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At least I warned you in the thread title, dont moan if you clicked it!
I've been married to Mrs BUTR for 34 years, we've never had a tin opener that worked satisfactorily and we've had loads! To be fair, it's not something I've ever put much thought into or researched, they give up, I buy a new shit one from wherever I happen to see one and the cycle repeats itself.
In a fit of nostalgia I've just had a Fray Bentos steak pie for my tea (not as good as I remember). The latest bit of chrome masquerading as a functional kitchen implement failed and I resorted to levering it open with a knife whilst trying not to slice my fingers off on the part opened lid.
This time I would like to break the cycle and buy one, for the first time ever, that is actually fit for purpose. Is this possible?
I'd prefer a manual one. Our cupboards are full of electrical gadgets we haven't really got space for and never use. I don't mind paying whatever it takes within reason for one that works well and lasts. Suggestions?
I have been through this. I share your pain. Endless shit ones, not fit for purpose and some that are a plain waste of materials. The opener on a swiss army knife is better than most.
Anyway the answer is... a culinare magican.
Why did I click this.
I've got one of the Kenwood CO600 machine's. It has 3 functions, a tin opener, a bottle opener and a knife sharpener. It's a very useful piece of kit
just buy ring pull cans, much easier.........
🙄
Anyway the answer is… a culinare magican.
6 quid? Plastic? I'm a little sceptical tbh 🤔
Why did I click this
😆
https://www.lakeland.co.uk/10716/Kitchencraft-Classic-Butterfly-Can-Opener?
No bells or whistles, it just works.
Fray Bentos with Smash then instant whip for pudding, were you treating your Mrs? Re kindling the romance?
They are made up in Fochabers in Audrey Baxter's kitchen now the soup maker by royal appointment
Did you find any beef ?
A classic P-38.
Isn’t the answer a Kuhn Rikon jobbie? I bought one back in the mid nineties. One of those ones that crimps the edges to break the seal, has a little integrated grip to pull the lid off and leaves no sharp edges. It also leaves a lid that’ll sit quite nicely back on top of the can if you don’t use all the contents. Kinder to everyone - less chance of cutting hands and for the recycling guys, no razor edges - although I guess they all have sturdy gloves anyway.
I can’t quite believe it’s still working well after around 25 years!!
Did you find any beef ?
No. Gravy with a puff pastry lid. Childhood memories destroyed. I did look for some birds Angel delight to round off the experience but couldn't find any. Probably for the best.
culinare magican
I had for 10 years it was excellent, but I thought perhaps time to retire it and get another as it no longer worked 100%. The new model was cheaper but flimsy and worse than the old one I'd just thrown out... Pretty annoyed... Had to get something else (I think a Jamie Oliver branded one from TKMaxx which is just about OK) but it was clear culinare are just trading on the ability of a long since discontinued model to sell a cost reduced version.
@CraigW I've used plenty of those in my time but sadly I never kept any as they did actually work. Mostly on tins of oatmeal block, compo sausages and "babies heads”.
I find one with the sharp wheel to cut the lid off works well, much easier and more robust than the cheap ones that just pierce and tear. can't recall where the one i have came from...probably either sainsbury or tkmaxx, most likely sainsbury. Anywau its similar to this one
https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-partners-stainless-steel-can-opener/p3503525
Isn’t the answer a Kuhn Rikon jobbie?
Ooh, a quick Google suggests it could be. Thanks, currently in first position in the short list.
The kitchencraft butterfly posted above works perfectly.
Although some people do seem to use it wrong...
Having said that can't say i've gad an issue with any can opener. Sonetime i use my swiss army knife for fun.
I came in to this thread just to see who posts some bespoke £90 tin opener. I’m prepared to wait as long as it takes. Come on STW don’t fail me now!
After watching my wife open a tin of beans I realised why we constantly needed new tin openers.
We bought one from tesco, it cost about 50p iirc, ‘tesco basic butterfly can opener’
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/shop/home-and-ents/cooking-and-dining/kitchen-essentials-and-food-preparation/can-and-bottle-openers
It’s the easiest one either of us have ever used.
The handle that turns has a plastic bearing, which means it’s not partially seized before you’ve even used it.
oXo Good Grips.
Got ours for about a tenner which I thought was a lot but it’s still going after well over a decade
I came in to this thread just to see who posts some bespoke £90 tin opener.
