Mine stopped working after two weeks. Is it broken?
Check the batteries first, because a motorised opener asks a lot of them and weak cells are the simplest explanation for an opener that slows, stalls or will not start. Fit a fresh set and try again. If it still will not run, it may well be a genuine fault: some units do stop working within weeks, and reliability is this opener's biggest weakness. Contact the seller even if you are outside the return period; the seller may still be willing to put it right.
What batteries should I use?
Fresh AA batteries. A set can last 30 to 40 uses, though that will vary with the cans you open and the batteries you choose. When the opener starts to slow or stall partway round a can, change the batteries before concluding anything else, and take them out if the opener will sit unused for a long spell so they cannot leak.
Does it leave sharp edges?
No, and this is the main reason to own one. The stainless steel blade cuts along the side of the can rather than down through the lid, so the lid comes away whole and neither it nor the can is left with a sharp cut edge. Smooth edges are its clearest strength, and it is simple enough for a 12-year-old to use with no risk of a cut.
Will it open dented or very large cans?
It is built for everyday kitchen cans, and it works on several sizes of can. Openers of this type follow the rim as they travel, so a badly dented rim is the most likely thing to stop it, and forcing it will not help. If a cut is left incomplete, setting the opener back on the uncut section and running it again finishes the job.
Is it a good gift for an elderly relative?
It can be, and it is the use Kitchen Mama designs it for. Someone in their late seventies with painful arthritis, or recovering from two broken wrists, is exactly who it helps most. Set it up first: fit the batteries, which weak or injured hands may need help with, open several cans yourself, and show them that it keeps running until the button is pressed again. Because reliability is uneven, keep the receipt, since the person most likely to need it is also the person least likely to chase a return.
How should I clean it?
Wipe the blade area, underside and magnet clean after use, and never put the body in water or the dishwasher, since it runs on batteries. A disinfecting wipe does the job. Keeping food residue off the underside also keeps the magnet lifting lids reliably.