New Jar Opener

[Morgan101]

The new jar opener we got for Christmas seems to be working

The long u-shaped handle is sturdy. At what I will call the top ( on the left side in this picture )there is a serrated piece that fits over the edge of the jar. This piece looks like it is spot welded or crimped onto the u-shaped handle. When you close what I will call the grip, the center mechanism, which also has a serrated edge, slides down the u-shaped handle. You open the grip to fit the jar and then press and hold closed to tighten and turn the entire mechanism to open. It sometimes took two hands to make sure everything was placed properly, but I treid it on metal and plastic jars and lids and it worked fine. The real test will come with a jar that is torqued down so hard it is sealed for life. When we get one of those I will keep you posted. Right now it seems like a good buy. It was less tha $10.00 bucks.

Quick note: if you look the item up on Amazon you get a better picture of how it fits on a jar and you can get close ups. Overall length is about 8".

 

[Tim Horton]

As I've gotten older I have lost a lot of my hand strength.. Bummer..
That would be a good back up to my thrift store Black & Decker electric jar opener... It works very well..

 

[Weedygarden]

My MIL had a jar opener that was attached under her kitchen cabinets. I looked for one to do that with and the best that I found was similar to the one in the photo. I also have an electric one that has a can opener with it. It is so handy when my wrists want to feel sprained when I try to open a jar.

 

[Haertig]

My wrists are OK as of right now. My issue is thumb arthritis. That hurts when trying to hold/squeeze things in a claw-type grip. Opening jars is one of those things. I pulled out my ukulele the other day and found that holding the neck of the thing to finger a chord is another one of those things that hurts. I've had that ukulele for probably 8+ years now, and I never learned how to play it. Only a few chords. I guess now I will never learn how to play it.

 

[Caribou]

My MIL had a jar opener that was attached under her kitchen cabinets. I looked for one to do that with and the best that I found was similar to the one in the photo. I also have an electric one that has a can opener with it. It is so handy when my wrists want to feel sprained when I try to open a jar.View attachment 122069

I have that jar opener and I'm pleased with it.

 

[dademoss]

I have a 16 inch water pump pliers for those really stubborn jars

 

[Peanut]

I use a mouse pad for the tough ones... keep extra ones around just for jars. I have big channel locks in reserve.

 

[Tim Horton]

Sadly, with loosing hand strength I also found I couldn't finger chords on my soprano or tenner ukulele and especially my Gibson mandolin... Not that I was ever very good with them..
I gave them all away to young people wanting to learn instruments.. I hope they learn at least a little bluegrass....

The under the cupboard jar opener works well as it lets you use both hands to handle the jar..

 

[Peanut]

Hot water works great on metal lids, metal expands faster than the jar. The one i dread is the lemonade i buy in gallon jugs. Same jug as milk jugs, same small plastic lid. It's a royal pain, it's harder for me to put as much force on a small lid. I have a lot of trouble with them.

@Tim Horton I hear you on the instruments. I only have a few years left to play, it's already difficult at times. Then my martin guitar will need a home. I want to do it like you, find someone young and serious about pickin'. I've had it 49yrs, not giving it to just anyone. Have no one in mind though...

 

[Patchouli]

My arthritis in my hand is bad enough sometimes that I can't even get the peanut butter jar open. I have a round, flat grippy "tool" that is specifically for opening jars and bottles. It is kind of rubber-like, like a computer mouse pad, only much thinner and smaller.

 

[Morgan101]

My arthritis in my hand is bad enough sometimes that I can't even get the peanut butter jar open. I have a round, flat grippy "tool" that is specifically for opening jars and bottles. It is kind of rubber-like, like a computer mouse pad, only much thinner and smaller.

We have a couple of those as well. They do help me, but my wife's hands have gotten really weak from arthritis.

Peanut, I will have to give the hot water trick a try. We have a hot water spigot plumbed into the sink. It works great for instant coffee or tea, hot cocoa. It would be ideal to run ove a lid. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Pearl]

My arthritis in my hand is bad enough sometimes that I can't even get the peanut butter jar open. I have a round, flat grippy "tool" that is specifically for opening jars and bottles. It is kind of rubber-like, like a computer mouse pad, only much thinner and smaller.

The technical name for that is a "rubber husband"!

 

[Weedygarden]

Hot water works great on metal lids, metal expands faster than the jar. The one i dread is the lemonade i buy in gallon jugs. Same jug as milk jugs, same small plastic lid. It's a royal pain, it's harder for me to put as much force on a small lid. I have a lot of trouble with them.

@Tim Horton I hear you on the instruments. I only have a few years left to play, it's already difficult at times. Then my martin guitar will need a home. I want to do it like you, find someone young and serious about pickin'. I've had it 49yrs, not giving it to just anyone. Have no one in mind though...

