To think there's not a tin opener in the world that actually works as it should.

[thenightsky]

I've been through so many different designs now and the £15 one is exactly as hopeless as the 79p Wilko one.

DH has bought two electric ones recently... both ended up in the bin.

Our latest one seems like a basic design of old which I bought with hope in my heart (cannot recall them not working in the 70s when I was a lass). However, it takes about 300 turns of the handle to get it to move 1cm around the tin edge.

I have arthritis in both wrists and can no longer put up with this nonsense. Surely, in this day and age there must be a tin opener that does what it says on the tin.

---

This thread is quite old, but if you’ve landed here looking for advice on what kitchen tools to buy, we’ve recently updated our best can opener page with loads of Mumsnetter-approved products, including both manual and electric options. We hope you find it helpful.
MNHQ

All the butterfly-twisty-type ones with varying thickness of handles and overlapping or not of 'legs' would snap and break when I used them.
I got a stand-up electric one like PP showed above for about £5 in morrisons several years ago and it is great.

To make matters worse, I bought tuna last week without ring pulls by accident. God only knows when it will get eaten... when someone has an hour to spare I suppose.

😂😂😂

Just glad I'm not alone in my struggle! I need to investigate these suggestions

Thanks OP, I now feel I am not alone! I bought about three different ones recently, two have since gone in the bin... Will try the Culinaire, it's usually a good brand. I don't eat a lot of tinned food, but when I do, I want to be able to open it easily.

I hear you OP! After 40 years of sweat, tears and hundreds of various tin openers, I have come to the sad conclusion that it is probably the way I hold it/ use it that is faulty rather than the contraption itself because they can't ALL be shit surely.
I now use a stand up electric one from Morrisons which was less than a tenner and has honestly changed my life. Similar to others posted above, with a magnetic top to hold the lid.
Still haven't worked out how to open corned beef tins though, my machine doesnt do corners, and those fiddly key things are just as useless and impossible as tin openers to me

TBH we don't eat a lot of tinned food. It is mainly tuna for sandwiches and tomatoes for stews etc.

I may get myself to Argos for the Kenwood one this coming week with hope in my heart.

I have a plastic 'magican'. It works but it's not finger safe. Graffitiartist, what did we do for the first 100 yrs???

I wish they had a giant one like the tiny folding camping ones with rubber grip points.. Those ones never fail.

Graffitiartist That is a fascinating piece of information.

Does that mean the food went through the canning process for 100 years before anyone figured out how to actually get it out again?

Or did they just hurl tins at stone walls, drop from heights etc? Perhaps a hammer and chisel is the way to go.

Maybe an old company in Sheffield makes one out of good steel? Table fixed indestrial ones can be used on small tins and they are supremely easy

You can open tins with a good 🗡

scaryclown I'd lose a digit if I tried that

No idea what people did without them I'm afraid! Maybe a saw or knife? Quite dangerous really!

50p from asda works every tome

I'd love to meet the person who thought opening a tin of corned beef was a good idea.

I quite like corned beef, but I don't want to do a challenge from the Crystal Maze every time I fancy it.

I can never use manual tin openers. I've bloody tried. How the actual fuck do they work??
Thankfully I rarely use tins and when I do they have ring pulls.

My Kenwood opens 'square' tins, like corned beef (DM liked it, I don't), even sardine tins. You just have to 'guide' the tin around the corners.

I have had this one since I started uni in 95 - works a treat and I always take it on self catering holidays and guide camps!!

www.amazon.co.uk/Brabantia-Classic-Opener-Metal-Handle/dp/B003KGKGQY?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Magican for me as well, never fails and holds the lid.

another vote for oxo good grip here. Had mine for years and never had a problem opening a tin. Expensive but worth