KitchenCraft Can Crusher, Foot Operated for Cans and Sturdy Tins, Folding and Locking Design, 12 x 16 cm

Excellent, well made product. Made out of weighty steel - feels solid and robust. The locking mechanism may be a weak point, but there was a small flat magnet in the packaging, so when open I attach the magnet to the clip, so it keeps it out of the way. For steel tins (eg: beans, soup, dog food) you must ensure you use the pin screwed into the hole (careful when opening the package - the screw pin, the retaining bar, and a small magnet are loose in the box). Now press down so that the pin and the bar holds the tin in place, then apply full pressure with foot. Job done. Aluminium cans very easy to crush, but ensure they are up against the retaining bar or they will fly out. Try a few tins first to get used to it, requires a little input, but once mastered the results are excellent. I have always crushed plastic bottles, milk cartons and card boxes to save space in my recycling bin, but this is the next step. With the Kitchen Kraft Can Crusher, I would be happy if I only needed to put my bin out for collection once every 6 weeks - its that good - a perfect addition to my other space saving techniques. At £14 (April 2020) this is currently the cheapest price on offer, and the prime membership means next day delivery too. Highly recommend this product.

So, what this very simple gadget does is flatten tin cans and it does it very effectively. I contemplated a wall mounted can crusher first but realised that the pressure it would take to squash a tin can top to bottom would result in probably tearing half a wall down. So this seemed a more sensible option. It flattens the cans along their length (ie you lay them on their side) which means there is far less strength in the can available to resist. There is an end "bar" which is in fact just a bolt which you can place in 2 positions to stop the cans sliding out. There is also a grub screw which can also be placed in 2 positions and helps dent the can to help it collapse. Overall the design is very simple and functional, it doesn't need to be complicated. The construction is very heavy, which if you're going to use something to squash metal then you want it to be. Usage is simple, if you've managed to find yourself sat looking at the reviews for this thing then in theory you already possess enough intelligence to work out that you pop a can between the two metal plates then stand on the top plate, thus flattening said can like a pair of pants in a hotel trouser press. Drinks cans squash very easily, some food tins may take a bit more pressure but will flatten completely once they start too. The mechanism folds flat and has a hook to latch it closed, again simple and functional. with the bar in place you need to apply some degree of pressure to close it enough to latch (but it will close enough, just!). If you're recycling correctly then you will have washed your empty cans out, if not then things will get a bit messy but it can be washed down. I've would give this 5 stars on the basis that it is fully functional with no fuss, I've dropped it to 4 stars because I feel that the price, for what this is, could easily be quite a bit lower.

Very stable, very easy to use, does what it says on the tin (smashing)

Absolutely fantastic piece of kit, seriously worth the extra money because it will last for years, unlike the cheap ones! Crushes everything you could possibly want to put in your bins, giving you LOADS of extra room! A crushed can takes up three times less space in your bin than one left whole.

This is ok for coke size cans (alum or steel) but it doesn't deal with larger size ones well. A few mods would solve issues I've experienced - * Fit a steel plate across the top part where you press down with your foot. The way it is, the raised sides make it difficult to apply an even pressure. My foot (size 10) is too wide to fit within the side bits so there's no flat surface to stand down on * Add another hole for the bar roughly in the middle. As it is now, larger cans slip back too easily. * Make it an inch or so wider so it can fully crush larger cans. Just now it can't do so because the crush area is too narrow and as the can starts to flatten, it jams against the raised sides before it gets fully flattened. Making it wider would also make it more stable when standing down on. It's pretty wobbly at the moment So overall I'm glad I got it, but disappointed with some basic limitations.

The simple design and sturdiness make this a great product The only advice I would give is shop around as there appear to be the exact same model about a third cheaper and as I purchased three of them I would have save a fair bit of money But certainly help with recycling and creating more bin space

Total waste of money. Recently moved to the Isle of Man and horrified that they don’t collect recycling. I’m paying privately for collections but the boxes are tiny and they need cans crushed. This item is awful and not fit for purpose. The retaining bar doesn’t stop the cans sliding down as you step on it which means cans skip over the bar and get crushed over it making them difficult to extract. For the same reason the piercing spike doesn’t work because the can slides away from it as you put pressure on it. Virtually impossible to crush a normal baked bean type can even if you do spike it and I’m 16 stone of weight on the crusher. Might as well have burned the money I paid for this. No stars if I could.

Does the job, but the closure hook a bit of a pain. Happy with purchase.