Rosle €50
If we were holding a beauty pageant for our tin openers, then this would easily have been crowned the Rosle of Tralee (sorry), but this is not a beauty pageant, and the price of this is beyond our means. It looks lovely – all brushed chrome and gentle curves – and has a pleasing heft to it. It also cuts through tins like a knife through butter, and if it is looked after it will probably last several lifetimes. And if it does, then the cost per use will probably make it more economical than it first might appear. Stilll though, €50 for a tin opener? Not unless we win the Lotto.
Verdict: The best and worst of openers.
Star rating: **
0 of 3
Kuhn Rikon €8.99
Now, this is more like it. We found this product in a TK Maxx and it looks a lot more expensive than it actually is. We have an issue with the highly polished chrome handles – mostly because they don’t stay highly polished for long – but we can’t fault this on any other level. It is sturdy and Swiss, cheap and opens cans without undue fuss. The plastic handle isn’t the most beautiful thing we have ever seen but at least it is non-slip and it turns. Given that it was sourced in TK Maxx, supply in the longer term may be problematic.
Verdict: Top of the pile
Star rating: ****
Jamie Oliver €9.99
Is there anything Jamie Oliver won't put his name to? While some of the products that feature his tousled hair and toothsome grin are good – they are in our experience overpriced, because someone has to pay for the branding and that someone is you. This is not too dear, but it's not too good either. It is made of plastic and is both too light and too fiddly for our liking. The blade sits on top of the can rather than to the side, so some people might find positioning an issue but once we managed to attach it firmly to the can, it worked well enough.
Verdict: Lightweight
Star rating: **
Aldi €3.99
This is the cheapest of the tin openers we tested – that’s a good thing. We also like the bright blue colour, which would make it easier to track down amid the clutter of our cupboards. But there, sadly, the love affair end s. This is not the most useless product we have ever bought, but it is up there. All we want from a tin opener is for it to open tins. This fail s to do that, instead faff ing around the edge of every tin we introduce it to without catching even once.
Verdict: An irritating waste of money.
Star rating: *
