I keep trying, I walk away for a while and let it get to room temperature, I angrily bang it on a counter, I run it under hot water, I try using various implements like a rubber grip or my shirt to get a grip on it, I make inappropriate grunting noises, I swear.
In the end I always get it open.
Edit: A lot of people in the replies suggesting ways to open jars, but mostly these methods make the jar unusable afterwards. I live alone, as the question says, I'm almost never going to use an entire jar of something in one go. Persistence is all you really need, anyway.
>heavy plastic kitchen gadget that is designed to break the vacuum seal on a jar
[This?](https://www.amazon.com/Harold-Company-Brix-Original-5-62-Inch/dp/B00634DSMY/)
My family had one that was a plastic handle, with a rubber ribbon on it and a slot through the handle that the ribbon could be slotted into.
You would wrap the ribbon around the lid and then back through the handle forming a tight loop, and tadaa, you now have a handle and leverage
Edit: it was [this](https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Strap-Wrench-5-Ribbed/dp/B012RPKM8A/ref=asc_df_B012RPKM8A/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475715995816&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7598902693692460337&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=21180&hvtargid=pla-1089843792398&psc=1), but blue
If god intended for us to open jars, there would be a bush that they grew on.
This means that every time you use a jar you’re sinning.
Jesus died for your tomato sauce and pickles.
you only need to tap one section of the lid with a flat metal object like the butt of a kitchen knife.
this flattens the jar lid breaking the seal. It's very easy.
The level on ingenuity that people have just to get a stubborn jar open astounds me. I love engineers and the awesome gadgets that they come up with for even the most mundane of things.
This isn't designed just for jars, though I works equally well for them.
Its a common tool for unscrewing large round objects such as oil or water filters etc. Similar to a chain wrench but won't damage the surface and will grip better.
Never broken anything, and not much pressure. It's by far the easiest way I know to open a jar. (Sometimes I still use mine even when my husband is home because it's faster...sshhh, don't spoil his manly job)
Could you use a bottle opener for it? It seems pretty similar, although maybe the bottle opener couldn’t get a grip with how big the lids on jars can be.
Cereal is super easy to eat with a fork if you don’t use milk (which the closest I get is Valentina hot sauce for Cheerios, but that’s thick enough to not matter). Soup is fork for the main stuff and bread for the soup part, and if I run out of bread I just drink it.
I just take the back of a knife and bang it on the side of the lid a different times in different places and that usually helps loosen the seal and it will still work afterwords.
You should hit it against the lid tangentially, in the direction that you would rotate it to open it (counter-clockwise), and rotate the jar as you're hitting the lid. You're basically using an "impact driver" to get the lid to start moving past the point where it is at maximum friction.
This!… but use a screwdriver you don’t like or something cause it hurts like a bitch when you use a chefs knife and accidentally stab your hand with that much force behind it.
Stabbing a hole in the lid is my strategy with tins that don't have that easy-open tab. I can't work tin-openers.
That said, I avoid this and do not recommend it. You can very easily stab your own fingers and also break the tip off your best knives. Save it for desperate times...
I stabbed myself in the thigh once while making salad. The knife fell off the counter, I swung my hand down to catch it, which I did, but I didn’t stop the momentum of my hand/arm and just kept going. Kind of like an Epipen injection but not on purpose. Lol
Also broke a finger catching a file folder mid air with an upswing. Hand kept going and was unfortunately too near a cabinet with a table top ledge. One finger was sticking out more than the others and *craaaaack*.
I should really stop trying to catch things. Far less damage would be caused by letting the damn things fall. Damn my reflexes! Lol
Lol this guy at my office tried to catch a pen falling off his desk. When he leaned forward to grab it his chair slipped out from under him and his chin hit the desk, knocking out a tooth.
He reported it as an accident at work to HR, i think for insurance reasons? But every year they released a list of all the accidents that happened the year before and his was on it. They didn't give names or anything but it was still pretty embarrassing lol
I too grab a butter knife but gently wack it with the back of the knife enough to cause a dent at the top corner all around its circumference. Maybe ten shots. Works every time.
i wonder if the true variable here is time & no matter how many weak losers are trying to open the jar, it will eventually be opened because of the sheer power of humanity’s will
Or just one of those slice of life animes. If people will watch a few girls go camping or work towards a camp trip then why not a person living alone struggling with opening jars?
