The 7 Best Can Openers Of 2023
From budget picks to funky Japanese gadgets, these tools are downright essential.
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A can opener is like your health. When everything’s working well, you hardly notice how it hums along. But when it doesn't work like it should? Everyday life gets a lot harder.
The best can openers get the job done with little fanfare, but they’re also saving your skin—sometimes literally. Subpar can openers with dull blades and gunked-up gears can leave jagged, sharp edges and make an otherwise simple task more difficult than necessary, even dangerous. Stave off the trip to the emergency room with a can opener you can rely on.
Yes, can openers might not be the slickest tool in your kitchen, but they’re perhaps the most hardworking. Without the essential can opener, how would you crack into a can of chickpeas? Or emergency chili? Or the most important ingredient in your tuna melt? For quick dinners and speedy snacks, the can opener is the unsung drawer hero. Here are our best picks.
Our top picks
How we picked these products
We considered electric and manual models. Our top picks had to balance durability with a decent price point, reliability, and ease of use. Decent looks didn’t hurt, either. As counter and drawer space are always at a premium, we kept size squarely in mind, too.
OXO Good Grips Soft-Handled Can Opener
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Ergonomic
- Long-lasting
Cons
- Looks like your grandma’s can opener
We didn't know a can opener could inspire devotion until we crossed the OXO Good Grips Soft Handled Can Opener. With easy-to-grasp handles, an ergonomic crank, and a blade that won’t quit, some testers reported having this can opener in their drawers for upwards of ten years. One reviewer with fibromyalgia loved that with this can opener they could “tear through cans with no problems or pain.”
Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Electric Automatic Can Opener
Pros
- Easy to use
- Safe to use
- Sleek look
Cons
- Hogs counter space
One touch of the Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Electric Can Opener and voila: a smooth-edged open can. Side (rather than top) cuts mean there’s no jagged edges to rough up your fingers or snag your sweater. Reviewers note, “This automatic can opener performs well and looks great.” Downside? You’ll be looking at it a lot as it commands some of your precious counter space.
Kitchen Mama Electric Can Opener
Pros
- Compact
- Cute look
- Easy to use
Cons
- Requires batteries
Every once in awhile, an innovator disrupts a well-established hierarchy. In this case, the electric can opener division has been upended by this upstart: the hand-held Kitchen Mama Electric Can Opener. The tiny bestseller comes in a rainbow of ‘gram-ready colors. Unlike some electric can openers, reviewers note it’s “not too screechy or loud,” but it does require four AA batteries.
EZ-DUZ-IT Deluxe Can Opener With Black Grips
This all-metal, made in the U.S.A. can opener doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it gets the job done at a sweet price. As reviewers note, the EZ-DUZ-IT “simply works, every time.” In other words: exactly what you want in a can opener.
OXO Good Grips Locking Can Opener With Lid Catch
Pros
- Magnet that lifts lid
Cons
- Needs to be replaced every year or two
A built-in magnet lifts the released lid right off the can with one hands-free, hygienic swoop, thus further reducing your chances of accidentally slicing open a finger. However, this safety feature has a trade off: Long-term testing showed OXO Good Grips Locking Can Opener might not have the same durability of standard can openers and “the magnet didn't work consistently.”
Pros
- Low-tech
- Good looks
Cons
- Slight learning curve
- Requires a bit of muscle
This Japanese import is beloved by chefs for a reason. It doesn't have a crank or gears that can get rusty and crusty. Simply insert the Korin Japanese Can Opener’s blade and slide around the rim of your can. (And because there’s no crank, it can cut a straight line, too.) Reviewers love that “it's sturdy, sharp, and large so you get really good leverage.” With sleek design and a head-turning poppy-red hue, we suggest hanging this looker on a magnetic strip.
Pros
- Modern design
- Suitable for righties and lefties
Cons
- On the bulky side
If a can opener could be born the love child of a Brâncuși sculpture and a Picasso, it would be this curvy wonder. In striking black and white, the ergonomic Tupperware Can Opener can accommodate both righties and lefties. But this is not a case of form over function; one reviewer noted it was “the easiest can opener I’ve ever used.”
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