# The 6 Best Can Openers on Amazon in 2026 > The best can opener in 2026: a comfortable manual opener, side-cut manual openers with lid lifters and electric openers that cut at a touch. Guide: https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-can-openers/ · Updated 2026-10-01 · By TwelveTabs · Search it live: https://twelvetabs.com/?q=best%20can%20opener&guide=best-can-openers As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases. Our picks are independently researched, written by TwelveTabs AI and never sponsored. Prices and ratings change often: see the guide for today's. ## The top picks - **A comfortable classic opener with a bottle opener:** OXO Good Grips Manual Can Opener. A two-handled manual opener with big cushioned handles that grip even when wet, an oversized knob, a stainless steel cutting wheel and a built-in bottle opener. - **A manual side-cut opener that holds the lid:** GoodCook Safe-Cut Can Opener. A manual opener that cuts the can's side, lifts the lid off and holds it until you pivot the handle to drop it in the bin, with a chrome body and an easy-turn knob. - **A manual opener that locks onto the can:** Zyliss Lock & Lift Can Opener. A manual opener with a lock that secures the cutting wheel onto the can, a smooth-turning knob, a built-in magnet that lifts the lid and a release lever for hands-free disposal. - **Touch-free lid removal and a ring-pull tool:** Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety LidLifter Can Opener. A manual side-cut opener whose LidLifter grips and lifts the lid without touching the food, with an ergonomic knob and a built-in ring-pull tool for pull-tab lids. - **An electric opener you work with one hand:** Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Electric Can Opener. A countertop electric opener with an easy-touch lever you press with one hand, cutting along the side so the lid has no sharp edge and can cover leftovers. - **A cordless battery opener at the touch of a button:** Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener. A battery-operated electric opener with one-touch, hands-free operation that cuts along the side of the can and leaves smooth edges, aimed at people with limited hand strength. Our top pick is the **[OXO Good Grips Manual Can Opener](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-can-openers/#pick-1)**, a classic two-handled opener with big cushioned handles and a built-in bottle opener. We read 96 Amazon listings for a can opener, compared 10 finalists and kept six that differ in how they cut and who they suit. If you want smooth lid edges without a motor, the [GoodCook opener](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-can-openers/#pick-2), the [Zyliss opener](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-can-openers/#pick-3) and the [Kuhn Rikon LidLifter](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-can-openers/#pick-4) all cut from the side and handle the lid for you. For electric, the [Hamilton Beach opener](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-can-openers/#pick-5) works with a lever, and the [Kitchen Mama opener](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-can-openers/#pick-6) runs on batteries. One listing with a very large review total is not a pick, because that total is shared by different models. ## How to choose a can opener Serious Eats and Food Network cover most of what is worth checking. - **How it cuts.** Serious Eats says two-handled openers are the most common, and that most of them slice the inner edge of the lid, which can leave jagged edges. Safety openers latch on and cut the lid at the side, which it says reduces sharp, ragged edges. Food Network compared top-cutting and side-cutting openers as well as electric and manual ones. - **Manual or electric.** Serious Eats says a manual safety opener can be fiddly and take getting used to. An electric opener that works like a safety opener, it adds, needs only a button press and you do not even need to hold it once it has latched on. - **Comfort.** Serious Eats says not every opener tested was comfortable, and that grippy, silicone-coated handles and a long, easy-to-spin knob made the favourites easier to use. - **A secure latch.** Serious Eats says the best openers latched on securely, cut through the metal easily and came off cleanly. A locking mechanism helped on one model. - **Your hands.** The [Kitchen Mama opener](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-can-openers/#pick-6) listing mentions arthritis, and Amazon's summary for the [OXO opener](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-can-openers/#pick-1) mentions arthritic hands. Pick the style you can grip and turn comfortably, which is our advice rather than a source's. ## Our picks in detail ### 1. OXO Good Grips Manual Can Opener: best comfortable classic **Why it made the list** - Its listing names big cushioned handles with a non-slip grip, even when wet. - It has an oversized knob that turns easily and a sturdy stainless steel cutting wheel. - A built-in bottle opener is included. **Drawbacks** - Amazon's own summary says some people find it does not cut completely around the lid. - The summary is also mixed on durability and grip. **Watch for this:** It is a two-handled, top-cutting design, which Serious Eats says can leave sharp lid edges, so handle the lid with care. That is our inference for this model. **Skip it if** you want smooth side-cut lids or a hands-free electric opener. ### 2. GoodCook Safe-Cut Can Opener: best manual opener that holds the lid **Why it made the list** - Its listing says it lifts the lid off and holds it until you pivot the handle to drop it in the bin. - Cut lids have a clean edge and can cover leftovers for short-term storage, per the listing. - The listing says the cutting wheel never touches the food, and the body is