Campbell's Microwavable Chili/Soup Bowls: Did the designers even try it?
By Eddie. Tuesday, 1. November 2005, 16:30:34
I had one of these Campbell's chili bowls for lunch the other day. Very good idea- you toss one of these in your Ogio bag for a quick and easy lunch. Just add microwave...
Sounds good- but when I actually went to open this thing up, it had the "pull top" tab on it- the kind you see on a soda can. This consists of a pull up on the tab to break the seal, and a peel back to remove the lid.
The problem arises when you break the seal, chili begins to flow/seep over the top of the lid. It is designed such that the tin* breaks open near the pull tab, presumably to break the seal. This allows the product to spill over the top, presenting a problem as you begin the peel back process, because just like with tuna and other removable lids, once you get to the end, there is that little "flick" that takes place as you break the lid off. I grit my teeth and wrap a napkin around the "splash zone" as I pull the tin off. Not to mention that I'm eating lunch... which means I'm at work... which means I'm in clothes that don't work well with splatters all over them ("why.. is that a new tie?")
I imagine I should hold the chili so that the tab is angled up allowing any air in there to be right underneath the pull tab as I break the seal to prevent it seeping over top of the lid. But it seems a better idea is to keep the tab from allowing the seep. Find a way to get rid of the break in the tin. Bad design there. Now I always have to keep extra caution AND extra napkins when I have this for lunch.
*tin, aluminum, whatever it is... not really important
Sounds good- but when I actually went to open this thing up, it had the "pull top" tab on it- the kind you see on a soda can. This consists of a pull up on the tab to break the seal, and a peel back to remove the lid.
The problem arises when you break the seal, chili begins to flow/seep over the top of the lid. It is designed such that the tin* breaks open near the pull tab, presumably to break the seal. This allows the product to spill over the top, presenting a problem as you begin the peel back process, because just like with tuna and other removable lids, once you get to the end, there is that little "flick" that takes place as you break the lid off. I grit my teeth and wrap a napkin around the "splash zone" as I pull the tin off. Not to mention that I'm eating lunch... which means I'm at work... which means I'm in clothes that don't work well with splatters all over them ("why.. is that a new tie?")
I imagine I should hold the chili so that the tab is angled up allowing any air in there to be right underneath the pull tab as I break the seal to prevent it seeping over top of the lid. But it seems a better idea is to keep the tab from allowing the seep. Find a way to get rid of the break in the tin. Bad design there. Now I always have to keep extra caution AND extra napkins when I have this for lunch.
*tin, aluminum, whatever it is... not really important
WIDGETIZE
Anonymous # 2. May 2006, 16:19
I fully agree with you. Good soup though bad bad pull tab design.
vlad2344_1 # 29. July 2006, 08:19
Another option would be to pack an extra tie with your lunch.
elcid73 # 31. July 2006, 14:45
Anonymous # 28. June 2007, 17:19
The soup bowl-lid design. It's awful. Not only that, but the plastic lid "clips" don't always hold, so you end up with soup. First and second time it happened over several days, just thought it was me. But the third time, the thing slipped out of my hand and burned my arm--and no, I did not grab it by the clips. They need to rethink this design for sure.
Anonymous # 13. July 2007, 19:11
Oh my God- do you want the soup manufacturers to open the can, cook, and eat the soup for you too????!!! It's called convenience- either deal with it, buy Ramen or get off your lazy ass and make your own food and bring leftovers to work. I have opened this kind of can plenty of times without the results you described- maybe perhaps it's operator error??? Thousands of children in the Sudan and elsewhere in the world would love to have to have soup- if you don't how the product works, don't buy it or send the rest of your stash to them. The things people whine about these days...
Eddie_Lopez # 14. July 2007, 14:55
kmaage # 17. July 2007, 14:34
I've resisted commenting on this post for a while, but now is the time.
The issue for me is that the most comfortable position to peel back the lid is my thumb pressing down on the middle of the lid. Even if you happen to get an air pocket under the breaking point, the downward pressure will then squeeze liquid out.
I run into this with sardines (yes, I eat them more frequently than most people...), and I've resorted to awkwardly trying to anchor my thumb on the stiff side ridge. Still having the "flick" issue at then end though, which you can imagine is even worse with sardines.
I'm with you Eddie, something designed to be simple shouldn't need convoluted solutions.
Anonymous # 12. November 2009, 17:48
The lids suck. I just googled about the lids sucking and ended up here.
my spillage happens just when I get to the last part that is hanging on. Then it breaks free and splashes everywhere.