Canned food has become a part of our lives. And now it’s hard to imagine your existence without this. Neat tin cans are very easy to use. They allow you to store the desired product for a long time without requiring special conditions. Many special devices have been invented to open such containers. But sometimes situations arise when these necessary items are simply not at hand. What to do in this case? How to open a tin can without an opener? It turns out that there are several interesting ways to do this. As an example, we can consider some of them.

With a knife

People do not always use some items for their intended purpose. Their ingenuity allows them to use the simplest things for the right purposes in a difficult situation. For example, there is a tin can of stew, but there is no way to open it. What to do in this case? How to open a tin can without an opener? This is where an ordinary kitchen or

You just need to follow a few simple steps:

1. First, the jar itself needs to be placed on your knees or held tightly between your legs. Otherwise, it may jump to the side, and the person risks getting hurt.
2. After this, the tip of the knife should be placed at the very edge of the jar, positioning it vertically to the surface.
3. Holding the handle with one hand, you need to strike it with a strong blow from above with the other. In this case, part of the tip will be inside the container.
4. Then, using forward movements, you should carefully cut the lid, moving the knife strictly along the diameter of the circle.
5. Pry the cut edge with the tip and lift it up.

This is one of the most popular options for how to open a can without an opener. Most men use it. As you know, many of them constantly carry a knife with them. And having a certain physical strength, it will not be difficult for any of them to perform simple actions.

With bare hands

Sometimes, by the will of fate, people find themselves in situations where they have nothing in their hands that could help solve such a problem. In this case, they have to rely only on themselves, deciding how to open a tin can without an opener. There is a method that only a strong and physically developed person can use. To do this, he will only need his own hands. The whole process consists of three stages:

• Holding the jar between your palms in a horizontal position, use the fingers of both hands to make a dent on the side surface exactly in the middle. After this, press the edges again so that the container bends even more in this place.
• Repeat the same steps on the opposite side.
• Firmly grasping both bottoms with your hands, make counter forward movements. As a result, the deflection points will crack and the can can be divided into two equal parts.

True, this method is applicable only if there is not a large amount of liquid inside the container. Although even this circumstance will not stop a hungry person.

Subtleties of design

But the use of force is not the only way out of such a situation. Yes, and the knife may not be at hand. How then to extract its contents from a tin container? Don't throw it away in this case. Sometimes the clue lies in the technical side of the issue. Understanding the technology of sealing food in tin containers, you can figure out how to open a tin can without an opener and a knife.

As you know, in industrial enterprises the process of rolling a tin container is that the edges of the lid are bent around the cylindrical base of the container using a press. To remove it, you need to remove the protruding layer of metal. This is very easy to do:

1. You need to take the jar in your hand so that its bottom lies in your palm.
2. Turn it upside down.
3. Pressing the jar onto a hard, rough surface (concrete, stone), make circular movements. Literally in 2-3 minutes the “side” will be erased. After this, all you have to do is lightly press the container from the sides, and the lid will bounce off to the side.

This method can be useful for those who find themselves far from civilization and do not take care of everything they need in time.

Non-standard use of cutlery

People always try to stock up on all sorts of clever gadgets to make their lives easier. But sometimes the situation gets out of control, and it becomes necessary to look for a non-standard way out of the situation. For example, you need to decide how to open a tin can without an opener at home. To do this, you can use the simplest tablespoon.

The whole process will, of course, take some time. But this problem is fading into the background. To open a regular tin can:

• Hold the container tightly with one hand. It can be placed on a table or held on your lap.
• Take a spoon in your other hand and rub it with its edge along the lid in the place where it comes into close contact with the “side”. Tin is a relatively soft material, so after just a few minutes a gap will form in that very place. It is advisable to do this around the entire perimeter.
• After this, you can use strong pressure to expand the resulting hole as much as possible. And then, using the spoon as a lever, lift and remove the lid.

It is better to do this work with cutlery made from more durable material. Therefore, an aluminum spoon will not work for this.