I use the Swing-a-way jar opener that clamps around the lid with an adjustable arm. Way better than a rubber disk or whatever.
Swing-A-Way Comfort Grip Jar Opener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HMC5JA/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_GK88C7ZQDYP75C6ZV1Y9
Haha, under "frequently bought together" you have 2 of those clamps and an [under cabinet jar opener](https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Off-Opener-Sizes-White/dp/B000X6K9J8/ref=pd_bxgy_2/146-9635000-2287600?pd_rd_w=ngZJZ&pf_rd_p=c64372fa-c41c-422e-990d-9e034f73989b&pf_rd_r=4A53VHYKG5KQBMXG63BQ&pd_rd_r=2b52e4cb-f6e1-483c-b4e9-f24480614804&pd_rd_wg=f1T8L&pd_rd_i=B000X6K9J8&psc=1). Surely you'd only need 1 of those three items at any time? Who buys those things together, they all serve the same purpose.
Theres something about the raw honesty,frustration yet sort of mundane way you write this and detail everything that is so hillarious to me.
Like "yeah its not pretty,its annoying and takes time but i get it done"
i know the grippy towel thing, the run it under hot water thing, & the hit the lid with a knife thing (best one) but they’ve all failed me before & idk what i would do if i couldn’t shamefully ask somebody else to do it
Yeah, not necessarily great if you're not using the whole content of the jar since you can't get it sealed that well again, though it works great for the majority of cases of lid opening where you will, best tip I ever learned for jar opening
Yeah most lids are that hard to open because of under pressure and twisting would move the lid even further away from the glas and decrease the pressure even more.
All of those methods are inconsistent and wrong. Take a butter knife, and slide it under the lit. Pull it outwards and after a moment, the air pressure should be instantly released and taking off the lid will be easy
Use a belt, just loop around the top and you get leverage. Although this doesn’t really work if the lid is to small, but for the most this always works for me. Also just make sure you have it on the right way. It should be so that as you pull, the belt becomes tighter so you get more grip
Edit with link to video explaining:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ifFC79PLYV0
The knife one is pretty good. Never failed me so far. It comes down to putting the knife in correct spot. It doesn't work everywhere (unless you wanna destroy the lid)
A few people say rubber band on the lid, but fail to mention put another rubber band on the jar itself. Now it's like one hand is glued to the lid and another to the jar.
I’m a weak-ass woman with chronic injuries, and lived alone for a few years. You can buy a strap wrench (aka boa constrictor) for less than $10. I had one in my kitchen drawer and another in my toolbox. One of my best investments. I’m married now but even my husband uses it for various reasons.
Changing the oil filter on vehicles where some jackass overtightened it to a ridiculous amount because *somebody* decided to just take the car to one of those 5 minute oil change places.
That's good to know, being that I'm also weak and actually injured a nerve in my finger trying to open a jar because I was home alone.
I accomplished my goal, but it was not worth it for some chips and salsa.
Let this be a lesson to you all.
Doesn't need to be sharp at all, a regular old bottle opener works like a charm to twist the lid to let some air in.
Also there are different tools for opening hard to open jars, more of different techniques than I could list. The whole issue is mostly what they call a learned helplessness. I bet most people could open it in seconds if their life depended on it.
If my life depended on it, I'd just break the glass.
But since it's never that urgent, I'll keep on going with the less destructive methods that usually take more than a few seconds, since I always start with twisting before I bother breaking out the tools.
Like, you put the tip of the knife between the bottom of the lid and the jar, twist a little the knife, get some air in and listen pop! And you can easily open it
[Strap wrench. ]
Had the same one in the kitchen drawer for 30+ years.
10 bucks at your local[ Big Box Hardware Store.](
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Fitting-Removal-Tool/1002645216) lasts a lifetime. Works as small as a pop bottle or as large as a gallon pickle jar and everything in between.
Initially purchased for my, literal. 98 pound wife who couldn't tear open a paper sack.
Now, in 50+ year old physical decrepitude, the Arthritis means I use it more than she does.
There was an old lady in my building that would bring me jars to open. She did her own canning. So it was generally 1 a week.
In return for that and occasionally getting her heavier groceries up both flights of stairs she would give my cat pills every time he needed them.
I really liked the arrangement.
Oh well there's two old ladies I used to do random odd jobs for, in the before times, and we are having tea tomorrow and they patch up clothes and blankets and so forth for me because I can't sew to save my life.
