Opening a #10 can, metal shards in flour
Posted by wakanda_banana@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 49 comments
I was opening a #10 can of flour today with what I thought was a good hand crank opener from costco. It kept going off the can so I had to realign it several times. This caused the metal to open unevenly and created tiny metal shards. I’m now throwing out all of this flour vs sifting and using a magnet for shards because it’s too dangerous to eat.
How do you avoid this? Is the opener just dull or something?
Ok-City-4107@reddit
Buy a 50# bag of flour and this won’t be a problem
MerelyMortalModeling@reddit
You would have to bake a hella lot of bread to regularly use 50# bags of flour before it goes bad.
With cans I can park them on my shelf and let them sit there for 30 years.
grandmaratwings@reddit
I go through 2 50# bags of flour a year, for two of us (now three, youngest moved back home). I make all of our bread products though, burger buns, rolls, bagels, garlic knots, pizza dough, etc.
Natahada@reddit
Buy a #10 can opener
Cute-Consequence-184@reddit
I would also invest in several graded sieves.
Because in all actual SHTF, you can't just throw it out.
reincarnateme@reddit
Perhaps a magnet?
ninjababe23@reddit
Wont work on aluminum
Firefluffer@reddit
Number ten cans aren’t made of aluminum.
wakanda_banana@reddit (OP)
I found the shards to be so small and fine they wouldn’t get picked up on the first or second pass with the magnet (the studbuddy magnet). That’s when I decided to toss it
Connect-Type493@reddit
A flour sifter would be ideal
Cute-Consequence-184@reddit
Many don't have small holes. And with the aim of having less in the kitchen and everything being able to do multiple jobs, flour sifters do one job while sieves have many jobs. So you get a very well made set and call it good
Uhohtallyho@reddit
I bought a set a few months ago and can't believe how great they are for straining tea to sifting sugar and flour to making jam, if there is one overlooked tool it's a heavy duty set of sieves.
Cute-Consequence-184@reddit
And a simple flour sifter doesn't measure up to a heavy duty full set at all.
joecoin2@reddit
Forget the sieves, you need iron in your diet.
IamRoborob70@reddit
p38
ShiningRayde@reddit
God I miss a good P38, the proper ones I think were stamped steel.
The only civvie versions Ive found were cheap aluminum for lightweight camping and bent the moment I pulled them from the packaging, let alone tried to use them.
IamRoborob70@reddit
You may have to find yourself an army/navy store for the good ones. One on each keychain.
A_isnt_A@reddit
I'm preparing for disaster and can't use a can opener. What is this sub?
Upstairs_Winter9094@reddit
For starters, not everyone here is preparing for disaster
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
Power outages are a regular thing and my biggest prep
IlliniWarrior6@reddit
invest in a restaurant #10 can manual crank opener - the regular can openers will eventually fail - failures during a SHTF isn't allowed - always go for the sure thing >>> mount it on a cutting board for storage
Luk3ling@reddit
You are paranoid, even for a prepper.
Upstairs_Winter9094@reddit
In what way is there any paranoia in this post? I don’t even have any guesses as to what you might be referring to
Luk3ling@reddit
The chance a Magnet would not render that Flour 100% safe is basically so low as to be non-existent. Discarding something you could certainly save with minimal effort is antithetical to everything about the concept of being a "Prepper".
This is the whacky, impractical worry that turns so many people off (Including myself) from groups like this.
Beeb294@reddit
This isn't a paranoid situation.
Metal shards, if ingested, could cause serious damage. Medical treatment likely would save someone if they ingested metal shards with little trouble.
If this was a situation where medical treatment wasn't readily available (say a natural disaster where you're currently off from a hospital for 2-3 weeks due to damage), this could be deadly. Being prepared means knowing how to prevent that from happening if it's a real emergency.
Luk3ling@reddit
This IS a paranoid situation.
A PREPPER is also supposed to be PREPARED.
And if you're a prepper and don't have (And trust) a magnet to remove ferrous metal from otherwise perfectly good Flour, you are not nurturing preparedness, you're nurturing paranoia.
NewEnglandPrepper3@reddit
flour sifter is good for this
uhyeahsouh@reddit
Grab a scout knife with a can opener, or a stab kind. I don’t think I’ve ever had to deal with metal contamination from these kinds. But my OxO just started failing and I’ve had a few slivers.
https://a.co/d/afTB1IO
jwsconsult@reddit
I use the openers that cut the seal, rather than cutting through the metal itself. Also helpful because then I don't have to worry about sharp edges on can when I'm reaching into it for up to a year
Backsight-Foreskin@reddit
Get a safety can opener by Oxo or Kuhn Rikon. I've had a Kuhn Rikon Safety Can opener for over 20 years, it cuts the side of the can and there are no jagged edges.
bikehikepunk@reddit
They make can openers? I have two of their knives and love them.
Lets-B-Lets-B-Jolly@reddit
Thank you for mentioning the Kuhn Rikon safety can opener! My mother gave me one along with a bunch of wedding gifts 25 years ago, and it finally broke last year. I didn't think to look up the brand before throwing it out. I can't wait for my new one!
iwantmy-2dollars@reddit
Ditto, I’ve had my Kuhn Rikon for over 20 years and it still works like new. Might just be BIFL.
Open-Attention-8286@reddit
Bonus: The top fits snugly back onto the can so you can use it like a lid.
KodaKomp@reddit
itty bitty pokey in the king cake!
JAFO-@reddit
Use a magnet to get it out????? What a waste
RealTeaToe@reddit
Just.. just get a magnet.
summonsays@reddit
Just open it up with concrete like everyone else in a SHTF scenario. (You can sand down the top by rubbing it then just pick the lid up)
Spiritual-Feature241@reddit
🧲 will grab all shards, even the ones small enough to go thru a sifter
Droidy934@reddit
Just need a magnet swished around in it
cnsrshp_is_teerany@reddit
A commercial kitchen type counter mounted can opener of decent quality won’t do this. And you can mount it to a board and clamp the board to the counter edge if you dont want it installed permanently.
I’d suggest a sifter and a magnet. Put the magnet in the sifter with the flour. Then you can be sure you got the shavings out by viewing them.
Tru3stnnr42@reddit
Buy a New Can Opener
boatmanmike@reddit
I would just use a magnet to pick up your shards.
MountainGal72@reddit
Kitchen Mama. 🫶
Saves my arthritic hands and opens the lids without shards.
gadget850@reddit
If you are opening a lot of #10 cans, you want either a long handle can opener or a table top.
https://a.co/d/hgHxdvu
https://a.co/d/ibjJFMG
Maleficent_Mix_8739@reddit
Use a side opener instead. Not only will this eliminate the problem but you can open and close the can over and over.
emperorlobsterII@reddit
Get a can opener that doesn't cut the can but crushes it the rim only like this one from Tupperware. The're also safe around kids
SpaceGoatAlpha@reddit
You're probably just fine using a scoop to take off the first half inch of flour and discarding it if you don't want to use a powerful magnet to remove any filings.
NewPerfection@reddit
Get a can opener that cuts around the outside of the rim. I have one and it's great. Can't remember what they're called though.