The Bottle Opener

A bottle opener is a handy kitchen tool. It is shaped to fit under the edge of a metal bottle cap. When you push down, the cap pops right off. Before bottle openers, it was hard to open soda and other bottled drinks.

How It Began

Metal bottle caps were invented in 1892 by a man named William Painter. He called his cap a crown cap because it looked like a small crown. Right after, he made a tool to take them off. This was the first bottle opener. It quickly became a must-have in kitchens.

Many Shapes and Sizes

Bottle openers come in many fun shapes. Some look like animals, cars, or cartoon characters. Many are attached to key chains so you always have one. Others are built into refrigerators or kitchen walls. Some even play music when you use them.

Fun Facts

• A wine bottle opener is called a corkscrew because it screws into the cork.
• Some people collect bottle openers as a hobby.
• Bottle caps were the most popular way to seal bottles for over 100 years.

Did You Know?

Many Swiss Army knives have a small bottle opener hidden inside, along with many other tiny tools.