chrome with ergonomic handles. **Drawbacks** - Amazon's own summary is mixed on how easy the knob is to turn, with some finding it very hard. - The summary is also mixed on lid removal and on whether it opens cans at all. **Skip it if** you have limited hand strength and want something that needs no turning. ### 3. Zyliss Lock & Lift Can Opener: best opener that locks onto the can **Why it made the list** - Its listing describes a lock that secures the cutting wheel onto the can. - The knob turns smoothly without straining the hands, and the wheel is stainless steel. - A built-in magnet lifts the lid, and a release lever drops it without touching the edge. **Drawbacks** - Amazon's own summary is mixed on the lock, with some saying it does not latch easily. - The summary is also mixed on the magnet, with some saying it does not pick up lids. **Skip it if** you want an electric opener. ### 4. Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety LidLifter Can Opener: best for touch-free lid removal **Why it made the list** - Its listing says the side-cut design leaves a smooth rim. - Its lid lifter grips and lifts the lid without touching the food or sharp metal. - A built-in ring-pull tool opens pull-tab lids. **Drawbacks** - Amazon's own summary is mixed on lid removal. - The summary is also mixed on whether it is worth buying. **Skip it if** you need an opener that needs no gripping and turning. ### 5. Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Electric Can Opener: best electric opener with a lever **Why it made the list** - Its listing says it cuts along the side, leaving smooth lids that can cover leftovers in the fridge. - It opens pop-top and regular cans. - An easy-touch lever lets you open cans with one hand. **Drawbacks** - Amazon's own summary is mixed on durability, with some saying it broke after four months. - It is a countertop appliance that needs a spot and a socket, our inference from its design. **Skip it if** you have no counter space or want something to carry on a trip. ### 6. Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener: best cordless battery opener **Why it made the list** - Its listing describes one-touch, hands-free operation aimed at people with arthritis or limited hand strength. - It cuts along the side and leaves smooth edges with no sharp parts. - It is battery operated and cordless, so it needs no socket. **Drawbacks** - Amazon's own summary marks reliability and durability as negatives. - The summary is also mixed on cutting and on lid removal. **Watch for this:** The maker sells this opener in red, white and teal listings that share one total. They are colours of one opener. **Skip it if** you want a long-lived opener, going by that summary. ## What we left out, and why Of the 96 organic listings we read, ten had their pages read in full and six became picks. One finalist is not a pick because its total may belong to different models. - **KitchenAid Classic Multifunction Can Opener.** A wheel-cut manual opener with a bottle opener that overlaps the OXO pick. Its nine listings share one total as colours of one opener, but one pick covers the need. - **Cuisinart Electric Can Opener.** Its search card shares one total with a Cuisinart Deluxe listing and a CCO-55 Deluxe chrome listing, which are different models, so its figures may belong to another product. - **PAKITNER Safe Cut Can Opener.** A side-cut manual opener that overlaps the safe-cut manual pick above, with Amazon's summary marking durability as a negative. - **Amazon Basics 3-In-1 Electric Can Opener.** Amazon's summary is mixed or negative on functionality, size, can holding, opening and durability. This guide has no Wirecutter pick in the comparison table. ## Questions people ask ### What is the difference between a manual and an electric can opener? Serious Eats says a manual safety opener can be fiddly, while an electric opener that works like a safety opener needs only a button press. Our electric picks are a countertop lever model and a battery model. ### What is a side-cut or safety can opener? Serious Eats says safety openers latch on and cut the lid at the side, which reduces sharp, ragged edges, though they can take some getting used to. ### Are electric can openers easier for people with arthritis? The [Kitchen Mama opener](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-can-openers/#pick-6) listing says it suits people with arthritis or limited hand strength, and Amazon's summary for the [OXO opener](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-can-openers/#pick-1) mentions arthritic hands. We cannot confirm either from the listings alone, so read each opener's own page. ### How did TwelveTabs choose these can openers? We compared the Amazon results for one search phrase, set aside sponsored repeats, colour variants and listings whose total may belong to different models, and read each finalist's page for its listed features. Each pick suits a different way of opening a can. ## How we researched On October 1, 2026 we read 96 Amazon listings for the phrase 'can opener' across two pages of results. AI compared them, set aside sponsored repeats, colour variants and one listing whose figures may belong to another model, read the pages of 10 finalists and chose six openers that differ in how they cut and who they suit. AI wrote this guide from that research. Listings change: we read them on October 1, 2026, and a colour, size or seller may differ today. Specs are the listing text as we read it, which the collector cut to about 200 characters per bullet, so a feature we do not name may still be in the full listing. ### Sources - [Serious Eats: The Best Can Openers](https://www.seriouseats.com/best-can-openers-review) - [Food Network: Best Can Openers](https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/shopping/product-reviews/best-can-openers)