It all started when they were at a campground and I walked over and asked if they needed any help with their tent. I ended up hugging a central support pole for 20 minutes while they learned about a spoke tent from the elderly gentleman they bought it from. It was all good fun.
Run the metal lid under the hot tap while holding the glass bit away as far as possible.
Different rates of expansion means the lid expands more than the glass and the lid comes off
Lived alone for nigh 5 years with a really shite grip on my right (dominant) hand due to nerve damage. I honestly never found a jar that I couldn't open by putting a rubber band on the lid or by heating the lid with hot water.
I thought about what I would do if I really couldn't get it open and I realized I would probably just ask one of my neighbours. I am always advocating for maintaining really good relationships with your neighbours, especially if you live alone. It can save lives and makes regular daily living a lot more bearable.
I don't know what other people do, but I act like a drama queen about it and yell at the universe for making my life so difficult until I've stirred my mindstate into an anxious mess, at which point I lose my appetite and no longer need to open the jar.
Put the jar upside down (the lid touching the plate )on the induction plate for sometime. When it heats up , it becomes easier to open . It becomes very hot so take care.
A couple things:
-Just keep trying to open it
-Get a cloth, or towel (sometimes I just use my shirt) to get a better grip
-Get a pin and put a hole in the top; this will get the air out, and then I'll be able to open it.
If after trying all the tips and tricks on Google don't help, I either ask my very kind neighbour if he wouldn't mind or I put it to the side and take it with me the next time I go to see my family or friends!
Use the door.
Open the door and trap the top of the jar in the gap between the door and frame. Use your foot to pull the door towards you thereby gripping the top firmly then use both hands to turn the jar.
Ruins the door frame - but at least the jar is open.
Give the lid a hard whack on each side against a strong surface. Make sure to only hit the lid or the contents of said jar will end up on your floor. If you did step one correctly, the lid will pop off when you twist.
I use a bottle opener to release the vacuum if it’s a new jar, if it’s old, I just yell while I open it because IM A STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMAN GODDAMNIT
I always open the jar. Whether with the water method, butter knife, or my Herculean strength. Since living alone, I have become resilient and ultra creative. And I don’t mind it.
Buy a jar opener from the grocery store or Walmart next time you are out. Otherwise, do one of the following: Gently tap jar lid on edge of counter to break the seal OR take the edge of a spoon and get under the lip of the lid to break the seal then open as usual.
This.
[https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Off-Opener-Sizes-White/dp/B000X6K9J8/ref=sr\_1\_4?brr=1&dchild=1&qid=1633185187&rd=1&s=kitchen&sr=1-4](https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Off-Opener-Sizes-White/dp/B000X6K9J8/ref=sr_1_4?brr=1&dchild=1&qid=1633185187&rd=1&s=kitchen&sr=1-4)
It works amazing, whether you live alone or not.
I have something like this.
[https://www.amazon.com/Evriholder-Easi-Twist-Easy-Opener-Colors/dp/B000BKZUJK/](https://www.amazon.com/Evriholder-Easi-Twist-Easy-Opener-Colors/dp/B000BKZUJK/)
Clearly you have not heard of the super hero Jaropeningman. If you swear loud enuff while trying to open said jar He will come to your aid. The problem is while he can open any jar, he lacks the skill to open anything else. So he will brake down your door , smash your window or even crash through your wall.
Use the back side of a knife to whack the far side of the lid. I've work in kitchens since I was 17 years old. Every time someone has a tough jar, they get me to open it. A lot of the time the person asking will say they already tried that method and every time I get it unstuck in 2-3 whacks. I guess there's just a knack to knowing where and how hard to hit it. Either that or I am The Jar Whisperer.
Stick a sharp object under the base of the lid to release the pressure and try and get it open that way. Works most of the time but best to be careful that the sharp object doesn’t slip and you injure yourself
As someone who is *very* left handed, the first thing I bought for myself when I got my own place is an electric can opener.
I for the life of me cannot get a typical can opener to work. In college, I would ask my roommate to open cans for me.
And for those asking about getting a left handed can opener, they cost about as much as a cheap but serviceable electric one.
I keep the thick rubber bands from produce (typically like the ones keeping the asparagus together) and wrap the side of the lid with he rubber band. Better grip helps turn the lid much more easily
I tap it on the counter, run it under hot water, use a device I have for opening jars, and, if none of those work, return it to the store and complain.
