Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Electric Can Opener

It's designed not to. It cuts along the side of the can instead of through the lid, which leaves smooth edges on both pieces.

Pull-tab cans don't need it, and oval or very small tins usually don't seat well. It's built for standard round cans.

It is if you open cans often or have trouble gripping a manual opener. For occasional use, a quality manual side-cut opener does the same job without taking up counter space.

Yes, for the right buyer. The Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Electric Can Opener ranks #1 in our Best Electric Can Openers for Large Cans list (top pick). Its biggest strength: push-down lever needs only light downward pressure to engage, no squeezing. The main caveat: takes up permanent counter space rather than living in a drawer.

Based on our research it suits large cans, seniors, budgets under $30 and arthritis. It's ranked #1 of 4 in our Best Electric Can Openers for Large Cans list.

The main trade-offs owners and reviewers point to: takes up permanent counter space rather than living in a drawer; requires an open outlet nearby since it's corded; base is not as non-slip as some newer competitors.

Easy push-down lever, Extra-tall opening for large cans, Opens pop-tops too, Stainless steel scissors included and Built-in knife sharpener on some models.

Worth comparing: Cuisinart Deluxe Electric Can Opener CCO-50N, Black+Decker Spacemaker EC600 Can Opener and Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener. Each ranks near it in our research for a slightly different buyer.

It's sold on Amazon. Prices and stock change often, so check the current listing before you buy, our link takes you straight to it.

Two things matter more than anything else: how much force is needed to start it, and whether your hand has to hold or steady the can while it cuts. The best arthritis-friendly models use a single light push-button or a low-resistance lever, then clamp onto the can and rotate around it hands-free. Models that still require you to squeeze a handle continuously through the whole cut, like most manual openers, are the ones to avoid. A magnetic lid lift that pulls the cut lid away on its own is a smaller but genuinely useful bonus, since pinching a hot or sharp lid off the magnet is itself hard on sore joints.

For the cutting motion, yes. Models like the Kitchen Mama Auto and the Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch clamp onto the can and do the rotating and cutting with the motor, not your hand. Where grip still matters is placing the can under the cutter and pressing the initial button or lever, which takes only light, momentary pressure rather than sustained squeezing. Removing a very tight pop-top or setting a heavy 28-ounce can into position is the part that varies most by model, so a wide, stable base or a countertop-mounted design helps more than the cutting mechanism itself.