Three tin cans of varying sizes; the one on front is opened with a pull tab.

A tin can, also called a tin or a can, is a steel food container, used primarily for the preservation of food by canning.

Attributes

Tin cans are typically tall cylindrical objects whose lid may or may not have a pull tab . In the instance where a pull tab is not present, a tin can must be opened with a can opener. The cans frequently have a printed label, made of paper or plastic, glued to the outside indicating their contents. Less commonly, the label is painted directly onto the can.

While some tin cans contain dry goods, e.g. coffee, most cans contain food that has been preserved through canning.

Food that does not require canning may be sold in can made from a cardboard tube with a metal top and bottom.

Steel boxes with recloseable lids held on by friction are usually called simply "tins" (American English). More recently they have been used to hold items such as breath mints, throat lozenges , instant coffee, cocoa and even CD-ROM's for an internet service provider. In the past even more products were stored in tins, many highly decorated. Companies wanted to encourage the reuse of the tins as a form of advertising. One common use of the tin was as a children's lunchbox and in the UK as Biscuit tins.

Highly decorated "holiday tins", usually containing cookies, candy, or popcorn, are sold during the holiday season and are popular gifts. Similar festive containers are used in Europe for sweets, biscuits , cakes and chocolates, mainly at Christmas, rather than in the summer holidays and in countries with British associations, they are usually called Biscuit tins.

Waste

Discarded tin cans are commonly used in crafts, and a number of simple toys can be made from them. Tin cans of the right size may also be used to make very effective Wi-fi antennas. Discarded tin can lids tend to be sharp and care should be exercised when handling or disposing of them.

Slang

The phrase "tin can" is actually a misnomer, as tin cans are made mostly of steel, with a thin layer of tin to prevent corrosion. The use of steel is advantageous, as iron is a more common element than tin. Additionally, steel is stronger and interferes less with the food's flavor.

"Tin can" is used as the slang for a destroyer or other small lightly armored vessels for their thin hulls.

See also

• Beverage can

External Links

• Dawn of the New Can - article on the history of cans and how cans are evolving to become more competitive against other containers.