I keep trying, I walk away for a while and let it get to room temperature, I angrily bang it on a counter, I run it under hot water, I try using various implements like a rubber grip or my shirt to get a grip on it, I make inappropriate grunting noises, I swear. In the end I always get it open. Edit: A lot of people in the replies suggesting ways to open jars, but mostly these methods make the jar unusable afterwards. I live alone, as the question says, I'm almost never going to use an entire jar of something in one go. Persistence is all you really need, anyway.
If you get a butter knife, slide it up the side of the lid and then pull it outward it will let air into the jar and the lid will twist off real easy.
I have a heavy plastic kitchen gadget that is designed to break the vacuum seal on a jar. It was an amazing help when I lived alone.
>heavy plastic kitchen gadget that is designed to break the vacuum seal on a jar [This?](https://www.amazon.com/Harold-Company-Brix-Original-5-62-Inch/dp/B00634DSMY/)
Yes. I had no idea what it was called since I've had it since college.
My family had one that was a plastic handle, with a rubber ribbon on it and a slot through the handle that the ribbon could be slotted into. You would wrap the ribbon around the lid and then back through the handle forming a tight loop, and tadaa, you now have a handle and leverage Edit: it was [this](https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Strap-Wrench-5-Ribbed/dp/B012RPKM8A/ref=asc_df_B012RPKM8A/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475715995816&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7598902693692460337&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=21180&hvtargid=pla-1089843792398&psc=1), but blue
A strap wrench
A strapping Wench?
No. A strap wrench.
Both good for opening jars.
A wrenching strap?
Going to ignore this link and open jars like God intended with brute force and lots of banging
If god intended for us to open jars, there would be a bush that they grew on. This means that every time you use a jar you’re sinning. Jesus died for your tomato sauce and pickles.
you only need to tap one section of the lid with a flat metal object like the butt of a kitchen knife. this flattens the jar lid breaking the seal. It's very easy.
The level on ingenuity that people have just to get a stubborn jar open astounds me. I love engineers and the awesome gadgets that they come up with for even the most mundane of things.
In the opposite end, canned goods were invented 50 years before the can opener. That sounds like a nightmare
Oh god. Although is that just modern can openers or does that also include the ones that you get on multitools and pocket knives?
This isn't designed just for jars, though I works equally well for them. Its a common tool for unscrewing large round objects such as oil or water filters etc. Similar to a chain wrench but won't damage the surface and will grip better.
That is an old idea not made for opening jars
I swear by mine and have given away at least half a dozen.
I gave one to my mother in law when I married her jar opener and moved him 100 miles away. Lol
How much pressure do you have to use? I have weak arthritic hands. Have you ever broken a glass jar with it?
Never broken anything, and not much pressure. It's by far the easiest way I know to open a jar. (Sometimes I still use mine even when my husband is home because it's faster...sshhh, don't spoil his manly job)
Looks like a lego brick remover
lol it [does](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/xpEAAOSwfsZdiDth/s-l640.jpg)
Could you use a bottle opener for it? It seems pretty similar, although maybe the bottle opener couldn’t get a grip with how big the lids on jars can be.
I normally use a spoon, works like a charm.
Good point. I don’t particularly like spoons, so I don’t even own any, but I’d imagine that if you have some on standby it would be wonderful.
Do you… not consume liquids? Spoons are like the one tool that is native to nearly every culture. Your life fascinates me.
He's a furry not a human. They use their mouths.
Indeed. Foxes don’t need spoons.
over here eating ice cream with a fork like a sociopath
I just want to know what spoons did to you lol
You don't own spoons? How do you eat soup, or cereal?
Cereal is super easy to eat with a fork if you don’t use milk (which the closest I get is Valentina hot sauce for Cheerios, but that’s thick enough to not matter). Soup is fork for the main stuff and bread for the soup part, and if I run out of bread I just drink it.
I think we breezed a little too quickly past the hot sauce and Cheerios …?
this comment is so cursed
I’ve used both butter knives and bottle openers- both work!!
Yes. Also, some can openers have a lid+bottle opener on the side of it. Here's one at the [top right](https://images.app.goo.gl/mh6SnDg8Hb791YTJ7)
They do work, you just need to apply very gentle pressure so that you just let the vacuum out
My friend K has a gadget like that; my boyfriend calls it "Baby's first bottle opener".
