While most canned goods have an easy-open tab, you may still find yourself in a situation where the tab has broken or the can is missing an easy-open tab. Worse yet, what if you don't have a can opener? Starving is not an option, so what to do? Learn how to open a can without a can opener.
You can use any of these 8 different ways to open the cans without a "real" can opener of any kind.
Method 1. Use a survival or pocket knife
Just about any reasonably sized knife, whether it's a Swiss Army knife, paring knife, or survival knife blade, will do. To open a can with a knife, follow these steps:
Paso 1.
Place can upright and on a flat, stable, level surface.
Paso 2.
Wield the knife backwards. Hold the knife vertically and place the tip of the blade against the inside edge of the can lid.
Paso 3.
With your free hand, strike the handle of the knife firmly but gently, palm down. If you feel you can't drive the knife in hard enough, you can use a brick or rock to drive the knife in, being careful not to hit your hand or damage the knife.
Paso 3.
With your free hand, strike the handle of the knife firmly but gently, palm down. If you feel you can't drive the knife in hard enough, you can use a brick or rock to drive the knife in, being careful not to hit your hand or damage the knife.
paso 4
Place the knife at the front edge of the puncture you made and repeat steps 3 and 4 until the edge of the lid is completely "surrounded" with punctures.
paso 5
Carefully remove the now loose lid from the can. Do not use your fingers to do this, the jagged edges of the can are extremely sharp. If you want, you can pry the lid off with a smaller knife.
Method 2. With a spoon
Yes, you can open a can with a spoon. Just make sure the spoon is metal, not wood or plastic, and that it's sturdy. Use a real spoon and not a metal "fork"; small tips can only be bent or broken without piercing the cap.
To open a can with a spoon, do the following:
Paso 1.
Place the can on a flat, level and stable surface.
Paso 2.
As with the knife in Method 1, take the spoon and place the tip of the spoon on the edge of the lid. Make sure the "bowl" of the spoon is pointing toward the center of the can.
Paso 3.
Hold the tip of the spoon at one point on the lid, then press down on the lid and "shake" the spoon in a back and forth "saw" motion. This continuous movement should wear down and eventually penetrate the top of the can.
paso 4
Once the cap is pierced, continue the motion until the entire cap is "cut."
paso 5
Carefully pry open the lid by sticking your spoon under. Slowly push the lid up with the spoon to reveal the contents of the tin. Please note that the edges of the open lid are still very sharp. To remove the cap completely, use your hands, but only if you're wearing gloves, or use a towel, rag, rag, or your shirt sleeve to protect yourself.
Method 3. Use a chef's knife
If you have a large chef's knife, DO NOT use it like other smaller knives. Chef's knives can be very sharp, but they are too thin and flexible to be used according to Method 1. If you use it this way, the blade will bend or even break, putting you at great risk of injury. besides not opening the can.
If you're using a chef's knife, use the "heel" of the blade instead. Follow these steps to safely open a can with this type of knife:
Paso 1.
Place the can on a flat, stable and stable surface. Do not attempt this method with the can between your legs, on your lap, or while holding the can; the blade could slip and you could be seriously injured.
Paso 2.
Hold the chef's knife firmly where the handle and blade meet, with the blade pointing toward you. Place your thumb on the side of the blade to avoid interfering with the "heel" of the blade and risk cutting your thumb. Never use this method with any other knife; The weight of the blade is critical to the success and safety of performing this method.
Paso 3.
Hold the can on a flat surface and place the tip of the chef's knife on the edge of the can lid. Press gently but firmly on the lid of the can to make a hole.
paso 4
Repeat the process around the perimeter of the lid. The cap should now be loose and easy to remove. After making several punctures in the cap, you may be tempted to turn the blade over and cut away any remaining unopened areas of the cap. No. Stick to using the back of the blade, as you could break the tip of the chef's knife and even injure yourself.
paso 5
After drilling most of the top of the can, proceed to remove it. Position the blade under the lid, then pull up to safely remove the lid and reveal the contents.
Again, never touch the lid or remove it from the can with your bare hands. Wear gloves or protect your hand with a towel, cloth, rag, or your shirt sleeve.
Method 4. Use of concrete pavement, rough rock or concrete blocks.
If you don't have a knife or spoon within reach, you can hit the pavement and find another way. Or more specifically, rub the can directly on the pavement. A hollow cinder block also works well for this method. The key is to have a really abrasive surface; A smooth tile or piece of plaster will not work. They need friction to work their magic on the lid of the can. For this method, follow the steps below:
Paso 1.
Look for a large, flat, rough surface such as a concrete pavement, the wide face of a cinder block, or even a large, flat rock with a rough surface.
Paso 2.
Place the can upside down on the sidewalk, a rock, or a hollow concrete block. This allows you to break the seal.
