Try using an electric can opener. And of course, if she has a pet cat, that will be the most effective way to get its attention.

Agree with Dvadar. Other than that get a commercial can oper that mounts to a flat surface. Big handle, easy to use.

Charsley99,

That picture brought back memories from 30+ years ago, when I worked in the kitchen of a summer camp...

Nothing like the old Edlund #2... With one of these, I could open up an entire case of #10 cans in about 45 seconds.

(The only problem is that such an opener is probably a bit of overkill for little cans of tuna fish or sardines...)

I remember when the State Health inspector showed up for a "surprise" inspection, just about the first thing he looked for was food/debris build-up on the blades of these openers.

===========================================================

Just my $0.02...

JMAN, "food/debris build-up on the blades" - that's a thing worth remembering for any can opener. The easier they are to clean, the better.

[If just for me - I don't give a bugger. I've eaten all sorts of muck since I was small, & the only dose of food poisoning I've ever had was due to a take-away meal. I have to think a bit harder for my Daughter's fare, tho' I've tried to make sure she has plenty of mud in her diet ]

TUT TUT John, didn't you try google ?

Anything LeftHanded caters for south paws - the link is to the can opener page. The one I saw on there was a standard two handed mechanical job, but looking closer may find something more suitable.

The other thing to do is to get her GP to refer her to the Occupation Health Department of the local hospital - they have loads of resources for people with reduced hand function (I was measured 6 months ago and had half the hand strength of the minimum spread in my age group - and I'm the youngest in my age group! I'm predominantly RHed, but my LH is now stronger ). As well as can openers, they will be able to help her with other normal tasks.

I've recently bought a new (normal) can opener - only to realise I can't do what I did to my old one. The old one was a old-fashioned butterfly type, so I would use a chopstick through the "wingnut" holes to increase the lever arm. The new one does have this facility, but the sharper blade and (phew) my increased hand strength are coping so far.

All the best to her - not being able to do simple everyday tasks is highly frustrating, but she is not alone.

Failing that, perhaps we could get together, design something and make a fortune!!

Sorry, my bad. That should be OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (OT)

And my new can opener does NOT have holes for chopsticks.

I did read it through - honest

"TUT TUT John, didn't you try google ?"

I usually do, but this time I wanted ideas from people who'd actually used them - or seen them for real - and not just a load of sales pitch.

As for ring-pull cans, she's fine with Kronenberg, but anything where you have to pull the whole lid off usually ends with the can contents & blood all over the kitchen. Messy.

My Mum bought me a great gadget for opening tins - I use it for the cat tins. I don't know where she got it from, but I found something similar by Kleeneeze - page 7

I've just looked at the Betterware site and found this for opening jars. I might have to get one myself!

Are you talking about the 3-in-1 thingy? If so, it's a bit like a device babybear kindly put me onto. In retrospect, the trouble with both is that you still need to stop the can flying away - 2 hands required!

That jar opener thing looks good, tho' - well worth looking into.

Thanks.

Mine's a little different - it looks a bit like a double ended ring spanner about 6" long with one ring flatted. One end is designed to grip bottle tops - I've get to find a bottle it fits! The useful end is flatted and has a slot in the end which goes over the ring pull. On bad days I use a table knife to lift the tab to get it in the slot.

I then use my arm to brace the can and hand/wrist/arm (depending on pain levels that day) to lift the gadget up to break the seal. It has a tang on the underside which engages with the edge of the can and acts as a pivot when I lean my arm on it to force it the other way to open the lid.

Looking at the 3-in-1, I would think the arm to brace and arm to level the handle down tricks would also work.

Found some more stuff at Lakeland

Thanks - I'll take a look at that stuff.

Good call TVP45. The OT lady demostrated one of these, they really are a clever piece of kit. Two AA batteries, plonk it on top the can and press the botton. It self-centres, clamps and then cuts.

(The unhelpful answer is of course to buy only cans with ringpulls, but I'm not that nasty...)

And the great mystery to me is how it self-centers so well. The design is really simple, but somebody was clever.

