5 Ways to Open a Can Without a Can Opener

When you need to open a can without a can opener, several practical alternatives are available to help. Whether you're camping or in a kitchen without a can opener, options exist for opening canned goods like that last can of tuna or soup for dinner. If takeout isn't an option, various tools can be employed as substitutes, ensuring you can still enjoy your meal.

Use a Spoon

One popular and safe way to open canned goods without a can opener is by using a sturdy spoon, such as one made of stainless steel, says Ronna Welsh, founder of Purple Kale Kitchenworks.

1. Firmly grip the spoon's handle where it meets the bowl (the base of the utensil).
2. With firm pressure, move the spoon back and forth over an inch of the lid, just inside the rim on the seam. The movement will degrade the metal until it gives. "It takes a bit of persistence to push the spoon's blunt edge through the lid, but the metal is thin and soft, and will eventually yield," Welsh says.
3. Once you've broken through and created a slit at the inner edge, move the spoon like a lever to cut out the rest of the lid. Be careful of jagged edges as you detach the roughly cut metal, Welsh warns.

Use a Box Cutter

Although this method isn't as safe as using a spoon, if you're on a hike or camping with no other options, a pocket knife or box cutter will do the trick.

1. Hold the can firmly in your hand on a stable surface and puncture the tip of the knife through the top of the can.
2. Once you've successfully made a whole, repeat the process around the edge of the can until you're able to carefully open its lid.

Use a Flat-Head Screwdriver

Turn to your toolbox and try using a flat-head screwdriver and hammer to open that can.

1. Holding the screwdriver firmly in your hand, place it over the lid of the can just inside the rim.
2. Pick up the hammer with your free hand and use it to gently tap the screwdriver until you successfully poke a hole through the can. Welsh says this will create enough of a hole to pour liquids through. "Make sure whatever found tools you use to open your can are cleaned and sanitized like any kitchen accessory," she says.

Use a Knife

If you have a chef's knife on hand, it can serve as a can opener replacement. Specifically, the heel of the knife—or the back part of the cutting edge closest to the handle—can be used to open the can.

1. For this technique, firmly hold the handle and place the heel on the can's lid, along the edge of the rim.
2. Carefully press the heel into the lid at an angle; this will create a hole.
3. Repeat along the can's rim until there is a perforated line around the lid.
4. From there, you can pry the lid open with the blade. Just be sure to cover the lid with a rag or towel to protect your hand.
   

Use a Stone or Concrete Surface

If you don't have any of those tools, turn to stone (or concrete) to open the can. Remember, the top of the can is degradable with a little elbow grease. For this method, you need a stone or concrete surface or curb.

1. Turn your can of food upside down so the top is touching the stone or concrete surface.
2. Vigorously rub the can back and forth on the surface to degrade the metal top.
3. Keep moving the can back and forth until you can depress the top. It should come off clean without any more prodding.