No Can Opener? Here's How To Get That Can Open Anyway
Even the most prepared people may find themselves in a kitchen dilemma every now and again like, say, not having a can opener. Canned goods are often the most important ingredient to a dish—think the pumpkin puree for pumpkin pie, the carnation milk for a flan, the beans for a bean salad! While you can Amazon Prime a can opener easily, sometimes you need to figure out how to open your can ASAP and in those cases, follow these simple tips.
It's important to note that the metal of a can is meant to be opened, so with some patience and other common tools, it's not too hard to wear a can's lid down until it opens. Do keep in mind that the metal will be sharp, so if you have the option to wear protective gear on your hands before attempting to open a can without an opener, go ahead and do so for good measure.
The best (and safest!) way to open a can when you don't have a specific tool is to use a durable spoon and some patience. Grip the bowl part of the spoon firmly so the bottom sticks out a bit, then use firm and consistent pressure to rub the edge of the spoon back and forth on the crimped edge of the can, where a can opener would typically go. Keep rubbing the spoon and the metal will eventually thin and create a hole. Once that happens, put the spoon into the hole and pry the top of the can open.
If you don't have a spoon but have a sharp knife, use the heel of the knife—the part of the black closest to the handle—to open the can as you would with a can opener. Use the knife as a lever, but be sure to have a firm grip as to avoid injury that could come with using a knife this way.
In a situation where you don't have either a spoon or a knife but really need to get into your can, a large rock or stretch of concrete can work too. If you have a soft cloth to clean the top of the lid that will help too. Basically, you'll use the rock or hard surface to essentially sand down the top ridge of the can until the seal breaks, wipe the metal shavings off, then open the lid. This method will obviously take a while, but if you're in a scenario with no tools, you likely have some time to kill.
For cases that aren't as dire or timely, I'd suggest going ahead and checking your grocery store aisle or Amazon Prime for a can opener. You'll be happy you did.
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