Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you needed to open a can, but you didn’t have the tools to get it for you?

Thankfully, there are many ways to open a can with things you probably have in your kitchen.

The most important thing to remember is that the lid of a can is actually a very thin piece of metal, and that metal is made to be opened.

Most knives, forks and spoons are much stronger and thicker, and you only need to use something that is a little stronger to pierce the surface.

Use a Spoon

You need  a spoon or another small, narrow-edged tool.

Rub the edge of the spoon back and forth along the crimped edge of the can, where the can opener would usually puncture it. Rub the metal until it is thin.

Keep rubbing.

You’ll be scraping the broken edges off later when you cut the tab. Continue scraping until you have removed as much of the aluminum as you can.

Use a Knife

A sharp Knife is the best tool for this job. A serrated knife will make short work of those stubborn hard-to-remove edges.

To open a can with a knife, hold the can in your non-dominant hand and use the knife in your dominant hand to make a series of shallow cuts all around the top edge of the can.

Keep making shallow cuts until you have cut all the way around the can.

Now turn the can upside down and tap it on the counter a few times to get rid of any remaining lids or ragged edges.

Use Rough Surface

When there don’t have any spoon, knife or even a tool to assist.

Just find a rough surface and sand the top of the can down until it breaks the seal. Wipe the metal shavings off, remove the top, and enjoy your meal.

Just Buy Can with Pull Tab

If you just want to avoid this hassle entirely, you can always buy a can with a Pull Tab, save you all the trouble.

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All in all, these are the easiest and most common ways to open a can when no can opener around you.

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