I seem to have a bit of a fixation with Stewarts Fountain Classics Rootbeer that has led me to consume multiple bottles per day. While I love the drink, I’m not overlyfond of the bottle, specifically, the ‘twist-off cap’ which I find to be rather difficult and unpleasant to open. I think the troubles I encouter are pretty standard for twist-off caps, namely a sore/scratched thumb/index finger or alternatively a potentially torn article of clothing. Perhaps someone out there in doperland has perfected a technique for circumventing this predicament and opening twist-off bottles (without any tools or aids!) with ease?
Without tools or aids? When I encounter tough twist-off bottles, I use one of those rubber dishwashing gloves. That’s when I’m at home by myself. When I’m visiting a young lady and she asks me to open the bottle or jar, I’ll do the macho thing hoping I don’t break either the bottle or my hand!
Indeed my kitchen is full of various artifacts, ranging from dishtowels to a large wall-mounted specialized V-Shaped jar-opening contraption, that would assist in the drinking of my rootbeer. The problem lies in the fact that I frequently find myself needing to open the bottles in places other than my kitchen, and thus would like to find a universal trick.
I should add that I was likely inspired to inquire about this issue due to the variety of inventive approaches I’ve witnessed to de-capping tradional beer bottles (included the efficient use of plastic lighters, teeth, table-ends, other beer bottles etc).
Well, I haven’t tried that particular one yet, but my usual trick for twist-off beer caps should work unless it’s like made from space-age metal or something. It’s also fairly simple.
Let the piece of the metal cap that sticks out from the glass rest against, say, a sharp table edge or something else that fits the bill. Then slam the butt/palm of your hand (think judo chop) against the upper curve of the bottle in a sharp blow. You may have to do this two or three times, in the start, but it’ll usually pop right off
I concur with this approach, lacking a cap-lifter or pliers or some other tool of the sort. Back when caps weren’t the “screw off” type, this was the way to do it. Now that they are alleged to be “screw off” if they don’t budge with a little pressure in the turning process, I assume they’re not “screw off” and quit trying. Then they’re just “lift off” and I know how to deal with that.
Is there no threat of harming the table in the process? I can’t quite contemplate the physics of the operation (though I have witnessed it) but I would definitely be concerned for the furniture.
There is definite risk of harming furniture or whatever material you place the cap against. Be sure the material isn’t subject to scratching or denting before using this approach. If there’s nothing around like a formica surface, or metal or stone, or if there’s any chance you could damage the surface, then look around until you find some tool. I have even used a table knife, the back edge and not the cutting edge, and prized a cap off that way.
Get yourself a fold-up church key and keep it on your keyring for just such cases. Or get a pocket knife with a cap-lifter blade.
A friend of mine uses the butt-end of his disposable cigarette lighters. Of course, he smokes, which is why he has such a contrivance around all the time. Doesn’t help me much, obviously.
But aren’t all those tools or aids? The OP specifically aksed how to do it without them? If you’re going to accept the use of tools but are wondering why you never have one available, this nifty thing might be what you’re seeking.
Get a job as a carpenter or mason. You’ll build hand strength and calluses!
Barring that, could you define “tools or aids”? For example, I EDC a pretty basic Swiss army knife, which has a bottle opener gadget. Technically that’s a tool, but it’s not like I got a dedicated tool just for opening recalcitrant twistoff caps.
That’s a good suggestion. I good go without my Victorinox Swiss Army knife the same way I could go without my penis and still call myself a fully functioning man. It is a disturbing thing to be without either.
My suggestion aside from that is just a piece of thick rubber bought from a hardware store. Not a rubber mind you. That is much more likely to break and more conspicuous during parties. A 4x4 inch square of rubber should do the job just fine. Actually, an old mouse pad will work in a pinch.
Just so you know, I didn’t come up with the ‘no tool/aid’ bit to make things difficult, I was just being realistic. I drink this stuff by the barrel (no, not literally, for if I did then we wouldn’t be having this disscussion) and find myself in such a variety of situations (even within my house) that I would inevitably not have the tool handy for a significant number of the times I need it, unless I had one in every room of the house.
The bottle-opening ring is pretty fun though, I must admit.
One of my friends put all sorts of notches in her cheap countertop trying to open a bottle of Corona this way.
If you have a twist-off cap, there’s an easy way to open it.
[ul]
[li]Hold right forearm out in front of you, palm down[/li][li]Plant top of bottle in the meaty pale part of your forearm (the part that should be pointing downward)[/li][li]Holding the bottle in it’s place on your arm, sharply twist your forearm towards you[/li][li]POP[/li][/ul]
This works better if you’ve got some flab to work with, I’m told.
I used to prefer to press it into my left forearm and twist the bottle with my right hand.
Of course, now that I work with my hands all day, opening them no longer seems to be a problem. I remember having trouble with it when I was twelve, but now it seems pretty simple to just grab, and twist.
I generally will use my belt buckle to aid in the removal of twist-off tops that won’t. Depending on which belt I am wearing, this is either very easy or just easy. One buckle has a bottle opener built into it. The other has a flat bar on the back (for looping the end of the belt through) that works quite well as an opener.
Ameteur, I bit the side of the bottle until it breaks, and chug the resulting flow of glass and liquid in one gulp, I then smash the remains of the bottle against my head and yell in a warrior-like manner.
