OXO Good Grips Smooth Edge Can Opener<\/a> and she snapped it up.<\/p>\nI am so happy that she did! I\u2019ve been using it almost daily since Christmas with no problems. The beauty of this type of opener is that it doesn\u2019t cut the top of the can open, instead it does something much cooler. OXO\u2019s description on their site says that the opener cuts on the side of the can, right below the top, but that\u2019s not actually true. What it really does is \u201cde-seam\u201d the can, separating the top from the rest of the can. There is no jagged opening that one could cut themselves on, the opening is smooth with no sharp edges, making it kid and pet safe (ever had a toddler or a pet get into the recycle bin?).<\/p>\n
Operationally it works similarly to a regular can opener. You clamp it to the top of the can by squeezing the handles together with one hand and turning a knob with the other to open the can. Unlike regular openers, there is one more step \u2013 removing the lid once you\u2019ve cut around it. The OXO can opener has a small set of grips, looking much like a very tiny parrot\u2019s beak You use that tiny beak to grip the edge of the can\u2019s lid and pull with, separating the top from the rest of the can. The first time it was a little strange, but now it\u2019s second nature. The strength required to work the knob is also much less than the \u201cold\u201d style requires. It turns smoothly and doesn\u2019t \u201cpop\u201d off the can (another failing of other openers).<\/p>\n
I think it is an exceptional cool tool. It\u2019s reasonably priced, works better than the alternatives, and is safer to boot (no jagged can edges)!<\/p>\n