14.9.2011

Like other reviews have said, this is an amazing can opener, but takes some getting used to. But it only took 2 cans for me to get the hang of it. I'm the type that believes she knows how to work any gadget straight out of the box without instructions and got tripped up on how to release the opener from the can. So from my experience, tips that might help you out:- Just place the lid of the can between the 2 blades/gears until you feel resistance, like a normal can opener.- Turn the handle clockwise until you no longer feel resistance. I didn't even worry about the handle being at a specific o'clock when I started like the instructions suggest.- Then give the handle a quick counter-clockwise turn to release the can opener from the tin.This was the important step I missed without reading the instructions and just assumed I could lift it off once I finished going around the can.- At this point you won't be able to lift the lid unless you have good strong nails. But, that's the whole point of having the mini-pliers on the side of the opener. Just place them over the lip of the can, press the white button to grip, lift up and Viola! Your can is open.Seems like a lot of steps for a simple gadget, but it really is simple and faster than more traditional can openers once you get the hang of it.Tips aside, this is the best can opener I've ever owned and I've had both manual and electric. And here's why:- No sharp edges - as advertised - so I don't cut myself when emptying or washing the can for recycling like I used to. I even use it on pull-ring cans for this reason. My only advice is, even though it's rounded, it's still a thin piece of metal, so I still handle the cans with care. But I did the whole infomercial thing of running my fingers around the lid and top of the can after I opened my first one and was so pleased not to feel anything jagged!- I rarely hold the can to lift of the lid, because it's so easy to do with the mini-pliers. This is awesome for avoiding getting liquid on my hands - esp. for smellier items like tuna.- Given the unique cut provided by this opener, you can reuse the can lid for storage. I wouldn't recommend doing it for more than 1-2 days as it's not air tight. But the lid does slot right back down on the can. So for things like tuna where I may only use half a can a day for lunch, instead of emptying the 2nd half of the can into another storage container, I just pop the lid of the can back on and put it in the fridge. LOVE this!- Finally, it has a smooth action and isn't hard to turn. My mom doesn't have arthritis, but her hands aren't as strong as they used to be so I thought about getting her this for a present because it's so easy to turn.All in all, I love this can opener. I can't comment on it's use on small cans yet, as others have mentioned, as I've yet to use any. So I've kept my old clunky opener if/when I find this doesn't work on smaller can sizes. But for now I'm totally happy with the purchase and actually look forward to opening cans!

26.5.2009

OK, so this is a splurge item, but it's neat. It looks awesome, it works well, and it's very clean. re-closeable cans are so useful! I use this opener all the time and I love it.My one complaint is that finding instructions are very difficult if you can't watch the flash animation on the company's website. So for all the people trying to figure out how to use the Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety Lid Lifter can opener, here goes:First, adjust the turnable handle to be parallel to the big handle. Then place the unit on top of the can, not alongside like a traditional opener. Position the Lid Lifter so that the rim of the can is right underneath the two protruding metal bits underneath the turnable handle.I don't mean the pincer thing on the right side of the opener - rather, I'm referring to the two protruding bits on the metal underside. One cuts and the other is round magnet or roller of some sort. Looking down, get it so that the edges of the can's round top are roughly even with the two little half-circle shaped divots in the main body of the opener. Those divots are specially placed to make this easy. Then once the opener is set on top of the can, with the handle pointing straight out perpendicular to the can and parallel to the counter and the divots lined up with the lid, start turning clockwise. You'll feel the little metal cutting bits engage on the top of the can. Keep turning, holding the opener parallel to the counter top the whole way. You won't be able to see a thing happening, but when you complete the can, you'll feel the turning resistance reduce. That's because you've cut the whole top off, even though you can't tell! Now turn the handle counter-clockwise, just a little bit (maybe a quarter turn) and that will disengage the cutting bits, allowing you to remove the opener.To open the lid the first time, you turn the opener on it side and use the little metal pincer to grab the edge of the can lid. Push the white plastic button opposite the pincers, grabbing the lid, and lift 'er up. Voila - the lid comes off! It takes a *little* force sometimes if the seal is still vacuum tight. You can use the can opener every time, but after the first time, it's easier to remove the lid with your fingers.It sounds WAY harder than it is, but it is honestly something you have to learn. I was seriously stumped, as was my roommate, until I figured out how to view the demo online.Now start saving time and money by buying the big cans of tomatoes and beans and then saving the leftovers right in the nicely sealed can! The designer gets an A+ on this model.Added bonus: blow your friends minds by asking them to figure out how to open a can. I swear, without instructions, it's really tricky! With instructions, it's really easy!

