Review of the Swing Away Can Opener

We have had all sorts of can openers around our home, and in our RV. I'm sure everyone reading this has tried a hand held can opener at least once, haven't you?

We have had ones that work okay for a while, then they go dull and won't cut any longer. There's nothing more frustrating than having a can half opened and the can opener fails on you!

We have also had the electric can openers. Unless you are a person suffering with arthritis, or some such ailment that prevents you from using a simple hand held can opener, I cannot see any reason to have an electric can opener taking up valuable counter space. My Grandma used an electric can opener for years, but she did suffer from arthritis, so the electric type was a big help to her.

A year ago I purchased the style of can opener that leaves the lid smooth with no sharp edges. I found I didn't care for this type, because I couldn't drain liquids from tunafish, canned vegetables, etc. And it only lasted 2 months. SERIOUSLY, TWO MONTHS!! I returned it to the store for a refund. The store had so many returned that they don't even stock than type can opener any longer. That's not to say that all can openers made this way are bad, but this particular model was.

I have had a Swing-a-way hand held can opener for years, and the small size fits perfectly in my kitchen drawer. Swing Aways come in two sizes. We have the large one in our home, and the small one in our RV. I recommend the larger one, because it takes much less muscle to open cans up. The Swing Away has a molded plastic handle (over steel) that fits into my hand very nicely, and it is easier on my hands than the metal handled can openers that I used when I was single and poor. (My husband still uses that inexpensive style for opening the dog food cans, we keep them separate!) The cutter blade is made of sharp hardened steel.

Swing Away boasts the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, so I feel assured it is good quality. The blades cut easily into the cans, and the handle turns effortlessly. When it needs to be cleaned, I can pop it into the dishwasher and it is easily sanitized. I have never had any problems with rust spots.