I would just go to a big box store and buy one. They all work.

I love the West Bend one I bought on Amazon! It easily opens even tall cans. It also has a bottle opener and knife sharpener on the back. The cutting unit comes off for easy cleaning too. Great reviews too!

Here is a link that might be useful: amazon

Hah! My old one worked too -- until it died (rather young)! LOL

Lisa -- Oh, that brings up another question: Are there any knife sharpeners that really work? (Other than the old whetting rod method?)

yes I have the ergonomic hand held one called ergo by Black and Decker, my sister has the smaller hand held one they are both very good. The reason we got ours was also because of Arthritis.
Black & Decker KEC500 Ergo Cordless Can Opener
that is the one I have

Black & Decker EM200 Gizmo Electric Can Opener
the one my sister has

But I also have the Black and Decker lids off machine which will remove the lids off of jars etc that are too difficult to open with your hands and it has a built in can opener so it is an all in one machine.
BLACK&DECKER Open-It-All jar, can and bottle opener
that is the one I have
the ones I have seen recently for some reason do not have the can opener on them just the jar opener.

I recommend all of the above they are all very good products

oh here you go I had to find what the name of it was!
Black & Decker JW400 Lids Off Open-It-All Center

I go to the dollar store and buy the cheapie electric can opener..they work fine. last about 5 or 6 years and only cost $12

Chisue,,,go to a grocery store that actually has a meat cutting dept and talk to the butcher,,,,at our local stores they sharpen knives free,,,we take then in and give them to the butcher when we first arrive, then we browse the store for a half hour or so selecting our groceries, and when we go back to the meat dept the knives are as sharp as new, maybe even sharper, and there is no charge for the sharpening.

I like my One-Touch can opener. It isn't electric, but runs on a battery. It doesn't leave sharp edges and is small enough to fit in a drawer so you'll have more countertop space. It's one of those "As Seen on TV" things that really does work! You can find them just about anyplace, too. (I bought it in case of hurricane electric outage, but use it all the time.)

Gasp! Raven -- The day I pay over $100 to open cans or jars... Well, it's not happening! LOL

I'll look up the One-Touch, Patti. Guess I'll have to go see what's 'out there' in the stores.

Lazypup -- I only *wish* there was a full-service, knife-sharpening butcher in my life! Too bad -- it would be such a natural incentive to get people into your store, especially now, during the 'grocery wars'.

Thanks, all! As usual I can depend on the KT.

I could not believe that price I bought everyone in my family one for Christmas a few years ago and paid around $30 each for them!! The one on ebay however is a buy it now for $45. The reason I got them for my family is we all suffer horribly from Arthritis and were all having the problems opening jars etc. I would never pay the prices they have on them now. Glad I got mine and theirs when I did.

I have to say I bought one of the as seen on tv one touch ones and brought it back the next day, it did nothing, would not open any of the cans I tried and sounded like it was struggling to do the little that it did do. So for me personally that one would not get a good review. I have no idea if there are different makes of them or not, I think there are, I had bought the actual as seen on tv one.

Now the ergo can opener itself is not that expensive, I have seen it under $20, here it is for $27
ERGO Can Opener

Can't tell you how many I've taken back because they don't work. Now I'm using a relic my DD had around her house but didn't want. It's short and squat and growls really loud but opens cans so it's welcome to live on my counter.

I checked electric can openers recently on ebay and was amazed at the price for old used ones.

Thanks, all. Once I've put my fun colonoscopy (10/04) 'behind' me, I'll get out and shop.

Good luck with that, Chisue! Be thinking about you 10/04--I don't know what prep you have to do, but maybe my thoughts should be with you 10/03. Brutal!

I have nerve damage in my right hand. I bought a Hamilton Beach electric opener about 4 years ago. It has a device that is supposed to open water bottles but doesn't seem to fit any bottle I use. It also has a gripper to open larger jars. And it has a sharp blade that sometimes works on things you buy that are sealed up with heavy plastic.
Before I injured my hand, I always used manual openers.

If you want to Buy American, I suggest the Swing-A-Way Can Opener that hangs on the wall. This exact same model has been around since maybe the late 1940's-early 1950ties. I believe their factory is in St. Louis. Just slide the can into the cutting area & turn the handle. I bought my last Swing-A-Way at a True Value Hardware about 10 years ago & paid something like $7.00 for it. I also just like its "looks"---perfect for my 1930ties Deco style kitchen.

There is a world of difference between manual openers. A really good one with a large handle and good size turning mechanism is 100% easier to grip than the cheaper ones.

kfca -- I wonder if I could still find one of those! We had a wall-mounted ice crusher that used to drive our dog Rosie CRAZY. Lessee, I could line up a can opener, an ice crusher and...a pencil sharpener! Maybe a coffee grinder! (On a roll here!)

To find a Swing Away wall mount just do a search, but they are not $7.00 anymore and are manual....I own only this make can opener, will have to get a wall mounted one when my hands get bad. Wish I had my grandmothers, her's was mounted on the window above the sink.

Sue

for manual ones I agree you can not beat a swing away. I have 2 of them and one for the RV. We had the wall mount type my whole life growing up and I bet it was still there when they sold the house.
Amco Swing-A-Way 609WH Magnetic Wall Can Opener, White
here is one at Amazon for $10.06

at this site it is $7.29 no idea on shipping
Swing-A-Way Wall Mount Can Opener

If you google it you can find a pretty wide range of prices.

I picked up a new hand held one at bed bath and beyond for the RV.

Thanks for the Swing-A-Way info. I'll be getting back to this project after tomorrow's colonoscopy. The fun part of the prep is about to begin. UGH!

Do they ever appear at yard sales?

I think that I have one left over from when Aunt Phyllis lived in the house, 10 years ago.

I've been thinking that I'd like one, as I'm right handed and the index finger on the right hand has been crooked for years (no comments about its owner, please) but hadn't caused discomfort until lately. The outer joints have been rather stiff for some time, but the one at the hand was O.K., so could use it for keyboarding ... the finger just sort of got in the way with some things that I wanted to do.

But recently rather heavy use, like using a hand-powered can opener, has caused some discomfort, so I've been thinking of getting one, if Aunt Phyllis's one is just a figment of my imagination.

When Sue and I returned from Korea, where we'd been working for some time with refugees who had next to nothing, I was rather disdainful (to put it mildly) of electric toothbrushes and elctric knives, both of which had rather recently-developed popularity, back in '57 ...

... and we were given both by family, not too long after!

I developed a liking for the electric knife, as it does a slick job, without tearing the meat ...

... but an electric toothbrush I could and can do without (especially now that I'm down to three teeth).

o j