How to Use a Can Opener

A traditional can opener is commonly found in kitchen drawers. These handheld can openers use a cutting wheel to pierce the lid from the top and then slice it from the can.

A manual opener with a big turning knob is usually a butterfly can opener or a bunker can opener. They work the same way and are tough to tell apart. Thankfully, you don’t have to identify them to know how to use them.

If you’re not familiar with this type of manual can opener, now is a great time to learn how to use one. Wondering "How do you use a can opener?" when you’ve got a power outage isn’t ideal.

• Place the can on the countertop.
• With the turning knob facing to the right, spread the upper and lower arms of the can opener. This separates the sharp cutting wheel and the notched feed wheel.
• Rest the cutting wheel on the top of the lid on the right side of the can. The knob will be on the outside.
• Make sure the cutting wheel and feed wheel are aligned. They should be perpendicular to the side of the can, not angled in or out.
• Squeeze the two arms together. You should feel the cutting wheel puncture the can lid.
• Grab both can opener arms in your dominant hand and steady the can with your other hand. If you’re right-handed, your left hand will be on the can. Your right hand turns the knob clockwise.
• As the knob is turned, the feed wheel grips the lip. Then the opener cuts through the lid. The can rotates naturally as you work your way around.
• Continue turning the knob until you’ve cut the lid around the entire can or left a tiny bit uncut.

If you’ve cut the lid off completely, it’ll fall into the can. Slide a butter knife beneath the lid and gently pry it out, away from your face. Be careful not to cut your fingers on the sharp edge.

If you’ve left a bit of the lid uncut, you now have a hinge. Lift the cut part of the lid with a butter knife, then cautiously use your fingers to pull the lid back.

Once you’ve gotten out the contents of your can, press or drop the lid back in. It’s still sharp, so take care not to get cut.

Tip: Handheld can openers are usually made for right-handed users. Lefties can order left-handed can openers from specialty retailers.

If you live in a home with small children, you may have another type of opener. They’re called safety or smooth-edge can openers. Smooth-edge openers cut through the side of the can. It’s good to know how to use a handheld can opener of any variety.

This type of manual can opener is related to the traditional variety. The difference is in the placement of the mechanism. The notched feed wheel is on the lid at the lip, and the cutting wheel is on the side of the can. This can opener cuts off a thin ring of metal, as shown above.

Some manufacturers place the turning knob on the side, like traditional handheld openers, while others have the knob on the top of the tool. Many of these openers have a notch, or lid pliers, to hook beneath the lid. That way, you can lift off the lid without using your fingers.

Safety can openers operate like traditional can openers:

• Place the can on the countertop.
• Latch the opener onto the can’s edge.
• Turn the knob to cut the can open.
• As the can is cut, the opener naturally rotates around the can.
• Once you’ve cut the metal ring off the can, use the lid pliers to lift the top off.

Countertop electrical can openers rotate the can for you as the fixed cutting blade cuts the lid off the can. They come in top-open and side-open models. Both versions of electric can openers work the same way.

Learn how to use a can opener that’s electric and sits on your counter. This is the general procedure. Refer to the owner’s manual for specific instructions:

• Plug in the can opener.
• Raise the lever and place a can under the guiding posts.
• Lower the lever, making sure that the cutting blade is at the inside of the can’s rim. The magnet should rest on top of the lid.
• When the lever is locked in place, the cutting blade will puncture the lid. The can starts rotating.
• The cutting action automatically stops after one revolution. The lid should be separated from the can.
• Hold the can, then lift the lever to release it from the can opener.
• Remove the lid from the magnet.

To be fully prepared, discover how to use an old-fashioned can opener. This a simple tool with a claw-shaped blade. The blade is designed to stab into a lid and slice it from the can using an upward sawing motion. These openers leave sharp and jagged edges, so handle a cut lid and can with care.

• Hold the can opener by the handle with the blade pointing down and the square guard away from you.
• Place the curved knife point of the opener near the rim of the can’s right side.
• Carefully but forcefully puncture the lid with the blade. The guard should rest on the rim of the can. Keep your other hand out of the way.
• Tilt the tool toward you to insert the blade slightly underneath the lid. Keep the rim in the groove on the guard edge.
• Use the guard as a pivot point and lift the handle to slice the lid from the bottom.
• Lower the handle while sliding the guard forward on the rim to position it for the next cut. Then lift the handle to make another cut to the lid.
• Repeat this upward cutting motion as you work your way around the can.

These openers are great for people with arthritis. They’re also a more high-tech solution to opening cans during a power outage. However, they’re not as robust as other can openers. You may want to keep a backup manual opener as well.

• Put batteries in the battery-operated can opener.
• Set it on top of the can. The round mechanism should fit snugly on the outside of the can lid.
• Press the button on the can opener. The opener will rotate around the can, cutting as it goes.
• After it rotates once around the can, the motor pitch will go up. That means it’s done.
• Press the button to turn off the opener. Lift the opener off the can.
• Carefully remove the can lid.

Learn how to use a can opener that’s on your keychain or pocketknife. A traditional church key opener has a loop at one end and a hook at the other. It may look like your house key. You may recognize the hook as a bottle opener.

"Church key" is also used as a catch-all term for a simple can or bottle opener. It’s used in a similar way to an old-fashioned can opener.

• Hold the opener on the edge of the can with the pointed end down. Angle it so it’s facing 11 and 5 o’clock.
• Carefully press the pointed end down to puncture the lid. Keep your other hand out of the way in case the opener slips.
• The point of the opener should puncture the lid and leave a small hole.
• If you need to pour out only liquid, you’re done.
• If you need to get food out of the can, insert the point into the hole.
• Use the point to widen the hole. With an upward motion, cut your way around the can.
• When the lid is separated enough, pull it back to open the can.
• The edge of the lid and can will be jagged, so handle it with care.

This small can opener is only 1 ½ inches long. Known as a P-38 can opener or a John Wayne can opener, this tiny marvel has been opening cans since World War II. A 2-inch can opener, the P-51, has the same setup and is the big brother of the P-38.

These travel-sized can openers use a hooked blade and a notch to open cans. They’re excellent for emergency kits or camping and can double as a screwdriver if needed. The blade folds inward when not in use. Use a P-38 army can opener like this:

• Hook the notch onto the lip of the can.
• Unfold the blade so it sits on top of the lip of the can.
• Pinch the opener with your thumb and forefinger.
• Push the blade forward with your thumb until it punctures the can.
• Remove the opener from the hole.
• Scoot the opener down a little to punch a new hole.
• Repeat the process to cut all the way around the can.

After you’re done using your can opener, it’s important to wash it. Clean your can opener after each use. Can labels may gum up the gear mechanisms, so scrub those away too. Most manual can openers aren’t dishwasher safe, so use a sponge and dish soap to remove any food that gets onto the working parts. Dry thoroughly with a towel before storing in a drawer.

Once you’ve washed the can opener, whether it’s with a dish brush or washcloth, always dry it. This is so your opener doesn’t rust.

Electric can openers should be cleaned too. Unplug the unit and wipe the exterior parts with a damp cloth. Dry it with a paper towel or kitchen towel.