Bru Joy Stainless Steel Can Opener: Reviewed

Two weeks ago I was using my beloved KitchenAid brand can opener that we registered for on our wedding registry list 6 years ago. It is not the most expensive one you can buy, but it is not a cheapy one either. It has been consistently great, one might say even "fantastic" for 6 years. About a month ago, I noticed it was only working "fair to decently." Lately it had been turning slower and the teeth / gears would stick sometimes.

I am the one who opens the most amount of cans in the household as I am an avid tuna fish lover. I probably eat 2-3 cans a week. I add a drained can to my homemade mac and cheese, or make a tuna salad sandwich with juicy red grapes, pecans, and a touch of mayo on homemade bread or a croissant. My 3 year old daughter eats tuna with me. Now, my husband, he won't touch it (tuna), in fact he generally does not like being in the same room when I eat it as he hates the smell when a can is opened. Our whole family eats a lot of canned beans. Our favorite is Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas) which we either use in an Indian Chicken Korma, Channa Masala, or we puree with lime juice, garlic, seasonings, sour cream, and make homemade Hummis which is wonderful on sandwiches, crackers, or as a healthy dip for tortilla chips.

Our can opener is (had been) a super helpful tool in our kitchen and has served us well for 6 years. Two weeks ago I was up late reviewing some products (I have very little time during the day to write as I am a full time mommy to 2 sweet babies, 4 months and 3 1/2) and was having a hankering for Tuna (what's new, lol?). I used my old, but beloved can opener and was not able to open the can further than half of the way. Perhaps I was not patient enough, but the opener was not working.

Well, me, sleep deprived at almost 2 am, and feeling like I could feel echoing in my belly from emptiness, grabbed a fork and pried the can the rest of the way open. Bad idea. VERY bad, as immediately, I sliced my pointer finger on my right hand and my thumb as well. The can lid of course flew off the counter as I yelped in pain, and thus splattered wet smelly tuna water with several bits of fish on the floor. Luckily the tuna in the can was still there but as I glared at the tuna can, (not sure why but I blamed the can, even though it was my can opener and my idea to pry open with a fork that caused this) I rinsed my injured hand under cold water. I washed my finger and thumb, applied pure aloe gel, tea tree oil, lavender oil with calendula oil, and 2 Doc Mc Stuffins bandaids (that was all we had). I was hungry and injured with a mess to clean up, and I still had 2 reviews to write up. It was a long night.

I recommend that you NEVER try prying a can open with a fork. Not the best decision I have made. However, there is light at the end of this tunnel. I was sent a can opener to try and review. Funny thing is, it was kind of a coincidence it happened now when I truly needed it.

Enter the Bru Joy Stainless Steel Can Opener (see it Here). I had never heard of this brand before, however when it arrived I was stunned by its beauty. It is nearly all stainless steel (the exception being the black handle turn knob) and it is smooth to the touch. The handles are ergonomic, rounded, and very comfortable. When using this, there was minimal hand effort. The knob turned super smooth and the gears made the sound and turning reminiscent of when I was in middle and high school and used a combination lock on my school locker (loved that sound--rather soothing). The gears on this can opener work well.
This is a well made tool and feels top quality. There are loops at the bottom which might assist in hanging it on a hook if desired.

I would think that this would be helpful for those with poor hand strength, arthritis, or seniors, as it seems super smooth and the large knob is easy to hold. I tested this out on a can of tuna and a can of Garbanzo beans, both of which are rather small. I have not yet tried this on a large can, as we did not currently have one to test it on. The blades seem sharp and the can rim was smooth to the touch. We do not have pets, however, if you have a cat that likes their food straight out of the can, this would make the can safe for them to eat out of.

In my review, I tested my old can opener with this as well (red Kidney beans). My old can opener worked just fine for the review, however, I do know it is having some difficulty and may not be able keep up with this one. Both openers left me with a smooth can rim, however the Bru Joy was faster, with less effort, and was easier to open the cans. The Bru Joy has ergonomic handles, while the Kitchen Aid one, was not as comfortable to hold. The Bru Joy does not open as wide as my previous one. I am not sure if that means that it will have difficulty with bigger cans or not, (such as large sauce cans). I will have to wait and see. The Bru Joy has a bottle top opener which is nice. It also has a soda pull top opener. We do not drink beer or soda, however, I buy a bottle of beer about twice a month to wash my hair with in the shower (hair proteins and shine) for a glossy fullness. So if you come over to my house, and peak in my shower and see a used bottle of brew, don't judge or think, "that poor mama, the kids drove her to drink in the shower," just know I am trying to get movie star luxurious locks.

Bru Joy says, "Love it or your money back, your purchase is risk-free." That is so very nice to know.

Would you like more information on this can opener? Check it out on Amazon: Bru Joy Manual Hand Can Opener

If you found this review or any of my other reviews interesting or helpful, please rate this as "helpful" and or leave a comment. I enjoy writing reviews and hearing feedback about what I have written as I feel reviews help those interested make an informed decision before purchasing. I also feel that honest and informative reviews improve a product by providing insight to the company. I believe reviews should be honest no matter whether an item was free, at a discount, or purchased. This was sent to me as a sample, as courtesy, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Would you like a chance at getting one of these free? One winner will be shipped a can opener directly from the company. USA only. Ends Aug. 23 at 12 am.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Please follow me on Facebook for updates to this blog, reviews, and giveaways. Check me out on bloglovin and Twitter.