OXO Good Grips Smooth Edge Can Opener Review: The Last Can Opener You'll Ever Need

Product Overview

Traditional can openers punch a blade through the top of the lid and roll around the rim — the result is a sharp-edged lid that can draw blood and a jagged tin rim waiting in the recycling bin. The Smooth Edge takes a different approach: it grabs the outer seam of the can from the side and cuts beneath the lid's edge, removing the top cleanly without creating sharp metal burrs on either piece.

The cutting mechanism is a hardened stainless steel wheel. The handles are OXO's signature soft-grip rubber — comfortable to hold even with wet hands. A large turning knob minimises hand strain over long cranking. A built-in metal pincher (a small beak-like tab) grips and lifts the freed lid without you having to touch it.

The opener comes in one configuration — there are no size or colour variants. It's compatible with standard round cans of all sizes, from small tomato paste tins to large 28-oz whole-tomato cans.

Performance & Real-World Use

The initial learning curve is real. The Smooth Edge attaches differently from any opener you've used before: you clamp it horizontally onto the top rim of the can, align the cutting wheel to the outer seam, and begin cranking. The first time, most users need two or three attempts to get the blade seated correctly. After a few cans, the alignment becomes second nature.

Once aligned, the motion is smooth. Prudent Reviews tested it against nine competing models and found it required about 12 cranks to open a standard medium can — slightly more than a traditional top-cutter, but consistent and effort-free. The soft-grip knob means no white-knuckle clenching, which matters if you're opening multiple cans for a big batch of chili or soup.

The lid that comes off is genuinely safe to handle — no sharp lip, no jagged overhang. It's also still intact as a lid, so you can set it back on a half-used can of coconut milk and refrigerate it. The inner rim of the can itself is equally smooth, eliminating another common cutting hazard. Prudent Reviews confirmed in drop tests that the opener holds up without performance degradation — no slipping blade, no bent mechanism.

One operational limit: because you're cutting along the side rather than punching through the top, you cannot tilt the lid into the can to drain liquid while keeping the solids inside. Draining a can of chickpeas or tuna requires pouring — you lose the traditional "lid-as-strainer" technique.