Thanks, TVP45, this looks like the biz. I've even found a UK outlet.

My wife found out about those in Canada, and got one for our house. It works great.

I think you can do better than that:-

http://www.idealhomestore.com/product_p/onetouch.htm £10

http://www.spicytronics.co.uk/epages/es110426.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es110426_es120586457791/Products/%22One%20Touch%20Can%20Opener%22 £8 & free delivery

I bought one for my wife from Tesco (about £16 I think).

Thanks - I'll nip into Tesco during the week, see if they have any.

I got one of those can openers for my old Mum last year, I think it was JML brand. She has trouble with arthritis but says the opener has worked without any problems. I also got a jar opener like this one which she found got the lid off of most jars.

Thanks, ozzb - looks like a badged-up version of the OneTouch.

I wonder if it works on oval or rectangular cans, like spam and sardine cans? Sometimes they come without pull tabs.

I don't know. I just went down to the pantry and we only have round cans, so I can't try it. When I got out of the Army, I promised my poor old mother I'd never eat Spam again.

Here's me, I ask - hoping for a bit of help from some compassionate people - and all I get is Spam.

_^<SIGH>

to over come such problems don't buy rectangular cans buy round only! simple.

We have one of those. They do work very well. The sharp can has never been a problem.

I don't know how well this one works, I heard good reports of a similar one, "EZ-can", but it seems to be no longer available.

1 touch can opener

Hello John,

Sorry to hear of your wifes problem............ One thing you can do is click on 'images' and you will get a better idea what the opener looks like?

Of course the easy way would be Electric?

Try these sites:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=single+handed+tin+opener&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a

WebHide optionsShow options...

Results 11 - 20 of about 23,300 for single handed tin opener. (0.12 seconds)

Sponsored Link

1. Tin Openers at AmazonAmazon.co.uk/kitchen Low Prices on Tin openers Free Delivery on Orders over £5

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1. Can Openers For The Outdoors - OUTDOORSmagic Gear features3 Apr 2004 ... The compo can openers are also right-handed. Any 'single deck' Swiss Army ... The third group consists of combined bottle and tin openers. ...
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2. One Touch tin opener by Culinare by gtyjkx56 -- Revver Online ...22 Nov 2008 ... A video by gtyjkx56 - Culinare One Touch tin opener is an amazing device that will take the lid off any standard size tin with a single press of the start button. ... Credits: http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk ...
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Wow BB youv'e done it again. Best regards, Ky.

I just could not resist any longer. How about finding him in your cupboard

?

I did mean well, Ky.

I use this can opener myself. You do not have to hold the can while opening unless it is over 16 oz. It will automatically shut off. I couldn't say how difficult it is to connect or disconnect compared to the one touch.

This is a problem of mine, but I am very wary of tin can openers.
Yes, tin cans are one of the safest forms of storing food, for
longevity, for excluding bacteria, etc. However:

While the manual tin openers are less damaging the electric type
can be far more dangerous. I am referring to the very small needle
like slivers of steel that are produced by the opening of a can.

These are tipped out, unknowingly, with the contents and rarely
if ever seen, even if they are looked for! I suspect (but have
no proof) that these may cause many of the intestinal problems.

I have found metal pieces in canned foods some so large they
are almost impossible to miss. The largest, in a tin of grapefruit.
But, the real danger is from the very small, needle sharp, cuttings
produced by a can opener. These are eaten with the contents and,
while most may pass through the body, it only takes one, from the
many years of opening cans, to lodge in the internal body walls.

Call me paranoid if you wish, but I would strongly recommend for
everyone to carefully view the top of all opened tins, before and
while, pouring out the contents. This just may save your life.

jt.

To escape criticism: do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. (E. Hubbard.)

Hi John,

Heard this on Radio 4 this morning and thought of you...Appeal

Here's the link to the Disabled Living Foundation

Hope this helps

ER

Hi, ER - thanks for that - I missed it this morning (woke up late).

Expect a pm ...

John