The Space-Saving Appliance That Belonged In Every 1980s Kitchen

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If you do much cooking, you probably have kitchen gadgets. According to Grand View Research, the small appliance industry was worth nearly $40 billion in 2025. About 30% of households buy at least one small appliance in a year. Today, that may just be an air fryer, but vintage kitchen gadgets were a real thing, and back in the 1980s, the must-have appliance that was both practical and space-saving was an under-the-cabinet electric can opener.

Rarely seen in the modern world because even a countertop electric can opener is unusual these days, these can openers could be installed with a couple of screws underneath a suspended cabinet. They worked much like a traditional electric can opener. You lined up the can with the cutting blade and used a switch or lever to lock it in place. The can opener would grip the can and hold it suspended as the blade cut open the lid. However, as anyone who owned one could tell you, it was a good idea to keep your hand underneath the can for support in case it fell and spilled its contents everywhere.

In 1978, GE invented the Spacemaker microwave, the first microwave that doubled as a hood for a stove. The Spacemaker name became GE's branding for cabinet-mounted appliances, and the Spacemaker can opener was introduced in 1983. At that time, advertisements called it the only one that mounted under a cabinet. In 1985, the Los Angeles Times wrote an article about the under-the-cabinet can opener craze, calling them "convenient time-saving devices as well as a neat way to free kitchen counters of clutter."

Many models of under-the-cabinet can openers also included a bottle opener on the side and a blade sharpener for your knives. Some even included a jar opener and bag cutter tools. The more it could do, the more value it offered in both space savings and practical use.

Black & Decker bought out GE's small appliances in 1984, and Spacemaker can openers fell under its branding. You can still find them on Amazon today, but they're not cheap. At nearly $200, the Black & Decker Slimline Spacemaker Can Opener is quite an investment for a can opener. Other brands, like the Elitra Home 3 in 1 Under the Cabinet Electric Can Opener, are under $40.

While there is a lot of nostalgia for the old GE versions, which apparently lasted a long time, more modern ones don't always get such positive feedback. One reviewer on Amazon called the Elitra Home can opener "garbage," saying it was too big, too noisy, too hard to install. "All it succeeded in doing was gnawing the entire edge of the can until it was a mess and making it easy to cut myself in the process," they said. Installation has been a hassle for numerous customers on both Amazon and Walmart.

Vintage models can still be found on eBay, but their remaining lifespan can't be known. It's clear that many people who had them in the past found them very helpful and remember them fondly. However, modern versions don't seem to be up to par. Since they can't work during a power outage, your best bet may be to buy an affordable manual can opener instead.