How to open a can without a can opener?

When it comes to cooking, one of the things that can be quite frustrating is when you need to open a can but cannot find your can opener.  This situation arises very commonly for people who live alone and do not have many kitchen appliances or for those who are camping or living in an apartment building where they don’t have access to their own kitchen.

        Luckily, there are quite a few ways that you can open a can without the use of your trusty old can opener.  There are even cheap tools available at stores like Walmart for opening cans with items typically found in most homes.

How Can I Open A Can Without a Can Opener?

        As mentioned above, there is no need to panic if you cannot find your can opener.  There are many other ways to open a can that will not require the purchase of any special tools.

        The first and simplest way to open a can without an opener is using brute force. All you need is a hard surface, such as a countertop or sidewalk, and a sharp object to insert into the top rim of the can in order to puncture it. You can use a knife for this if they happen to be in your kitchen drawer, but another household item that works well in this situation is a key. Be careful when opening cans in this manner because sometimes when puncturing the lid it becomes lodged under the rim and causes the entire top portion of the can to come off, creating a great big mess.   

        If you happen to have salt and pepper shakers in your kitchen, you can use them to puncture the lid of the can. These are especially useful if you only need small amounts for cooking purposes since they typically come in smaller cans.    Either method will work equally well provided that you do it carefully to avoid any dangerous accidents.

        Another way to open a can without a can opener is by using boiling water. When doing this, make sure that you are wearing oven mitts to protect your hands from the heat of the water or from being splashed with boiling liquid. All you need is some hot tap water and then pour it into the top rim of the can.  You might need to do this a couple of times in order for it to work, but the steam that will form under the lid will cause it to weaken and eventually come off.  

        Now if for whatever reason, you cannot locate either boiling water or salt and pepper shakers in your kitchen drawers then you will need to use other items that are typically found in most homes. Take a box opener or pair of scissors and carefully insert them into each side of the can to create a cross shape. Then, take the edge of the lid and lift it up off of one side.   If you have trouble with this step then try using pliers instead to grip onto the edge of the can before trying again until you succeed in opening it.

          For those who might not be quite strong enough for this method, there is one final solution; use your car keys. Make sure that you are wearing gloves or holding the keys wrapped in something safe like an oven mitt before attempting this technique because once they puncture through the can they will be extremely hot and could cause injury if handled without proper protection. Simply place them over each end of the rim on opposite sides and push down into it firmly until enough of the lid has been punctured so that you can grip it and lift.

                Remember, when opening cans without a can opener, take your time and be careful not to get cut by any sharp edges or to splash yourself with boiling liquid. Also, be sure to use oven mitts when handling hot water or rubber gloves for your hands when using boiling liquids. If all else fails then try out the car keys because although they might not always work, it is better than resorting to eating cold canned goods!

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