# Opening pop-top cans **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 4, 2021, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521 "2021-12-04T20:10:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/21 "2021-12-05T18:01:54Z")
Weird. I haven’t had that experience. I’ve deliberately run my finger along the edge left by the side-opening can opener and have not found any rough or sharp edges. (And I’m a klutz; so if any were there, I’d find them. I buy band-aids in the economy pack.) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/22 "2021-12-05T19:50:30Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > It also looks like it can only pull the lid half off, not all the way off. The fifth photo and the video show it opening lids all the way, or more than 3/4 of the way, it probably depends on the individual can, and how much force you are able to bring to bear on the tool. As for the plastic, it looks very sturdy to me. I doubt if you’re going to find any kind of tool that was made to handle this function that isn’t made of plastic. However, one of [these](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Estwing-9-in-Pro-Claw-Nail-Puller-PC210G/202033610) might also do the job, although a bit of overkill. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/23 "2021-12-05T20:21:05Z")
Mrs. Charming and Rested got a Kuhn Rikon model like the one below in red. > **[Amazon.com: Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety LidLifter/Can Opener with Ring Pull, 8 x 2.5...](https://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Auto-Safety-Lifter/dp/B007MASKF8)** > > Online Shopping for Kitchen Utensils & Gadgets from a great selection at everyday low prices. Free 2-day Shipping with Amazon Prime. The edge is always pleasingly smooth and dull when I test it. It works great, you can reuse the top to save extra contents in the fridge, and I highly recommend it for regular cans. I don’t know how it works on pull top cans though. Without trying it out, I would worry that the pull top would snag the can opener as it goes around the can. If I remember next time I open some pull top beans or dog food, I’ll try it and report back. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/24 "2021-12-05T23:45:37Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > I keep a dollar store screwdriver in the kitchen drawer. Lifting the tab by hand I then slip it through the hole in the tab from the near side so the shaft is resting on the far side of the rim. The handle of the screwdriver give a good grip and the leverage is enough to peel the lid off. I’ve tried this, with mediocre-to-poor success. Resting the shaft on the far rim isn’t a fulcrum far enough out to give very good leverage, and it seems to require two hands to manipulate the screwdriver, leaving me with insufficiently many hands to hold the can at the same time. Still, this has been partially helpful sometimes. The problem in general is that there’s really no good place for a fulcrum. If there was, I could move the Earth. The bigger problem has been with some cans that are just too tough to pull the top off. For these, some kind of hydraulic winch seems to be needed. I call this a design flaw in those cans. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/25 "2021-12-05T23:47:02Z")
Thank you all for your suggestions. I will keep my eye out for some of these kinds of devices, or maybe even try buying on on-line if I must. (As noted above, I’ve become skittish about buying unusual things on-line, never knowing just what I’ll get.) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/26 "2021-12-06T00:23:15Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > Without trying it out, I would worry that the pull top would snag the can opener as it goes around the can. If I remember next time I open some pull top beans or dog food, I’ll try it and report back. I’ve never had the pull top snag the can opener and I always open cans with it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/27 "2021-12-06T00:53:27Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > some kind of hydraulic winch seems to be needed What you **need** is a hydraulic wench! ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/28 "2021-12-06T04:43:38Z")
Pliers. A bit of practice with a good pair is all you need. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/29 "2021-12-06T04:47:51Z")
I have pliers, and have used them with occasional moderate success. In one stubborn case, however, the lid just would not come off, and I ended up using pliers and screwdrivers and the can ended up a mangled wreckage of twisted shrapnel before I gave up and extracted the contents with a teaspoon. Not sure if lack of practice was a significant factor. Buying generic store-brand food at Walmart perhaps was. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/30 "2021-12-08T14:26:45Z")
You’re right! I just tried it on the dog’s food. It worked perfectly. No snagging. 10/10. Would recommend to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/31 "2021-12-08T14:35:54Z")
Note that you might have problems if you lift the pull-off ring before trying to use the side-opening can opener. I’ve only ever opened the cans with the ring still lying flat on top. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/32 "2021-12-08T18:47:38Z")
I open cans for a living. I’ve never had a physical\* problem opening pull tab cans with a top-opening can opener - specifically, a Brabantia Classic like [this](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brabantia-Classic-Opener-Stainless-4-8x5-1x9/dp/B003KGKGQY?th=1) one. \*I do have a lot of non-physical problems when I open pull tab cans with a can opener - specifically, people who seem to think it is mandatory to use the pull tab, or that I am an idiot who hasn’t noticed the pull tab, and are very excited to tell me their views on this. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/33 "2021-12-09T03:10:00Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’ve never had a physical\* problem opening pull tab cans with a top-opening can opener - specifically, a Brabantia Classic like [this](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brabantia-Classic-Opener-Stainless-4-8x5-1x9/dp/B003KGKGQY?th=1) one. I don’t know about that specific model. I’ve tried opening pull-tab cans a few times with a regular generic (hand-operated) can opener, with mixed results. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/34 "2021-12-09T08:40:58Z")
I’ve had the Brabantia Classic for 20+ years and it has never let me down (I don’t work for the company). I have another can opener that looks like it is the same design, but does not work nearly so well - it’s not just the type that matters, it’s the specific model and quality ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/35 "2021-12-09T09:22:48Z")
> **[Kuhn Rikon 5-in-1 Master Auto Safety Can Opener - QVC.com](https://www.qvc.com/Kuhn-Rikon-5-in-1-Master-Auto-Safety-Can-Opener.product.K51430.html?productNumber=K51430&sc=ISRC)** > > With a long handle and five opening tools in one, cracking open cold, refreshing cans of your drink of choice is an easy-breezy process. QVC.com There’s a video on the page that explains how it works ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/36 "2021-12-09T15:56:45Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I open cans for a living. Especially given your username, I feel like … perhaps, I have questions. What is your profession, if it’s not too intrusive (and hijack-y) of me to ask? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/37 "2021-12-09T15:58:01Z")
Duh. Professional can opener, obviously. There’s a labor union and everything. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/38 "2021-12-09T23:16:30Z")
I make content for YouTube, including a series called Weird Stuff In A Can, which has over 150 epiaodes ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2021, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/39 "2021-12-10T09:38:05Z")
How about something [like this](https://www.amazon.es/Leitz-20000702-Quitagrapas-met%C3%A1lico-color/dp/B0002Z00W6/ref=asc_df_B0002Z00W6/?tag=googshopes-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=256107874451&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18170207755731500516&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=20273&hvtargid=pla-421621380160&psc=1)? It’s an upholstery tool for removing staples and costs about 10 bucks. I’ve seen tools that look like a screwdriver but with a “claw” (like a claw hammer) instead of a “blade.” If you bend the shaft near the claw, that should give you enough leverage. ---
**Author:** ![FallingLeaves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/54ee81/32.png) [@FallingLeaves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallingLeaves)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2021, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521/40 "2021-12-12T21:44:59Z")
You need to be able to pull back the pop-top part, but I find the handle of a wooden spoon works well after that to finish off the job. Bonus, no special tools needed, assuming you have a long handled wooden or silicone spoon. I probably wouldn’t use plastic, thinking it might break. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-pop-top-cans/955521.md?page=3)