The Best Way To Open A Stubborn Jar Revealed By Experts | Metro News

It’s a common household problem: you’ve got yourself a nice jar of jam, mustard or pickles, but you cannot get the lid to twist open.

If you’re home alone and have nobody to ask to help you, this stubborn lid gets between you and your delicious meal.

Over the years, we’ve heard of a few tricks and tips for getting jars open – but which ones really work?

Thankfully, the consumer champions at Which? have done the hard work for us and have got their experts to test out the best techniques.

And it seems turning to boiling water, cling film, tea towels and elastic bands may not be the best solutions.

After studying all kinds of jar-opening ‘hacks,’ the experts have concluded the easiest and simplest way is to use some rubber gloves.

This is because gloves offer a sturdy grip – plus they have elements of safety and comfort, as they cushion hands against the metal of the lid.

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Not to mention, most people have them lying around their homes anyway.

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But the experts stress the gloves must be clean and dry, to prevent slipping – and they especially work for individuals with arthritis, who may find it harder to get the lid off.

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Which? also found that silicone jar openers to be no better than rubber gloves. In fact, the one they tested slightly damaged the lids, which isn’t good for jars that have to be resealed.

10 best ways to open a pesky jar:

Rubber glove: Just make sure they are clean and dry. Downside: None.

Hot water: Run under hot water for 30 seconds while rotating jar. Downside: Hands could get burnt.

Tea towels: Use to grip lid. Downside: Grip is not as tight as with gloves.

Tap jar: Knock lid against counter top a few times. Downside: Could mark surface.

Slap jar: Tip downward at 45 degrees and firmly slap bottom with your hand until you hear seal pop. Downside: Discomfort from hitting jar.

Wooden spoon: Use to tap edge of lid a few times on each side. Downside: Not as easy as rubber gloves.

Cling film: Cover lid and sides with cling film, twist lid. Downside: Less comfortable than gloves and more wasteful.

Elastic band: Wrap band tightly around rim and open as normal. Downside: Tricky to get right and too fiddly.

Scissors: If handles have small blunt serrations on the inside, use these to grip lid and pry open. Downside: Potential hazard of scissor blades.

Sharp knives: Use to ‘pop’ the lid by manoeuvring under the rim. Downside: Potentially dangerous if knife slips.

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