4 Common Kitchen Mama Can Opener Problems Troubleshooting

There aren’t many tools that are simpler than can openers. I mean, their entire functionality is right there in the name. But, even the simplest of things aren’t free of hassles.

I have a Kitchen Mama can opener myself that’s been acting up lately. If you’re in the same place I am, I’ll discuss troubleshooting tips to help with common Kitchen Mama can opener problems.

Kitchen Mama Can Opener – 4 Common Problems and Troubleshooting

1. Not Turning On

The biggest advantage modern can openers have over older versions is their use of electricity. This gives them more power, and makes cutting through can lids easier than ever.

But, at the same time, their reliance on electricity is a downside too. That’s because, without power, these Kitchen Mama can openers stop turning on.

That results in the entire device being useless until someone restores their power source. When it comes to these tools specifically, you need new batteries.

As you can see in the photo above, Kitchen Mama can openers run on battery cells. These cells don’t have the longest battery life and will need to be replaced often.

If they’re dead or running low on power, the tool will stop turning on. But, on the bright side, these types of cells are super common and not at all expensive, making this an easy fix.

One more thing to watch out for is a damaged battery spring. These springs extract power from battery cells. You can see them when you open the covering of your Kitchen Mama can opener.

If there’s something wrong with one of these springs, it won’t be able to utilize the cell you attach to it. Take a look at the one I’m pointing at in this picture down here:

You can see how there’s damage around it, and the spring itself doesn’t look like it’s in perfect shape. That’s why it doesn’t work properly, and the can opener doesn’t turn on.

2. Kitchen Mama Can Opener Not Cutting

The most common thing I notice people complain about when it comes to Kitchen Mama can openers is that theirs isn’t cutting through cans.

Now, a lot of people blame this on the tool. But, before you do the same, I want you to completely make sure that it isn’t a user error. That’s because many do this without knowing.

The way you use an electric can opener differs from the operation of a manual one. You need to set the blade across the edge of a can’s lid so that it’s able to cut through.

If the blade doesn’t sit right on top of the can, that leaves space between the cutting mechanism and the can you’re trying to cut. As such, the can opener doesn’t function like you want it to.

Now, this might be happening to you is the type of can you’re trying to open. I’m sure you know already that not all cans are the same size, and their lids tend to look different too.

To adjust for these differences, you need to change the way you’re using the can opener. Make sure to use the right technique depending on how small the can you’re opening is, and how deep its grooves are.

If you’re sure everything is good with the can and on your end, it’s probably the blade that’s acting up. I’ll go into more detail about this specific thing later.

3. Getting Stuck On The Can

Does your Kitchen Mama can opener get stuck on the can it’s trying to open? This is another thing I’ve seen people complaining about, and the reason for it is usually the same.

Whenever these tools pause before cutting through the entire lid, it usually means there’s something wrong with the lid itself. This is pretty common because lids can develop bumps or jagged edges.

To test this out myself, I got a can with a bad lid. When I try to use my Kitchen Mama can opener on it, it always pauses at points of notable damage, as you can see in the image here.

Any bumps or damage on the edge of a lid can cause this—the reason why is simple.

When you place a Kitchen Mama can opener on top of a lid, it keeps going all the way around. It doesn’t pause until it cuts through entirely, or you stop the tool manually.

But, when there’s a discrepancy on the lid, the tool doesn’t know what to do. The change in the surface of the can confuses the device and makes it pause as a result.

You can try to cut around the areas with bumps or damage, and that might be enough to open the lid enough for you to pull it off. But, I suggest using force to make the lid flatter instead.

4. Blade Wearing Out

Blades on Kitchen Mama can openers get dull when you use them more and more. After a year of regular use, the blade starts to give out, and this is something you’ll definitely notice.

The tool will take more time or struggle to cut through can lids. There will come a time when it stops cutting entirely, or maybe you’re already at that point.

In either case, this isn’t something you can either prevent or deal with once it happens. That’s because Kitchen Mama can openers don’t allow blade replacements.

The mechanism I highlighted in the image above includes the blade on my Kitchen Mama can opener. Inspect it on your own opener to see if there’s anything wrong with it.

Usually, you’ll be able to find rusting, dull edges, or other notable issues when the blade is starting to give out. So, if the tool isn’t cutting well for you, make sure to give this a good look.

If you’re sure there’s something wrong with the blade and it can’t cut reliably anymore, that’s when you know it’s time to get a new can opener. It will have a new blade, and no issues!