Don't Tear Open Flour Bags! There's Allegedly a Better Method

September 19, 2025, 11:53 am | Read time: 3 minutes

Many enjoy baking, but it isn’t without the inevitable flour mishap in the kitchen. Who doesn’t know it: Right after tearing open the flour bag, a fine, white film covers the floor, the countertop, or clothing. There’s a video online showing a simple trick to avoid this disaster. But the internet is divided—ingenious life hack or complete nonsense?

Opened Incorrectly and the Flour Flies Everywhere

Most people grab the flour bag, roll it up at the top, and reach right in. The result is well-known: fine flour flies everywhere. This method is exactly what causes the familiar flour chaos.

However, flour bags are supposedly not meant to be torn open at the top. Instagram creator Malte Katenbrink (@aboutmalte) shows in a reel how a flour bag should actually be opened. Instead of tearing it open at the top, you should first turn it upside down. According to Katenbrink, under the folded edge on the bottom, there’s a small paper tab with a scissors symbol. Lifting this reveals a fine line that supposedly indicates where the bag should be opened. This way, the flour can be poured neatly and cleanly into a storage container, mixing bowl, or directly into the kitchen machine.

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Here’s How to Do It Right

Turn the flour bag upside down.
On the bottom, there’s a marking in the form of a small scissors.
At this exact spot, the bag can be easily cut open.

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Reactions Online Are Divided

In his video, Katenbrink asks how old his followers were when they discovered how to really open flour bags. Many comment with their current age and express enthusiasm: “That’s crazy.” Others question the implementation and criticize the packaging design: “And why not do it at the top?”

Many comments also revolve around the fact that the hack can’t be applied to every flour brand, as not all have the markings on the bottom. “But that’s only with that manufacturer,” and “Is it only with Diamant flour? I got the one from Lidl yesterday and just took apart the bottom, my flour doesn’t have this special opening?!”

The myHOMEBOOK editorial team also examined flour bags at home and couldn’t find any markings on their bottoms.

Doubts About the Function

In the comments, there are also voices questioning the significance of the symbol altogether. One user writes: “I rather think it’s not meant for opening but to check if the packaging is properly cut by the machines since the rolls on which the packaging paper is delivered are often pre-printed.”

Whether the marking is actually intended for consumers or merely a hint for industrial packaging remains open for now.

Meanwhile, the Instagram creator has added in the video description that the hack only works with flour bags from the Diamant brand.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of MYHOMEBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@myhomebook.de.