Hamilton Beach 76606Z Smooth Touch Can Opener, Black and Chrome (Discontinued)

Once I discovered this type of can opener, I've never understood why anyone would buy the kind that cuts through the top of the lid. This is a much safer, cleaner, more convenient and healthier design. This is my third in at least three decades, so no, they don't last forever. And they take a little practice to get the hang of. My first two were made by Krups. I was horrified when I found the model was discontinued when my last one stopped working. I suppose the wheel wore out and maybe it could have been refurbished. I didn't spend much time trying to find new parts. I tried some manual models that CLAIMED to smoothly lift the lid, but the claims were unfounded. I'd have been happy to have a manual. They're greener, portable for picnics and work during power outages. Truth is, I use very few canned goods any more, so I don't think I'm adding much to my carbon footprint by using an electric can opener, and as I age, there's a chance of developing arthritis or other difficulties with manual strength. One of the differences between the Hamilton Beach and the Krups 404 is that the HB sits on the countertop and the Krups has to be held up by a handle while the other hand is used to position the can properly. That makes this HB a bit of a problem opening large cans. However that is not my problem. I rarely open any can larger than 16 oz. Others may find it a deal breaker. This model HB is about half or less what I paid for my Krups. I don't think Hamilton Beach has the kind of reputation for quality that it once had when their products were USA manufactured, so I don't expect it to last terribly long. But I've gone through quite a number of German-made Krups and Braun kitchen appliances, so I'm not going to throw stones.For those who are unfamiliar with the lift-off type of can opener, it's just a different way of doing it. On a gear-type cutting wheel opener, as soon as the can has made its revolution, the opener either quits or the lid pops up with the magnet and you know its done. With a lift-off type like this, its a bit more subtle. You have to watch and listen. You can see and hear when the revolution is complete. If the can is misshapen or dented, it might stop revolving. Sometimes you have to restart it past the damaged area. If the entire lid doesn't remove perfectly, you may have to use a spoon or other object to lever it up. 99% of the time, the lid can be removed smoothly. It might be good to develop the habit anyway of examining cans before buying them to make sure they aren't damaged. Or if one in your pantry is dented at the lid, just open the other end.The advantages are that the blade never touches the food so it doesn't get contaminated and thereby contaminating other food. If someone in the family has severe food allergies, it will be much safer and easier to keep a food containing milk or soy or whatever from getting into their food. Another nice thing is that the lid fits right back on the can, so if you're using only part of the contents, you can store it in the fridge without making some kind of makeshift lid out of foil or plastic wrap, or transferring the contents to another container. I find this particularly convenient with canned pet foods. I only use them to administer medications, so I don't use the whole can at once. Even if the can has a pop-top, you can ignore it and use the lift-off can opener.The other advantage is to avoid cutting yourself or anyone else with jagged metal, or getting slivers or filings in your food. This is just a superior kind of can opener in every way. The fact that the wheels wear out after some years is a trade-off very much worth it in my opinion. I can't bear to use a standard cutting opener any more.

