"Open Here" "Tear Here" "Push Thumb In..&quot

[Pickles]

What food packages do you detest trying to open? Do you avoid certain food packages or just ignore the directions and do what I do: hack into it with your knife?? I have an odd way of opening bricks of cheddar or jack cheese. I rinse off the package (so that any nasties aren't "cut into" the cheese) and then I just cut the brick in half right through the packaging and squeeze the cheese halves out.

[beans]

Overall, I'd say that the commercial stuff is much more difficult than the consumer stuff. Soda syrup and juice boxes top my list.

I have more of a hard time with cd's or dvd's or those items in the middle of plastic, loss prevention type of blister packs from Costco/Sam's Club.

[Gifted Gourmet]

I rinse off the package (so that any nasties aren't "cut into" the cheese) and then I just cut the brick in half right through the packaging and squeeze the cheese halves out. 

Ah, you must have been in my kitchen during my long and hard fought battle with many, many wrappings!! I handle cheese in the same way basically .. but I don't, how can I say this delicately, "cut the cheese" .. in half anyway .. slice pieces off the ends ...wrap in more plastic and then a bag as well ...

Hate anything that says "push here" .. invariably doesn't come away smoothly as hoped for.... always disappointing ...

Boxes are getting more and more complicated ... thought it was just me .. apparently not! Thanks for the topic!!

[bloviatrix]

I hate being the one to start the new box of pwdered dishwasher detergent. (I prefer the gel, but sometimes, you gotta go with what's on sale ) I cannot for the life of me get the cardboard thingy pressed in and the metal bit to open up. This is also the case with containers of kosher salt.

Of course, I'm also a total spaz when it comes to the plastic that covers the sour cream containers. I can't pull them off. I finally invested in several pairs of scissors which I use to puncture and cut through annoying packaging.

[Pickles]

I cannot for the life of me get the cardboard thingy pressed in and the metal bit to open up. This is also the case with containers of kosher salt.

That's the one for me that always gives me agita! The metal spout thingie usually ends up in the box. And...uh...that's a bit of a physical hazard! I have taken to doing my "Glenn Close" number on the corner of the box and making my own spout.

[scott123]

The new heinz 1 carb ketchup has a seal that will drive you batty. Most ketchups have a seal with a tab that you can peel off fairly easily. Not this stuff. It is welded on there. Out comes the sharp knife, and in order to get leverage one naturally grasps the bottle tightly. What does pressure in the bottle and breaking the seal add up to? You guessed it, kablooey, ketchup all over. And if that isn't traumatic enough, depending on where you make the gash in the seal, when you replace the holed cover, 9 times out of 10 your ketchup won't squeeze out in a straight line.

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear these bottles of ketchup come with a hidden camera to capture the embarassing antics caused by these seals.

[Mayhaw Man]

Milk Cartons (which thankfully are slowly being replaced by plastic with convenient lids).

Did you ever notice how the side that says "open here" has more glue than the opposite side? Huh? Did you?

[srhcb]

Milk Cartons (which thankfully are slowly being replaced by plastic with convenient lids).

Did you ever notice how the side that says "open here" has more glue than the opposite side? Huh? Did you?

I have the most trouble with the smaller cartons for half-and-half or cream. I can honestly swear that I have never had one open correctly.

Thankfully these products are now available with plastic caps on the top side of the container. It seems redundent, and costs more, but it's great by me!

[Gifted Gourmet]

Did you ever notice how the side that says "open here" has more glue than the opposite side? Huh? Did you?

I have the most trouble with the smaller cartons for half-and-half or cream. I can honestly swear that I have never had one open correctly.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I am so paranoid that I always thought it was just me!! You have saved me untold amounts of money for therapy!!

[CompassRose]

Those weird plastic containers, usually with deli-type things in them, that have a little snap-off tab on the side that you need to pop before you can crack the lid. Those are a pain, and the tab usually wings off into the Great Beyond, to be painfully stepped on barefoot days later.

Pull-tab flat cans of fishies. An oldie but goodie, guaranteed to produce at least one deeply slashed finger per three or four cans opened. If not, naturally, the tab neatly pulls off sans lid, leaving you with a conundrum that defies the can opener and must be riskily pried with an unvalued knife.

And those deadly sawblades on rolls of wrapping material. Ow. Memories of bleeding!

[Gifted Gourmet]

I don't know why packaging has to be so hostile ... I value the "safety" it affords me but really .. and, yes, Compass Rose, I have been summarily disemboweled while tearing off aluminum foil and plastic wrap more than once ... actually had a large "restaurant size" roll of each of these food films and the teeth on that were like the ones which they put near the exits on rental car places ... with the warning "Backing up can cause serious damage to your vehicle tires" ...

[curlywurlyfi]

slightly OT but I hate being the one who has to start a new toilet roll - the first few sheets that are always steam-pressured together, so I end up tearing them apart with my fingernails scrabbling round and round, with long torn streamers ending up all over the floor.

and what about those cereal boxes which say 'insert finger and slide to open' - invariably mine just tear back out to the unperforated bit and I end up with a cereal box which has a tiny gap in the middle and resolutely glued ends

[Suzanne F]

Ah, another topic for us to come together and vent and learn that we are not crazy!

Had a situation yesterday, opening one of those allegedly resealable bags of cold cuts that comes in a reusable plastic container. Didn't even see the "pull here" tab until AFTER I'd scissored open one side of the bag. (To be honest, I bought it because of the container -- knowing that whatever havoc I wreaked on the inside packaging, the product would still be protected.)

And bricks of cheese? Snip off the end, then run the scissors straight along the middle lengthwise seam -- then pop the whole thing in a bag to store. I've got 3 pairs of food-grade kitchen scissors for this sort of thing, plus a couple of nonfood ones. Invaluable!

