Easy Crank Can Opener, 10.4 Inches, Black

I have stronger German and Swiss can openers, but this is my favorite. It is the same 1932 design as the Swing-A-Way wall-mount long-arm can opener which was screwed to the wall in everyone's Grandmothers' kitchen.We do a LOT of cooking and, these days, that involves a LOT of different sizes of cans, including the huge 3 to 10 lb tomato cans (pack, juice or sauce bases). This long arm crank opener makes them fly open. With small cans (tomato paste, olives, vegetables), you have to open the can next to the edge of a counter or chef's table to provide clearance to that long-arm crank handle. Once you get used to that, you never reach for any of those beautifully engineered, wonderfully designed and remarkable $25-$40 German and Swiss can openers -- even the best Kuhn Rikons which leave a clean top rim.My wife and my mother both suffer from arthritis affecting thumb and fingers, so I tried this opener for them, but I got addicted to it's virtues myself. Now, I buy this opener for every gift recipient who has arthritis.Cleaning advice from the 1960's: To keep this can opener clean, fold a piece of paper towel to quarters and clamp it into the geared jaws of this can opener. Then wind it through the opener with a couple of cramks of the handle. This action will pick up any residue in the mechanism without having to dunk the can opener in dish water for a mere vegetable can. If you are opening a can of meats, fish or rancidable fats (most soups), you should wind paper towel through first, then whisk it in clean, soapy dish water, then immediately rinse it, then wipe it dry and then immediately wind another piece of paper towel through the opener to get that last residue of water out. Now, it will last about five or six decades without any risk of corrosion.Store this opener on your main can shelf or on a hook or strong magnet on the inside of the pantry cabinet door so that you can grab it and the can in one motion. Life does not have to be complicated. Simple is GREAT!-----------------UPDATE: It's been 5-YEARS and a couple months since my original review and this can opener is still working perfectly, with absolutely no sign of wear or tear. I stick with my cleaning regimen and that contributes to the service life of this tool. Essentially, I've finished the first HALF DECADE of an expected FIVE or SIX DECADE LIFE!NOTE ON DRAWER STORAGE: I've had relatives complain about this, especially when an expandable or other divider insert is in a shallow drawer. I solved it by setting the divider about 1/2" off of the left or right edge (side) of the drawer, leaving a slot between the divider and drawer side. Now you can turn the can opener upside-down and lay it into this slot with the laid across the top of the divider frame. If the slot is on the left, the handles point away from you; if on the right, the handles point toward you.Still simple ... still GREAT!

I’m an occasional can-opener user as I don’t cook from cans that much, but I wanted something easier and faster than the “standard” can openers you’d usually see in the US (which rely on twisting your wrist and fingers, see the Swing-A-Way 407BK). I find those to be uncomfortable and slow.I first considered going with a cheap electric, but from what I’ve seen those are poorly made, relatively bulky, and won’t provide much in the way of a speed advantage. I wanted something well-made and traditional, but easy and quick.This product was just what I was looking for. High capacity, quick speed, and an easy mechanism since it uses the leverage of a large handle. It is more expensive (about double the above-linked model), but the price difference was worth it to me. I’ve been using for about six months, and it’s working great. It feels sturdy and well made, and opens cans very quickly (even faster than most automatics).As with all things, it’s not perfect and there are some drawbacks with this design. First, it’s larger and heavier than a “standard” can opener due to the large handle. I don’t think there’s any way they could avoid this with this design keep the quality feel. It’s worth noting that there are two versions of this can opener: this one, where the handle folds (saving about an inch of space in a tight cabinet), and another where it is fixed. The fixed handle version is slightly cheaper, but I’d recommend going with this one unless you have a massive kitchen or have developed some kind of fourth dimensional storage system and truly don’t need to worry about space.The second major drawback is that it’s not as maneuverable on small cans since the handle is fairly long. If you’re opening, say, a can of tuna, you have to use the edge of the counter or the handle won’t be able to make a full revolution. Again, I don’t see any way this could be avoided without decreasing the effectiveness, or increasing the price and failure chance by adding extra fold points.The third drawback is price. While this can opener is only around $12 USD as of this writing, it’s double the price of a “standard” design. If you don’t mind the standard can opener, it’s probably not worth the price jump to getting this one. Again, you can save a dollar or two by getting the non-folding version which will work just as well, if you can afford the space, but that’s probably not worth it to most people.Overall, the speed and ease of use outweigh the bulkiness and increased price for me. I haven’t run into any quality issues after six months of use and it feels like this will last a decade, although I don’t use it every day. This opener meets my needs perfectly so I’m giving it five stars, if I were going to hold it back I would say it’s due to the relatively high price. I’m banking on it lasting me a long time so that it will be worth the investment, and if you care enough about your can opener to read a 500+ word review, I’d say this one is probably worth it to you.

Real easy to open up cans, no strain on the hand

Hand problems vary but this opener works well for me, with carpal tunnel and mid-level arthritis in hands. The turning crank was easier to maneuver, and the blade sharper, than expected. Hope it lasts!

My wife is left handed, so this type of can opener has always been a clumsy thing for her. This one seems to get her a better grip on things and, as a bonus, she has better leverage with her arthritic hands as well. Not the complete solution, but a considerable help. Why doesn't this maker (Swing-A-Way) make one for lefties?

My hands no longer want to behave and squeezing those other types of openers is not an option. Didn't want to clutter up my counter with a plug in so I figured that I'd give this a try. Great product! One squeeze and then the crank motion makes opening cans effortless. Well made product that sticks around a long time. Worth the small price for this workhorse!

I absolutely love this hand held can opener. It is so easy to use. Handle turns with no effort. This is perfect for someone with hand or wrist problems and the elderly. I bought the larger one. For my smaller cans, I put the can close to the edge of my counter so my opener hand crank won't hit the counter top. This is "not" like any of those hand crank/turn openers. This can opener turns with no effort! I can't believe all the years I fought hand crank openers that were difficult to use and would hurt my fingers, wrist and hands. This portable can opener is amazing!!!

This can opener works great opening cans which are regularly hard to open. Yes, as some have said, one must use it near the edge of the countertop for smaller cans because of the long handle but the fact is, it works great. Seller "PruneDanish" provided quick delivery.

A manual can opener whose long arms really makes it much easier to use.

Había probado con varios abrelatas y ninguno me funcionaba, este es excelente!!!!

My sister had suggested this can opener to me after she had bought herself one. I owned I very old Starfit opener which had seen one too many cans and was ready to be retired. I normally would never spend $30 on something like a can opener but decided to go ahead and order it. I was surprised at how large it was (the handle you turn does stick out a little) but the quality seemed good so I gave it a try on a can and well…my sister was right- this is a good opener! Once you have it locked on, you turn the handle and within seconds the can is opened! Fast and easy! So far I’d say this was worth it.

product is ok

Purchased this after my traditional wind-up-key type can opener stopped working, and I'm just sorry I didn't get one sooner. My fingers and thumb sometimes hurt when using a traditional can opener, but this has eliminated that for me. It needs to be properly cleaned and dried after use to maintain it, and that can be a touch fiddly with the little nooks and crannies on this thing, but it's well worth the couple of minutes extra it takes when washing up.