Paso 3.
Using a "scouring" motion, rub the can back and forth over the stone while applying even pressure. Continue rubbing the can over the rough surface until the moisture from the can appears on the stone; Turn the can upside down to see if any moisture has collected in it. Stop rubbing the can over the rough surface if you notice a buildup of moisture. If you continue to rub the can after moisture has collected, you risk rubbing the lid, spilling the contents of the can and wasting it.
paso 4
The lid of the can should be thin enough to pierce through and remove. You can use a pocket knife, small knife, spoon, butter knife, or similar tool. Sometimes the lid even gets so thin that you can squeeze both sides of the can with both hands and the whole lid pops off. You can also use a small rock to break the lid, but only do this as a last resort; The result could be messy, and the food could be contaminated with pebbles and dirt.
Method 5. Use an axe/tomahawk
The Native Americans may not have done this with their tomahawks, but if you have a tomahawk or survival hatchet available, you can use them to open canned goods.
Follow these steps:
Paso 1.
Hold the can on its side on a flat, stable surface.
Paso 2.
Grasp the hatchet or tomahawk by the handle just below the base of the blade and carefully cut through the can just below the lid.
Paso 3.
Continue cutting through the can in a slow but steady "rake" motion. You can stop about 75 percent of the way to the can's perimeter, and then use the ax or hawk to pry up the lid. You can see how this can be done in the first few seconds, and see the other methods in the rest of the video:
Method 6. Tin scissors
If you don't have any of the other tools handy but do have tin snips, you can use them to open a can. In fact, using tin snips is one of the easiest and "cleanest" methods, as there is no risk of spilling the contents of the can and the lid is less likely to have jagged edges. To open a can with tin snips, follow these steps:
Paso 1.
Hold the tin snips as usual and place the can on a stable, level surface. To avoid accidental injury, do not use this method while holding the can in the other hand, on your lap, or between your legs.
Paso 2.
See that "lip" that runs around the top of the can? Cut diagonally with tin snips.
Paso 3.
Continue cutting the edge, slowly turning the can as you cut.
paso 4
Once you've cut about 75 percent of the lip, gently lift the lid.
Method 7. Tweezers
Flat nose pliers are best for this method, not needle nose pliers. To open a can with pliers, follow these steps:
Paso 1.
Place the can on an even, flat and stable surface. Do not hold it in your "free" hand, or place it on your lap or between your legs.
Paso 2.
While holding the tongs in one hand, use them to "attack" part of the rim of the can; Crimp and pinch gently but forcefully.
Paso 3.
Continue folding and flattening around the edge of the can; This weakens the hold of the lid on the can. Once you have folded the cover all the way, carefully remove it.
Method 8. Use your own hands
This is the dirtiest and potentially riskiest way to open a can. Note that this is best used on larger cans that have grooves or "ribs" around their perimeter. Only do this as an absolute last resort. Follow these steps:
Paso 1.
Tear all the labels off the can and find the ridges.
Paso 2.
Hold the can with one hand at each end, then press your fingers into the grooves near the center of the side facing up. If your hands aren't strong or big enough for this, place the can on the floor and press it against the grooves with the "ball of your hand."
Paso 3.
Once you've made a dent in one side, rotate the can 180 degrees and slide your fingers back into the grooves.
paso 4
Make the dents even deeper on both sides of the can. To do this, hold the can horizontally with the palms of your hands on the flat top and bottom lids. Position the "heels" of your hands so they are on top of the now flatter areas and closer to the outer edges rather than the center of the can. Squeeze the two ends together by pushing them in with your hands. Repeat on the other side.
paso 5
Continue pressing on both sides of the can, applying the same amount of pressure to evenly deepen the dents on both sides. Interlock your fingers as you press to make it easier. Keep doing this until the can develops an "hourglass" shape.
paso 6
When the body cannot be dented any further, grasp both ends of the can firmly and continue to slowly separate the can. You can bend the can towards you to "open" it from the center. Gently scoop out the contents into a separate container and sift out any metal fragments that may have gotten mixed in with the food.
closing remarks
Opening canned goods without a can opener is nothing new, because the interesting story of canned goods is that its most important "partner",the can opener was only invented 50 years agoafter thisSomeone invented the humble tin cylinder to preserve and store food.
If you ever come across unopened canned goods but can't find a handy opener, get creative. It might be awkward, unconventional, perhaps messy, and something you're not used to, but there are obviously other ways our ancestors opened cans.
If these methods have inspired you to open canned goods in an unconventional way, you should also consider taking them.these multi-tool optionsJust in case you ever need to open a can without having a "real" can opener nearby.
As always, use the most convenient and safest method of opening cans, and as a last resort, use the "bare hands" method and always protect your hands and fingers before handling jagged edges.