Ouch!!!

I bought one of those Lakeland gizmos a couple of years ago and just cannot get it to work. I've broken fingernails, gouged out lumps of skin and sworn at it, all to no avail

Chicken You could try turning the can upside down and using a conventional opener

I think part of the problem is that nowadays the ring pull snaps off too easily, a manufacturing fault of the can rather than the gizmo we try to use. This always happens to me when opening Asda tinned tomatoes.

DH's gone to pick GSs up from school as I can't drive yet. He left 30 minutes ago. I tried to make myself a cup of tea, but will have to have it black as I can't unscrew the top of the milk

Thought I'd have some squash instead, Can't unscrew that top either

Anya I hope your DH is back by now and you've managed to get your drinks sorted

Anya, I have an old pair of nutcrackers which is ideal for opening milk and juice carton caps. The caps are too small for most opener devices.

I have a wonderful thing for opening tight jar lids, doesn't work for ring pulls though. Someone gave it to me so not sure where it can be purchased but I would imagine lakeland? It looks like a circular bit of rubber matting with little holes in it. It is fantastic

Ilrina, I have one of those and I bought it from Betterware a few years ago. Such a simple and effective design. You're right, it is fantastic. ?

Yes I have one of those rubber circles too-brilliant!
I understand supermarkets will help loosen tops of difficult bottles for you (and then do them up again!)

The seal on tight lids can be broken by soundly tapping the edge of the lid on a hard surface, like a worktop. It can then be opened very easily. No need for gizmos. Haven't worked out an easy way to open the partly pesky ring pulls yet.

I use one of those old opener for evaporated milk tins, they lift the lip just enough to break the vacuum seal.

DramaticTessa Use the handle of a wooden spoon as a lever on the ring. You can get more purchase on the long handle, and it doesn't hurt your fingers like gripping the metal ring.

wooden spoon sounds like a great idea!

I have two of those old openers, WB. I live in dread of losing them both - I'd be stuck.

Ilrina, you don't need to buy one of those rubber circles for opening jars. A rubber glove does the job just as well.

I'm surprised to hear that supermarkets will open bottles for people.

You'd think that would leave them wide open to claims for negligence these days - 'oh, they didn't do it up again properly and bleach spilt all over my car seats...'.

My mum was great the other day with a large tin of tuna, she came into the kitchen from the larder, armed with an electric tin opener and attacked the tin several times to no avail, turned it over to try the other side - as you do, right? there was the ring pull - we giggled for quite a while over that one!

I guess arubber glove would do the trick, annodomini, the rubber circle was given to me years ago, but it it ever dies on me or gets lost I will try the glove

For anything like a bottle top - if I cannot unscrew it and it is small enough I use my Gran's tip and wedge it into the door frame, close the door (holding it shut with my foot) then twist the bottle, usually works a treat. I can never open the jars of gherkins that my daughter buys - they are vacuum sealed - she hates it when I resort to sticking the knife in the lid to release the vacuum (the lid is so easy to remove then) so I keep a spare clean lid with no knife mark to replace the one I have stabbed and she is none the wiser! It goes in the dishwasher once the jar is empty ready to replace the next lid.

Have to say that nutcrackers are essential for the opening of bottles of Prosecco!

Friend gave me a useful tip with tight jar lids. Turn upside down in sink, use a screwdriver to ease lid away from jar. This releases the seal, the jar opens easily and there are no stab holes in the lid. Hurrah!

I use a "Can ring loop pull opener" you can look it up on the net, I have what I call sad fingers, works well on those tins, and nutcrackers for wine bottles

Tight lids on jars will open really easily if you run them under hot water for a few seconds

i've got this wonderful gadget which i found when i moved into this house 20+ years ago - it looks a bit like a nut cracker but there are various sizes of "holes". everything from the top of a fizzy drink bottle to the biggest screwtop lid can be opened by this ................ but it won't open a ring loop!
i usually use either a knife [dinner or table] and lever the loop up enough to break the seal. then i just open it as usual. no broken nails, no blood anywhere and no frustration.