Not always using an opener is quite simple. There are different designs. Therefore, below we have created a guide for you to properly use any common can opener.
Can opener broken or yet wrong handling with it?
Surely there will now be one or the other reader who possibly thinks to himself, “a can opener can not be used wrong”. This is not the case, because the problem is mainly the many cheap can openers. This is where the wheat is quickly separated from the chaff. A can opener, no matter how professional it looks, no longer works after only a few uses. You quickly ask yourself whether you can handle a can opener at all.
Different types of manual (non-electric) can openers
To shed more light on this question about using can openers, it is first important to distinguish between the different technical designs. This does not include the electric can opener, which we will not discuss in detail here. These are the main differences in can openers:
- a round cutting edge, which is turned by a gear with a turning handle
- a small triangular tip with a cutting edge, the can opener is also turned via a rotary handle
- a simple manual can opener as often found on combination pocket knives
Using the conventional can opener with a tip or cutting wheel
You use the first two can openers similarly. The small gear is designed to hook onto the can seam. If the handle is now turned, this small gear meshes analogously to the direction in which the can is opened. From this it can be deduced that the cutting wheel or the triangular cutting tip must first be pressed into the can end.
Especially with cheap can openers, these cutting edges are often only minimally sharp or it is such an inferior steel alloy that the cutting edge immediately loses its sharpness. Then, when turning, the gears tear out or the handles are pressed apart. Then the gear that engages in the seam no longer has a grip and the can opener spins empty.
Even if you apply such a cheap can opener correctly, it will no longer work. The blunt cutting edge requires such a large amount of force that the whole “mechanics” of the opener will be overloaded in no time. Theoretically, you could sharpen such a cheap can opener like a knife on a grinding machine, but this effort is often not worth it, if only because of the inferior quality of the cutting edge.
Branded goods always pay off when it comes to can openers
Therefore, we strongly recommend not to save money at the wrong end, especially when it comes to can openers. Without really wanting to advertise here, we recommend can openers from WMF, Tupper or Fackelmann, for example. In addition, there is now but also the already mentioned manual can opener, as it is often found on combined pocket knives.
Can opener with hook: instructions for correct application
In the following, we would like to give you some instructions, because this can opener is quite efficient in its function. Because opening a can without a can open er is quite a challenge. However, in many households you can find such an opener with a hook on the pocket knife.
In principle, this “manual” can opener with two hooks: on the outside with a large hook with cutting edge or cutting on both sides, on the inside with a small hook. In some of these can openers, the round inside of the small hook is also carved out as a sharp cutting edge. Then the opener here could even be pushed along the can seam in the can lid so that it cuts it. But that’s only mentioned in passing.
The can opener is first pushed through the can with the tip, so that you can virtually pierce this “blade” completely. Then the opener is pulled back out of the can a bit. The prick is made directly on the lid at the seam. Now the can opener is pulled out enough so that you can hook into the seam with the little hook on the outside of the can.
Hooked in this way, the opener is applied up and down like a lever. In the process, the can lid is cut. After each rocking or levering motion, the small hook is moved to the outside so that the lid can be cut further. Repeat this until the lid can be opened.
Elizabeth Green
Elizabeth Green is a seasoned home chef and culinary expert who has a passion for all things kitchen-related. With her extensive knowledge of the latest kitchen products and appliances, Elizabeth provides insightful reviews and recommendations to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. Whether you're looking for a new refrigerator, blender, or cookware set, Elizabeth is your guide to finding the best kitchen products available in the UK.
