Is there a KitchenAid can opener attachment?

With the vast range of attachments available for our stand mixers, it’s hard to imagine there isn’t a tool available for any kitchen inconvenience you can think of. Need a hand making some pasta? Grinding beef for homemade meatballs? How about making your own preserves? KitchenAid has you covered on all of those.

While your stand maker is capable of lending a helping hand with many tedious tasks, there do seem to be a few attachments that the KitchenAid community is crying out for. 

I recently shared my frustration at the lack of a KitchenAid coffee grinder attachment, although that’s certainly not the only tool many of us feel is missing from the KitchenAid lineup. KitchenAid fans have been searching for extra attachments like a meat tenderizer and noodle cutter to no avail. 

One desirable attachment that seems to get more attention than most is a KitchenAid can opener. I have seen plenty of bakers on KitchenAid’s social media pages inquire about the existence of such a tool. Does such a thing even exist? And if it does, can we buy one? 

I recently decided to do some digging into this question. Here’s what I discovered. 

Is there a kitchenAid can opener attachment?

Let’s begin with the good news. KitchenAid has created a can opener attachment. It was designed to fit into the multi-purpose hub, lock the can in place, and open tin cans with the help of your stand mixer motor.

Here’s a video of the KitchenAid can opener attachment in action. 

Looks pretty good, right? Along with a pea sheller and cutlery buffer, a can opener was actually one of the first KitchenAid attachments, although the original model was a slightly more primitive version than the one shown in this video. 

Unfortunately, there is some bad news: KitchenAid no longer manufactures this attachment. From what I can tell, the company discontinued this attachment in 2016. 

Although I am unsure exactly why they discontinued the can opener attachment, I would assume that there wasn’t a huge amount of demand for the product. 

Another reason might be down to the quality of the attachment itself. Having a quick look at some reviews on the old Amazon listing, it seems that many customers were not overly impressed with the design, or performance, of this attachment.   

One reviewer said it “wasn’t a well-designed product” and “the only item I’ve ever bought from KitchenAid that I was disappointed with”. Others said it’s the “only KitchenAid attachment that I could absolutely live without” and “one of the worst purchases I’ve made”. Clearly there were some issues with quality here, as many reviews cite the attachments’ inadequate ability to open cans, and many report the attachment breaking completely before the 1 year anniversary.

KitchenAid seems to be aware of this attachment’s inferior ability to cut through a can lid and its habit of slipping whilst connected. According to the company, this is most likely caused by dirt or dried food left in the teeth of the can opener. KitchenAid also mentioned this could be caused by the can not being aligned on the machine properly. 

What are your options? 

If you really have your heart set on the KitchenAid can opener attachment, then not all hope is lost just yet. Here’s your options.

Find one second hand 

It’s still possible to get your hands on these attachments, although it’s neither easy nor cheap to do so. Your best bet is to get one off eBay. There seems to be a small supply of second hand can opener attachments making their way onto the online marketplace, although they aren’t exactly cheap. 

One listing I recently spotted still had the original $12 retail sticker on the box. However, the listing had an extortionate Buy It Now price of $200! 

If you aren’t interested in paying over the odds for a can opener with questionable build quality, I don’t blame you.  

Buy an electric can opener 

Perhaps the next best option then is to simply buy an electric can opener. Sure, there might take up a little extra space on your countertop, but they cost a fraction of the price, and most will offer a far superior build quality to that of the vintage KitchenAid attachment. 

This Cuisinart electric can opener is my personal favorite, it offers complete hands-free operation and costs a fraction of the price of the vintage attachment.

Of course, there are plenty of other electric can openers on the market. Most are either stand on your countertop or designed to be used as an in-hand utensil that you can just pop in a drawer. 

The (other) KitchenAid can opener

If you are really a KitchenAid die-hard, there is one more option. KitchenAid does make a can opener, although it is not electric and will require some good old fashion muscle power to use it. They seem to be of pretty good quality too and, in true KitchenAid fashion, it comes in an impressive 14 different color options.

Final Thoughts

While your dreams of a KitchenAid can opener attachment may be in tatters, it’s not all bad news. 

It’s certainly possible to pick one up second hand. That said, the inferior build quality of these vintage attachments, paired with the fact that resellers are listing them for a small fortune, most likely outweighs the benefits of purchasing these attachments.

For now, it looks like we will be sticking with our trusty old can openers. Who knows, maybe KitchenAid will introduce a new, improved can opener attachment in the future? I doubt it, but a girl can dream.