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Sunday 11-5 CST | |  | Manual | Home » » » » » » Kuhn Rikon Auto Deluxe Safety Lid Lifter, Red | | | | | | | Description: | | With the Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety LidLifter it is now possible to open a can and never, ever touch the lid. All you do is place the opener on the can and begin turning the comfortable knob. The tool automatically locks in place. The tool cuts from the side leaving a rim smooth, not sharp or jagged. The tiny, strong jaws on the side of the opener remove the lid. Press down on the white button to close the jaws on the lid and when you are ready to drop the lid into the recycling container, just release the button. Safe, ergonomic and just plain cool. 7-inch Red with Stainless Steel Handle | | | Features: | |
• Safely and easily removes lids, leaving a smooth edge that is suitable for resealing with a plastic lid
• Handle made of stainless steel; ergonomic handle; dishwasher safe
• Great for resealing dog and cat food cans, or coffee cans
• Turn knob is comfortable to hold and turns easily; cuts from the side leaving the rim smooth, not sharp or jagged
• LidLifter jaws clamp on to remove lid from can and then releases into trash with a push of a button
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 7.0 inches | | Product Width:
| 2.0 inches | | Product Height:
| 3.5 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.6 pounds | | Package Length:
| 9.5 inches | | Package Width:
| 4.5 inches | | Package Height:
| 3.0 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.35 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 121 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 121 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
117 of 118 found the following review helpful:
 Why I Love This OpenerFeb 22, 2005
By Jack Beery
My wife and I find this to be the best can opener we have ever used; we even use it to open cans that have lift top lids (such as Del Monte canned sliced peaches). Why this can opener is so good is because of how it works and the quality of the product. It is made like a Swiss watch; there is no slop in the movement.
It is different than a traditional can opener which you place along the side of the can top and it cuts off the top. This can opener you place on top of the can and it separates the top of the can from the can cylinder. Contrary to the language used in the Amazon review, the can opener does not depend on cutting. The Kuhn Rikon Safety Lid Lifter depends on breaking the seal between the lid and the can.
The knob that you turn rotates a knurled wheel. When pinched on a can, it is forced into contact with the inside edge of the can lid. The wheel of the can opener that is on the outside is set at a slight angle that causes a lifting action to break the bond between the can and the lid.
Initially, you turn the knob clockwise; when the opener has gone completely around the top of the can and you detect a drop in force, you then turn the knob counter-clockwise and the lid lifts away from the can. Typically, there are no sharp edges because nothing has been cut.
If you want to see a good picture of the mechanism, look at the lower price model. To see this, click on other products by Kuhn Rikon. You will be able to go to a picture that shows the opening mechanism and will see the very slight angle on the wheel opposite the drive wheel. This wheel does all the magic.
Because of my fascination with this can opener, I have examined a lot of cans that were opened with this opener. Only one time I found a sharp point that must have occured when the lid did not properly separate from the cylinder.
The drawbacks:
There are some cans with pull top lids that this opener will not open but these are few.
I notice in some reviews people talk about sliver pieces and I have seen this. What I believe they see is a small particle of the glue ring that seals the top of the can to the cylinder in the assembly process.
It takes getting used to:
When you place the can opener on top of the can, it must lay flat. Once you get used to it, you automatically push down lightly on the turning knob as you close the grips. This assures that the can opener is laying flat on top of the can.
The can opener is designed for use by right handed people. To operate this opener, you need to be able to position the can opener on the can with your left hand and hold it there while turning the knob with your right hand. If you can't do that, you probably don't want this can opener.
52 of 53 found the following review helpful:
 Lid Lifter Lifts OffAug 08, 2000
By Cyndi Sprinkle
When we first got this unique tool, my son and I thought it was defective. The mechanism glides so smoothly around cans, it hardly seems to be doing anything...then we discovered the grip that lifts the lid off. I truly like the safety the lid lifter provides. Since we recycle our cans, sharp edges can really be a hazard; but we no longer have that problem. The lids even fit back on as though they had never been removed. This product is very well constructed, has an easy grip to turn (much more comfortable and easier to operate than a standard can opener), and seems to stay cleaner. The only drawback is opening large cans, particularly large cans of coffee.
36 of 36 found the following review helpful:
This can opener is worth the price!May 03, 2002
By Mary D. Haper
"Gramma to 3 boys"
This is the best can opener I have ever used in 35+ years of housekeeping! It stays clean, does not rust, stays sharp, is easy to turn (padded handle) and the can edges are so neat, you can put the lid right back on if you want to. I am buying this for gifts. Forget electric can openers that get so filthy and rust and get dull. This one is perfect and I expect it to perform for years and years.
20 of 21 found the following review helpful:
Fabulous, Must Have Kitchen ToolDec 12, 2000
My husband drove me nuts looking for one of these, we looked everywhere for one. I finally found it at Amazon, I have tendinitis, and cans are so much easier to open. Dented cans would torment me with pain, but this can opener glides over any dent, cuts through good, and is not hard to turn. I expected with this sort of can opener, cans such as coffee cans, I would not be able to return the plastic lid to the can because of the way it cuts. I was wrong, the lid goes right on with no problems. The only disadvantage, is that if you want to drain things such as tuna fish, the lid isn't real easy to keep in place so that you can do so. All in all I would have to say every home should have one.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Comparing "Deluxe" to "Ergo" modelFeb 28, 2009
By ChurchOfJesusChrist.Net
I actually own both this model, and the cheaper (same brand) "Ergo" model. I asked my mom for this model for Christmas, but she got me the Ergo instead. Seeing my disappointment, my girlfriend got me this one.
