Why the kit needs its own
The can opener in your kitchen drawer works fine. The problem is that during an extended outage or an evacuation, that drawer opener is easy to overlook, lend out, or leave behind. If your 72-hour food supply is mostly canned goods (and for most households it is), losing access to the opener means losing access to the food.
A dedicated can opener stored with your food supply solves this. It costs under $10, lasts decades, and requires no maintenance. It is also one of the few items in the kit where buying two costs less than $20 total and eliminates a single point of failure entirely.
The only spec that matters
All-steel construction. That is it. Plastic-bodied openers are designed for light kitchen duty and may crack or strip gears under sustained use. An all-steel opener with a carbon steel cutting blade will outlast every other item in the kit. Most reviewers across preparedness, camping, and kitchen contexts reach the same conclusion: steel construction is the differentiator between a can opener that lasts 30 years and one that fails at year three.
Beyond that, the gear-driven swing design is the most reliable mechanism available. It has been unchanged for over 80 years because it works. The two picks below both use it.
Our picks
EZ-DUZ-IT Deluxe Can Opener
Heavy-gauge chromed steel with a carbon steel cutting blade and gear-driven swing design. Made in the USA since the 1930s. The 7.25-inch frame is long enough for a comfortable grip on large cans, and the rubberized deluxe handles provide traction without adding bulk. Wash by hand with warm soapy water. That is the entire care instruction.
The two-pack is the correct buy for most households: one for the food supply kit, one for the go bag or car kit. At $15 to $18 for both, there is no reason to buy just one.
Construction
Heavy-gauge chrome steel
Blade
Hardened carbon steel
Origin
Made in USA
Cut type
Top-cut (traditional)
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OXO Good Grips Soft-Handled Can Opener
The OXO Good Grips is the kitchen-use recommendation when you want one can opener that does both daily and emergency duty well. The cushioned handles absorb grip pressure and are designed with the Arthritis Foundation for use by people with hand joint pain or limited grip strength. The oversized turning knob requires minimal force. Built-in bottle opener.
The OXO has more plastic components than the EZ-DUZ-IT, which is the honest tradeoff for the ergonomic design. For a household that stores one dedicated opener with the food kit and another in the kitchen, the EZ-DUZ-IT is the better kit choice. For a household that prefers one high-quality opener in the kitchen and wants it to double as the emergency tool, the OXO is the pick.
Cutting wheel
Stainless steel
Handles
Soft, cushioned, non-slip
Cut type
Top-cut (standard)
Extras
Built-in bottle opener
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Get two, not one
A single can opener in the kitchen is a dependency that can fail at the moment it matters most. The correct count is two: one stored with your 72-hour food supply, one in your get-home kit, go bag, or vehicle. Each should be independent of the other.
The EZ-DUZ-IT two-pack is the cleanest solution. Buy one box, put one opener in the food kit, put the other somewhere else. Both are $15 to $18 total. No thought required after that.
NWS recommendation
Buy the EZ-DUZ-IT two-pack. Store one with your emergency food supply, one in your go bag or vehicle kit. All-steel, made in the USA, gear-driven, no maintenance required. If you prefer to keep one opener that serves the kitchen and the kit, the OXO Good Grips is the choice.
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