Can Opener Britain 1813

I smell soup…mmmm! Canned food was invented for the British Navy in 1813, by Peter Durand. The cans were made of solid iron and usually weighed more than the food inside them. Mr. Durand forgot something however - how to get the food out of the sealed cans! The instructions were “cut round the top near the outer edge with a chisel and hammer.” In the 1860’s, when thinner steel cans began being used, the can opener was invented. Ezra Warner’s large curved blade was driven into a can’s rim, and then worked around its edge with great force. This first can opener never left the grocery store (thankfully!). A grocer had to open each can before it left the store. In 1870 the modern can opener was invented by William Lyman; including a cutting wheel to roll around the rim. The next change occurred on 1925 with the introduction of a jagged wheel for rotating the can by a San Francisco company. This basic idea continues to be used on today’s can openers, and was the foundation for the first electric can opener, invented in December 1931. (Source: www.ideafinder.com)