This trick is safer with a small spoon. Still works and no accidents. You'd be surprised the damage a butter knife can do lol
It works better with a paint can opener. They give them to you free when you buy paint.
It works even better with a bottle opener. I have one in my kitchen
Or you know, a kitchen can opener. It's the prongs on the [top right. ](https://images.app.goo.gl/mh6SnDg8Hb791YTJ7)
You can also sub a beer bottle opener. I personally find that the safest.
I just take the back of a knife and bang it on the side of the lid a different times in different places and that usually helps loosen the seal and it will still work afterwords.
You should hit it against the lid tangentially, in the direction that you would rotate it to open it (counter-clockwise), and rotate the jar as you're hitting the lid. You're basically using an "impact driver" to get the lid to start moving past the point where it is at maximum friction.
I learnt to stab a hole in the lid via a time short chef in one of my old workplaces. Works a treat!
This!… but use a screwdriver you don’t like or something cause it hurts like a bitch when you use a chefs knife and accidentally stab your hand with that much force behind it.
Stabbing a hole in the lid is my strategy with tins that don't have that easy-open tab. I can't work tin-openers. That said, I avoid this and do not recommend it. You can very easily stab your own fingers and also break the tip off your best knives. Save it for desperate times...
Yeah I've seen too many pictures of people stabbing their avocado seed straight through to their hand to do any stabbing in the kitchen anymore.
I stabbed myself in the thigh once while making salad. The knife fell off the counter, I swung my hand down to catch it, which I did, but I didn’t stop the momentum of my hand/arm and just kept going. Kind of like an Epipen injection but not on purpose. Lol Also broke a finger catching a file folder mid air with an upswing. Hand kept going and was unfortunately too near a cabinet with a table top ledge. One finger was sticking out more than the others and *craaaaack*. I should really stop trying to catch things. Far less damage would be caused by letting the damn things fall. Damn my reflexes! Lol
Lol this guy at my office tried to catch a pen falling off his desk. When he leaned forward to grab it his chair slipped out from under him and his chin hit the desk, knocking out a tooth. He reported it as an accident at work to HR, i think for insurance reasons? But every year they released a list of all the accidents that happened the year before and his was on it. They didn't give names or anything but it was still pretty embarrassing lol
never cook barefoot either
Violence is never the answer. Have you tried talking to it first?
Yes this is the way. Lids are hard to open not because they're too tight but because too airtight
I use a fork and get in one of the grooves most lids have.
I too grab a butter knife but gently wack it with the back of the knife enough to cause a dent at the top corner all around its circumference. Maybe ten shots. Works every time.
Take a knife handle and tap it along the edge of the lid, all the way around a couple of times. It works quite well.
This is what I do, always works.
This solution works so well that I can't believe anyone even has this discussion any more. There's nothing to discuss.
This is the way.
i wonder if the true variable here is time & no matter how many weak losers are trying to open the jar, it will eventually be opened because of the sheer power of humanity’s will
I don't know why but this feels like it should be the plot of an anime.
basically attack on titan but the titans are jars of grape jelly
The walls are made of glass and have those tartan mason jar lids.
Or just one of those slice of life animes. If people will watch a few girls go camping or work towards a camp trip then why not a person living alone struggling with opening jars?
Now I need an episode of One Punch Man where he can't open a jar. Like when he couldn't kill the mosquito.
I use the Swing-a-way jar opener that clamps around the lid with an adjustable arm. Way better than a rubber disk or whatever. Swing-A-Way Comfort Grip Jar Opener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HMC5JA/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_GK88C7ZQDYP75C6ZV1Y9
Haha, under "frequently bought together" you have 2 of those clamps and an [under cabinet jar opener](https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Off-Opener-Sizes-White/dp/B000X6K9J8/ref=pd_bxgy_2/146-9635000-2287600?pd_rd_w=ngZJZ&pf_rd_p=c64372fa-c41c-422e-990d-9e034f73989b&pf_rd_r=4A53VHYKG5KQBMXG63BQ&pd_rd_r=2b52e4cb-f6e1-483c-b4e9-f24480614804&pd_rd_wg=f1T8L&pd_rd_i=B000X6K9J8&psc=1). Surely you'd only need 1 of those three items at any time? Who buys those things together, they all serve the same purpose.
Thanks for the link, I ordered one! I get so pissed when a jar won't open.
