Editorial
Front Page - Friday, September 17, 2010
What’ll they dream up next?
Bottle Top
Misty S. Brown
The Bottle Top can fit on top of a standard can of soda or beer to turn it into a bottle. The re-sealable lid helps prevent spills, but it isn’t entirely leak-proof. If you use one, be sure to clean off the can top before snapping one of these on since the beverage can sit on top of the dirty can.
- Misty S. Brown
When I first moved south of the Mason-Dixon line, it was a strange, strange world. I tried okra, the fuzzy vegetable with the gooey innards, for the first time. I quickly learned it wasn’t so bad when it was fried. ’Course, you get used to everything being fried when you live in the South, especially if you ever visit state fairs where fried butter, Twinkies, Oreos, bacon or Dr. Pepper isn’t uncommon.
Then there was the time I was called to the principal’s office in grade school for not being a ma’am-er and sir-er and pronouncing the word “misses” as “mizriz,” since that’s how my teacher said it. While I was a respectful child, the use of “ma’am” and “sir” was eschewed where I’m from because it implied that the person was old, which could be insulting for younger adults. Instead, we were taught to be respectful, keep eye contact and use complete, coherent sentences or words when an adult asked or told us to do something. We weren’t allowed to sigh, roll our eyes, shrug our shoulders, whine, or answer questions with “because” or “I dunno.”
I will also never forget the time when an older family friend invited us over to dinner at her home. She asked me, “Do you want a Coke?” to which I replied, “Sure, please.” Until that point in my life, carbonated beverages were always “pop,” so I thought she was specifically offering me a Coca-Cola. When she replied, “What kind?” I was utterly confused. I squinted my brows, tilted my head and slowly and inquisitively said, “Ccccooooke?” I soon learned that coke is the word many southerners like to use in lieu of pop. She changed my world forever with that simple question. (For an interesting graphic showing the distribution of the pop vs. soda vs. coke debate, visit popvssoda.com.)
Another big thing about the South is the devotion to football, even at the high school and college level. Although there isn’t a pro-football team in Arkansas, a Razorback t-shirt is a must-have, no matter what college you attended. With football season upon us, stores everywhere are grouping all the tailgating items together for easier access. No doubt, Americans probably get the majority of their share of beer and “coke” during this time of year. Perhaps that’s why you might even find Bottle Tops among the chips, lawn chairs, and charcoal.
What it is
Bottle Tops are plastic devices that turn a canned beverage into a re-sealable bottled one.
How it works
The Bottle Top fits directly on the top of a “coke” or beer can. There is a black cap attached to the top that can be opened and closed when drinking or storing. When the beverage is finished, the bottle top can be reused for another can.
Pros and cons
While the product might look to be a no-brainer, leave it to me to find a way to screw it up. Evidently, the Bottle Top must be placed on an open can otherwise it is virtually irremovable, unless you want to cause damage to the can or top by prying it off. Once you have put it on a can that hasn’t been opened, you will have to find a screwdriver to punch the hole open.
One thing that consumers might find attractive about the Bottle Top is the re-sealable lid, especially if they find it difficult to drink an entire can at once. This might be good for people with kids who are always leaving their drinks in various places, only to return to a warm, good-for-nothing can of flat soda. This way, the drink can be stored in the refrigerator without the worry of toppling the can over and spilling the contents all over the place.
It’s also great for those of us who are klutzes and want to decrease the amount of spills we have. However, I find that the re-sealable lid isn’t what it is cracked up to be. For starters, it rubs on your cheek and gets in the way when you try to take a swig. Secondly, re-sealable doesn’t necessarily mean leak-proof. I found that holding the can horizontally and upside down caused it to drip. While it will prevent a massive spill, it will still cause a slight mess if it isn’t sitting upright.
One good thing about the Bottle Top is that it would make it more difficult for bees and flies to enter the mouth since it can close, and the translucent plastic makes it easier to see what is going on inside the top.
As a slight germophobe, I will never open a can before wiping off the lid and lip, just in case it had mice and bugs running across it at the factory, during delivery and at the store. Because of this, I am not very fond of the fact that the beverage is able to sit on the top of the can while in use. Though it may not be a big deal, I hope people will think to clean off their can tops before applying the Bottle Top to it.
When removing the Bottle Top, you must squeeze the can. When I did this, the Bottle Top shot up into the air about two feet before landing behind my computer screen. I suppose you should treat this with the same caution as a bottle of champagne and point it away from you and others while removing it, lest you want to go blind in an eye.
I’m not sure how easy it actually is to snap a Bottle Top onto a beverage can, since my initial use was on a closed can. Since the can really should be open when placing one on, you have to be careful that you don’t slip during the application and knock your can over without one of these attached.
One nice advantage of the Bottle Top is that it comes in several colors so you can determine which can belongs to you while at a large gathering. The tops are removable and reusable, so that’s a plus. However, I can see that it might be easy to forget it’s on a can and accidentally throw it in the trash along with the used can.
Another advantage is that you’ll save money on your beverages since cans often cost much less than bottles.
As for keeping the carbonation longer, I cannot attest to that claim one way or another. It seemed like my drink wasn’t as fizzy as normal, but, then again, I always take a while to drink from a can.
Where to buy
A set of 12 multi-colored Bottle Tops can be found at Walgreen’s and Bed Bath and Beyond for $5.99 and at Best Buy for $6.99.
Submissions
Send your column ideas to me at misty@dailydata.com.
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