Kenwood CO600 Can Opener > Reviews (16)

Review of Kenwood Electric CO600 Can Opener

I must start by saying that this appliance is not something I would have bought for my own use, I actually purchased this item for my late mother several years ago. She suffered from arthritis quite severely in her hands and found traditional can openers and ring pulls very difficult.

I believe I purchased the opener from the now departed Woolworth store at a cost of around £15. This model is still available for purchase and can be found from a variety of on line retailers and High street store and supermarkets.

The Can Opener

Made by the well known Kenwood company, this electric can opener comes in a choice of white or chrome finish. I chose the white version which on hindsight was a mistake, as the white plastic finish has discoloured rather badly and no amount of scrubbing seems to improve the appearance.
However I digress!

The can opener is rectangular in shape with a domed top, it has a fairly short cable measuring approximately 18” and naturally comes with a fitted 3 pin plug. At the rear of the appliance is a handy cord storage space. The can opener stands around 12” tall and is very light in weight. When Mum was alive, I kept this out on the work surface for her ease of access, although now the kitchen is my sole domain, it has been relegated to a cupboard as I cannot bear clutter or too many gadgets out on display.

The can opener is multi functional in that there is also a bottle opener and a knife sharpener incorporated into the design. The bottle opener is manually operated not electrical. The actual can opener is easy to use, simply line up the edge of can you wish to open with the cutting blade, push down the magnet which holds the lid in place. To operate the cutting mechanism, simply apply a little pressure on the small lever situated by the blade. This starts the tin opener working straight away. It should be noted that there is no on/off switch as such on this model.

We have used the can opener for various sized cans and it has worked very efficiently, opening them quickly and cleanly, leaving no sharp or jagged edges. However, I would warn that should you try to open a can with a dented edge, the opener will struggle.

As a knife sharpener, this gadget is amazing, knives are sharpened by operating the press down lever, whilst gently dragging the blade of your knife across the sharpener. I have used it for both straight and serrated knives very successfully although Kenwood advise using the sharpener for straight blades only. I have also used it to sharpen scissors with great results.

The bottle opener is not as useful to me, as we do not really consume anything in a crown capped bottle! However, it is nice to know that there is a simple to use bottle opener at hand, should it ever be required. The bottle opener is situated in an indent below the blade.

Maintenance of the opener is simple, the plastic casing just requires a wipe down with a mild detergent to keep it hygienic, although as mentioned earlier in the review, my opener has discoloured.

The cutting blade is removable for washing, vital when you see how much 'gunk' can accumulate very quickly. This is mainly I think, shreds of paper from can labels.

My Thoughts and Conclusion

The Kenwood Can Opener has given sterling service in our home and my mother found it invaluable as it allowed her to retain a little independence in the kitchen. I would definitely recommend this to those consumers who have difficulty operating manual tin openers as it is not too noisy, efficient and reliable. Having owned this for around 3 years, I would say that it is very durable, other than the discolouration already mentioned, the important component, the cutting blade, has remained sharp and effective.

All in all, this is a handy gadget to own, although not as useful as it might have been before the advent of ring pull cans!

Thank you for reading.

©brittle1906 December 2011

N.B. My reviews may be found on other sites under the same user name.