By far, the best can opener I have ever owned. Yet, it took me a while to even consider buying it. Here's why:I've seen (and felt) the results of electric can openers that remove the lid of a can by slicing through the metal beneath the outside rim. They may have left the edges of the lid smooth, but the can itself, with its sharp brim, became an instrument of death.Desperate to find a can opener with a magnet that did not easily break off, I searched for an electric can opener that advertised a sturdy magnet. I scoured reviews everywhere in which people, like yourselves, might have finally discovered a can opener whose magnet stayed attached to the machine after a long period of use. Such particular reviews were sadly lacking.I'm not a clumsy careless ox who just rips the severed lid off the can opener's magnet. But I do own six small dogs who each get a single can of dog food a day. Even my being careful to gently remove the lid from the magnet managed to break off the magnet because of simple wear and tear. However, my estimation of the longevity of "simple wear and tear" seems to be quite different than that of many manufacturers.I thought, "Maybe it would help if I took a second look at can openers that work without magnets. Maybe enough lawsuits have been filed by people who have cut themselves to ribbons on the sharp rims these devices cause will have prompted manufacturers to reconfigure their design."After searching through dozens of electric can openers on this site, I came across the Hamilton Beach 76606Z Touch. This opener boasts it leaves both the lid and the rim of the can smooth to the touch."Yeah, yeah, we'll see," I said to myself when I clicked the button to finalize my purchase.Was I pleasantly surprised when I used it to open my first can of dog food? No. I was unexpectedly thrilled! No sharp edges on any part of the can or its lid. Suddenly, the fear of getting my finger accidentally sliced off became the furthest issue from my mind. Now I wanted to know just how much power this unit had. I wondered, would it be tall enough to accommodate a 3-lb. can of coffee? Would it topple over if I used it to open an extra large can of Chef Boy-R-Dee ravioli? Could it even handle a can as heavy as an extra large can of ravioli?Well, if I used it on a big can of coffee, I wouldn't be able to put the plastic lid back on the can. That didn't matter anyway because most large cans of coffee now come with peel-away foil.The huge can of ravioli was the same height of the coffee can. It fit easily. The opener firmly gripped the can and stayed locked in place until I fully released the lever on the opener."So how does it work?" you may be wondering. "How does the can stay attached to the opener while it's opening the can? Does it automatically shut off after the can is open? Does the can fall off the opener once the lid is removed? Is it loud? What is that contraption sticking up at an angle on top of the opener?"Like all electric can openers, this unit has a metallic wheel that spins as it rotates the can against the blade. What's different about this can opener is that its metal wheel has no pointy cogs around its circumference. It's smooth.What's also different is that the metal wheel moves in and out of the unit. When the handle on top is in the UP position, the metal wheel is fully extended outward. When you push the handle down, the metal wheel moves into its recess. To open a can, you place the top edge of the can under the guide bar. The rim of the can fits into a groove on the small metal wheel. Pressing the handle down halfway causes the metal wheel to grip the can's rim and to draw the can tightly against the body of the opener. Pressing the handle down the rest of the way turns the unit on. The blade that cuts through the can is actually inside the unit.As you hold down the handle (which is effortless), you know when the lid has been removed from the can because you can hear the blade disengage. If you raise the handle halfway, the motor turns off. The can will not fall off the machine because the handle is still only halfway up. Raising the handle completely causes the metal wheel to emerge from its recess, releasing the can.I'm definitely making it sound more complicated than it actually is. Simply put: place the can's rim against the little wheel. Push down on the handle to remove the lid. Release the handle and enjoy your opened can. Oh, and it's quieter than conventional electric can openers.No sharp lids tossed into the trash or recycle bin. And no inner rim on the can to make removing food from the can a chore.The unit is sturdy, made of steel, and its sure-grip rubberized base prevents it from sliding across smooth counter tops. It opens cans very quickly. Yes, you have to hold the handle down to open a can and it does not automatically shut off by itself. So you actually have to stand there for the three seconds it takes to open a can. You won't be able to stir the gravy on the stove while you open a can of green beans.The cord is retractable. It can be completely stored inside the unit, or it can be extended up to 27-1/2"My own misgivings and biases prevented me from even considering a can opener like this. However, all that was for nothing. This is, hands down, the best can opener out there.

Some of the reviews I read about this can opener caused me to hesitate in purchasing this product. But because I had owned manually operated Zylis smooth touch can opener previously and I loved how that worked, although it wore out prematurely, I bought this can opener to see how it would perform.I think the negative reviews I read were in error. I've had many electric can openers, over my 60 years as a kitchen techno-geek, and this is the best, sturdiest, smoothest, and easiest operating can opener I've ever owned. The smooth-touch edge is the the frosting on the cake. I've had this can opener for about 1 month now and have used it with every kind of can in the house. I love it. I just bought four more to give to my family and friends.On my old Zylis smooth-touch manual can opener you had to sorta pry the lid off after opening. This got worse with wear until you had to go around twice to get it off. With this new electric Hamilton Beach Smooth-Touch can opener, it's easy. You just go around once, you can tell when you're there, and just lift the lid off. It comes right off as if it were never attached. No muss, no fuss. Well done Hamilton-Beach!The only issue I had (not with the unit - it is great) is that I could no longer use a tuna lid to drain the tuna, because this can opener doesn't cut the lid off, it simply removes it from the top of the can. It won't work for straining the contents of the can. I did a little research and found some stainless steel Can Colanders that work much better than the top of the tuna can ever did and....there are no sharp edges. I like them so much I bought a case of them. Contact me if you need one: [email protected]

