The Best Electric Can Openers of 2023

The traditional electric option from Hamilton Beach is a stouter, curvier version of the Cuisinart, with an all-metal cutting unit that removes for easy washing. It grips cans easily and stays attached throughout their rotation. There's no need to hold the lever down, and like the rest of the electric models, it comes with a standard knife sharpener attached.

While its stout size makes it appear more stable than other openers, this Hamilton Beach can't handle large cans without tipping forward. A few inches in height and a larger base lip might solve this problem, but as is, it simply appears to be a less versatile version of the Cuisinart.

With its stainless-steel finish, this Oster looks more stylish and expensive than most of the competition. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the build quality to back that up. While the Oster is the only other product stable and tall enough to handle a 48-ounce can without tipping, its many plastic elements that fix the magnet and cutting blade to the opener's base look flimsy and likely to break, a theory that is supported by many of the product’s Amazon reviews.

It speeds through opening cans of all sizes and won't have trouble attaching or staying put, but it often makes a mess of the job, tearing up the edges of paper labels on cans into confetti and spraying a bit of the can's contents around when the lids popped off. I was disappointed—the Oster can certainly get the job done, but not cleanly and probably not for very long.

The only electric safety opener we chose, the Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch has everything going for it on the surface—sleek black-and-chrome exterior, the all-metal cutting unit with no plastic parts to damage, and a substantial weight that screams "quality product." While it easily opens most cans without struggling, dropping or splattering of any kind, it's no match for larger 48-ounce cans (as with other openers, it has no protruding lip at the base to help it stay balanced). Unlike other electric models, this Hamilton Beach also makes you manually press down on the opener’s lever the entire time it's in use.

Additionally, the "safety" aspect may not be so safe for everyone after all. Because the Smooth Touch can’t sense when one full rotation is complete the way that automatic, hands-free traditional openers can, it will continue moving around the can until you remove your hand from the lever. If this happens, it can lead to the production of small metal slivers. Multiple Amazon reviewers mention finding these slivers in their food, and in testing we were able to reproduce their claims by letting the opener continue going around past one full rotation.

While this is against the manufacturer's recommendation, it can be difficult to tell visually when one full rotation is complete, and it's very reasonable to assume not everyone is paying that close attention to their can openers. The manual says that you should stop pressing down on the lever when the sound of the opener goes up a pitch, but this is limiting for those who are hearing impaired or, again, not paying close attention. We don’t think this level of commitment should be necessary just to open a can of food without consuming metal slivers.

With lots of colors to choose from, there’s no doubt that the Kitchen Mama electric can opener is a cool-looking gadget. Better yet, it comes at a pretty good price. Lightweight and battery operated, this electric can opener is especially portable, making it a great addition to both your kitchen arsenal and your camping supplies. Just tap to start, and the opener travels along the 360-degree edge to open cans in a flash. Once finished, tap the device again to stop, and the magnet will hold onto the lid so you won’t have to worry about it getting lost inside the can. Although this sounds like an awesome feature, some reviewers have complained about their magnet being weak, so it might not always grab the lid as intended.

While this electric can opener is easy to use, making it great for those with limited dexterity, some reviews report that it turns on a little too easily and gets going while they’re looking through their drawers for other utensils.