Short answer: on day one! You’ve taken that leap to open your foodservice operation and you don’t want to go in halfway. So, begin as you intend to go forward and go straight to a commercial can opener! But don’t just take my word for it. Read on for three reasons a commercial can opener is the right choice for your kitchen.
Durability
You could go the cheap route and get a handheld can opener from the local big box. But let’s face it, we’re a bit rough on our commercial kitchen equipment. Things get bumped, jostled, dropped, knocked, slammed and kerblammed. Supplies need to be built to take a pounding day in and day out and the seemingly innocent can opener is no exception. You know as well as I do, that cheapy handheld can opener is going to fail is at the most inopportune moment, most likely when you are relying on it. Made from quality materials built to stand the test of time, commercial can openers are meant to take all the abuse we can throw at them and then some.
Speed & Size
The average #1 heavy duty manual commercial can opener can handle up to 50 cans per day at a rate of 4–6 cans per minute. Electric can openers push that even further to 5–8 cans per minute and 200 cans per day. I’m really not sure why you would need that many cans that quickly, but what happens in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen.
Further, commercial can openers are built to accommodate cans up to 11” tall on a stable base, reducing the chance of spillage or tip over.
Safety
A foodservice operation can’t run efficiently if every day someone is being rushed to the emergency room. Not that your average home can opener is a deathtrap waiting to happen, but when people are running about deep in the weeds, sometimes safety precautions slip. A quality commercial can opener is going to be NSF certified guaranteeing that an independent agency has looked at the manufacturing practices and deemed the equipment safe for a foodservice operation. Electric can openers will also be UL certified, adding another layer of quality assurance.
Setting the Standard
Whether you’re looking for manual or electric can openers, for my money, you can’t do better than Edlund. They’ve been manufacturing the #1 can opener in the USA for over 80 years and when you’ve got a product nicknamed, “Old Reliable”, it’s safe to say you set the industry standard. In addition to their durability, speed, and safety, these manual bench-mounted can openers are made of quality cast aluminum and have a Delrin plastic spool that reduces handle friction for improved wear. The plated-steel base is more rigid than ever and has a plastic insert for smoother action when placing and removing cans, reducing wear on the opener shaft and increasing the life of your can opener. On the off chance something does go wrong, Edlund offers a one year warranty (excluding gears and knives).
