Non Electric Kitchen Gadgets

I have collected a handcrank juicer, a blender, a food processor, a noodle maker, and a grater from various yard sales over the years.

Lehman's catalog features a lot of handcrank tools.

I really want one of those glass jar butter churns, but haven't seen one at a yard sale yet.

I am surprised the article didn't mention the most basic non-electric gadget of all: the can opener.

Maybe it escapes attention because it is like saying "non-electric pencil," but I recall a scene in the movie "Blackout" that they didn't have a hand cranked can opener, and tried to open a can with a knife. (Instant injury.)

Most of us old timers have a P38 (or maybe a P45) in our 72 hour bag, and most of us don't even own an electric can opener, but I know a couple people who do.

I have heard at least a couple people complain that they can't find a hand can opener that lasts very long. There must be a few really bad ones out there, but a good one isn't that hard to find. First thing to look for is the little gears behind the cutting wheels. Some of the cheaper ones don't have those, and I have found the ones without the little gears don't last very long.

TRex2 wrote:I am surprised the article didn't mention the most basic non-electric gadget of all: the can opener.

Maybe it escapes attention because it is like saying "non-electric pencil," but I recall a scene in the movie "Blackout" that they didn't have a hand cranked can opener, and tried to open a can with a knife. (Instant injury.)

Most of us old timers have a P38 (or maybe a P45) in our 72 hour bag, and most of us don't even own an electric can opener, but I know a couple people who do.

I have heard at least a couple people complain that they can't find a hand can opener that lasts very long. There must be a few really bad ones out there, but a good one isn't that hard to find. First thing to look for is the little gears behind the cutting wheels. Some of the cheaper ones don't have those, and I have found the ones without the little gears don't last very long.

P38, yep, got dozens of those, but in the Corps, we call them John Wayne's.

They do make cheap (China) hand crank can openers.

I have several of these can openers too, but with the wooden handle. Only paid a buck or two for them at yard sales:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325253831675?hash=item4bbaa39bfb:g:VNoAAOSwzTxiwfCP&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA8Oc%2BEYkI2YaoJDRD%2FVYpUcTT9%2F9CqR4bQdWeayjf8C00bIO1f8QcRUAunXzXnmjh2h8eaSG6Ed3ORHrbvHOH0DZIpz2on5YAw%2FU77XHWggT7Ne4iKtxeEFVtKQyYTpmqxfDjclq7Vzvhr6uREFS%2BK1xWjOqhAL%2B8cpAXy417GGBnQ%2FdeMkq2kDqS5vsx%2FiXDWpWRsA6WM%2FqIN7gN3Ek7682NOxBdqKFyXczmFzmHuRawVjK34x%2BejstOU4%2F8rB%2BTpyvkphIKuVx%2FTtp3J0IxOGk6qzHS8k4Uki%2BvgSN%2BpAkabvYPRE8mtcU8g90bGcnuVg%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_a1zvzbYA

rick1 wrote:

TRex2 wrote:I am surprised the article didn't mention the most basic non-electric gadget of all: the can opener.

Maybe it escapes attention because it is like saying "non-electric pencil," but I recall a scene in the movie "Blackout" that they didn't have a hand cranked can opener, and tried to open a can with a knife. (Instant injury.)

Most of us old timers have a P38 (or maybe a P45) in our 72 hour bag, and most of us don't even own an electric can opener, but I know a couple people who do.

I have heard at least a couple people complain that they can't find a hand can opener that lasts very long. There must be a few really bad ones out there, but a good one isn't that hard to find. First thing to look for is the little gears behind the cutting wheels. Some of the cheaper ones don't have those, and I have found the ones without the little gears don't last very long.

P38, yep, got dozens of those, but in the Corps, we call them John Wayne's.

They do make cheap (China) hand crank can openers.

I have several of these can openers too, but with the wooden handle. Only paid a buck or two for them at yard sales:

Might be useful as trading stock in the ritzy part of a city, but I wouldn't allocate the space to keep them. (I am a bit tight on space, which you may, or may not, have picked up on, by some of my previous remarks.)

We have P38s in the emergency kits. We also have some in our home stash.

I also have a hand crank pencil sharpener.