Do Any Can Openers Work Right Anymore? 

You're right with the quality of can openers these days. We had a can opener back in the 80's, I think we already had it when I wasn't born yet, I just turned 40 yesterday. So back with that old can opener. It's nothing special, I think my parents bought it at the market for cheap, like less than a dollar cheap even for the 80's pricing. That can opener lasted like for 2 decades or more before it finally gave out. Come 2000's and beyond. Every can opener we bought almost immediately broke gradually, like the first replacement can opener we bought as a for our 80's can opener lasted probably a year then every can opener we bought gradually fails, some just lasts 6mos, 3mos, 3 weeks, a week and worse some fail after just a day or just flat out wouldn't work at all. I miss our old 80's can opener. It may be the most cheapest of all the can openers we've had but it really served us well. It was made locally here in my country and after I think Clinton opened up with Globalization back in the 90's, a lot of super duper low quality stuff from China flooded not just the US but around the globe. I wish that we have more domestic manufacturing of goods back here in my country, I really hate low quality Chinese stuff.

This has been driving me mad recently, thank you for the suggestion!

i've never seen someone speak so passionately about can openers before

Had never succeeded with a can opener. This is the video that did it for me! Thank you! ✨

Totally share your frustration! Bought a Swing-A-Way and it was rusty and failing in less then 2 months. Was going to buy an EZ-DUZ-IT instead but am seeing comments saying it's junk in a few months as well. So the search continues.

Thank you for the video. Yes, I have an electric that works fine except when storms take the power out. Now, I can get a reliable can opener that won’t add frustration to a bad situation, without having to test them all myself.

My old opener became dull after 20+ years so I threw it out, just went through 2 openers and returned them. Now my 3rd opener from Amazon which is a Swing-A-Way Portable Can Opener is skipping and going to return this as well. I'm pissed and might just buy an electric opener, nothing is made good anymore! Should have kept my old one and tried sharpening the blade. I thought I was the only one having bad luck, Thanks for the video !!!

The overlap between the gear and the cutting wheel is just not deep enough for some cans. This is more pronounced after the teeth of the gear is worn off or if they cut into the the rim of the can. The manufacturers can fix them easily increasing the overlap but somehow it's just not done.

Feel you.. Having same issue, appeciate the video

Thank the maker! I was beginning to think it was just me. Had 2 can openers, 1 new, one very old. The new ones don't work at all, and the old one quit working as well. Bought a brand new Farberware, did not work right from the start?! Finally I bought a battery powered on that "separates" can top from can. Love it! Goes through batteries fast, though? I'm thinking of buying a P-38 (also called a John Wayne) just to have something that always works....

We are having issues with both the handheld and the electric can openers. I'll be trying out these swing-a-ways to see if it improves. I'd still like to find an electric can opener because I sometimes have to cook for an army and twisting, twisting, twisting eventually gets my arm cramping. Now that I'm mid-forties, it's getting rough. lol

I've been going crazy trying to figure out what the hell has happened to can openers! Thanks for the swing away tip. Is it possible that there's been some subtle design change in the lip of the cans?

Thanks for the info and demo. This is exactly the kind of problem most people dismiss as unimportant. But how're you going to prep if you can't open your cans? My electric works pretty consistently, but I often have problem with my manuals. They work decently on larger cans, but I CANNOT get them to work for my small, 6 ounce cans. (I like some tomato paste now and then.) I will definitely order a Swing-Away, maybe a couple.

My farberware shit the bed, bottom gear teeth totally worn out. Went to salvation army ,found a old "Swing away "made in USA for a $1 ok,I'm frugal..lol..someone even said those are good openers. I cleaned up the crud and it works great. So here I am looking up some history and reviews on it. Good video!

I think it's the way they make cans. For me the parts that don't work are exactly across from each other. It must be some safety measure in effect these days

I got several of the old Ecko can openers that were made 50 to 60 years ago that work better than the modern can openers

I’m going through can openers after 5 to 6 uses after which they’re not good. They don’t get a good grip on the lid. I’ve bought some from Target and Safeway which cost between $12-18 and they’re all the same. They lose their effectiveness after 5 uses. I’d rather not take any chances on buying a more expensive can opener only for it to end up useless after a short while.

P38 or p51 for me. Cheap and good. Lol I gave up on other can openers. I can use the p38 or p51 even with carpal tunnel so it's where I'm staying

Seems to me that cans were redesigned with a deeper rim than the old style.

Swing a way crank with handle. Best in the world. Crank handle!!!

We had given up finding a good can opener ever again. I was using an old US Army P38 can opener that came with the rations.

Let us know how long those swing-aways work!

I've bought two in the past month and neither worked from new. That's why we're all here. Kind of a metaphor for our society now. 🤔

@2:00 There's been a recent trend to say that using a can opener horizontally is the "correct" way to open a can. It's false. That's only true for certain can openers-the safety style can opener, which are designed for cutting the side of the can. The disadvantage of cutting the side of the can is that the metal is thicker there and it wears down the can opener blade quicker. Anyway, I made a vow years ago to have a few good can openers in different styles. Because I swear people you live with will lose the nice one, and then you'll get a new one and most are such bad quality they break easily. I'm here because a Family Dollar brand cheapo one failed after opening three cans and a more expensive Swing a Way style one from Simple Living broke within weeks or each other. Finding a quality, lasting can opener shouldn't be this hard in 2022.

Cans have been redesigned and not even the expensive Magican works. The only one that works is the 50p all metal one.

Going thru the same thing....

thanks

are those 2" long metal shards!!!!????

I assume you are on the payroll for Swingaway?

The second way is the correct way. The lid doesn't fall in.

pov: you're in your early-mid 20s with a low class income trying to figure out why your can opener won't open your last can of beans until you get payed in 2 days just to go get some more beans and forget the new can opener

Him almost swears apologises. Me looking at the garbled list of obscenities screamed at Google to get to this video... I hate my can opener gonna buy me a new can opener.

All my can openers die so quickly and are rendered utterly useless. It’s such a hassle having to buy new ones alllll the time

The answer is no. None of them work anymore. And there's no way that this is a coincidence.

95% of the can opener’s that are sold in the stores today are defective and will only last a few regularly use them for a couple of weeks or maybe a month - Truth is there a piece of crap - - some of the electric ones really are the best ones to use

problems with can openers today is its made of crap metal. they will only last a year . the metal gears get grinded bent shaved off

Can openers are so bad that I had to look up videos about why there so bad that’s how frustrated I am with these stupid things

...Belch....

I’m convinced that can openers are poorly engineered in general. They ware out way to fast and are unintuitive to first time user’s. Same goes for the electric ones. I refuse to believe that we as a species can’t design a better can opener or a better storage solution in general