Monday, September 30, 2013

A question of need: Zyliss EasiCan Electric Can Opener

Remember how I said I don't do product reviews? Yeah, well. I needed a can opener.

Not to whine about what's lost, but I used to have strong hands. I had no difficulty opening jars or beer bottles, and I gave a righteous shoulder massage, just ask anyone in my family or my old bunch of friends back in the Bay Area. Unfortunately, typing excessively over the past twenty years has made my hands and wrists unusually weak. I have found workarounds for difficulties like opening jars (thank you rubber grip!), and beer bottles (thank you shirt!), but I still have trouble using a damn can opener.

Ever since the mid-70s, I have used a manual can opener. My mom had an old General Electric can opener for a brief period, but the only person in the house that had the patience to get it to work properly was my dad and we couldn't mount him under the cupboard. Suffice it to say, I have never used an electric can opener (correctly) until now.

When the representative from Zerliss emailed asking if I would review their EasiCan Electric Can Opener, I had just finished failing to open two cans of black beans. John opened them properly after much teasing of yours truly. Naturally, I said yes I would do the review, especially after realizing that I would get the can opener and another product of my choosing for free. As my buddy Shalom always says "If it's free, it's for me!"

I got both the EasiCan Electric Can Opener and "door prize" in the mail a couple of days ago and its arrival was timed so perfectly, that I have used the opener quite a few times since then. Since reviewing products really isn't my strong point, I thought it would be simpler to list likes and don't likes.

Likes
  1. The can pretty much opens by itself.
Don't likes
  1. I have to babysit the can opener while it's opening or the whole thing will flip off spraying contents on the can lid everywhere (picture red enchilada sauce in a white kitchen). You also have to stop it in time or it will leave sharp edges, unlike the infomercial's claims.
  2. If you don't rip off the label on the can, there are little shreds of label paper left on the counter.
  3. Draining becomes more difficult, and you can forget actions like squeezing water out of tuna. It's impossible because this can opener cuts off the whole lid, not just the inner circle.
  4. It's bit pricey at $20.00. We'll see how long it lasts.. 

So how would you grade it? It seems like it weighs out pretty evenly considering there is literally no effort expended on your part to actually open the can. If I graded it like a paper, I'd probably give it a B.

Although I'm a bit sad about the can opener, I'm sure I'll use it until it stops working or I do, whichever comes first. Plus, the door prize was totally awesome, I love my new Coated Santoku 7-inch Knife and not only because it's purple.

2 comments:

Electric Matt said...

I had Zylis before it broke down last year. Great product, but falls short in lifespan. Maybe it's just me because I open about 5 cans per day with it. :)

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