Hands-Free or Lever? Choosing the Best Can Opener Electric

An electric can opener is one of those tools you do not think about until your hands hurt. Restaurant cooks open dozens of cans a shift, and most kitchens solve it with a heavy table-mount crank. At home, for anyone with arthritis, a weak grip or a big batch of salsa to make, a motor that does the turning is worth the space it takes.

This guide compares eight electric openers: plug-in countertop machines, battery-powered openers that walk themselves around the can, and rechargeable cordless models. It explains which ones are truly hands-free, which leave smooth lids, and what each maker actually claims.

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Quick verdict: which electric can opener to buy

Five electric can openers side by side

Our five standout picks, one for each kind of cook. All eight openers are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Features are as the maker or its listing states them.

Our picks for the best can opener electric

The first pick is a plug-in countertop opener; the next four are cordless openers that sit on top of the can; the last three are countertop machines with extras. Each review gives what the maker states, what America’s Test Kitchen found where it reviewed the model, and one honest reason to skip it.

Countertop, battery or rechargeable?

Countertop plug-in openers (Smooth Touch, OpenStation, Cuisinart, Classic Chrome) are the most powerful and the steadiest with heavy cans, which is why America’s Test Kitchen’s winner is one. Most need you to press a lever to start; some, like the Smooth Touch, need it held for the whole cut. They take counter space and an outlet.

Battery-powered openers (Kitchen Mama Auto 2.0) clamp on top of the can and drive themselves round the rim after one button press, so they are the most genuinely hands-free. They are slower, and America’s Test Kitchen found two of the three battery models it tried wobbled on can tops; Kitchen Mama’s earlier model was the one that stayed stable.

Rechargeable openers (Walk ‘n Cut, Mini Plus, Proctor Silex) work the same way without disposable batteries. Check the stated cans per charge; the makers quote 60 cans for the Proctor Silex and 130-plus small tins for the Mini Plus.

How to choose an electric can opener

1. Hands-free or lever

If squeezing or pressing is painful, choose a model that runs on its own after one press (the cordless picks, and the OpenStation, Cuisinart and Classic Chrome once the lever is down). The Smooth Touch needs light pressure throughout.

2. Smooth edges

Side-cut openers leave a lid you can touch and put back on the can. The Smooth Touch, Kitchen Mama models and Proctor Silex state a side cut; for the others the listing does not say, and America’s Test Kitchen reports sharp or jagged lids on the Cuisinart and Classic Chrome.

3. Can sizes and pull-tops

Taller countertop models handle tall cans, and the Smooth Touch opened pull-top and dented cans in America’s Test Kitchen’s review. Several countertop models struggled with pull-tops.

4. Cleaning

Food left on the cutter is the main hygiene problem with any opener. Look for a detachable lever or cutting unit; only the Classic Chrome’s listing says its cutter is dishwasher safe. Never put the motor body in water.

5. Warranty

Most electric openers come with one year. Cuisinart’s limited three-year warranty is the longest here.

6. Claims for limited grip strength

Several listings describe their openers as suitable for seniors or people with arthritis. Those are the makers’ words. The independent evidence we found is America’s Test Kitchen’s review, whose testers included one with arthritis and whose winner was the Smooth Touch.

How we picked these eight electric openers

We looked at electric openers from Hamilton Beach, Proctor Silex, Cuisinart, Kitchen Mama, BLACK+DECKER, Zyliss, Amazon Basics and several lesser-known sellers, and kept only identifiable brands showing as in stock on Amazon when we checked. Specifications come from the Amazon listings.

For performance we read America’s Test Kitchen’s electric can opener review and a Cool Tools review of the Smooth Touch. America’s Test Kitchen did not recommend the BLACK+DECKER EasyCut Extra-Tall or the Zyliss EasiCan, which is why neither is here despite both being widely sold; it recommended the Proctor Silex Power countertop opener only with reservations, so we chose Proctor Silex’s cordless model instead, which it did not review. We have not used these openers for this guide, and we did not rely on Serious Eats, Wirecutter, Consumer Reports or Good Housekeeping.

Electric can opener questions, answered

What is the best electric can opener on the market?

For most kitchens, the Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch: America’s Test Kitchen’s winner, with smooth lids and the strength for heavy cans. For hands-free use, the Kitchen Mama Auto 2.0 or the Walk ‘n Cut.

Which electric can opener has the best build quality?

We cannot measure quality ourselves. The Smooth Touch was judged durable by America’s Test Kitchen, Kitchen Mama’s earlier model was recommended though its wheel bent slightly, and Cuisinart backs its Deluxe with the longest warranty here, three years.

Are electric can openers better for arthritis?

They remove the turning and most of the gripping. A cordless hands-free model needs only one button press; a countertop model needs a press on a lever. Choose by which motion is easier for your hands.

Do electric can openers leave sharp edges?

Side-cutting models do not: the lid comes off with its rolled edge intact. Top-cutting countertop models can leave sharp or jagged lids, as America’s Test Kitchen found with some.

Can an electric can opener open #10 restaurant cans?

None of these makers states that it can. For gallon-size cans, a table-mount manual opener like the Edlund in our main can opener guide is the usual answer.

The electric opener we would start with

Start with the Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch if you can press a lever, the Kitchen Mama Auto 2.0 if you would rather press a button and let go, and the Walk ‘n Cut if you want that without buying batteries.

Not sure you need a motor at all? Our guide to the best can opener covers handheld, smooth-edge and commercial openers. For what goes in those cans, see enchilada sauces explained and Mexican cooking tools, or skip the cooking and see the menu and call to order.