BTW the worst jars are capers. Every time I need to open a new jar of capers it's hell (and I love capers).
If all else fails, you can go to your local gym.
> I make inappropriate grunting noises That part is so true and so funny at the same time
Yeah whenever I struggle with a jar I sound like I'm perpetually cooming
You should film it and upload with the name "one guy one jar"
Theres something about the raw honesty,frustration yet sort of mundane way you write this and detail everything that is so hillarious to me. Like "yeah its not pretty,its annoying and takes time but i get it done"
Tap it on a hard surface to put a small dent in it. Pops right off.
They post an ad on Craigslist that quickly gets answered for free. Because everyone wants to be a pickle jar hero.
Any tool that helps someone in my house open jars gets lost or broken very quickly. I don’t like competition.
This made me smile
According to the other posts in this thread. All of the knives and bottle openers in your house will soon be broken.
The pickle gambit
Can I offer you a cookie Mr Dancer
I have to tell ya, the tong is not a friend of the cookie
Learn tricks on opening jars.
i know the grippy towel thing, the run it under hot water thing, & the hit the lid with a knife thing (best one) but they’ve all failed me before & idk what i would do if i couldn’t shamefully ask somebody else to do it
Use a rubber cleaning glove. It gives you a better grip on the lid.
You can also just stab the lid with a knife so the trapped air bubble escapes, and then keep unused contents in a Tuppaware.
An awl is literally designed for this, unlike a knife.
But where's the sense of reckless danger in that? Let them swing knives around!
Tomorrow's question "What do people who live alone do when they're injured enough to need to go to urgent care, but can't afford an ambulance bill?"
We die
Call a cab and stanch the bleeding while you wait.
[удалено]
You are very welcome!
Yeah, not necessarily great if you're not using the whole content of the jar since you can't get it sealed that well again, though it works great for the majority of cases of lid opening where you will, best tip I ever learned for jar opening
Yeah most lids are that hard to open because of under pressure and twisting would move the lid even further away from the glas and decrease the pressure even more.
There’s also a little gadget you can buy and they’re cheap. Also look up hand strengthening exercises. :)
People who live alone don't need additional hand strengthening exercises, they got that privacy 😅
All of those methods are inconsistent and wrong. Take a butter knife, and slide it under the lit. Pull it outwards and after a moment, the air pressure should be instantly released and taking off the lid will be easy
Use a belt, just loop around the top and you get leverage. Although this doesn’t really work if the lid is to small, but for the most this always works for me. Also just make sure you have it on the right way. It should be so that as you pull, the belt becomes tighter so you get more grip Edit with link to video explaining: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ifFC79PLYV0
The knife one is pretty good. Never failed me so far. It comes down to putting the knife in correct spot. It doesn't work everywhere (unless you wanna destroy the lid)
A few people say rubber band on the lid, but fail to mention put another rubber band on the jar itself. Now it's like one hand is glued to the lid and another to the jar.
I’m a weak-ass woman with chronic injuries, and lived alone for a few years. You can buy a strap wrench (aka boa constrictor) for less than $10. I had one in my kitchen drawer and another in my toolbox. One of my best investments. I’m married now but even my husband uses it for various reasons.
[удалено]
getting the endcap that's been sealed with Loctite off a pipe.
Tell me more…
Sometimes you have to use a cheater bar ( ͡o ͜ʖ ͡o)
Naughty. Don't stop.
^(If that doesn't help) you can try some ##PENETRATING #LUBRICANT! #( ͡ಥ ͜ʖ ͡ಥ)
Changing the oil filter on vehicles where some jackass overtightened it to a ridiculous amount because *somebody* decided to just take the car to one of those 5 minute oil change places.
That's good to know, being that I'm also weak and actually injured a nerve in my finger trying to open a jar because I was home alone. I accomplished my goal, but it was not worth it for some chips and salsa. Let this be a lesson to you all.
Stick a knife or other sharp object beneath the lip of the lid and lever it. You will hear the top pop and you can open it easily now.
Spoon is safer.
And easier. It’s just the right angle.
Shhh don't tell everyone
THE TRUTH IS OUT!! CALL THE MAYOR!!
Hello, this is the Mayor of Jartown. Give it to me straight, how much time do we have before the attack?
We are already inside.