What you mean is you were waiting for whatever CFH posts. But number 1 he'll never admit to eating food from a tin and number 2 he only eats what nanny spoon feeds him anyway.😉
Someone must be able to make one from a Ringle titanium skewer maybe some Chris King headset parts to justify £90
Basic one with a twisty handle for me too. I have used a chisel before though when no can opener to be found. Can of spam I believe. The key broke.
Brabantia classic should see you out if they're as good as they used to be.
^^^i came here to post the brabantia but beaten to it...ours (stainless steel version) is years old and still works a treat
KitchenAid one here (which is all teh awsumz) after suffering the exact same issues as the OP. My other half bought it for me as a birthday present because I used to moan so much about its predecessors.
That Kuhn Rikon looks sick. 👌
^^ +n, the only "not shit" can opener I've ever owned was a Brabantia.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brabantia-Classic-Opener-Stainless-4-8x5-1x9/dp/B003KGKGQY
OK, the Brabantia is coming in a close second on the short list. I shall mull this momentous decision over tonight, review any last minute suggestions tomorrow then do the deed on Amazon Prime. I shall report back.
We bought one from tesco, it cost about 50p iirc, ‘tesco basic butterfly can opener’
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/shop/home-and-ents/cooking-and-dining/kitchen-essentials-and-food-preparation/can-and-bottle-openers
It’s the easiest one either of us have ever used.
The handle that turns has a plastic bearing, which means it’s not partially seized before you’ve even used it.
I second this. Cheap as chips. Works just as well as the more expensive models.
A classic P-38.
Damn right, had one for many years, used often for cans that other, fancier openers wouldn’t open, but it’s disappeared, sadly.
Never mind, I’ll get some more off t’interwebz.
I’ve also got a Cullinaire SafetyCan, which is excellent, although some own-brand cans just don’t seem to suit it, and I’ve also got a Cullinaire OneTouch battery operated opener, kind of like a computer mouse that sits on the top of the can and just rotates around it and takes the whole top off. Brilliant thing, works really well.
I don’t think either cost more than about £20.
^^^ Wow, we've got a collector in.
We've got a prestige progrip2 which still works perfectly after 11 years.
So. I've pulled the trigger on a Kuhn Rikon auto safety master. Woo hoo! I am unfeasibly excited about this. Is this the end of decades of tin opener disappointment?
Wow, we’ve got a collector in.
Well, I’ve got a bunch of different kitchen knives as well...
Thing is, you have an old-school can-opener that won’t open cans properly, so you go and buy another, and find that won’t open cans properly either, so then you hunt around for something a bit more sophisticated which does work. Then after a few years you find that the whizzy opener just wont open certain brands that are part of a regular shop, so what do you do?
In my case, it didn’t help that I had an elderly step-parent in the house who couldn’t use any of the can-openers I had, so I bought the electric one because he asked me to.
I was surprised at just how well it worked, tbh, a lot easier than using my M-95 can opener, but a lot of cans now are ring-pull, so the can-openers mostly just sit in the drawer. For the number of times I actually have to use a device to open a can, one of those little military ones does the job as well as anything, and they’re cheap as well.
A thread which does what it says on the tin.
Opener.
That Kuhn Rikon looks sick. 👌
erm lol! 🙂
^^^ Wow, we’ve got a collector in.
I love this place!
I also share your pain, never found a good one until I bought this..
This would be a much busier thread if it was titled
Which artisan traditional lever tin opener for duck confit?
So. I’ve pulled the trigger on a Kuhn Rikon auto safety master. Woo hoo! I am unfeasibly excited about this. Is this the end of decades of tin opener disappointment?
I can confirm the Kuhn Rikon is a marvel of ergonomic design and Swiss engineering. It works brilliantly.
Thanks for the suggestions all.
No more mangled tins, and everyone lived happily ever after. The end.
Those cheap butterfly openers are crap, or at least the three I bought from Wilko’s were, at £1.50 each, all they did was put a crease around the top of a tin. The Culinare one couldn’t cut through the folded top of the tins, so it could be lifted off, it just chewed the top edge leaving needle sharp shards of metal sticking up. That’s when I resorted to using the old P.38.
The battery Culinaire actually works really well, I think the issue is Morrisons own-brand tins.
Anyway, I’ve just got some more P.38’s from Amazon, two two-packs, cost about £3, so I’ve got some spares if I go camping next year.
A classic P-38.
I'd be amazed if there was much edible left after using a P-38 to open a can...
