1. A Clever Method

The clever method is the most dangerous and messy method. Please use extreme caution if you choose this method. Wear thick gloves and goggles to protect your hands and eyes from the knife and the hard shell from bouncing off the cutting board. 

Tools Needed: Cutting board, clever, kitchen towel, screwdriver or chopsticks or metal straws

Steps:

1. Poke through one of the eyes of the coconut by finding the softest one out of the three spots. Use a chopstick or a clean screwdriver. (I used my metal drinking straw), wiggle it around to widen the hole a bit. Then, drain the water into a bowl or glass. Feel how much lighter your coconut is! 
2. Place the coconut on a kitchen towel to prevent slipping.
3. Hold the coconut over the towel and strike the middle of the coconut with the cleaver, rotating as you hit. This is the hardest part of opening the coconut. If choosing to use the sharp part of the cleaver, be extremely careful with your hands and fingers. If you are uncomfortable using the sharp edge, use the back of a cleaver instead, like the hammer method. See below.
4. Continue until the coconut cracks open. Once there's a crack, pry it with a kitchen knife; it should be easier from here. You'll see the beautiful white coconut flesh.  
5. Once you have your cracked coconut pieces, use a butter knife or a coconut opener to pry open the meat away from the shell. 
6. Rinse the flesh of the coconut before use to avoid tough shells or fibers when using or cooking with it. 

2. Hammer Method

Tools Needed: Cutting board, hammer, kitchen towel. (I used my vintage hammer (2nd image), and it worked!

Steps:

1. Poke a hole through the softness of the coconut. Then, drain the coconut water. You'll have a much lighter coconut now.
2. With a firm grip on one hand, carefully strike the side of the coconut with a hammer along its circumference until it cracks. Rotate the coconut and bang away around the circumference of the coconut. Use enough force to make a crack in the outer shell of the coconut. 
3. Use a kitchen knife or spoon to remove the meat from the shell. Discard the shells.   

3. Oven-Baked Method

Tools Needed: Oven, baking sheet.

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). You guessed it, drain the water first before baking it. Use the same poking method as above. 
2. Place the whole piece of coconut on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. This method takes very little effort and is highly recommended if it's your first time opening a coconut. 
3. As soon as you see the cracks on the coconut, remove and cool slightly, then tap with a hammer or similar tool to crack.
4. Pry the meat away from the shell. 

4. Whacking Method 

This method is tried and true and will work even if you don't have any tool to open the coconut with. You need a solid wall, rock, or something firm to sling the coconut at. In Thailand, we used the trunk of the coconut for this method. It is the easiest way to open a coconut without any tools around.

Tools Needed: Cutting board, sturdy knife, a kitchen or tea towel.

Steps:

1. Drain the coconut liquid. Then, wrap and tie a kitchen towel around the whole coconut. 
2. Whack the coconut around a hard surface until a crack forms. I used my landscape rock for this! (; A concrete sidewalk or driveway could work, too!
3. Continue until the coconut cracks open.
4. Use the knife to remove the meat.

How to Open a Young Coconut 

Tools Needed: sharp knife, straw, spoon, or scraper.

Steps:

1. Cut the top off with a sharp knife.
2. Create a hole to drain the water or widen the opening to drink with a straw.
3. Use a spoon or a coconut scraper to remove the coconut meat.