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The thing in this space that has always bothered me was the simple can opener. (For those not in the US, yes, in the US we still need can openers.) The new ones

The thing in this space that has always bothered me was the simple can opener. (For those not in the US, yes, in the US we still need can openers.) The new ones which can be purchased in the grocery store break within a month or two. I don't even want to think about modern electric openers. I found a used vintage can opener from the 1970s on eBay six years ago and use it practically every day; as it was used it cost less than the shiny new ones in the store. Maybe there are modern high quality non-commercial can openers but they aren't at the grocery store or Pampered Chef or any of the other kitchen appliance stores at the local mall.

groovybits 4y ago
Spot on. Even at the 'nicer' grocery stores in the US, can openers are made of the cheapest materials I've ever seen. At the moment you pick it up, you just know its going to break before a year from now. By now, you'd think we'd have reached a minimum viable quantity of products that have been ubiquitous for so long.
- eternityforest 4y ago
  In store shopping seems to be a great way to pay more for worse stuff these days.
  - crystaln 4y ago
    As you would expect. You’re paying to support an entire business including retail space rent and utilities, employees, and owners.
  - jollyllama 4y ago
    You get screwed either way. Buy something on amazon and it's quite likely to be just as bad, counterfeit, etc. - how many times have people complained about that?
    - eternityforest 4y ago
      It happens, but it's not common. Amazon lets you get stuff a generation ahead of what's in stores, which often uses better tech and fixes issues in the last generation. When "Cheap crap" first became common 20 years ago stuff got a bit worse, but it seems to be improving.
      - jollyllama 4y ago
        I don't think the comment about generation ahead is relevant or true. As a final thought, I'd say at least in a store, if you have the ability to determine if something is junk by looking and touching it, you can practice that.
        eternityforest 4y ago
        I'm not sure how I would tell just by looking without reviews and specs, any more than I could tell from a picture, the differences are really subtle. The plastic cover on a bad switch looks an awful lot like the one on a good switch. Glass filled nylon seems to be somwhat reliable thought, not quite as much utter trash has a chassis made of that, at least for tools. And sheet metal, I usually assume anyone who uses that is cutting corners or wants to appeal to old fashioned types who hate plastic no matter what.
CadmiumYellow 4y ago
Ikea actually makes really amazing can openers. I've had the same one for 8 years and it's still going strong. No signs of weakness at all.
- ihumanable 4y ago
  I have an Ikea can opener too, I think it's going on a decade of quality service. It's mostly light blue plastic, I thought it would fall apart, but it still works great. One of those that cuts through the side of the can instead of the lid itself.
philwelch 4y ago
My OXO can opener has lasted several years.
escapedmoose 4y ago
My cheap ugly turquoise manual can opener from Target has been a pleasure to use for years. I didn’t even realize good can openers were hard to find. Sorry for your bad luck :(
blep_ 4y ago
... do people outside the US not use can openers?
- thewebcount 4y ago
  Who knows. The responses people in the US get from Europeans on HN for things are just the absolute oddest. “Gasp! You still write checks?” Or “Gasp! You use credit cards? Well I never!” I’m sure we do the same thing to them for other stuff, but I totally understand the desire to head off any of the faux outrage that often pops up here for such mundane things.
  - blep_ 4y ago
    I was totally expecting the answer to be something like "the EU passed a law in 2013 requiring all cans to come with pull tabs".
mauvehaus 4y ago
You want a swing-a-way can opener. They make them like they used to.
- jaredhallen 4y ago
  I haven't tried a new one, but good to hear you've had good luck. We have one that belonged to my wife's grandmother. We've been using it about 12 years. It started to perform poorly about 8 years ago, and was replaced with something new at the time. When the new one turned out to be unable to actually open a can, I ended up oiling and sharpening the swing away, and it performed like new. It started deteriorating again recently, so I saved myself the frustration and just did the maintenance again. Hopefully I'll be good for another 8 years or so.

groovybits 4y ago

Spot on. Even at the 'nicer' grocery stores in the US, can openers are made of the cheapest materials I've ever seen. At the moment you pick it up, you just know its going to break before a year from now. By now, you'd think we'd have reached a minimum viable quantity of products that have been ubiquitous for so long.

eternityforest 4y ago
In store shopping seems to be a great way to pay more for worse stuff these days.
- crystaln 4y ago
  As you would expect. You’re paying to support an entire business including retail space rent and utilities, employees, and owners.
- jollyllama 4y ago
  You get screwed either way. Buy something on amazon and it's quite likely to be just as bad, counterfeit, etc. - how many times have people complained about that?
  - eternityforest 4y ago
    It happens, but it's not common. Amazon lets you get stuff a generation ahead of what's in stores, which often uses better tech and fixes issues in the last generation. When "Cheap crap" first became common 20 years ago stuff got a bit worse, but it seems to be improving.
    - jollyllama 4y ago
      I don't think the comment about generation ahead is relevant or true. As a final thought, I'd say at least in a store, if you have the ability to determine if something is junk by looking and touching it, you can practice that.
      - eternityforest 4y ago
        I'm not sure how I would tell just by looking without reviews and specs, any more than I could tell from a picture, the differences are really subtle. The plastic cover on a bad switch looks an awful lot like the one on a good switch. Glass filled nylon seems to be somwhat reliable thought, not quite as much utter trash has a chassis made of that, at least for tools. And sheet metal, I usually assume anyone who uses that is cutting corners or wants to appeal to old fashioned types who hate plastic no matter what.

CadmiumYellow 4y ago

Ikea actually makes really amazing can openers. I've had the same one for 8 years and it's still going strong. No signs of weakness at all.

ihumanable 4y ago
I have an Ikea can opener too, I think it's going on a decade of quality service. It's mostly light blue plastic, I thought it would fall apart, but it still works great. One of those that cuts through the side of the can instead of the lid itself.

philwelch 4y ago

My OXO can opener has lasted several years.

escapedmoose 4y ago

My cheap ugly turquoise manual can opener from Target has been a pleasure to use for years. I didn’t even realize good can openers were hard to find. Sorry for your bad luck :(

blep_ 4y ago

... do people outside the US not use can openers?

thewebcount 4y ago
Who knows. The responses people in the US get from Europeans on HN for things are just the absolute oddest. “Gasp! You still write checks?” Or “Gasp! You use credit cards? Well I never!” I’m sure we do the same thing to them for other stuff, but I totally understand the desire to head off any of the faux outrage that often pops up here for such mundane things.
- blep_ 4y ago
  I was totally expecting the answer to be something like "the EU passed a law in 2013 requiring all cans to come with pull tabs".

mauvehaus 4y ago

You want a swing-a-way can opener. They make them like they used to.

jaredhallen 4y ago
I haven't tried a new one, but good to hear you've had good luck. We have one that belonged to my wife's grandmother. We've been using it about 12 years. It started to perform poorly about 8 years ago, and was replaced with something new at the time. When the new one turned out to be unable to actually open a can, I ended up oiling and sharpening the swing away, and it performed like new. It started deteriorating again recently, so I saved myself the frustration and just did the maintenance again. Hopefully I'll be good for another 8 years or so.