Tim Decker wrote:

Has anyone else been having problems with opening tins? We found it
really hard to open tins with a previous tin opener. So I got an old
fashioned butterfly one and this didn't work very well, so bought
another from Asda (35p) and found this didn't work. Finally went to
John Lewis and paid for an expensive one (£7) and have now found this
doesn't work properly.

This made me think that maybe the manufacture of tinned goods has
changed slightly.


I think it probably has. The "lift off" style of can opener which
cuts the side of the can under the rim with a circular blade seems
better suited than a traditional opener with a fixed blade and a hand
driven cog wheel.

I have both these types, however my favourite can opener is one that
resembles the lift off type in form, but has a safety cutter that cuts
through the rim itself. It only ever takes one go to open the can,
and the top is easily lifted off leaving no sharp edges at all.

I wish I had bought two, because I cannot remember where I bought it
from and will need a replacement one day.