Canned food has long been firmly established in our lives. They are used not only by those who are too lazy to cook on their own and prefer to only heat up semi-finished products from an iron can, but also by professional chefs who often add canned vegetables, green peas and other products to their original dishes. At the same time, some novice cooks may have problems opening a tin can. This question becomes especially relevant when you have to cook in unusual conditions and you don’t have the necessary tools at hand. What to do in such cases?

However, we’ll move on to extreme situations a little later; we’ll start this conversation with standard methods of opening cans.

Usually, special devices are used for this - can openers. The simplest design of products of this kind is a handle on which a cutting part in the form of a metal crescent with a pointed end is attached. By the way, this model, which first appeared in the USA in 1942, is still recognized as the simplest and most ingenious invention of mankind. The P-38 can opener was created by engineers at the Chicago Life Support Research Laboratory. It was intended for soldiers in the active army, whose main diet during World War II consisted of 80% dry rations. Despite the rapid technological progress of the second half of the 20th century, this knife remained in service with the American army until 1981, when cans with a special tongue on the lid appeared - as soon as you pulled it towards yourself, the cans opened by themselves.

So to regular can opener open a tin can, place it on a table or other flat and durable surface, place the tip of the cutting part close to the inside of the side, then, holding the knife by the handle with one hand, apply a gentle blow to it with the other. Next, you need to push the tip of the knife deeper into the hole formed, then rest the opposite end against the lid and gently press on the handle. As a result of this movement, a force is created at the end of the knife equal to a pressure of 3 tons per 1 square millimeter. Thanks to this, the thin sheet metal lid can be cut very easily. Having opened one section, you will need to move the knife a little forward and cut through the next fragment of the lid in the same way. Moving in this way in a circle, they cut through the entire lid, with the exception of a small section, after which the lid is folded up. During this operation, you should be very careful not to injure your hand on the sharp edge of the tin sheet.

There is a can opener of a more complex design, the use of which makes the task of opening a can easier. Back in 1878, the first device of this kind appeared. It was a kind of compass, which with one leg was stuck in the center of the can, and the second, equipped with a sharp cutting wheel, moved around the perimeter. It was difficult to use, so designers constantly improved such knives. The result was a knife with a gear, which was driven by a special handle. Its purpose is to rotate the jar as the lid is opened. They use it this way: the protruding rim of the can is securely fixed between the gear and the cutting part of the knife, and then they begin to rotate the handle. This method requires much less effort, and the cut is more even.

Not long ago another one appeared type of can opener - electric. With their help, you can open any jar in a matter of seconds. In this case, you don’t even have to worry about keeping the container in the desired position. Since this is achieved due to the built-in magnet, and the can itself is securely clamped between the gear wheel and the knife blade. When using such a household appliance, you need to be careful not to injure yourself. In addition, different models have their own characteristics, so before starting work it is better to carefully study the attached instructions.

But what if you don’t have a special device at hand? There are several ways to open canned food without using a can opener. The most basic one is to use with a regular knife. Using its tip, they punch a hole in the jar, and then simply cut the lid along the rim. This does not require a very sharp knife, but the steel from which it is made should preferably be hard, otherwise the product will have to be thrown away after the procedure.

There are more exotic options, the possession of which will be useful for lovers of travel and country walks. If you don’t have even the most ordinary knife available far from civilization, you can open canned food using a natural stone. To do this, you need to find a hard rock boulder with a sufficiently large and flat surface.

Great a concrete slab will do, if she is nearby, of course. So, turn the jar over, place the lid down on the stone and, pressing on it, make circular movements. After some time, the jar will open by itself. The main thing here is not to miss the right moment, otherwise the contents of the jar will end up on the stone. The point is that in the factory, the cans are closed by simply folding them over, resulting in the same rim around the perimeter of the can. If you grind it off, the lid will fall off by itself.

And finally, really primitive way– arm yourself with a stone, place the can on its edge, and deliver a gentle blow. As a result, the jar will bend and the lid will crack, after which it will be possible to use a flat object to widen the hole and remove the contents through it.

