Don’t Coddle Your Bottle – Rip It Open With The Ekco Magnetic Bottle Opener
Written: Dec 29 '03 (Updated Dec 29 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Magnetic, durable, inexpensive, pierces metal lids for easy pouring.
Cons: None!
The Bottom Line: Don’t struggle with stubborn soda tabs, slow pouring juice or sauce … invest a few bucks in the Ekco Magnetic Bottle Opener and make life a little easier!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Ekco 4-1/8 Magnetic Bottle Opener |
When it comes to kitchen necessities, the common bottle opener is usually overlooked. With almost all canned vegetables coming with pull top lids, soda bottles a thing of the past and long neck beer bottles having screw off lids, it seems that the bottle opener might be an obsolete item in the near future. One of the coolest gifts I received a few years ago was a wicker basket filled with small kitchen items like snack bag clips, plastic decorative toothpicks, nut crackers and picks … and other assorted, mind numbing items. Above all the other items, the Ekco Bottle Opener is the one that’s lasted the longest and surprisingly enough, seen the most use. I never thought that a metal bottle opener would have so many day to day uses or be considered indispensable … I hate to say “I couldn’t live without this” but in all honesty, it’s the truth.
Ekco Magnetic Bottle Opener
What can honestly be said about a bottle opener? Well, to start with, this one is not only easy to use but doesn’t take up a tremendous amount of space on the refrigerator. Some of the bottle openers have curls on them that stick out too far or are too large – and for me that is simply a disaster waiting to happen. One end has the traditional rounded bottle opener with a small metal lip that rests on the top side of the cap. Soda bottles require a minimal amount of pressure or force to remove them but most are the screw off top style. When Chris brought home a case of Miller High Life [most of which is still in the refrigerator] we had a long and heated argument about whether the caps were twist off or pop off. Lets put it this way, it’s harder to try and pop off a twist off cap than it is to actually screw the cap off [say that five times]. Beer bottles are mostly screw off but from time to time we get those funky independent brews that require the use of the opener. This even sees some use for the regular twelve ounce cans of soda – since my finger nails are either a complete mess or pretty and pristine, getting these buggers open isn’t an easy task so I grab the bottle opener, clip it under the tab and crack open a cold one [soda that is]!
The reverse side of the opener is the piercing edge. This is the triangular tipped side that is a little on the sharp side so make sure you have this pointed downward on the refrigerator [or wherever you have this stuck to] so it doesn’t catch on clothing or scratch you. The magnetic strip is on the "inside" of the opener so the sharp face of this end of the opener is pointed inward but trust me - you can't be too careful! Oddly enough, this is the side that gets the most use. Since I buy a lot of bulk foods like juices, sauces and vegetables that are packaged in large metal cans, I need something that can pierce the tops of the cans to make pouring easier and eliminate that annoying “glug glug glug” that happens when air flow is limited. This makes draining the vegetables easier and pouring juice less messy. Outside the kitchen this is used for punching holes in thin sheets of metal, to remove those large industrial staples the cable company insists on using for the wires, opening paint cans and even to pry open my small utility cabinet that lost its handle many moons ago.
Things To Know
• You will want to make sure that you clean off the tips of the bottle opener and piercing end after you use them. Chances are the edges won’t come into contact with food or liquids but it could happen. When piercing cans of juice or prying lids off of frozen concentrate containers you have to make sure that the opener is free of any liquid or else you run the risk of getting overrun with ants [had that happen a few times]. Outside of eliminating the risk of an insect infestation, it will keep the edges clean and free of rust.
• Think this is just for opening bottles and cans? Think again! I’ve used this to pick up staples, paper clips, for punching holes in tin for art projects and to weigh down the edges of parchment paper when I’m baking. The small size makes it completely portable and great for use in the garage, kitchen or workshop, this has an unlimited number of uses …
• This is completely dishwasher safe, features a securely mounted magnet, resists stains and scratches and cleans up nicely. Dishwasher safe, easy to use and a “must have” item for any kitchen gadget junkie.
The Bottom Line
This is an inexpensive item that makes a great addition to a gift basket for a new home owner, a child going off to college or moving into their first apartment or even a bridal shower. When I saw these at Linens ’N Things and Bed, Bath & Beyond they were priced between $1.50 and $2.50 – a price that you can’t argue with. This is a solid piece of metal that will hold up to a lot of use and abuse and trust me, I’ve put mine through its paces and its help up great so far. For the price you are getting a small [about four inches high by a little less than an inch wide] opener that can be used for a number of different applications. Mine is about three years old and looks just as good as the day I received it and its been used in almost every room of the house for almost every application imaginable.
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2003 Freak369
Other kitchen essentials …
OXO 9 Inch Black-Handled Meat Tenderizer
Casabella Grippee Fish Sponge
Pro Grip Large Tower Grater
Easy Off Heat Activated Microwave Wipes
Norpro Marble Mortar and Pestle
Recommended:
Yes
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