#ChurchKey October 3
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
In October 2025, many of us will be taking part in the 30-Day Kitchen Coach4aday Challenge. Each day we will spotlight an appliance, utensil, or gadget found in a commercial or residential kitchen. The tools and devices used to prepare and cook food is quite extensive and this month we will take a look at both the sublime and ridiculous. My post today is focused on a CHURCH KEY.
If you’re around my age, you’ll remember when a church key was essential for opening cans of soda or beer, as well as bottles with caps. This simple kitchen tool had a pointed end for puncturing flat-topped cans like juice or evaporated milk, and a rounded end for prying off bottle caps. Its practicality made it a must-have multipurpose gadget in every kitchen.
For younger readers the pop-top or pull tab wasn’t a thing until the 1960’s. The change for cans was first introduced in 1962 by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company on Iron City Beer. They quickly gained popularity because they eliminated the need for a church key. By the mid-to-late 1960s, pull-tabs had become mainstream in both soda and beer packaging across the U.S.
Some refer to this as a bottle or can opener, but many know it as a church key.
Kitchen-30 Day Challenge Guidelines
As with previous challenges, participants are encouraged to adapt the guidelines to fit their own circumstances. If you can, commit to sharing something about an appliance, utensil, or gadget found in a Kitchen during the month of October
- Record something about an item found in a Kitchen. Make sure you include a description and its purpose. Try, if possible, to include a photo.
- Share with a challenge partner if you have one.
- Join the conversation by posting on social media with the hashtag #Coach4adayChallenge
October 3-Church Key
Church keys were sometimes given out as promotional items, including by car companies and dealerships. In the 1940s–1960s, it was common for auto dealers, gas stations, and related businesses to hand out small metal church keys stamped with their logo or brand. These were inexpensive, useful everyday tools that doubled as advertising, much like keychains or tire gauges.
Car companies were not the only ones in on that game beer brands were probably the most popular.
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