If you're anything like me, manually opening cans is the bane of your existence — they're hard to puncture, they catch constantly, and they're often left with treacherous sharp edges. That's why it's extra important to have the best manual can openers when you're handling pantry items. Before making a purchase, there are a couple of key elements to consider.
First, think about comfort. This largely comes down to the handles and the knob. The handles should be large enough to grip easily, and they should fit to the shape of your hand. The knob should rotate smoothly as you crank it around, causing minimal hand strain.
Next is sharpness. This is a matter of having a well-honed blade that can slice through lids easily. If the blade isn't sharp enough, not only will it catch constantly (a major annoyance with lesser can openers), but it could serrate the edges of the can, too, turning the rim into a minefield of pointy metal.
To save you some time, I've scoured through hundreds of reviews and read about these features to ensure that each of my picks does what its manufacturer says. Below are the three best manual can openers I could find — all of which have great bottle openers built in, too.