<p>I always prefer to cut this type of bag open. There probably isn't TOO much chance of plastic ending up in your coffee grounds, but I feel better with a clean cut rather than the ragged ends.  Starbucks has top quality machinery, so their bags are always sealed very thoroughly, thus hard to open. With some other companies the heat seal on the bags is not as perfect, so the bags are easy to open. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-23T20:04:22.503Z
2018-10-23T20:04:22.503Z
BescaRoasting
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZaF1p.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>Is it this kind of bag? If so, there’s really no way around opening it any other way than you would normally. You just have to be very careful when pulling the top apart (one side at a time) and I’ve worked at Starbucks for 7 years. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-23T02:10:46.473Z
2018-10-23T02:10:46.473Z
Randi
<p>The Starbucks challenge!  </p>

<p>Why I came to doing this. I have lost hand strength and require these kind of solutions to keep myself independent performing routine tasks like putting on knee high socks, closing your trousers to get the button in the hole When they fit “just right”. So they let your life be less challenging and in my case helps  maintain my remaining strength by inventing possibly useless tasks but ones that serve my own ends. </p>

<p><strong>So this is what I do to open  a new Starbucks bag.</strong> </p>

<p>Take  two needle nose players putting  each one on opposite sides as close to where the inner sides meet. Stabilize your hands by standing to do this and being directly over the bag. Now tighten your grip on each plier and very very slowly separate the two sides  pulling each away from the other until the first opening appears. </p>

<p>Now stop the make sure the players haven’t slipped, so  if so reapply to equalize the opposite pressures.Careful and slow are the operant words. No luck needed. If you made a mess of it it’s not these instructions but you need more practice. </p>

<p>I have lost hand strength and require these kind of solutions to keep myself independent performing routine tasks like putting on knee high socks, closing your trousers to get the button in the hole When they fit “just right”. Maintain your remaining strength by inventing possibly useless tasks but ones that serve your own ends.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-05T13:35:40.847Z
2019-09-06T13:06:08.443Z
2019-09-06T13:06:08.443Z
Julian Leon
<p>The bags are a challenge to open. I like the metal tab for closing the bag and found I can keep that part to fold over.
1) Square off the top of the bag as much as possible so that the gussets on the non-metal tab sides are flanged open and are easy to see.
2) The metal tab runs the length on the back side of the package. From the opposite side (the front of package), cut the 2 gussets horizontally across the top an inch in on each side at a height just below the metal tab.
3) I can now easily open up ~1 inch on the left and ~1 inch on the right (smell that coffee!).
4) Just take you scissors and cut across the remaining gap.
5) Clean up the top however you like to remove excess packaging, so you end up with a scissor cut across the front but can still keep the metal tab for folding.  ENJOY!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-28T16:03:27.223Z
2019-10-28T16:03:27.223Z
Michele Ward
<p>Yes it is.</p>

<ul>
<li>Pull the top flap up to expose the paper-metal tabs.</li>
<li>Fold the tabs outward.</li>
<li><em>Hold the bag at hip level while standing</em>. </li>
<li>Place your thumbs on each each side of the center of flaps on the long sides of the bag. If the seam in the bag’s glue seal is a little off center, aim for that. You want your thumbs inside of the flaps, next to one another.</li>
<li>Pinch your forefingers on the outside of the bag <em>just above the seal</em> with the rest of your fingers supporting. I find it helps to “knuckle” my forefinger against my thumb to get a good grip on the flap.</li>
<li>While pushing your shoulders downward, as if to push the bag away from you, gently pull your thumbs away from one another. <em>Gradually</em> apply more pressure until the glue starts to tear.</li>
<li>Don’t rip! Just let the glue tear apart. Too much pull will tear the bag, which is the problem.</li>
</ul>

<p>Every time you open a bag of coffee, make note of how much strength you need to break the glue and it will get easier.</p>

<p>Source: ~10yr Starbucks barista</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-17T00:46:08.437Z
2019-11-17T00:46:08.437Z
jonspaceharper
<p>Hair dryer/blower on high heat applied to the glue line. Melts the glue slightly and easy to open right away!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-04T13:23:41.047Z
2024-11-04T13:23:41.047Z
Bill LaCombe
<p>is it possible to open a new Starbucks coffee bag by pulling the flaps apart,  I've never been able to do so ? </p>

<p>If you know of a way to separate the flaps by any other means without
causing a tear in the side of the bag, please let me know.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-03T14:55:10.607Z
Yes, it's possible. I've not had any trouble with it. The bags I see locally use paper liners inside the flaps, which are obviously there because they rip easily, letting you open the bag without scissors. I don't typically buy Starbucks coffee, though, so this could be a new addition to the bags. I know some other brands I've bought hot seal the plastic, and it's impossible to open those without scissors. Could be SBux used to work like that.
R Mac
<packaging>
opening a new unopened Starbuck's coffee bag
Ken Jopp
# opening a new unopened Starbuck's coffee bag

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-21)

is it possible to open a new Starbucks coffee bag by pulling the flaps apart, I've never been able to do so ?

