Can Openers -- Kitchen Convenience

You never think about your can opener until you have a can that requires opening and there's no working opener available; boy, talk about stuck. You rummage around in the kitchen drawers and hope to find an old mechanical opener; maybe you'll be lucky.

You just can't get along without a can opener; they are indispensable. After the jump, check out some nifty can opener models.

Can openers are pretty much a simple machine -- a cutting wheel attached to an electric motor. There are a couple things you should look for, however, when buying one.

Look for stainless steel teeth on the cutting wheel -- so it doesn't easily rust -- an easy to clean design of the opener, a substantially sized magnet on the lid opener, and, if you are buying a mechanical model, dishwasher-safe materials and cushioned handles.

Those items accounted for, on to can openers --

Hamilton Beach has been making can openers for some time; their chrome and black model will handle not only take on standard cans, but also pop tops. I like the Easy Touch top lever and the fact that it also has integral scissor sharpeners. Pictured at the left.

Hamilton Beach also has a very clever Walk 'N Cut compact can opener. You hook it on the can, start it up, and it cuts by itself and then stops automatically. It's rechargeable and is small enough for easy storage. I would think it would be great for car camping, trailering, or travel. At the right.

Black and Decker's Spacemaker design opens up your counter top space with its under-cabinet model. Aside from the conventional can opening operation, it features a knife sharpener and bottle opener.

If you have a need to open large cans -- to about the 49 ounce size -- Black and Decker has a machine for you. The Extra Tall Can Opener will handle your big stuff with ease and features, as most openers do, an auto shutoff. Pictured right.

If you open big cans, and a lot of them -- perhaps 50 to 100 or more, daily -- then Edlund's Commercial Can Opener should be on your shopping list. This machine will handle volume work with its two-speed drive, and is easy to clean at the end of the day.

If you only need an emergency can opener, look at the Swing Away hand can opener. Stainless steel teeth and a set of cushioned handles.

Saving one of the biggest for last -- the Admiral Adcraft Extra Large Can Opener; a hand-cranked monster with a table mount and hardened and tempered cutting knife and gears. You can do some damage with this thing. At the left.

Can openers -- you never miss them until they're gone. If you need one, the variety is just about endless. And, with after-Christmas sales, you'll likely get a good deal on one.