening cans with regular openers foul you up. Once you're comfortable with how this works, you won't want to use a regular opener again.

The tricky part is getting started. The opener blocks your view of the contact point so you have to learn what it feels like when you have it in the right position. But you don't break anything if you're holding it wrong - it just won't open the can.

Once you have the initial cut made, just keep turning the knob. It doesn't FEEL like you're opening the can, but you (probably) are. Again, you're used to how regular can openers feel in use and this doesn't feel the same way so it fools you. As you complete the opening you'll feel the difference in resistance - that's when it's done.

I usually use the built in "grabber" to take the lid off then. The edge can be a little slippery and the contact between the lid and the can's contents has a bit of suction to it so the grabber is the easiest way to pop the lid.

The first time I tried, it took me almost a minute to get started. The next time about 30 seconds. To practice, after emptying the can I tried opening the bottom of the empty can. The more you use it, the easier it gets.

As someone who usually eats a single serving out of 2 serving cans, I appreciate how well the opened lid slips back on the can so I can store the rest in the fridge for a day or two without rummaging for some foil or plastic wrap. And I really appreciate the time saved in cleanup because the cutting edge on this opener doesn't get dirty!

Comment: My wife and I bought this can opener because we like the idea of not having a sharp edge on the opened can. The problem with this one is that it will not open most cans. It has a sort of "pliers" built in, so you can twist and rip the lid off after you have tried opening it with the cutter. Paid $20 and do not use, after trying it several times.

Comment: Oxo did well with this can opener. It does everything they say it does, and does it well. We have a similar kind that uses a ratcheting lever, and it doesn't work nearly as well. Not only is the ratcheting motion foreign and tiring to our hands, the opener doesn't actually open some cans unless you run it round the rim 2 or 3 times. This, by contrast, works 'first time, every time!'

Comment: Bought one, tried it out, couldn't stop talking about it. Bought 4 more for my kids. No worrying about cutting your fingers on can lids or can edges. Very comfortable grip and knob. Now I'm trying to come up with uses for the cans and lids. I just hate to put them in the recycle bin like cans opened with my old can opener. (By the way, I threw my old can opener away). If you don't have this can opener, BUY IT ! You won't be disappointed.