If you know of a way to separate the flaps by any other means without
causing a tear in the side of the bag, please let me know.

**Tags:** packaging

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Yes, it's possible. I've not had any trouble with it. The bags I see locally use paper liners inside the flaps, which are obviously there because they rip easily, letting you open the bag without scissors. I don't typically buy Starbucks coffee, though, so this could be a new addition to the bags. I know some other brands I've bought hot seal the plastic, and it's impossible to open those without scissors. Could be SBux used to work like that.  

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## 6 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-10-23. Score: 3

I always prefer to cut this type of bag open. There probably isn't TOO much chance of plastic ending up in your coffee grounds, but I feel better with a clean cut rather than the ragged ends. Starbucks has top quality machinery, so their bags are always sealed very thoroughly, thus hard to open. With some other companies the heat seal on the bags is not as perfect, so the bags are easy to open.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-10-23. Score: 2

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ZaF1p.jpg)

Is it this kind of bag? If so, there’s really no way around opening it any other way than you would normally. You just have to be very careful when pulling the top apart (one side at a time) and I’ve worked at Starbucks for 7 years.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-09-05. Score: 2

The Starbucks challenge!

Why I came to doing this. I have lost hand strength and require these kind of solutions to keep myself independent performing routine tasks like putting on knee high socks, closing your trousers to get the button in the hole When they fit “just right”. So they let your life be less challenging and in my case helps maintain my remaining strength by inventing possibly useless tasks but ones that serve my own ends.

**So this is what I do to open a new Starbucks bag.**

Take two needle nose players putting each one on opposite sides as close to where the inner sides meet. Stabilize your hands by standing to do this and being directly over the bag. Now tighten your grip on each plier and very very slowly separate the two sides pulling each away from the other until the first opening appears.

Now stop the make sure the players haven’t slipped, so if so reapply to equalize the opposite pressures.Careful and slow are the operant words. No luck needed. If you made a mess of it it’s not these instructions but you need more practice.

I have lost hand strength and require these kind of solutions to keep myself independent performing routine tasks like putting on knee high socks, closing your trousers to get the button in the hole When they fit “just right”. Maintain your remaining strength by inventing possibly useless tasks but ones that serve your own ends.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2019-10-28. Score: 2

The bags are a challenge to open. I like the metal tab for closing the bag and found I can keep that part to fold over.
1) Square off the top of the bag as much as possible so that the gussets on the non-metal tab sides are flanged open and are easy to see.
2) The metal tab runs the length on the back side of the package. From the opposite side (the front of package), cut the 2 gussets horizontally across the top an inch in on each side at a height just below the metal tab.
3) I can now easily open up ~1 inch on the left and ~1 inch on the right (smell that coffee!).
4) Just take you scissors and cut across the remaining gap.
5) Clean up the top however you like to remove excess packaging, so you end up with a scissor cut across the front but can still keep the metal tab for folding. ENJOY!


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2019-11-17. Score: 1

Yes it is.

* Pull the top flap up to expose the paper-metal tabs.
* Fold the tabs outward.
* *Hold the bag at hip level while standing*.
* Place your thumbs on each each side of the center of flaps on the long sides of the bag. If the seam in the bag’s glue seal is a little off center, aim for that. You want your thumbs inside of the flaps, next to one another.
* Pinch your forefingers on the outside of the bag *just above the seal* with the rest of your fingers supporting. I find it helps to “knuckle” my forefinger against my thumb to get a good grip on the flap.
* While pushing your shoulders downward, as if to push the bag away from you, gently pull your thumbs away from one another. *Gradually* apply more pressure until the glue starts to tear.
* Don’t rip! Just let the glue tear apart. Too much pull will tear the bag, which is the problem.

Every time you open a bag of coffee, make note of how much strength you need to break the glue and it will get easier.

Source: ~10yr Starbucks barista


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2024-11-04. Score: 0

Hair dryer/blower on high heat applied to the glue line. Melts the glue slightly and easy to open right away!


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