The "Ergo" is not so ergonomic. In fact, it's UNergonomic. It just looks futuristic. The worst part about the "Ergo" is its knob, which simply is too large and thick to turn easily. You end up using a lot of your wrist, instead of including your fingers to twist. Basically you have to make a fist, and turn with your wrist.
The Ergo's handle also has a rubberized coating to the plastic. While that makes it "grippy", all such coatings I've ever seen, eventually end in degrading in peeling off in a slow-motion, unappealing mess. That hasn't happened on mine, though (yet, anyway), after more than a year of medium use.
The Deluxe is NOT all metal. The knob (part you twist) is actually plastic. That was a disappointment. I had hoped it'd be coated metal. The knob plastic has a "grippy" feel similar to the Ergo, but does not appear to be "coated" with anything--the plastic itself is kind of grippy, but less-so, which is a good thing because twisting such a knob requires constantly repositioning your hands.
The Ergo's handle is shorter and stubbier, but that's not too bad, it's okay, though the longer handle of the Deluxe is slightly easier. It's the knob which annoys me every time I use it.
The Ergo is also entirely plastic except for the mechanism, "ergo" the cheaper cost. The plastic makes the Ergo lighter, and shape makes it shorter--which... shouldn't be relevant, unless you're camping. Just saying.
That said, the Ergo is not HARD to use, just slightly annoying each time. I actually find the mechanism to open cans with less resistance than the "Deluxe" model, and I'm not sure why. So there's a bit of a tradeoff, but I'd still rather use the Deluxe.
Now for the similarities. The "business" end of these are actually almost exactly the same. By that I mean the part which actually opens the can, and the 'beak' which forms the LidLifter. I compared side-by-side, and I think the mechanisms are actually made from different components--which, if true, is bizarre, considering the components are almost exactly the same, and exactly the same concept. And those components appear to be of the same quality.
I now keep the Ergo at work, and the Deluxe at home. I kept the little carboard display base the Deluxe came in, which stands it vertically, and, after all, is something to be proud of and could be "displayed" in your kitchen if keeping it in the cardboard base weren't tacky--but it's just easy for me to grab.
I'd say if you were giving this as a gift, don't cheap out, go for the nice one. If you're buying it for yourself and want to save some money, you'll get a lot of use out of the cheaper one, and the actual opening mechanism appears to be the same or the same quality. In practice, the difference isn't so great, they both have their pros and cons, and the price reflects that. Both are made in China, unfortunately. This, despite a Swiss flag and the word "Switzerland" underneath the company's logo. That's like making Harley-Davidsons in China and putting "USA" under the logo.
These side-opening can-openers don't get dirty or require cleaning like traditional openers. In restaurants, Alton Brown says the first thing govt inspectors look at is the can opener, because it's difficult to keep clean, and rarely is. There's no blade with these guys, and the food never gets touched. I mean, there literally is no blade. It uses pressure to force the can top off its natural assembly joint. I hardly ever have to use the LidLifter on either model. I usually just push up with my thumbnail(s). On a stubborn can, I'll get lazy and use the "beak", and then it's no contest.
Another thing: if you ever open pet food cans, and you're using a traditional opener, I HOPE you're using a separate can opener just for dog/cat food. Pet food is made with livestock offal which carries a high risk of BSE prion infection (mad cow). Normal sterilization doesn't kill prions, and a microscopic amount can infect you. With these, separate can openers is unnecessary. Nothing intrudes into the food or gets food on it. I still rinse my hands after ever having contact with any pet food, wet or dry. (Oh, yeah--and I stopped eating beef upon learning more.)
I have successfully opened pull-tab type cans, too (like pineapple or fruit). I prefer to use the can opener, because it's simply safer, and gives a bigger mouth than the pull tab. I'm lazy, but actually, using the can opener to me is easier than pulling the tab, as it's easier to get the contents out. I've done huge and small cans, and always got them open. Like some have said, on occasion I've had to go 'round twice, especially on the bigger cans, but it's easier the second time around anyway. You can feel the "give" when you've reached your way around the can. Turning gets a lot easier.
It's also fascinating to get to see how cans are put together, as these break the bonds of the tops of the cans. You see the elastic adhesive they use to seal the tops of the cans. It's a gummy substance which sometimes stretches in threads like cheese lifting off a slice of pizza. I've almost never gotten any of that stretchy sealant into the food; it breaks almost immediately and I'm sure it's non-toxic anyway. Looks like a rubber compound, has no smell, not much is used. The rubbery stuff actually helps kind of make the can airtight again when you sit the lid back on, something you can't do with a traditional opener.
With either one, there seriously is no going back to traditional canopeners. I hunted for an alternative after slicing myself very badly on a restaurant-sized eight-pounder can. I think these also make cans safer for people who process cans for recycling. This way, I can safely include the lids in recycling (I'm not sure if I'm supposed to or not).
I almost bought the battery-powered motorized one on the TV ads, not knowing of alternatives. I have this crazy idea that canopeners should not need electricity (considering their potential emergency use), and I actually prefer non-motorization when possible. So I searched for "side-opening can-opener" and eventually discovered these. The name for this genre is technically "safety can opener".
I'd say the important thing is that you GET ONE, regardless of model, just choose one. Either one is SO far light years ahead of ANY conventional canopener, regardless of price of any conventional canopener, you'd do right by yourself with either one. Seriously, you will not be going back, either way. If in doubt, buy the cheaper one first, and decide you want the all-metal one, give the cheaper one to a friend or family member, and when they use it, they will appreciate you!
This is a seriously good gift, which may not be understood at first when received, but should be upon use. So include a can of fruit or something, for an immediate demonstration, ha.
See all 121 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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