8.10.2015

We only received this can opener today so it was a battle between myself and my wife as to who would get the chance to test it by opening a tin of beans...I lost so I now have to wait until we need another tin of something opening!! The good news is that my wife, who has no mechanical aptitude at all, managed to open the beans at the first attempt and with little or no effort. If it worked for her it will work for anyone and I am happy to report that it worked exactly as advertised...cut the lid seal rather than the can so no sharp edges and no contact with the food. Early days yet but if it continues to work as efficiently I can honestly say it is the best can opener I have ever had.UPDATE -

15.7.2014

I've been using this can opener for a few months now, and I can honestly say it is the BEST can opener I've ever used. I was fed up of buying £5 one's that went rusty after a couple of months. Therefore last time, I purchased an Oxo Good Grips can opener. It had excellent reviews, but after only a short time the handle covers fell off, and a few months later, it also went rusty. The problem is the cutting wheel on traditional openers comes into contact with the food/liquid inside the can, and then the rust sets in - even if you wipe it after use. Washing it regularly only seems to make the problem worse.I did a lot of research, and found the Kuhn Rikon safety lid lifter.

1.2.2011

I can't believe i'm writing a review on something as mundane a Can opener, but there you go. If you're anything like me, you probably get through quite a few Can openers, mostly just cheapo one's from the supermarket. They do work, to a degree, but you know in your heart of hearts that you'll soon be replacing it. This time, i was determined to do a bit of research and find something that not actually works, but works well, and crucially, lasts longer than an episode of poirot.After trawling through endless reviews, i decided on the Kuhn Rikon, as the demonstrations certainly made it look a breeze to use. I'm happy to report that it is a breeze to use. Once positioned on the top of the Can,

29.4.2019

Ok so this isn't my first one of this type of can opener. I first discovered these with pampered chef. When I first tried one I thought they were an absolute game changer, why? because it uncrimps the can lid (doesn't cut it) which leaves you with a lid that can be popped back into the can for storage in the fridge! That is by far the best feature.Other can openers cut the lid off which with some cans (such as tuna in brine) causes juice to squirt out while cutting and makes a right mess. This opener uncrimps the lid which you then pop off using the 'beak' tool on the side. Perfect! The only thing you might miss when doing that is that you won't have a hinged lid for draining some tins because

1.8.2009

We bought a new house, so I decided we weren't going to pack the old manual can opener. While it had served me well for more years than I want to admit and still performed well, I figured this was a perfect opportunity to find a replacement. I went searching on Amazon and found this one.This can opener, unlike other manual openers cuts the can on the side instead of from the top. This not only prevents accidental cuts, but allows one to use the top as a lid for cleaning out the can before recycling. Additionally shavings or dirt won't fall into the food.Opening from the side means this opener works a little different from top cutters. The knob is used to lock the opener onto the can's lip.

14.7.2013

firstly - I haven't read any of the other reviews so if I have repeated what others have said, my apologies. Having just used the can opener I felt inspired to write a review. Often people write reviews when they first get something. Like 'ebay feedback' it often has no value. I've had this for about 2 years now and I think it deserves a review.I bought this can opener after trying, over the years, quite a number of different can openers. All the others fail in one way or another. And if they last more than about 6 months they get really manky around the cutting blade and cog, even if you rinse it after use.This design is different. Its quite strange to use at first and you can't actually tell if you've opened the can because it is quite subtle.

