By Scott Nyerges on December 5, 2009 in
In the latest update to our ConsumerSearch report on the best can openers, we highlight three models that are worth your money. We also discuss one can opener that's best left on the shelf: the battery-powered One Touch Can Opener (*Est. $20). This can opener is a staple of as-seen-on-TV telemarketing, promising a "fast, easy way to open cans." But according to professional reviews and user opinion, the One Touch doesn't work as well as the commercials suggest.
Pro opinions mixed on One Touch
Carol and Richard Eustice, About.com's guides to arthritis, include the One Touch Can Opener in their list of six arthritis-friendly can openers, but there's no evidence of how they tested this model or compared it to other can openers. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.) Meanwhile, reporter Kevin Kelly of Little Rock, Ark., station KLRT compares the One Touch to a manual and an electric can opener to see which is the fastest; the One Touch was the slowest of the three. Despite this, Kelly says the One Touch Can Opener works adequately. Lori Price also reviews the One Touch Can Opener in an article for the Milwaukee (Wisc.) Journal-Sentinel, and reports that it doesn't live up to its claims, however.
Owner opinion mixed as well
Most of the user reviews we found for the One Touch Can Opener are also less than flattering. Almost 200 owners on Amazon.com award the One Touch Can Opener an average rating of only 2.5 stars out of five, and more than 80 give this product only one star. Owners say the batteries tend to die partway through opening a can, leaving the unit stuck to the lid and nearly impossible to remove. Reviews on Walmart.com are more positive; the One Touch Can Opener has an average rating of four stars out of five, based on over 100 reviews. Most reviewers are pleased with the hands-free operation of the One Touch Can Opener, but there are also a number of complaints regarding the unit becoming stuck on a lid partway through removal. More than 30 owners review the One Touch Can Opener on Target.com, and feedback is mixed as well.
Our verdict
Given the mixed feedback on the One Touch Can Opener, we can't recommend this product. However, if you're set on buying a handheld can opener, check out the rechargeable Hamilton Beach Walk 'n' Cut Compact can opener (*Est. $25). This ConsumerSearch Best Reviewed pick is only a few dollars more than the One Touch, and it gets nods from both About.com and Wired, as well as a higher rating of about 3.5 stars from roughly 70 users at Amazon.com.