Opening cans the hard way
There are other methods, but none quite stand up to the classic can opener
If there is such a thing as a can opener that doesn’t malfunction within a year, I haven’t found it.
Perhaps I should invest more than $5 in the next one I add to my kitchen drawer, but in the meantime, I have cans to open.
For this week’s task I consulted various online life-hack resources and tested a few methods that use household items to open cans of tuna and tomato sauce.
Test 1: Spoon or fork
The test: Grip the spoon low at the neck and work it back and forth along the edge on the top of the can until it breaks through and continue cutting the can open.
Or, using a fork, stab the point of one prong through the edge on the top of the can and work the fork around, cutting it open, using the handle end for extra leverage where needed. The result: Unless you have sharp cutlery in your kitchen, this is far too difficult to recommend. The rating: 2/10
Test 2: Knife
The test: Carefully, using a kitchen knife that has a sharp heel — such as a chef’s knife or Santoku knife — punch the heel of the knife (the 90degree angle point before the blade connects to the handle) along the edge on the top of the can and continue around, cutting the can open. The result: This is better than the spoon and fork method, but more dangerous and still difficult. Depending on the type of can and the sharpness of the knife, you may need to punch the knife like a hammer a few extra times. Don’t hammer with the tip of the blade. Use the heel so that the edge of the blade is pointed away from you.
Try using a utility or X-Acto knife instead, which provides more precision and a sharper blade. The rating: 6/10 Test 3: Hand file or concrete The test: Use a hand file on top of the can or rub the can upside down on concrete. File down all edges for about 3-5 minutes.
It’s difficult to see when it’s ready to pop, but once you’ve filed the rim down enough, wipe away any shavings and lightly squeeze from two sides of the top of the can to dislodge the top. The result: While the other methods leave jagged edges, this one takes the lid off cleanly. It takes time, but it works. The rating: 8/10 Conclusion: The hand file/concrete method is worth trying for the satisfaction of popping the lid off so easily. But they invented can openers for a reason. Most life hacks for opening a can require more effort and time than many people would probably like to spend getting to their food. Jonathan Forani is a Toronto-based freelance journalist in search of ways to make everything a little easier. Still looking for a life hack to six-pack abs