My grandmothers frequently used hot water when trying to open a stubborn jar lid. A couple years ago I had a jar of kraut that I couldn't open no matter what I tried and I was house sitting, so I didn't have either of my openers with me. I ended up having a neighbor guy, also one of my clients, open my jar of kraut for me.

 

[jazzy]

ive got a couple differetn ones, from the under the cupboard one you slide the top of a jar in and twist--i like that one. for cans i got one of the small electric ones you set on top of the can and push ON and it moves aorund and cuts the lid off. i love that thing. the manual crank one was getting too hard for me. it is nice having options for jars and cans

 

[Pearl]

ive got a couple differetn ones, from the under the cupboard one you slide the top of a jar in and twist--i like that one. for cans i got one of the small electric ones you set on top of the can and push ON and it moves aorund and cuts the lid off. i love that thing. the manual crank one was getting too hard for me. it is nice having options for jars and cans

The V shaped under the cupboard ones are awesome!!

 

[Peanut]

Sort of trick to the hot water. I remember my grandmother showing me as a kid. The idea is to heat the lid, not the jar. It takes a bit for my hot water to get to the tap. I wait until it’s max hot. Then hold the jar so the water hits the center of the lid. Only takes about 10-12sec to heat the lid so it expands and loosens. A metal ring on a mason jar is a bit tricky. I use a cloth to keep most of the water away from the jar while holding the ring under the hot tap. If the jar gets hot it expands too, keeping the lid tight.

This is just like heating nuts/bolts that are stuck/frozen on equipment. We’ve always had old farm equipment and it needs constant maintenance. Seems there’s always some bolt or nut that makes it difficult. When all else fail break out the torch to try some heat. Sometimes it’s simpler just to cut it off.

 

[Weedygarden]

Sort of trick to the hot water. I remember my grandmother showing me as a kid. The idea is to heat the lid, not the jar. It takes a bit for my hot water to get to the tap. I wait until it’s max hot. Then hold the jar so the water hits the center of the lid. Only takes about 10-12sec to heat the lid so it expands and loosens. A metal ring on a mason jar is a bit tricky. I use a cloth to keep most of the water away from the jar while holding the ring under the hot tap. If the jar gets hot it expands too, keeping the lid tight.

This is just like heating nuts/bolts that are stuck/frozen on equipment. We’ve always had old farm equipment and it needs constant maintenance. Seems there’s always some bolt or nut that makes it difficult. When all else fail break out the torch to try some heat. Sometimes it’s simpler just to cut it off.

Yes, just the metal ring or lid gets held under the hot water. My grandmothers would also use a table knife handle and tap around the metal rings to knock them loose.

 

[Caribou]

Yes, just the metal ring or lid gets held under the hot water. My grandmothers would also use a table knife handle and tap around the metal rings to knock them loose.

When I can, after the jars cool, my last step is to remove the rings and wash the jars and rings. This prevents the rings being glued or rusted to the jars. I let everything dry completely before reassembly.

 

[Weedygarden]

When I can, after the jars cool, my last step is to remove the rings and wash the jars and rings. This prevents the rings being glued or rusted to the jars. I let everything dry completely before reassembly.

That is wise!

 

[Caribou]

That is wise!

I have used all the above ideas to open a stuck lid. On the home canned I decided there was something I could do to keep my rings hand tight. A bonus is I'm not losing many rings to rust.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I'd like to get something like that for my wife.

 

[Weedygarden]

I'd like to get something like that for my wife.

Yes, they are great!
https://www.amazon.com/Jar-Opener-W...=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

 

[Tim Horton]

Trivia...
Doing a bit of Google I see it appears a number of places sell stainless steel one piece canning jar lids.. And I can't find now, but have seen stainless steel 2 piece rings available..

....Stainless steel... does not guarantee they will not rust depending on the alloy.. On many products that I helped jar as bulk products and dry vacuum sealed products I routinely put a ring loosely on the jar in the event of a seal loss.. The seal loss didn't mean the product would spoil, but the partially loose ring kept the occasional rodent at bay..

Even when canning supplies seemed in short supply, used rings were the easiest to find..

 

[Haertig]

Yes, they are great!
https://www.amazon.com/Jar-Opener-W...=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

I just ordered one of these yesterday, since the $9.99 price was shown as a "limited time deal". Should be here tomorrow. I'm going to order one of the handheld ones like @Morgan101 has also. I can still get jars open without a helper accessory most of the time, but it's getting more and more difficult as my thumb arthritis is acting up almost continuously these days. My wife has a worse time than I do. The bigger the lid, the harder it is for me to open. The problem seems to be a wide-based grip. It hurts more if I'm trying to squeeze and turn, say, a 4" lid than if I'm handling a 2-1/2" lid.