It would seem like a far-fetched problem to open a tin can with your bare hands. But, according to the law of meanness, there are always situations when just such a skill would be very useful. Although the videos in this post will seem a little strange, even epic, their usefulness cannot be ruled out. As they say, who knows?

The author of all videos is an experienced “survivalist” - Grigory Sokolov. He became famous for his simple video tips for those who are interested in the possibility of life in the forest. In addition to non-standard methods of making fire, options for making housing, obtaining food and drinking water, you can find life hacks that are quite useful in everyday life. For example, how to open canned food without special kitchen tools, namely with your bare hands.

3 ways to open canned food without a can opener

How to open canned food with bare hands

Opening a flat tin can with bare hands

And after canned food is opened, it is not necessary to eat it cold. It's possible ;)

Have you gone on a picnic, a hike or a wild trip? You certainly took food supplies with you, including canned food. But no one thought about a can opener! How to open a tin can if you don’t have an opener at hand? Let's look at several effective ways.

How to open a tin can with a knife

This is the easiest and most popular way to open a can if you don’t have an opener at home. Open the jar with a knife very carefully. At the same time, you should not hold it on your knees or between your legs - the knife may slip, which will lead to a cut.

You can open a tin can with any knife - a pocket knife, a camp knife, or a simple chef's knife. To do this, the tip of the knife must be placed against the edge of the tin can. With one hand you need to hold on to the handle of the knife, and with the other, carefully but firmly hit from above. Under no circumstances hold onto the blade while opening - even the dullest knife can cause cuts. When you punch a hole in the lid of a can, use a knife to carefully cut the lid along its entire diameter. After this, carefully pry the edge of the lid with a knife and lift it up. There is no need to pry or lift the lid with your bare hands - there is a high risk of cutting yourself with the sharp edges of the metal.

How to open a glass jar

Canned food in glass jars has two types of lids. The first type is screw caps, which are usually used in production. The second type of lids are simple lids, which we use in home canning, that is, when screwing them on.

To open the screw cap, you just need to pry it open with a knife and let air in. At the same time, you will hear a characteristic pop, which indicates that the contents of the jar were suitable for consumption. If you don’t have a knife at hand, you can simply hit the lid with something to make it slam. This could be a small rubber mallet, a rolling pin, or just your elbow.

If you want to open home canned food, you need to use a knife. To do this, mark the letter “L” or a tick on the lid. The corner and ends of the proposed “daw” should rest against the circumference of the lid. Insert a knife into the lid and cut the lid along the marked lines. After this, carefully bend the sharp corner of the tin and hook it with a knife. Then wind the cut part of the tin around the knife until the very end of the lid. Remaining tin lids are very easy to remove. At the same time, be careful - do not cut your hands - all actions should be performed only with a knife.

How to open a jar with pliers

A tin can is a container with a lid. The smooth side with oval edges is the bottom of the can, and the side with sides is the top. So, to open the jar, you just need to push the sides out to the sides with pliers. After this, the canned food will open without difficulty.

Open the jar using a flat stone

To open a can, you simply need to “erase” the soldered areas between the can and the lid. To do this, turn the jar upside down, that is, the sides down. After this, rub the jar on a flat, rough stone for about three minutes. Then press down on the sides of the jar and the lid will pop off on its own. This is an easy way to open a tin can when traveling.

How to open a jar with a spoon

This becomes especially relevant in hiking conditions, when there are no sharp or cutting objects at hand. In principle, this method is similar to opening a can with a knife, but in this case, instead of a knife, a regular spoon is used. The hardest part about this is making the first hole. To do this, rub a spoon along the edge of the tin until you get a hole. After this, you need to go around the entire circumference with a spoon. This method of opening a can requires a lot of strength.

How to open a jar with bare hands

If you don't have anything suitable for opening the jar on hand, this process can be done with your bare hands. This is not fiction!

You need to make a deflection on the side edge of the can. To do this, press firmly on the edge with your fingers - the side will bend in the middle. After this, visually divide the side surface into three parts to make another deflection, which will be like the second face of an isosceles triangle. There is no need to create a third edge.

