If you’ve burned through 10 can openers and you’re ready to pay $50 for one that actually works — you’re not alone. A post in r/BuyItForLife this week put it perfectly: the author had tossed out can opener after can opener, often in two pieces, and was using a screwdriver to pry off lids. 700+ upvotes and 805 comments later, the community had a clear answer.
The best buy-it-for-life can opener isn’t complicated or expensive. But most people keep buying garbage from grocery store checkout lanes, and those are engineered to fail. Here’s what to buy instead.
The Short Answer
Get the EZ-Duz-It ($10–$12) and stop thinking about it. If you hate the classic crank-over-the-top style, the OXO Good Grips Smooth Edge (~$20) cuts from the side and is the top Reddit pick with 1,287 upvotes on that same thread. Both will outlast your microwave.
The Two Types of Can Openers (and Which to Pick)
Before getting into specific models, there’s a choice to make: traditional top-cut vs. side-cut (safety) openers.
Traditional top-cut openers pierce the lid and cut through the metal edge. The blade goes through the lid itself. Fast, cheap, leaves a sharp edge.
Side-cut openers grip the outside rim of the can and cut below the seam. The lid comes off with no sharp edges and no metal shavings in your food. Takes a bit more practice to position correctly, but the OXO Smooth Edge makes it dead simple.
Neither style is wrong. Pick the one that matches how you like to cook.
1. EZ-Duz-It — The $10 Best Answer
Price: ~$10–$12
Made in: USA (Chesterfield, Missouri)
Amazon: EZ-Duz-It Can Opener
Wirecutter has tested can openers three separate times over the years. They pick the EZ-Duz-It every time.
It’s American-made in Missouri, entirely metal with full-tang handles (no plastic inner skeleton covered in metal sheathing — actual solid metal), and the rubber grip coating stays put. The blade latches onto cans and stays latched. The knob has long enough leverage that opening a 28-ounce whole tomato can takes about 30 seconds.
What makes it BIFL: no plastic parts to crack, no mechanism to strip, no battery or motor to die. A sharp, well-ground blade on a solid body. That’s it.
A Reddit user who’s owned one for 20 years described it: “It’s the can opener my grandma had. The design hasn’t changed because it doesn’t need to.” The main weakness is it leaves a sharp lid edge — not dangerous if you’re careful, but if you have kids or you’re opening cans constantly, the OXO Smooth Edge solves that.
Bottom line: If you’re not fussy about the cut style, this is your answer. $10. Done forever.
2. OXO Good Grips Smooth Edge — Reddit’s #1 Pick
Price: ~$18–$22
Style: Side-cut safety opener
Amazon: OXO Good Grips Smooth Edge Can Opener
The top comment on that 805-comment Reddit thread, with 1,287 upvotes: “I’ve had the OXO Smooth Edge for at least 15 years and it’s going strong. You hold it lateral over the top and it cuts just under the lid on the sides.”
The Smooth Edge is the only side-cut opener that consistently gets recommended on r/BuyItForLife. Most other “safety” openers are awkward to use or slip off the can. The OXO has a large, soft-grip handle that works whether you’re right or left handed, and the magnetic lid catch picks up the cut lid so you’re not fishing it out of your soup.
The mechanism is more complex than a traditional opener, which does mean more potential failure points over decades. That said, 15+ years of consistent Reddit reports suggests it holds up fine for normal household use.
If you’re opening cans with sharp edges around kids, or you do a lot of canned goods and hate the jagged lids, the $8–$10 premium over the EZ-Duz-It is worth it.
3. Swing-A-Way — The Backup Classic
Price: ~$8–$10
Made in: USA (previously; check current listings — some import versions exist)
Amazon: Swing-A-Way Can Opener
Swing-A-Way was the default American kitchen can opener for decades. Same basic design as the EZ-Duz-It — traditional top-cut, all metal, bottle opener built in. Look for the “Comfort Grip” version made in the US if you can find it; the imported versions are functionally similar but use slightly softer metal.
If EZ-Duz-It is out of stock or you want a well-known name you can pick up at a kitchen store, Swing-A-Way is the legitimate backup.
4. Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety Lid Lifter
Price: ~$22–$28
Made in: Switzerland
Amazon: Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety Lid Lifter
Kuhn Rikon has been making Swiss kitchen tools since 1926. The Auto Safety Lid Lifter is their flagship can opener and it shows up repeatedly in BIFL recommendations alongside the OXO Smooth Edge.
It’s also a side-cut opener, but the mechanism is different — it uses a single-action drive that feels a bit more intuitive than the OXO for some people. The body is stainless with plastic grips, which is the one knock against it from a pure-BIFL standpoint. But Kuhn Rikon’s quality control is excellent and this opener shows up in household collections 10–15 years old with no signs of degradation.
The main reason to consider it over the OXO: some people just find the turning action more comfortable. If you can try both in a kitchen store, do it.
5. Zyliss Lock n’ Lift
Price: ~$14–$18
Style: Side-cut with magnetic lid latch
Amazon: Zyliss Lock n’ Lift Can Opener
Zyliss is a Swiss brand with a 70-year track record in kitchen tools. The Lock n’ Lift is their BIFL-grade can opener — side-cut, ergonomic handle, magnetic lid latch similar to the OXO. It’s usually a few dollars cheaper than the OXO Smooth Edge, and the build quality is comparable.
Where it falls short: the latch mechanism is slightly finicky on thinner cans (tuna, tomato paste). On larger 15–28 oz cans it works flawlessly. If you mainly open larger cans, this is a legitimate choice. If you open a lot of small cans, stick with the OXO.
What to Avoid
Cheap side-cut openers: The design of a side-cut opener requires tight tolerances to work properly. Generic $5 side-cut openers won’t maintain those tolerances and will slip, strip, or fall apart. Don’t buy a $7 “safety opener” from a rack at the grocery store checkout — it’s not the same as what’s listed here.
Fancy electric openers: They stop working the moment any one of several plastic parts breaks. The mechanism that opens a can needs exactly zero electricity.
Anything with the primary selling point being “futuristic design”: Can openers with unnecessary moving parts, decorative chrome panels, or built-in storage gadgets are optimizing for looking good on a counter, not for working 30 years from now.
Quick Comparison
| Opener | Style | Price | Made In | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EZ-Duz-It | Traditional | ~$10 | USA | Best value overall, BIFL purists |
| OXO Smooth Edge | Side-cut | ~$20 | China | No sharp edges, Reddit’s top pick |
| Swing-A-Way | Traditional | ~$8 | USA (some) | Backup to EZ-Duz-It |
| Kuhn Rikon Auto | Side-cut | ~$25 | Switzerland | Swiss quality, alternate mechanism |
| Zyliss Lock n’ Lift | Side-cut | ~$16 | Switzerland | Budget side-cut option |
The One You Should Buy
If you’ve been through 10 cheap can openers, the problem isn’t bad luck — it’s that $3–$5 can openers are made to fail. Every part is plastic-covered metal or plastic. The gears strip. The blade gets dull. The handle cracks.
The EZ-Duz-It is $10 and entirely metal. The OXO Smooth Edge is $20 and will make you wonder why anyone tolerates sharp lids.
Either one will be the last can opener you ever buy. That’s the whole point.
Already stocking your kitchen with BIFL gear? Check out the best buy-it-for-life cutting board, our guide to BIFL chef’s knives, and 10 small everyday items worth buying once — the kitchen is where the buy-it-for-life philosophy pays off most.