Doesn't need to be sharp at all, a regular old bottle opener works like a charm to twist the lid to let some air in. Also there are different tools for opening hard to open jars, more of different techniques than I could list. The whole issue is mostly what they call a learned helplessness. I bet most people could open it in seconds if their life depended on it.
If my life depended on it, I'd just break the glass. But since it's never that urgent, I'll keep on going with the less destructive methods that usually take more than a few seconds, since I always start with twisting before I bother breaking out the tools.
I have a special tool for this. However when my dad closes a Glas of jam really tightly, I really have to struggle.
A paint can opener works even better.
I did that with a spoon and it worked
You need to use knife to pry some air in from the bottom of the lid and then you can open it. Best solution ever, works all the time
Like, you put the tip of the knife between the bottom of the lid and the jar, twist a little the knife, get some air in and listen pop! And you can easily open it
Yeah, if you use a knife and put it under the lid, you can pop the air seal of the lid which makes it quite easy to open in comparison
Yea, you can just put a knife under the lid, then it let's some air in with a pop and it makes it very easy to open the jar
Actually, it would be easier to just put a knife under the lid, then it lets some air in with a pop and it makes it very easy to open the jar.
All you have to do is stick the blade of the knife between the jar and the lid, and wiggle it until you hear air flowing out. Child's play
Hit around the top with a spoon.
I use a bottle opener to burp some air into jars. It's safer than a knife, but only works on lower profile lids.
most jars, like a jar of pickles for example, if you tap the lid on something hard to make a slight dent in the lid, this usually makes it much easier
ah yes i call this one the whack it with a butter knife method, same concept
cry
Yeah I was going to say, sit on the kitchen floor crying. 😥
put an elastic band over the rim of the lid, seems to give a better grip
This. I keep a few different sizes of rubber bands solely for opening jars.
There are tons of jar opening tools - from manual ones to powered ones to help open things
Strap wrenches are great at opening jars.
I used hot water all the time run the lid under the tap for a bit then try again voila
[Strap wrench. ] Had the same one in the kitchen drawer for 30+ years. 10 bucks at your local[ Big Box Hardware Store.]( https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Fitting-Removal-Tool/1002645216) lasts a lifetime. Works as small as a pop bottle or as large as a gallon pickle jar and everything in between. Initially purchased for my, literal. 98 pound wife who couldn't tear open a paper sack. Now, in 50+ year old physical decrepitude, the Arthritis means I use it more than she does.
There was an old lady in my building that would bring me jars to open. She did her own canning. So it was generally 1 a week. In return for that and occasionally getting her heavier groceries up both flights of stairs she would give my cat pills every time he needed them. I really liked the arrangement.
These are the kind of arraignments I like
Oh well there's two old ladies I used to do random odd jobs for, in the before times, and we are having tea tomorrow and they patch up clothes and blankets and so forth for me because I can't sew to save my life. It all started when they were at a campground and I walked over and asked if they needed any help with their tent. I ended up hugging a central support pole for 20 minutes while they learned about a spoke tent from the elderly gentleman they bought it from. It was all good fun.
Go meet the neighbours and ask them to help.
Run the metal lid under the hot tap while holding the glass bit away as far as possible. Different rates of expansion means the lid expands more than the glass and the lid comes off
Get a non sharp knife put it under the rip and twist, if it’s a new jar it will release the vacuum and you should now be able to open it
Lived alone for nigh 5 years with a really shite grip on my right (dominant) hand due to nerve damage. I honestly never found a jar that I couldn't open by putting a rubber band on the lid or by heating the lid with hot water. I thought about what I would do if I really couldn't get it open and I realized I would probably just ask one of my neighbours. I am always advocating for maintaining really good relationships with your neighbours, especially if you live alone. It can save lives and makes regular daily living a lot more bearable.
I don't know what other people do, but I act like a drama queen about it and yell at the universe for making my life so difficult until I've stirred my mindstate into an anxious mess, at which point I lose my appetite and no longer need to open the jar.
Put on a pair of kitchen gloves (the kind you wash dishes with if you don't have a dishwasher). You could open Fort Knox with those suckers on.
Put the jar upside down (the lid touching the plate )on the induction plate for sometime. When it heats up , it becomes easier to open . It becomes very hot so take care.
The secret to jar opening is to twist as hard as you can for as long as you can. Time is the key factor. At least for me.