When you have two folds on the side edges, you will need to bend the can first to one side of the edge, then to the other. Do this many times, after which the angle between the edges will become soft. After some manipulations, the tin will simply tear between the folds, and you will be able to see the contents of the can. A few more movements and you will open the jar completely, like an envelope. This way you can open the jar using only your hands.

The tin can just looks scary. Looking at her, it may seem that nothing but a can opener can defeat her. However, knowing a few tricks will help you open cans without an opener.

Video: how to open a tall tin can with bare hands

Our magazine continues to sprinkle camp romance from bright monitors. And why? But because it’s summer, mosquitoes, a fire, “The bend of a yellow guitar” in drunken voices and the romance of summer nights. What do you want most of all in the oxygen-enriched fresh air? That's right, have a snack. Well, or just eat. And the most popular food is, as you know, stew. But bad luck, it’s impossible to take everything into account, and you will definitely forget the knife. Or a bottle opener. And since hunger is putting more and more pressure on the morale of the team, something needs to be decided. You can simply throw the can as hard as you can against the stones, but not everyone likes sandy meat. And licking pieces from the mortal earth is not very pleasant. Fortunately, human ingenuity has come up with other ways.
In general, these methods will be useful not only on a hike, but in any place where hunger overtakes you.

Friction

If you are not bothered by aluminum shavings in your food and leaked liquid, we recommend using this method, as old as the Earth itself.
1. Find a large rock or just any other very hard surface (concrete bunker).
2. Modern cans (and we hope you eat modern canned food), sealed using a seaming machine, have a protrusion on top, which is the place connecting the lid and the can itself. You take it and start rubbing this protrusion on the stone
4. As soon as you see liquid starting to flow out of the jar, stop and turn the jar over.
5. Pry the tattered jar with something - the lid will fall off without difficulty.
6. Enjoy!

Spoon

And again the great force of friction saves you from hunger!
If you don’t have a bottle opener, you can use a simple spoon. It's always there, unless you eat with your hands, of course. The main thing is that the spoon is not aluminum, otherwise it is not known who will emerge victorious from the duel - the jar or the spoon.
1. Take a simple tablespoon.
2. Using the side of a spoon, rub the lid of the jar at the side. You won't have to rub for long. You yourself will feel the moment when you need to stop.
3. Press the edge of the spoon onto the places you just rubbed.
4. The jar will be pressed, and you can take out the food.

With bare hands

The next method is for real men with big hands without traces of a pedicure and a great desire to show off in front of others. The main thing is to have considerable strength in your hands and practical experience. By the way, if you haven’t forgotten, cans can be elongated and flat. With the right technique, you can open both.
1. Take a jar. You squeeze it at both ends with your palms.
2. Place your big powerful fingers in the middle of the can, squeeze it with your palms and press a dent with your fingers.
3. Bend the can in the other direction.
4. You bend it until the flimsy aluminum breaks.
By the way, it is better to take an aluminum can. She is, so to speak, more pliable. But this is not the only nuance. As you understand, the raging juices will frantically burst out of the tin, staining everything around. So it’s a good idea to put it in a bag.

Saw

The option is terribly simple and banal. If you have nothing to open it with, but you have a saw lying around, use it.
1. Take a hacksaw.
2. Cut off the top of the can.
3. That's it. Did you think it would be something fantastic?

Hammer and knife/chisel/screwdriver

This method is very, very risky. The fact is that both the hammer and the chisel can bounce off and injure something like that. But we believe in you. In addition, on a hike, in the absence of an ax and a chisel (well, who carries a chisel with them on a hike!), you can use a knife and a stone. But here the stakes are higher. A hammer and chisel (or a flat-head screwdriver) is more of a garage option when you decide to have a snack in your workshop, but, as always, you don’t have a bottle opener at hand.
1. Take a hammer and chisel.
2. Place the chisel on the top edge of the jar.
3. Gently tap the tool to make the first hole. Keep the chisel straight, not at an angle, otherwise there is a risk that it will slip.
4. Rotate the can a little, then position the chisel for the new hole. Strike again. Continue hitting the top of the jar until the lid is completely open.