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When we originally set out to find the best manual can opener, we were on the lookout for a sharp, safe, easy-to-grip model with a classic design. Simple enough, right? You'd think so, but given that our commerce editor Emily has a tomato sauce stain on her ceiling from a can opener gone rogue, we weren't so sure how easy it'd be to find an effective, comfortable, sharp, long-lasting opener we could recommend.
Good news: It turns out, good can openers do exist. Over years of testing, we've found that Oxo makes our favorite models—in multiple designs that users can choose based on personal preference. This year, we tested our original two winners against a newer model from the same company.
Read below for the best manual can openers. To learn more about our testing method and what we look for in the best can opener, scroll to the bottom of the page.
The best safety can opener: Oxo Good Grips Smooth Edge Can Opener
The best classic can opener: Oxo Good Grips Can Opener
The best safety can opener: Oxo Good Grips Smooth Edge Can Opener
Oxo's newest safety can opener out-performs the previous winner in this category, the Oxo Locking Can Opener with Lid Catch. Why go for a safety can opener in the first place? Instead of a cutting wheel that cuts through the top of the can, around the edges of the lid, safety can openers (also called side-cut can openers) attach to the sides of the can and cut along the body. This type of can opener leaves an edge that's not as sharp, and the lid is easier and more convenient to remove (you don't have to pry the top off, carefully avoiding slicing your finger, as you do with a conventional can opener). With this style, can lids wont fall into the contents of the can, and the sides are free of jagged edges.
The Oxo Good Grips Smooth Edge Can Opener has a comfortable grip that's non-slip and easy to use for both righties and lefties. Since this can opener cuts around the rim of the can, you hold it from the top rather than the side, which might feel a little odd at first for people who are accustomed to conventional manual can openers. With a few turns of the crank, the stainless steel cutting wheel makes a full rotation around the can. You can then remove the top hands-free using tiny pliers on the nose of the gadget.
Side-cut can openers are also better for opening cans with deeper rims. This comes in handy when you're trying to open a pull-tab can and the tab snaps off. These increasingly ubiquitous pull-tab cans tend to have deeper rims, and in testing we found that many manual can openers couldn't cut through them. But, again, since the Oxo Smooth Edge Can Opener cuts around the sides of the can, it's the perfect tool to use when the pull-tab fails you.
Of course, this can opener has some drawbacks. This is one of the bulkier models we've tested; it will take up more space in a kitchen drawer than your typical opener. It's also not dishwasher-safe, but can openers rarely are. Testers at Wirecutter also found that safety can openers tend to go dull more quickly than conventional can openers. Overall, after using the Oxo Smooth Edge to open many cans of various sizes, we found this can opener to be easy to use, comfortable, safe, and effective at tearing through metal cans.
The best classic can opener: Oxo Good Grips Can Opener
Oxo's more conventional can opener kept its top spot. If you're concerned that a safety can opener might go dull and would prefer to opt for a classic, conventional can opener, we like the Oxo Good Grips model. This style of opener also tends to be a bit less expensive.
We like this can opener because it has soft, easy-to-grip handles. It also has a larger-than-normal knob on the side, which makes it easy to grab and crank ergonomically with your whole hand. The knob is cushioned and it's comfortable to use. The can opener is sharp and adheres easily to the can without slipping off. A few testers have used this can opener at home for years, so we know it lasts and doesn't go dull easily. It has no bells and whistles (except for a built-in bottle opener. Party time!), but it's an inexpensive, classic can opener that is built to last. This is the best manual can opener if you're looking for a classic design.
Other can openers we tried
During our latest test of the best manual can openers, we liked the Williams Sonoma traditional can opener nearly as much as the Oxo models. It has wide, comfortable rubber-coated handles and an easy-to-hold turn key. The only downside: it's between 3 and 5 dollars more than our two winning models. That's not much, sure, but it's money that could be used towards a sharp new paring knife or fabulous scrubby sponge.
The Oxo Locking Can Opener with Lid Catch sat as a winner for several years, but recently fell short when it came to opening cans with deeper rims. It left us with hazardous jagged edges and the magnetic catch failed to work correctly.
We also tested this KitchenAid model—a classic that can often be found on sale for as little as $9. The small, hard turn key was kind of pain to maneuver, though, and sometimes when we tried to clip it onto the edge of the can, the gears would just spin without locking. A quick browse of Amazon reviews shows many other people had the same issue.
We found the Fissler (Cook's Illustrated's top-rated can opener) to be highly effective and extra sharp. It's a safety opener that has blades on the side and a metal bar that props the opener at the correct height for the can (a design that we liked generally—we tried a few models like this). It has an extra-long crank that's bent to form to your thumbs, making it easy to turn. And rather than handles that you clamp together, this model only has one long handle. The metal bar on the side of the opener is what attaches the rotating blades to the can and keeps them secured, making the lid easy to remove. This can opener is also made of high-quality materials. However, at $37 on Amazon at the time of writing, we didn't think its significantly higher price was worth it, since the Oxo can openers worked just as well.
We also liked this Rosle can opener. It's a safety opener that attaches to the top of the can, rather than the side. It has the prettiest design of any of the models we tested, with a sleek, industrial look (though we wouldn't consider that a critical quality in something as utilitarian as a can opener). It's made of heavy-duty, high-quality metal. Its crank is bent to accommodate your thumb, making it easy to turn. And it's extra-sharp and simple to use. Still, this can opener was too expensive to be considered a top contender.
We also liked some safety can openers from Zyliss, but they were bulkier and made from cheaper plastic materials than other models.
Finally, we tried several can openers from Kuhn Rikon, a company that makes one of our favorite peelers. In general they were overly complicated and difficult to operate. (At one point we actually had to read the directions! To use a can opener!)
How we tested
In our hunt for the best kitchen can openers for home cooks, we opened many cans of tomatoes and beans to find the model that was most comfortable to use and most effective. In the 2022 revisit, we added a test: We attempted to open pull-tab cans, which have deeper rims, to see if these can openers could save the day in the event that a tab snaps off before you can open the can.
What we looked for
Ease of use was important to us. We wanted a comfortable handle that wouldn't hurt our hands. We wanted a crank that was easy to turn, without requiring a high level of wrist and hand dexterity. We also wanted to be sure that the cranks always had soft grips.
Does the can opener attach easily to the can? Does it stay attached? Does the blade glide easily along the surface of the can? We didn't want to meet too much resistance attempting to cut through the metal. We were looking for a seamless, easy-to-use can opener that didn't require a lot of elbow grease.
Is it difficult and/or dangerous to remove the top of the can from the can opener's iron grip? Is the can opener prone to flinging the lid across the room? Does the can opener consistently push the lid into the can once detached, causing you to have to awkwardly fish the can lid out of gross bean liquid, or whatever? (Wow, so much can go wrong here!)
Some can openers, of course, leave lots of sharp edges where you can cut yourself—lots of ragged bits of metal. Your kitchen tools shouldn't make your kitchen more dangerous than it already is. We were looking to avoid this! Obviously!
The takeaway
If you want a safety can opener that requires no grip strength and makes the top of the can easier to remove and less sharp, opt for the Oxo Smooth Edge Can Opener. If you're looking for a classic model with familiar functionality, the Oxo Good Grips Can Opener works great.