I'm going to mount that "V" shaped opener as soon as it gets here tomorrow. I also just bought a power strip that I'm going to mount under my cabinet as well. I've amassed so many counter-top appliances recently that it's starting to be a battle to coordinate them all on the kitchen counter. These days, they all have super short cords. Currently I have to swap the appliances around so the one I'm using at the moment is close enough to an outlet to plug in. I checked, and all the cords are long enough to "reach up" to under the cabinet above and plug in to a power strip. The power strip has an on/off switch too, so I will be able to disconnect the appliances from power all at once with the flip of a switch. I've never been one to leave small appliances plugged in permanently - Except for the coffee maker, which arguably is the worst appliance to leave permanently plugged in! Oh well. I'm more concerned about the air fryer, which is accessible via WiFi and could theoretically be turned on remotely if someone managed to hack into my home network. That one, I always unplug immediately after use.

[edit] p.s. - I think I have decided NOT to install the power strip under my kitchen counter. I know the wattage of kitchen appliances (high!) and know not to overload a circuit. But many of my appliances that I would plug into this strip are individually right up at the strips maximum rating. I wouldn't run two at the same time ever, BUT, even individually being so close to the strips maximum current still scares me a bit. These things are all probably made in China you know (even though the one I bought is ETL listed). And a Chinese 15amp rating is probably closer to a US 13amp rating. Kind of like the way a Chinese 2kw generator mysteriously drops to 1.5kw when you take it out of China. So now, after further reflection, I think it's a No-Go on that kitchen power strip idea. Safety first, convenience second. [/edit]

 

[Weedygarden]

I just ordered one of these yesterday, since the $9.99 price was shown as a "limited time deal". Should be here tomorrow. I'm going to order one of the handheld ones like @Morgan101 has also. I can still get jars open without a helper accessory most of the time, but it's getting more and more difficult as my thumb arthritis is acting up almost continuously these days. My wife has a worse time than I do. The bigger the lid, the harder it is for me to open. The problem seems to be a wide-based grip. It hurts more if I'm trying to squeeze and turn, say, a 4" lid than if I'm handling a 2-1/2" lid.

I'm going to mount that "V" shaped opener as soon as it gets here tomorrow. I also just bought a power strip that I'm going to mount under my cabinet as well. I've amassed so many counter-top appliances recently that it's starting to be a battle to coordinate them all on the kitchen counter. These days, they all have super short cords. Currently I have to swap the appliances around so the one I'm using at the moment is close enough to an outlet to plug in. I checked, and all the cords are long enough to "reach up" to under the cabinet above and plug in to a power strip. The power strip has an on/off switch too, so I will be able to disconnect the appliances from power all at once with the flip of a switch. I've never been one to leave small appliances plugged in permanently - Except for the coffee maker, which arguably is the worst appliance to leave permanently plugged in! Oh well. I'm more concerned about the air fryer, which is accessible via WiFi and could theoretically be turned on remotely if someone managed to hack into my home network. That one, I always unplug immediately after use.

My house was built more than 130 years ago, and a number of aspects of it have been upgraded. I have a newer electrical box. In spite of that, I have a bedroom with one duplex outlet. So a lamp and a phone charger? Well, a power strip. Some of my outlets still only take two prongs, except that I have a number of adapters. As I've gone through the house, some out the outlets have been replaced with those for the grounding prong.

Where I do a lot of house sitting is a newer development with homes being less than 10 years old. Guess what? I see how many people there do not have enough outlets!
And we have more and more counter top appliances! I was talking to someone about making fried chicken. The best we ever had growing up was done in an electric frying pan. I have one, but I don't remember the last time I used it! I have only fried chicken a couple of times in my life. Really, I don't fry much food.

 

[Weedygarden]

This is what my electric jar opener looks like. Mine is all black. I see that many similar to this are around $150. Yikes!
I got mine when it was on sale a few years ago. I think I paid around $25 for mine. I use it as needed. It also has a can opener on it.

 

[Tim Horton]

My electric jar opener looks a lot like the picture Weedy posted.. No onboard can opener option...
I paid $6 at the thrift store with senior day discount.. It is quite convenient as I have lost a lot of hand strength..

 

[jazzy]

my son got me a new jar opener and it is pretty great. nice and easy t fit all sixe lids and an easy twist. been playing with it, might get another.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XVKG3RW?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

 

[Pearl]

my son got me a new jar opener and it is pretty great. nice and easy t fit all sixe lids and an easy twist. been playing with it, might get another.

View attachment 128817



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XVKG3RW?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Thank you, that looks great!!

 

[CrocDundee]

Sadly, with loosing hand strength I also found I couldn't finger chords on my soprano or tenner ukulele and especially my Gibson mandolin... Not that I was ever very good with them..
I gave them all away to young people wanting to learn instruments.. I hope they learn at least a little bluegrass....

The under the cupboard jar opener works well as it lets you use both hands to handle the jar..

You can get ultra light strings for six string guitars. I use D'addario .085 sets. A person should be using them, anyway if they are serious about their playing.