What is your favorite can opener?

Earlier this week I was in Buhl Idaho hanging out with Doctor Patirck Jones.

My daughter Kimber wants to become a veternarian. At this news both my husband and I shook our heads - outwardly supporting her - and inwardly bracing ourselves for the cost. Yeah, you can imagine the looks we exchanged behind her back...

To be sure this is something she really wanted to do, Patrick offered to let her come assist in his clinic. So the both of us went. And after several days of the real thing - surgeries, shots, pulling teeth, a jaundiced dog, and euthanizations - Kimber loved it. And if you had to bet on a kid, Kimber has the focus and determination to get through the 8 years of school.

Patrick offered us to stay in his home. And I really wanted to find a good gift to give him in appreciation. In his kitchen, we comiserated over his lack of a good can opener. Patrick resorted to using his pocket knife... With 15 kids (most of them adopted) yes, Patrick does eat some canned food (beans, tuna, olives).

I decided to get Patrick a really good can opener as a gift. But I don't use them that much myself...

SO - do you have a favorite can opener you really, really love? One that makes opening cans easy? Maybe even fun? LOL

Please pop me a link on where to get your favorite.

Thanks!


Comments

  • Grammyprepper
    Grammyprepper Posts: 168 ✭✭✭

    Another sideways picture LOL!

    Good for Kimber, I have a cousin who is a veterinarian, so I am well versed in the journey, so feel free to email me @Marjory

    As far as good can openers, honestly, I use dollar store manual can openers. Sometimes Iget a crappy one, but mostly I swear by them and buy them in multiples. I haven't owned an electric can opener in years.

    For backup, we have multiple army issue (p35 or p38 I don't remember what the exact designation is).

  • hmsadmin
    hmsadmin Posts: 123 admin

    I'm so glad to hear that you and Kimber had a great time! I can see Kimber absolutely loving the Veterinarian field and really excelling at it.

    These types of can openers are my fav - https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Smooth-Opener/dp/B000079XW2.

    I haven't used this one in particular, but any of the "smooth-rim" openers, which cut the lid along the side of the rim are awesome! It would be great for use by his kids (no sharp edges are left on the can or rim), and if you don't use the entire can, the lid can be placed back on top to keep the contents fresh in the fridge for a few days.

    @Marjory Wildcraft @Grammyprepper I'm not positive, but I think the images go sideways if the image dimensions are big (H or W over 1000 pixels). I've made a couple posts today, and the one big image I tried to post went sideways.. but when I resized it smaller, it embedded right-side up.

  • Karyn Pennington
    Karyn Pennington Posts: 71 ✭✭✭

    I've had my Pampered Chef can opener for probably 12 or more years! It's similar to the one Linzi posted from Amazon in that it leaves smooth edges so nobody gets any cuts from jagged edges on the can or lid.

    Yours and your daughter's experience with Dr. Jones had to be amazing. I just love his sense of humor and clearly, with 15 kids he has a ginormous heart! I've learned so much from him! I'm so glad you and Kimber were able to experience him first hand and give her confirmation on her life's path. That sounds so exciting!

  • Merin Porter
    Merin Porter Posts: 1,026 admin

    We've used just a regular old manual Oxo Good Grips can opener for years and I have no complaints and would buy it again (although @Linzi 's looks pretty cool, too!) -- here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Can-Opener/dp/B00004OCJW/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=oxo+good+grips+can+opener&qid=1559585524&s=home-garden&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1

  • Jimerson
    Jimerson Posts: 291 admin

    I love the can openers that remove the lid instead of cutting into them. Great for when I'm only eating half a can of beans with my eggs and want to conveniently save the rest for tomorrow!

  • H_D
    H_D Posts: 384 ✭✭✭

    most all hand held can openers remove the lid rather than cutting it off, no? or have ya'll been using them wrong ;) LOL

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,584 admin

    @Heather Duro oh! yes, there really is a difference in the can openers 'cut'. Those ones that somehow cut the top off by undercutting the rim are really cool.

