The 5 Best Jar Openers

According to a 2003 study that appeared in The Telegraph, 60,000 people per year are hospitalized after injuring themselves opening difficult packaging. And that’s just the ones who went to the hospital - how many others sprained a wrist in quiet desperation trying to get that spaghetti jar to open? What husband on Earth isn’t filled with emasculating dread when handed a jar that’s stuck, the expectation of superhero strength hanging in the air like an unspoken wedding vow? And how many jar lids have you banged against the countertop because you heard on the Interwebs somewhere that it actually works, only to chip the marble or crack the Formica? Fortunately, this American Nightmare is one you can awake from, as there is a wide assortment of different jar openers specifically designed to save your hands, wrists and ego. Here, specially curated for you and yours, are the five best ones available on the market today.

Kichwit Jar Opener

When You’re At Your (Kich)Wit’s End

With best-in-class functionality, durability, ease-of-use and price, the Kichwit Jar Opener Takes our highest honor.

Best Overall

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The mechanics behind this jar opener are brilliant but simple, and that’s why we love it. First, you adjust the stainless steel clamp to its maximum width and place it on top of the lid. Then, you turn the durable plastic, ergonomically-designed handle on the top counterclockwise until the clamp mechanism has a firm hold on the lid. Finally, you hold the jar with one hand while you twist the Kichwit with the other and pop! Off comes your lid. The Kihwit’s design is not unlike using a wrench on your jar, as it provides the extra torque necessary to extract lids from small and medium-sized jars. It’s easy to store, easy to clean, and easy to use.

Pros:

Lightweight but durable
Works on plastic lids, too
Comes with bonus keychain bottle opener

Cons:

Not suitable for large jars
Not designed for 4-inch Mason jars

EZ Off Under Cabinet

EZ Breezy No-Lid Squeezy

With an ingenious use of engineering and space-saving technology, EZ Off makes opening jar lids, well, easy.

Best Space Saver

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We love any products – especially kitchen gadgets – that don’t take up too much space or end up clattering around in your drawer for eternity. That’s why we recommend the EZ Off Under Cabinet Jar Opener. This 7.5-inch wide jar opener affixes with adhesive and wood screws to the Final Frontier of kitchen space: the flat surface underneath your cabinets. Then, you simply stick your jar into the V-shaped groove until the lid is securely gripped by the EZ Off’s stainless steel teeth, turn the jar, and suddenly it’s spaghetti time. The opening is big enough for gallon jars, but shaped to accept jars as small as nail polish. Best of all, it remains unseen when not in use – and it’s always in the same place when you need it!

Pros:

Made in the USA
Perfect for one-handed use
Quick and easy installation

Cons:

Can gouge the tops of Bell jars
Not as functional for Kerrs jars

Expertcun Electric

Hands Free At Last!

For seniors, arthritis sufferers, or even skateboarders sidelined with a broken wrist, the Expertcun is there to open your jars.

Best Electric

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Whether you suffer from arthritis, have your hand in a cast or simply don’t have the forearms of Arnold Schwarzenegger, sometimes, you need a completely hands-free jar-opening solution. The Expertcun is the most powerful electric jar opener on the market, offering an easy, one-touch, hands-free experience. Simply place the unit on top of your jar, press the Start sutton, and the Expertcun goes to work. The grip arms attach to the side of the jar while a magnet affixes to the lid, and the powerful motor does the rest. One more touch and the lid falls into the trash. Simple and EZ!

Pros:

Runs on two AA batteries (not included)
Big enough for large pickle jars
Small enough to fit in utensil drawer

Cons:

Not for use on plastic bottles
Not optimal for Mason jars

Brix Jar Key

Easy To Fix With Brix

Using a vacuum-releasing system instead of brute force, the Brix Jar Key is a simple and convenient way to open stubborn jars.

Best Convenience

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The idea is amazingly simple: since it’s the vacuum pressure inside the jar that causes the lid to stick, why not just release the vacuum and twist off the lid? The Brix Jar Key is designed to be stuck under the rim of the lid, and with a gentle pull, release the vacuum seal from the jar. Once the pop-up top clicks, you can easily remove the lid. The Brix comes in a pack of five, each constructed from high-density ABS plastic, so they’re super easy to store and to pack away for camping trips and outdoor parties.

Pros:

No sharp edges
Comes in five colors
No moving parts

Cons:

Not made for bottles
Does not work with Mason jars

Expertcun Electric Jar Opener

Turn Over A New Leif

Leifheit combines the engineering concepts of the can opener with the gripping power of top-twisting jar openers.

Best Versatility

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At first, the Leifheit Extra Wide Jar Opener looks a lot like a can opener, due to the twin, stainless steel grip handles and the horizontally-oriented locking mechanism. In truth the Leifeit uses this design for its proven leverage. The main locking mechanism can attach to jars of all different sizes – basically as wide as you can spread the handles. Yet, it also works on plastic bottle caps or nail polish jars, using the smaller opening in front of the larger one. It may look like something out of a ’50s sci-fi film, but it works efficiently and effectively on a wide variety of jars and bottles.

Pros:

Dishwasher safe
Loops on handles for easy storage
No plastic parts

Cons:

Handles are far apart on large lids
Too small for commercial use

Frequently Asked Questions

So really, how come jar lids are so tight?

It’s all about physics. Food that’s placed in a jar is typically done so while the jar is hot (after being sanitized and rinsed). When the jar cools, the tiny bit of air inside contracts, causing the lid to suck inward and exert pressure on the rim of the jar. This is also why larger jars – such as pickle jars or spaghetti jars – are often harder to open than smaller jars. This is also why jars that have been kept in the refrigerator are more difficult to open than ones in the cupboard: the additional cooling makes the metal lid contract even tighter.

What’s with that little pop-up circle in the middle of my lid?

Once manufacturers figured out that the cooling air in a jar made lids contract, they added the pop-up tab to jars. This tab lets you know that your jar has not been tampered. If the pop-up tab is up, you know the jar has been opened. If the tab is down, it’s still fresh. This also helps for jars you keep in the fridge, and may wonder if you opened or not yet.

I’ve got a jar of spaghetti sauce that has gone past its expiration date, but it has never been opened. Is it still ok to eat?

The safest answer is no, toss it. That said, your sauce could very well be just fine. In fact, the higher the salt or sugar content of your food, the more likely it will live past its expiration date, since these two ingredients are natural preservatives. The College Method is a tried and true way to determine if an unopened jar of Prego (whose actual expiration date is about three years past the heat death of the universe anyway) is still good. Open the jar and look for mold or yeast on top. If none, have a smell. If it smells like sauce and not like a mortuary, you’re probably good to go.