29.12.2012

When ever I use this, I think of the Dr. Seuss rhyme, "A Zans for cans is very good. Have you a Zans for cans? You should."OK, on to the review... We had a bulky automatic can opener for a long time (not sure which brand) and it broke. We don't open a ton of cans, but we have a small child in the house and don't want to have a bunch of sharp lids lying around. This opener seemed like just the thing, because it's small, light-weight and promises to open the cans so they wont' have a sharp edge anywhere.That's more or less what we got. The only thing I don't like about the product is that it's a little confusing to figure out -- it looks like a regular can opener,

27.8.2020

It's so clever how this can opener works, from the unique way in which it locks onto the can to the engineered precision in which it severs through the top of it - almost as if it hasn't done it at all. That's where the mini pliers on the can opener come into it, to lift the top off safely without any fear of incurring an accidental cut to the fingers in the process. This can opener really is in a league of it's own. I am so fed up with those bog standard openers with their low quality steel cutting wheels that begin to go blunt after just a very few uses. That will not be happening with this Swiss made Kuhn Rikon device. It's probably the can opener world's equivalent of the Swiss army knife.

27.9.2013

I searched and searched for a good can opener. This one fit the bill perfectly and I absolutely love it. I had three of the same $10 opener I had gotten from our local grocery store until it stopped working. It too was a safety lid opener but required more effort. This one feels nice, feels solid and once you get used to the different method used to grasp the lid and work, it is easy to use.To release the lid you turn the knob to the left until you feel it release. Sometimes this takes longer than it seems like it should. Several times I thought perhaps I hadn't gone all the way around the lid and perhaps that was why it didn't release right away,

13.5.2019

We never even knew there was this style of a can opener that cuts on the side of a can. We thought they had made it up for an TV episode of "Everyone Loves Raymond." When this style of can opener popped up on Amazon, we decided to try one. There were several with so-so reviews, so we went with this one because it cost a little more than many of the other options. We weren't disappointed. The quality on this is superb and it works like a charm. The handle is much easier to rotate than the wing handle on a conventional can opener, and so far it has easily opened several different brands and sizes of cans. My daughter liked this one so much she "retired" all of her other can openers,

31.5.2015

Bought the Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety Lid Lifter as I had some tins of salmon that I couldn't open with three other openers. It does a brilliant job, leaving a clean/safe edge on the opened can and the lid. NOTE: This opener does not cut under the rolled over rim of the can...it actually cuts through the rolled over edge. It cuts through after one rotation of the can but doesn't feel like it, just look out for the slight drop in resistance to cutting...that means you're done.The first time I used this I thought it hadn't done anything, but after cutting the lid does not move as it is still in place. In fact the cut is so good that the can top can be used as a lid on the can if you don't use all the contents.

24.5.2015

This can opener is a little more difficult to use than the cheaper, big-box store ones I've used in the past. In fact, I bought another cheap one after buying the Kuhn Rikon to open cans that have a lift tab or indented lid (so they nest on top of each other) because the Kuhn Rikon does not work on those. But having gone through several of those cheaper can openers in the last few years, I wanted something that would last more than 6 months or so. I've only had this a couple of months so I can't say yet how durable it is. It does work fine on regular cans although it is a little tricky to line it up correctly and lock it in place, and is a little more awkward to turn when it's on top of the can,

5.10.2018

I received this on time, as expected, and washed and dried it before first use. I did as the instructions stated to open a can but it seemed not to open. I was alarmed until I used the little pincer part with the white press button to grip the can edge than twisted it gently. As stated, the can top came away cleanly and with ease. The lid was not sharp edged nor the can itself so both could be put in the bin without worry anyone might later cut themselves.Excellent can opener and stylish too. It also does not have any contact with the cans contents so no real need to wash it. It works by compressing and cutting between the thick folded seam of the can, not either side of it,

Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety Lid Lifter - Reviews

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