[Gifted Gourmet]

Ah, another topic for us to come together and vent and learn that we are not crazy!   

Group Grub Therapy?? Meetings once a week, month, day, or hourly??

This is positively cathartic to be able to rant about stuff the "outside" world can only sit in their homes and become paranoid about ... but here we have the eG Food Vent Deluxe!! Jason and Steven will start doing "billable hours" for helping us through our daily psychic crises!!

[Raynickben]

I hate the plastic covering on the ricotta cheese. There is no little pull tab to use. It is flush with the container so you always have to cut it off with a knife and then you have a dirty knife! And worse than that is yogurt...without fail no matter how carefully I try and peel back the foil the yogurt burps up and all over me.

[andiesenji]

I have a couple of little cheap gadgets for opening recalcitrant packages. For opening things sealed in plastic wrap, I bought 3 (for various locations) of the little things made for cutting coupons out of magazines. It has a tiny blade that is super sharp and only projects a fractions of an inch, just enough to cut through 1 sheet of paper or plastic without cutting into the item (or the next layer of paper or plastic).

I also have problems with the sawtooth cutters in boxes of plastic wrap, foil, parchment paper.

I remove them and toss them out. I have several of these little letter openers from staples

I have one that hangs on a string from the rack where most of these items are stored and the others are in various places around the kitchen where they are handy for use. They cut cleanly and there is no exposed blade to cause harm.

Another gadget, which I bought in quantity, have given several away, because it is really handy and saves me grief with my arthritic hands, is this

Can Claw. It is so helpful for many things besides opening cans. I have one next to the stovetop to lift hot pan lids.

I also buy some items in bulk containers that have a cap type lid and an inner lid that is recessed into the contaner and has a tab pull that is difficult to grasp. This thing pulls that (disposable) inner lid out with no problem whatsoever.

[Gifted Gourmet]

I hate the plastic covering on the ricotta cheese. There is no little pull tab to use. It is flush with the container so you always have to cut it off with a knife and then you have a dirty knife!

You have, either vertantly or inadvertantly, picked the one serious offender: ricotta cheese containers, which is my nemesis! How did you know? I dread opening them knowing what a battle is is to later have to reopen them ...

[andiesenji]

You have, either vertantly or inadvertantly, picked the one serious offender: ricotta cheese containers, which is my nemesis! How did you know? I dread opening them knowing what a battle is is to later have to reopen them ...

Oh yes, that is another thing I use the little coupon cutter for, zipping around the rim of cottage cheese, deli salsas and so on that have plastic inner covers with no pull tab, or one that tears off without opening the container. A quick rinse under the hot water tap and it is clean.coupon cutter

Edited July 5, 2004 by andiesenji (log)

[bloviatrix]

And worse than that is yogurt...without fail no matter how carefully I try and peel back the foil the yogurt burps up and all over me.

YES!! And everytime the yogurt burps (inevitable on an expensive item of clothing) I make a mental note that next time I'll turn the yogurt around and pull the foil towards me so the burp is away from me. Of course, I always forget and ruin yet another shirt.

Yogurt and silk makes one very poplular at the dry cleaner.

[Pickles]

Those hard, plastic molded cases (I call them "onezies") are a pain in the ass, too. I once bought a cute litte paring knife that was packaged in one. I cut it open with the scissors, and then slid my fingers in to finish the job. Well I finished the job, all right. I slit my finger open on the knife. I have also cut myself on that hard plastic, as well. I hate hate hate those packages. I wonder how people with arthritis manage them??

[andiesenji]

I "burn" them open. I keep an ice pick stuck in a cork block (along with long-tined chef's forks) next to my cooktop. I turn on the gas, heat the icepick in the flame until it glows red and then use the point to cut a slit in the hard plastic. It leaves the plastic with rounded edges so nothing sharp to cut me. Much easier than trying to punch a hole with scissors and straining my hand trying to cut with them.

[Raynickben]

I "burn" them open.  I keep an ice pick stuck in a cork block (along with long-tined chef's forks) next to my cooktop.  I turn on the gas, heat the icepick in the flame until it glows red and then use the point to cut a slit in the hard plastic.  It leaves the plastic with rounded edges so nothing sharp to cut me.  Much easier than trying to punch a hole with scissors and straining my hand trying to cut with them.

That's CRAZY! (crazy good not crazy loco).

[andiesenji]

I "burn" them open. 

That's CRAZY! (crazy good not crazy loco).

I started doing it out of self-preservation. I used to buy the multi blister packs of light bulbs at Price Club, before it turned into Costco.

The packaging was rigid and apparently not made to be opened because no matter how I tried to get into it I would end up breaking at least one light bulb and did cut my hands several times. One day I was using the ice pick to burn a hole in a rubber spatula handle because I needed to hang it in a handy spot and of course that one had no hole in the handle.

I had just bought a package of the light bulbs and I had a sudden flash of inspiration. Been using it ever since. Smells a little but nothing I can't live with.

[MHesse]

Let us not forget juice boxes. The little foil target hole is much tougher than the little straw provided.

And packages of pretzels or chips. The two sides don't separate at the top. The entire package tears open.

[fifi]

All of the above drive me nuts. I, too, have wondered why half & half and whipping cream continue to use that antiquated packaging. Here are a few more...

Those little sealed cups of salad dressing that you get on an airplane... They are now under pressure. It took me several years to learn that you must open them away from you.

How about the little plastic envelopes of ketchup, mayo or mustard that say "tear here"?

And my new all time favorite: When they vacuum seal a loop of sausage, you have no choice but to scissor it all the way around. I inevitably end up cutting the sausage skin in the process.