  • H_D
    H_D Posts: 384 ✭✭✭

    @Marjory Wildcraft most, if not all hand held can openers beneath the rim ;) like I said above..most people use them wrong lol

  • Jimerson
    Jimerson Posts: 291 admin

    This is new information to me! I wish I had the old style can opener so I could go see what you are talking about. 😮

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,358 admin

    I like Swing-a-way can openers. I have a wall mount (it's ancient), and a handheld. I was introduced to them when I was waitressing years ago. They are sharp and reliable.

    Wall mount (the old ones are great...not sure about modern quality). Mine is magnet-less:

    https://www.amazon.com/Swing-Way-609WH-Magnetic-Opener/dp/B000NA47YM

  • Grammyprepper
    Grammyprepper Posts: 168 ✭✭✭
    edited June 2019

    OMG...

    I had to try it out myself, I thought @Heather Duro was joking...

    I HAVE been using my can opener wrong all this time! LMAO! I was using it to just cut the lid out, but I just HAD to try using it to cut the lid and rim off, and it freaking worked!

    Boy do I feel like an idiot!😝

  • cre8tiv369
    cre8tiv369 Posts: 67 ✭✭✭

    Due to can linings containing BPA or BPS or some undisclosed form of bisphenols, I have stopped eating anything out of a can (including soda, beer, etc). Bisphenols are no joke and some nasty nasty stuff. Did you check with Patrick to see if he might be leaning this way too, or is he really too lazy to pick one a can opener? I would say, get him a couple cheap can openers and something else he really loves or might love doing with his kids (a game, movie tickets, a gift certificate for a good local babysitter).

  • H_D
    H_D Posts: 384 ✭✭✭

    good point, I should have said earlier, I am assuming people arent using the old cans anymore. we only use BPA and BPS free cans. Somehow I dont think Doc Patrick uses standard old cans either :) but good point to discuss.

  • cre8tiv369
    cre8tiv369 Posts: 67 ✭✭✭

    Huh.. I have never seen nor heard of a BPS free can. I know many companies dropped BPA and are/were happy to put "BPA free" on the label, all the while knowing that they just swapped BPS for the BPA and they both do the same exact harm. But they have plenty of other Bisphenols waiting on the sidelines for when consumers get too savvy again, so if they do have a BPS free, then they are likely using BPF or X, or J, or R or whatever. I would love to be able to buy and use goods from real cans, but I have zero faith in them and nothing but disdain from all the trust they violated and still continue to violate. I like glass and I only cook in stainless or cast iron and will not use anything non stick (like a rice cooker, instant pot, waffle iron, etc). Heck, I even worry about canning lids and abhor almost all plastic (it makes sense for certain medical applications). It's all about survival and now days that means not letting corporations and the government poison or maim you.

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,584 admin
    edited June 2019


    Hi @cre8tiv369, if you recall, Patrick has 15 kids... (most adopted - quite a few from Haiti). That a lot of mouths to feed, so yes, he eats canned food more than a lot of us. Mostly beans, olives, that kind of thing. They did serve a lot of fresh vegetables and Patrick certainly knows about the importance of quality food.

    I think your use of the word 'lazy' to describe this incredibly hard working, generous, and dedicated man is in appropriate.

    I just happened to notice he didn't have a good opener and thought to send him a small gift.

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,584 admin

    Oh! My sister sent the photo of Starlight. This was a cat we had when I was growing up and she learned that when she got the can opener to buzz, people came, were amazed, and went ahead and fed her.

    Smart kitty!


  • Merin Porter
    Merin Porter Posts: 1,026 admin

    Um, do you just turn it around? Because I might have been using mine wrong, too.... ???

  • Merin Porter
    Merin Porter Posts: 1,026 admin

    Btw, @Marjory Wildcraft , Starlight was a cutie!

  • Grammyprepper
    Grammyprepper Posts: 168 ✭✭✭

    Yup Merin, rather than using it to open the top like we are used to, you put the sharp side to the outside of the can and the gear toothed part to the inside of the lip...Try it!