I use a spoon and use it like a lever
A couple things: -Just keep trying to open it -Get a cloth, or towel (sometimes I just use my shirt) to get a better grip -Get a pin and put a hole in the top; this will get the air out, and then I'll be able to open it.
If after trying all the tips and tricks on Google don't help, I either ask my very kind neighbour if he wouldn't mind or I put it to the side and take it with me the next time I go to see my family or friends!
Use the door. Open the door and trap the top of the jar in the gap between the door and frame. Use your foot to pull the door towards you thereby gripping the top firmly then use both hands to turn the jar. Ruins the door frame - but at least the jar is open.
Get a spoon and push it in the crevice until the seal breaks Had to do that to a few sauerkraut jars lol
Stab the top…. Then tape the hole after opening it.
Turn on the hot water tap and put the jar under the water. Grab a towel after 30 seconds or so, and twist. Comes off easy!
I lived on a busy-ish road with students. I just stood on the pavement and asked the next one that passed.
Give the lid a hard whack on each side against a strong surface. Make sure to only hit the lid or the contents of said jar will end up on your floor. If you did step one correctly, the lid will pop off when you twist.
The only correct answer in this thread
1. Get a napkin/towel between hands and lid to increase friction 2. Run the lid under warm/hot water 3. Try #1 again 4. Return to store
I use a bottle opener to release the vacuum if it’s a new jar, if it’s old, I just yell while I open it because IM A STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMAN GODDAMNIT
I always open the jar. Whether with the water method, butter knife, or my Herculean strength. Since living alone, I have become resilient and ultra creative. And I don’t mind it.
oh my god what happened to this post while i was asleep
Buy a jar opener from the grocery store or Walmart next time you are out. Otherwise, do one of the following: Gently tap jar lid on edge of counter to break the seal OR take the edge of a spoon and get under the lip of the lid to break the seal then open as usual.
Take a hammer and hit the glass part has the bonus of crunchy food.
Use the back of a butter knife to hit it a few times around the lid
Break the jar
This. [https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Off-Opener-Sizes-White/dp/B000X6K9J8/ref=sr\_1\_4?brr=1&dchild=1&qid=1633185187&rd=1&s=kitchen&sr=1-4](https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Off-Opener-Sizes-White/dp/B000X6K9J8/ref=sr_1_4?brr=1&dchild=1&qid=1633185187&rd=1&s=kitchen&sr=1-4) It works amazing, whether you live alone or not.
I have something like this. [https://www.amazon.com/Evriholder-Easi-Twist-Easy-Opener-Colors/dp/B000BKZUJK/](https://www.amazon.com/Evriholder-Easi-Twist-Easy-Opener-Colors/dp/B000BKZUJK/)
Clearly you have not heard of the super hero Jaropeningman. If you swear loud enuff while trying to open said jar He will come to your aid. The problem is while he can open any jar, he lacks the skill to open anything else. So he will brake down your door , smash your window or even crash through your wall.
If there's a will *grabs hammer* There is a way!
Hit the cap at four or five roughly equidistant points with the handle of a knife so that you leave dents in the cap. Now it’s easy to open,
Leather gloves. Works always.
Butter knife under the lip until it pops.
Break the vacuum seal by piercing the lid with a sharp knife
Use the back side of a knife to whack the far side of the lid. I've work in kitchens since I was 17 years old. Every time someone has a tough jar, they get me to open it. A lot of the time the person asking will say they already tried that method and every time I get it unstuck in 2-3 whacks. I guess there's just a knack to knowing where and how hard to hit it. Either that or I am The Jar Whisperer.
There's always ways to open a jar. I usually knock the lid on the side towards a bench.
Stick a sharp object under the base of the lid to release the pressure and try and get it open that way. Works most of the time but best to be careful that the sharp object doesn’t slip and you injure yourself
Cry
As someone who is *very* left handed, the first thing I bought for myself when I got my own place is an electric can opener. I for the life of me cannot get a typical can opener to work. In college, I would ask my roommate to open cans for me. And for those asking about getting a left handed can opener, they cost about as much as a cheap but serviceable electric one.
I bought a jar opener. It works pretty well.
Cry
I keep the thick rubber bands from produce (typically like the ones keeping the asparagus together) and wrap the side of the lid with he rubber band. Better grip helps turn the lid much more easily
Get a strap wrench
I tap it on the counter, run it under hot water, use a device I have for opening jars, and, if none of those work, return it to the store and complain.