How To Open A Can Without A Can Opener
Here is how to open a can without a can opener. Maybe you were in a rush when you packed. Maybe you find yourself in a situation you didn’t plan on and don’t have all the necessary equipment. Or maybe your cheap dollar store contraption finally stops working (why didn’t I buy more as backups?)
There are many situations where you could find yourself needing to open a can, but you are without a can opener. And I include a video at the end for you to watch too if you prefer.
You can open a can without a can opener in one of the following ways: use a spoon to force a hole open in the lid of a can and slice open the rest of the lid; use the heel of a butchers knife to cut the lid open in small sections; use a rough surface to grind away the seal on the can’s top edge.
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The Three Best Ways To Open A Can Without A Can Opener
Right now, somebody, somewhere in the world, is opening a can without a can opener. If they can do it, so can you.
The biggest thing to remember is that cans are designed to be opened. With a little ingenuity, a splash of patience, and sometimes a little brute force, you can easily open a can without a can opener.
So before you try to pry the can open with a pocket knife, read on.
The three ways suggested by survivalists, homesteaders, and anyone who has been stuck without a can opener are the following:
- Use a hard metal spoon to vigorously poke a hole into the top of the can and then peel the lid off by force.
- Use the heel of a chef’s knife to puncture the top of the can and then cut the rest of the lid off with the sharp edge of the knife.
- Grind away the top ridge/edge of the lid and pull the whole lid off.
The good news is that you will almost always have access to a hard metal spoon, a knife with a heel, or at the very least a rough surface (even a rock will do) when you forget your can opener.
How To Open A Can With A Hard Metal Spoon
Where possible, work on a flat and stable surface. Even though a spoon is not sharp, it can still damage your skin and hand. If you have one available, wrap a towel or cloth around the can to protect your hand.
- Hold the can firmly on the flat surface in your non-dominant hand.
- Using your dominant hand, grip the spoon tightly and place it at a 90⁰ angle to the lid of the can. The bowl of the spoon should be the side resting on the can.
- The round part of the spoon should nestle in your palm with your four fingers wrapping around it into the bowl and your thumb wrapped around to grip it firmly. Your pinky should be on the side of the bowl furthest from the handle and your index finger on the side closest to the handle. Leave the tip of the spoon poking out from your pinky.
- Place the tip of the spoon bowl in the corner of the lid where the lid meets the rim of the can.
- Pushing firmly downwards, rub the tip of the spoon back and forth about one inch in the crevice between the lip and the lid. The friction and pressure from the spoon tip will thin the metal, eventually opening up a small hole in the can lid.
Depending on the strength of the spoon you have, you can open the rest of the can lid in one of two ways:
- If you have a weaker spoon, the first is to repeat this process all around the rim of the can. Make a series of small incisions using friction and force until enough of the lid is open to empty the contents of the can.
- This second option may be better for you if you have a sturdy spoon. Using the tip of the spoon, force the tip into the hole you have made, cutting the edges of the hole. Choose a direction and use force to keep cutting the edge of the incision until you have worked around the whole rim of the can.
- Slide the spoon under the lid and push the lid upwards and out the way.
Do not use your fingers to open the lid, as the edges will be extremely sharp.
How To Open A Can With A Chef’s Knife
A second good and easy way to open a can without a can opener is to use the heel of a chef’s knife to make a hole in the lid of the can and then slice the rest of the lid open with the blade.
The heel of a chef’s knife is the part of the blade closest to the handle that sticks out below the handle. This forms a sharp ‘V’ shape if you hold the knife at a 45⁰ angle. It is this ‘V’ that will make the first incision hole.
- As with the spoon method above, grip the can firmly with your non-dominant hand. Use a towel or cloth if you have one.
- Place the knife’s heel on the lid of the can where the lid meets the rim.
- Push the ‘V’ into the can until it punctures it. This may take some pressure, depending on the strength of the lid. Use your body weight to push down on the blade to puncture the lid of the can.
It is not recommended to strike the can with the knife’s heel. The hole will not be in the corner of the lid where it meets the rim, and you may slip and injure yourself.
Once you have punctured the lid, move the heel of the knife one-eighth of an inch from the hole sot that the sharp part of the blade is facing the hole, and repeat the process: puncture the can in the crevice between the lid and the rim, but make sure to puncture until it cuts through to the first hole.
Repeat this unto you have cut along the edge of the lid sufficiently to open it.
How To Open A Can On A Rough Surface
If you don’t have a metal spoon or a chef’s knife available, there is one other method of opening a can without a can opener you can try.
Find a flat rock or concrete slab. The flatter and rougher the surface, the better.
- Flip the can over so that the lid of the can is resting on the rough surface. Apply pressure downwards and vigorously rub the can back and forth, ensuring the rim of the can is evenly rubbing against the rough surface.
- After some time, the metal fold of the can should grind away. As this is the piece of the can that holds the lid in place, once it is ground away, it should allow you to pull the loose lid away from the can.
- It is important to do this around the entire rim; otherwise, part of the lid will remain attached to the can, making it very difficult to pull off with your fingers.
Conclusion
Even though you may not have a can opener, there are at least three ways to open a can without a can opener. Try all three out at home so that you know which method you prefer and what you are doing in an emergency — because you never know when you may need to open a can without a can opener.
