I used to just cut the top off of the box using a kitchen knife. I would start just below one of the corners, with the box on it's side, and I sawed through it.
I got some funny looks for that one when I first did it on autopilot around other people lmao.
You know that the serrated lines on the box aren't great when cutting the cardboard with a kitchen knife is legitimately easier. The blade wasn't even serrated.
See... what you're supposed to do... is... hold it between you're two hands. Kinda lie you're praying. jab your two thumbs into the tab, then pull outward and just rip the box in half. Alternatively, if you're the Hulk or something, you can just grab either end and rip it in half that way.
I think you all just have weak thumbs. I've always opened them just as the package says to. Never had a problem.
As a kid, I would have thumb wrestling matches with my older brother, and sometimes, on weekends, I'd hitchhike. I used my thumbs a lot. I've had to replace 4 space bars on my keyboard.
Latest kitty litter I bought actually says "opens inward for easy pouring" 🙄. Worst part of the chore stabbing it with a finger and hooking the tab back through so it doesn't block all the litter.
Use a tool. Handle of butter knife, bottle opener. Anything sturdier than a finger those litter boxes are made out of something that masquerades as cardboard, don't believe those lies!
I actually just recently, after years of frustration, figured out a technique that works. You squeeze the box near the opening so that it bulges out. Then you can poke it with your finger and rip the top open. Feels like gutting a fish, which I assume now is what they were going for.
Companies do a really bad job at product testing when it comes to opening stuff. The best ones are where you damage the product because it's so hard to open. It's like they never thought to actually try using the stupid little pull tab they give us to actually open their own product.
there is nothing more infuriating than buying a jar of salsa from the store, and then trying to open it only to have the jar fly out of your hands and break into tiny pieces that you now have to clean up along with salsa all over your floor.
If it’s a jar with a metal twist-to-open lid, you can get a butter knife or similar, and dent the edge of the lid with the back of the knife- doesn’t take a lot of force, but it makes opening the jar way easier.
This sort of package used to be much easier to open when I was growing up back in the 60s and 70s. I don’t know why, but packaging has gotten significantly worse since then.
If those companies are like the one I worked for, they likely outsource their packaging production. The company that makes boxes for tampons might also make boxes for pizza restaurants, certain cleaning tools, cookies, baby food, etc.
The vendors that my previous company purchased from were cheeky buggers. One of our products that was only sold to retailers included a display shelf. These things used to be pretty sturdy. Now, they collapse under less than half of the weight that they used to have. The vendor denied it vehemently, and I think they are still lying about it to this day.
This particular vendor has a HUGE monopoly on cardboard, so it would be difficult for them to find another process suddenly. I hope they do, but who knows. They might hypothetically have a contract that they can't break for another number of years. Yay.
I'm not saying any of this to say that it's ok or good, but a lot of people can't see what's happening inside these manufacturing facilities. A lot of this is hush hush.
One of the bigger factors is that in order to cut costs, they're using thinner and thinner material for the box. So they used to be strong enough to withstand the force other than at the perforation. Now the same perforation is stronger than the boxes' crush strength
Good God, the number of products where someone spent the time and effort to design in "systems" for opening/using the package, which are utterly ineffectual is mind boggling.
Did a flimsy cardboard box ever need some special tear tab to begin with?? Hell no, just glue the flap shut and we will open it like every other food box on the planet.
Here's the CEO of a company on national television showing off his company's new packaging design. The instructions are to mess with you. Even CEOs can't open their own damn products.
Used to love kraft dinner. Til the big change. The one where their advertising campaign was that no one even noticed... Can't stand it any more. Probably for the best, we used to eat a certainly unhealthy amount before. Like 3-4 meals a week, whether lunch or part of supper.
It just tastes like burnt cheddar now. Looked all over for a replacement, saw so many people claiming other products or recipes that taste "just like" the old KD. There are none. Those people are wrong. Either they are unwittingly non-tasters and thus unable to factor that into their endorsements, or they are aware they are wrong but are hoping to sell a product anyway.
There is no substitute, it will never be what it was, we have to accept it will never be again. And hopefully with it out of our lives, it will eventually find it's way out of our minds. Can only console myself knowing that it was basically a drug that I probably am better off without... but man was it ever a good drug. Just a box full of comfort, with no immediate downside. I would probably invite it right back if I ever did exist again...
Lol I relate to your love of a comfort garbage Mac and cheese AND unhealthy consumption of it.
Curious how long ago it was and if you ever tried the kraft thick and creamy? I don't really eat much of it anymore but we always have that on hand for in case we want a frozen chicken strips + side kinda lazy night.
Ahhh. See, I usually couple my attempts with something like "you God damned piece of fucking shit just fucking open why do they even put these stupid fucking things on here." I'll try just grunting though.
It isn't a tab until you puncture the box, is it? Maybe I could try peeling it (kind of looks like it on that one), but usually it's clearly supposed to have some sort of perforation.
I'm not sure about that. There's the glued down tab that the text is printed on so my reading of the instructions suggests inserting your thumb underneath and lifting to peel it away like you mention above. This is supported by the lack of perforation.
It's probably easier to make it from scratch than to open it there. Actually it's pretty much the same amount of work to make it from scratch vs a box.