When I was preparing to move to University, one of the things I needed to be mindful about was food preparation. That included a way to open tins. Afterall, every student has a good supply of tinned food. Not all tins have ring-pulls, so a we had to find a tin opener that I could use.

For me, manual was out of the question. I could not operate a manual tin opener due to the use of one hand. I am also left-handed, so any tin opener I considered needed to be usable for left-handed people. So we looked for automatic. There is one thing I learned really quickly.

Tin openers are a pain.

They are unreliable and they break on a regular basis. The automatic ones also have a terrible habit of jamming! Ugh! They are even more of an issue if you are left handed and your disability means you  can only use one hand.

What to Consider

When looking for a tin opener, you need to understand your limitations. Here is a list of limitations that I needed to consider:

• I'm left handed
• I can only use my left hand
• I do not have the physical strength to operate a tin opener

These three limitations let me know what I am looking for in a tin opener. I know I needed one that could be used with only one hand, didn't require strength and was operable with the left hand.

This is the first time I listed them in writing, and looking at them on paper, it makes sense why I needed an automatic.

So do the same for yourself. What are your limitations? What do you need from a tin opener?

Trial and Error

Unfortunately, the only way to know if you have the right tin-opener is by trial and error. This can be expensive, but it is what I use my care component for.

There are two brands of automatic tin openers that I came across that I was able to use. The OneTouch and the Cook's Professional tin opener. There are also some that operate as a combined knife sharpener, bottle opener and tin opener. I didn't fancy the latter, so I gave the first two ago.

One Touch

This is the first one I tried. The principle is a simple one. You stick the device on the tin, press the button and it will open the tin up within a minute. I thought this was a brilliant idea and failed to see how it could be an issue...

It was dreadful.

There wasn't a single time it wouldn't jam. Well, actually, perhaps the first three times. But after that it change. Each use, it would get halfway around and I would have to try and prise the lid from the tin opener, with the lid half-attached to the tin, and stuck in the device.

I didn't feel it was safe, as I didn't know if the device would turn on once I started to unjam it.  It would also leave sharp edges. Some tins it didn't open due to different sizes or dents. It really defeated the purpose.

Cooks Professional Tin Opener

My College Support Mentor suggested a similar device to OneTouch, but a different brand. It works in the same way as OneTouch, so when it arrived, I'll be honest, I was a bit apprensive.

However, it was and is a delight to use. I have had mine now for 5 years, and it has never jammed, even with dents. Size doesn't bother it, and the edges are smooth!

If you are like me and you find manual tin openers an issue, I would highly recommend this tin opener.

Cooks Professional One Touch Can Opener is available from Clifford James, eBay or Amazon. I hope you find this can opener easy to use!

Combined Tin opener

As mentioned above, there are combination tin openers. I didn't try them myself. Two reasons for this is because:

• I didn't need any of the combination features
• It still required two hands.

The video does not show the bottle opener, but it does show the knife sharpener and tin opener. If you are able to use two hands but struggle opening tins because of strength, and would like the bottle or knife sharpener features as well, then this tin opener might be something you would consider.

Other Brands

There are more brands than mentioned in this article, but I have only tried the two that are mentioned. A few years ago, they were the only two around, and they were around £30 each then.

There are more brands now, so they may be worth a try. Do some research and find which one works for you. This also applies to the combined tin opener.

Other Tools to consider

You may also consider a non-slip mat. If one of the issues you have is keeping things still, a non-slip mat helps to keep things from moving. This isn't a problem with the Cook's Professional Tin opener in my experience, but it cannot hurt to have that extra bit of support.

Thanks for reading

I hope you enjoyed this post. Remember to make a list of what you need from your tin opener to find the right one easier and with as little cost as possible.

If you liked this post, I also have one a post on Jar openers.

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