Es un Abrelatas Eléctrico que permite Abrir Alimentos enlatados Fácilmente, lo he utilizado para Abrir Latas de Atún, así como las latas de verduras y las abre fácilmente sin ninguna dificultad, el tiempo que le toma abrir una lata es de menos de un minuto solo se coloca en el Aparato se enciende y el aparato sostiene y gira el Producto enlatado para abrirlo.Pros:-Fácil de Utilizar solo se coloca el Producto enlatado en el Abrelatas eléctrico y en menos de un minuto la abrirá.-Solo se requiere usar una vez en cada Producto enlatado para que la tapa se pueda quitar.-Se pueden abrir varios productos enlatados en pocos minutos-El cable eléctrico del Abrelatas tiene la Opción de Guardarse en el interior del Aparato cuando no se utiliza o extenderse cuando se va a conectar a la corriente eléctrica.-Su Diseño le Proporciona una Apariencia mas moderna a la Cocina-Las Tapas al igual que los envases de los Productos Enlatados Abiertos no tienen picos, imperfecciones, filos ni nada que pueda cortar o lastimar a la persona que los abre. La tapa y la lata quedan con un corte adecuado.Contras:.-Cuando se extiende el Cable del Abrelatas Eléctrico se atasca un poco al salir y es necesario hacer un poco de fuerza para que salga, esto puede ocasionar que se dañe el cable eléctrico del aparato con el tiempo.-Al encender el Abrelatas y comenzar a Funcionar hace algo de ruido-Con Productos enlatados grandes cuesta un poco de trabajo el colocarlos en el abrelatas, da la sensación de que se fuera a caer o dañar el abrelatas por el peso del envase que se esta abriendo..-Parece que no se puede reemplazar o afilar la pieza que tiene el Aparato para abrir las latas, cuando se desgaste la pieza se tendrá que comprar un nuevo aparato aunque el abrelatas funcione (Encienda).-Si no hay luz el Aparato eléctrico no funciona, por el Precio que tiene deberían Agregarle una Pila de Litio Recargable para poder abrir 3 o 5 latas sin la necesidad de la Luz eléctrica. Aunque tiene cosas que se podrían mejorar, el Aparato es una buena Opción de Compra porque facilita el abrir los Productos enlatados sin la necesidad de esforzarse, incluso puede abrir los Productos que se consideran "abre fácil" más fácilmente y mejor.

Me enamoré de este abrelatas pues es perfecto en todos sentidos, es fácil de usar y muy recomendable para que cualquier persona lo use. No deja bordes filosos de las latas, al contrario, es exactamente como en las imágenes, 100% seguro. Les deja una tapita con la que se puede tapar el producto. Esta es la segunda que compro, porque de tanto que la promocioné, también compré una para la suegra de mi hermana.

Arrived on time but more importantly is that this can can open everything with ease. I have arthritis and have trouble using manual openers. I have tried other electric openers but they are awkward and not easy to use. This one however, is easy to use, it cuts around the top of the can below the rim so there are no jagged edges and is easy to put the lid back on something if it is not all used up at once. You will not be disappointed in this can opener.

Fácil de usar y muy práctico. Basta con poner el borde de la lata, presionar la palanca y el abrelatas hace el resto. Realmente no deja ningún filo porque lo que hace en realidad es quitar la tapa por medio de presión, en vez de cortar la lámina como se hace con los abrelatas tradicionales.

Fácil de usar y desmontar para limpieza. Funciona a la perfección aún después de haber sido usado, casí a diario, durante varios meses.