If You Still Use This Old-School Kitchen Tool, You're Most Likely A Boomer - Tasting Table

"The resonant, abrasive drone of an electric can opener was a staple sound in kitchens around the country. Perplexingly loud, this innovative kitchen tool let you power through cans of any size by holding down a lever, assuming the cutting blade was lined up correctly. But they've fallen out of style in recent years, and if you still use one, there's a good chance you're a Boomer or a member of Gen X raised by can-opener diehards."

"These small, freestanding countertop appliances plug into a wall outlet and let you lift a lever, line up the can with the cutting blade, and drop it to activate the motor. A tiny wheel rotates the can so the cutting blade can cut through the metal all the way around until the lid is free. A magnet held it in place."

"In modern kitchens, electric can openers are few and far between. This may be due to the rise of pull-top cans, and partly because of smaller, hand-held can openers being more convenient and easy to store without cords or wasted cupboard space. Electric can openers were not always easy to use, and you sometimes had to struggle to line up the cutting blade."

Electric can openers rose to prominence in the 1950s and became common countertop appliances alongside toasters and blenders. They plug into a wall outlet, clamp a can against a cutting blade, rotate it with a small wheel, and use a motor to cut the lid while a magnet can hold the lid in place. They eased can opening for people with weak hands or arthritis and for anyone handling many cans. Their popularity has declined due to pull-top cans, compact hand-held openers that save storage and eliminate cords, and usability problems such as blade-alignment difficulty, instability with heavy cans, and little speed advantage over manual openers.

Read at Tasting Table