I've had an Oxo manual can opener for years and it's still working well.

I have a Zyliss can opener. I found one on Amazon for less than $15 (without S&H). It's called Zyliss Lock N' Lift. Have had it for over five years, no issues with it yet.

http://www.amazon.com/Zyliss-Lock-Lift-Manual-Opener/dp/B00F9ZTLJ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418173142&sr=8-1&keywords=ZyliSs+manual+can+opener

Planto

I have a commercial one whose age is unknown -- but it's old and it works perfectly! I would suggest perhaps going to thrift stores and look for older models. Sounds like the new ones are not as good as the old ones! (And that applies to a lot of stuff -- china made versus USA made)

I bought the EZ-DUZ-IT after a discussion here back in April. Its great actually cut all the way around easily itâÂÂs heavy not hard to use and made in the USA

Here is a link that might be useful: EZ-Duz-IT

I have that Ez-Duz-It. I got it around 1980 for my Mom for a Mother's Day or birthday (she loved it) and got it back when she passed away. Still works fine.

It is true that the old ones are better, which is why people rave about ones they've had for years rather than ones they've had for weeks.

I went to a restaurant supply store to get one, and I found that the gears did not match properly, and so it is important to test them out before buying them. Check the gears in more than one position. The one I bought works okay if the gears are in one position, but if you don't align them correctly, the gears get stuck.

Lars

I have an old can opener, which my mother gave me from her kitchen when I was in college, like the one in Partst's link, but it hurts my hands. I don't remember how I acquired a Zyliss one a number of years ago--I think someone gave it to me, but it could have been a whim from a supermarket display. Actually, I think, maybe, I was cooking for company and misplaced the can opener and someone brought it from the store.

It was SO much easier to hold and turn. Then it got hung up on a rough spot or something and I squeezed too hard and broke the latch. I e-mailed Zyliss to say the latch should have been made of a more yielding material. They determined it was covered by their warranty, and sent me the Lock N' Lift model that Plantomaniac linked.

It's FAB! The latch nowadays is, in fact, made of a more yielding material. This one is really easy to use and the ergonomically designed handles don't hurt my hands at all, even though they're big and my hands are small. The magnetic "lift" part that catches the lid isn't 100%, but it is useful, and even with one that's too heavy for the magnet, it's sufficient to safely raise the lid and get a spoon underneath, if not to take it all the way to the bin.

I don't know if it'll last 40+ years like the other one (whose function I can't guarantee because I haven't hardly used it if I had something less brutal), but I don't open many cans. :) The Zyliss is a can opener I don't dread using and does a good job. Great customer service, too.

Recently, I got a Joseph Joseph "compact can opener" for my camping gear. It works well enough--certainly better than the old skeleton we had in the bear box, and it's the first manual can opener I've seen that cuts the side like those battery op As Seen On TV ones. That's its downfall though. A lot of the cans are made of such minimal composites nowadays that cutting off the rim removes the structural integrity, and they squish like flimsy watercooler cups when you lift them.

{{gwi:2135804}}

Edit: My old one is a Swing Away. They sell them on Amazon. It looks fancier, and says it's "comfortable to hold" but I don't believe that, compared to the Zyliss. It's all metal, however, and probably what you're looking for.

This post was edited by plllog on Wed, Dec 10, 14 at 4:43

I have seen a few "new old stock" ones on E-Bay now and then. I don't look often. If you could get one of those you would have the old vintage one that would last.

This thread reminds me of the time I went Leaf Peeping with the girls. The house guest called to say he was going to starve because he didn't know how to use the can opener...it was a manual (see below, I think AnnT recommended it). I had to have my BIL go over to show him how. After that I bought him the most basic one I could find.

Plllog, that compact can opener looks neat for camping. I'm going to order it for my SIL--the camper guy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kuhn Rikon Manual CO

After having a Kuhn Rikon Manual Lid Lifter for a decade,(similar to the one mustangs linked to, except white and mine has a bottle opener/small jar lid opener, and a tab lid lifter on the end), I'd never go back to one of those bacteria-hiding models that punctures the can with a blade-wheel and comes into contact with the contents of the can. No more dangerous sharp lids to contend with, either.

-Grainlady

I have a Tupperware can opener that I've used for years. I have carpal tunnel, arthritis and lymphedema, so I can't use most can openers. This one is not hard on my hands and it has "pinchers" to lift the lid off. It looks like they have changed the color (mine is solid dark blue) but the basic design is pretty much like the one I've been using.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tupperware can opener

I've had my hand-held Swing-a-Way for years and it still works great. They are under $15 at Walmart.

OXO Good Grips Smooth Edge can opener--available at BBB and, I'm sure, other places. There's a slight learning curve, but once you've got it, it's fast, easy, and completely painless. My (grown) kids love it so much I bought each of them one.

It might not be an old one (mine is about five years old, I think), but it works.

Thanks very much for all the suggestions! My Walmart had only no-name brands. I will look at BB & B or get on Amazon.

In reading the reviews on these, one thing in particular got my attention: the Zyliss one mentions âÂÂlockingâ on. If that means you donâÂÂt have to squeeze the handles to maintain pressure while turning, that is a great selling point for me. I have carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. The squeezing with one hand can be as bad as the turning with the other.

This post was edited by linnea56 on Wed, Dec 10, 14 at 22:28

Ace Hardware carries them. You can order online, free shipped to your nearest store.

Here is a link that might be useful: Swing-A-Way® Can Opener

dollar store.. and you keep buying them.. until you get a winner.. lol ..

i am sure there is a 90 dollar one at bed bath and beyond.. that will also humidify the house.. clean the driveway.. and blow your nose for you ....

ken

ps: i bought 3 peelers from DS ... all losers.. until i bought a dollar store honing stone.. and sharpened them properly.. now i have so many peelers.. i could puke .. lol ... where are the chicken tenders ????

Yes. The Zyliss locks in place, and it's the latch that broke on the old style one. The new one is flexible so shouldn't break easily. I think the warranty is five years, and they replaced mine without paperwork, just by my e-mail. You still have to hang on, but you don't need to squeeze. You do have to press the button to release it, though, and that takes some pressure, as does squeezing it shut and piercing the can to start with.

The other thing it does is lift the lid with a magnet, and has a lever to push it off with, so you don't have to touch it. You have to cut it clean off, though. It's not strong enough to lift the lid if you leave it attached. The lids from some 28 oz. cans are a bit much for the magnet, but with your hand issues, I think this might be helpful to you.

The Joseph Joseph side cutter I linked up topic also locks on, then you push the big green button to release it. The Kuhn Rikon lid lifter works in a similar way, cutting the side. Neither needs to be squeezed to start, just kind of hooked in place, so that might be better for you, and both hold the lid until you press the release. OTOH, if you have a hard time holding delicately while lifting, the lack of a top rim to stabilize your opened can might be problematic.

I hope you find one you like.