The Evolution Of The Can Opener
Since the mid 1800s, the can opener has been a popular device as a response to the preservation of food in tin cans, and the dedicated can opener started in England, spreading its concept to the USA. The many different can openers in those days just looked like an array of different knife designs, and not really solely dedicated to the opening of tin cans alone.
The basic lever-type of can opener uses a sharply edged blade to punch a hole in the tin, then gradual wrist motion to open it. In 1850 the blade itself was developed to a different shape, a claw-like, curved design in order to make the process easier.
The lever design was then taken and used by the U. S. Military as they developed their own lever can opener for use during World War II. These designs, known as the P-38 and P-51, were made into a type of hinged folding knife that could be brought anywhere as its size was quite small and could be attached to a keychain or dog tag.
The claw shape can openers are still popular with outdoor fanatics today, and although most households prefer the rotational wheel types of openers, these lever type openers are still holding their own. The first openers that used rotational wheels were also not very popular at first as they encountered problems with having to pierce the can in the center, having different devices to hold the can in place, and then a lever to hold the cutting wheel to open it.
Another can opener was then developed sometime in 1892 that resembled a church key, hence giving it its name the Churchkey can opener. This was a lever type opener with a pointed end to pierce the can as well as being designed to be able to remove the crown corks off glass bottles. In those days, canned beer was becoming highly popular and the containers had flat tops that must be pierced in order to gain access to the beer inside. To this day, the Churchkey can opener is still being produced and sold, but is usually attached to a bottle opening device.
For tin openers that used a sharp wheel to rotate and open the tin, there was no way to hold it still, so this opener proved quite difficult to use. Eventually, a second wheel was added in order to keep the cutting wheel steady against the rim, making this the trademark design for most can openers today.
A can opener known as the Bunker was eventually invented by the Bunker Clancey Company where the handle was developed to be able to grasp the can tightly as one does with pliers. This pliers type design holds it in place as the key is being turned to activate the wheels to gradually cut and open the can. This is the more popular type of can opener being sold on the market today as it makes things easier for the user, not requiring an extra pair of hands, or extra gadgetry just to keep the whole thing immobile during the process.
With the age of electric gadgets came one of the first electric can openers that were modeled to use a cutting wheel by the turn of the next century sometime in 1931. Although the first two attempts at marketing this device failed to captivate the public, newer packaging of the electric device that included a knife sharpener and different color combinations became a huge success.
By the 1980s the can opener that could cut the can along the side of the rim, reducing the chances of injury from opening the cans from the top, as it cuts the rim neatly without creating sharp edges. The smooth results along the edges are basically achieved by using finer teeth on the wheel, which makes this type of opener highly popular with many families as well.
Milly Oxford, an experienced cook and restaurant owner, picks out the best can opener for different types such as rotating can opener, electric can opener and side can opener. She writes the can opener review for each and publishes the reviews in her blog. She has also written guides on how to buy a can opener.
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