With These 7 Jar Openers, You’ll Never Wrestle With Pickles Again

Best Overall

Oxo Good Grips Twisting Jar Opener With Basepad

$17 at Amazon $44 at Wayfair View on Boscovs.com

Using this Oxo jar opener is easy. Simply place the jar onto the base pad, which prevents it from slipping or sliding around on your counter, and grip the handle with one or two hands, then twist. This works on a variety of different-size jars and adjusts to open even the smallest of items, such as bottled extracts. This trusted brand of kitchen tools is known for its ergonomic designs that are comfortable on the hands and prevent strain. At less than $20, it’s totally worth it.

 Material: Polypropylene | Dimensions: 3.03 x 3.86 x 8.43 inches

Best Budget

Otstar Jar, Bottle, and Can Opener

$7 at Amazon

This opener accommodates eight different lid sizes—you’ll be hard-pressed to find a jar it can’t handle. At less than the cost of plenty of actual jars of food, the Otstar is a budget-friendly way to take the pressure off opening jarred goods. The handle is on the longer side to ensure that you have enough space to properly grip it, and it has finger grooves for added comfort. There’s even a separate hook at the end that can open bottles or cans that have a ring or latch top. Being that it’s multipurpose, it’s a space saver for crowded kitchen drawers, too.

Material: Plastic, rubber | Dimensions: 9.06 x 3.54 x 0.79 inches

Best Manual

Kuhn Rikon Strain Free Gripper Opener

$37 at Amazon $30 at Walmart $27 at Williams-Sonoma

If you’re comfortable with and enjoy a standard twisting can opener, the Kuhn Rikon jar opener will be a seamless match for you. Similar to a can opener that opens cans from on top rather than the side, it has a handle and a twisting knob. To open a jar, lock it into place by twisting one way, then twist the other to unseal the jar. It’s adjustable for jar lids from 1 to 3.5 inches and sits tightly on top of the lid while you twist. The plastic on top is smooth for an easy grip, though you’ll need some hand strength to use it.

Material: Plastic, metal | Dimensions: 8.75 x 4.25

Best Electric

Instacan One Touch Electric Jar Opener

$24 at Amazon

For anyone with concerns that manual jar openers still require too much hand strength, an electric one is the obvious answer. The Istacan opener is moderately priced for an electric device and operates off of two included batteries (you will need to install them before first use). The opener shuts off automatically after it has completed the task of opening a jar and does not have an off switch; you’ll need to wait for it to decide the jar is open, then it will turn itself off. It comes in three colors, and all have a large, easily pressable start button. It is adjustable for various sizes of jars and will tighten to fit them on its own.

Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 8.26 x 2.75 x 4.33 inches

Best Rubber

Human Intentions Jar Opener 4 Pack

$11 at Amazon

Need a little help opening jars but don’t have a need for an opener that does it for you completely? This little rubber pancake will do the trick and comes in a set of four, so you can store them in assorted areas throughout your kitchen or keep one in a picnic basket or camping setup. They’re very thin and require very little storage space. 

To use the rubber jar openers, place one over the top of a jar of any size and open the jar as you normally would, only thanks to the rubberized grip, it will be much easier. Hand strength is still required, but it will take the bulk of the effort out of opening a jar. 

Material: Rubber | Dimensions: 5 x 5 x 0.2 inches

Best Under-Counter

EZ Off Easy Grip One Handed Jar Opener

$15 at Amazon $20 at Walmart

When jar-opening is a regular part of your culinary routine, it makes great sense to keep an opener somewhere handy and convenient. The EZ Off opener can be secured under a cabinet, such as one above your counter, so that you always have quick access to it.

It’s simple to install: Mount it with the included adhesive backing, then fasten it into place with screws. To use it once installed, all you have to do is place a jar lid into it and twist. It opens lids of all sizes and has strong gripping ridges to hold onto them. There’s a discount if you buy a set of two; they could be kept at opposite ends of a kitchen, one could be put in a pantry, or you could gift one to someone else who might like or need it.

Material: Stainless steel, plastic, zinc | Dimensions: 7.2 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches

Best Splurge

Black & Decker Lids Off Jar Opener

View on Amazon

Trusted household tool brand Black and Decker strikes again with this luxury choice for an electric jar opener. It plugs into the wall, so you’ll never have to worry about batteries running out. Because it holds the entire jar inside, you can operate it with one hand, making it one of the most accessible options for an opener. There is no strength required; you only need to push the on/off button for it to open a vacuum-sealed jar. 

While most jar openers expand to 3.5 inches, this one goes all the way to 4.5, meaning that even large pickle jars or other goods will fit, provided they aren’t over 8 inches tall. It collapses to store much smaller than it is at full expansion and will fit into a drawer without issue. 

Material: Plastic, stainless steel | Dimensions: 11.6 x 10.2 x 10 inches