In a Rush? Here’s our number 1 choice!
EZ Off Jar Opener
It’s the best on the list, comes with screw fittings so will remain permanently in place, and is easy to use and effective.
Have a look in your cupboards and see how many jars you have, full of food and waiting to be opened! We buy a lot of foodstuff in glass jars, and as they are recyclable, it is likely that we will continue doing so. But, there is a problem with jars, and that’s opening them! They are machine filled and closed so are very tight indeed, and sometimes they put up a real fight when you try to get the lid off!
Also, for people with arthritis and other such conditions, it can be difficult to get the leverage needed to undo the lid on a jar. This is understandable, as they are designed to be protective and airtight. The main problem can be an inability to grip and turn at the same time. Now, fortunately, there are products on the market that can help.
Let us introduce the under-cabinet jar opener, a clever yet simple device that will certainly help those who find it difficult to open jars lead easier lives. These very neat, and surprisingly affordable, devices are designed to be attached to the underside of your wall cupboards, which means they are ready for use at all times without taking up too much space.
So, if you think you would benefit from an under-cabinet jar opener, here are our reviews of the top models on the market.
Table of Contents
The Top 6
1. Sohler GR8 Jar Opener
As we said in our intro, these devices are very popular with people who – for whatever reason – find it difficult to take the top off glass jars. The major benefit of the jar opener is that it means you only need to use one hand, so you have better leverage to remove the lid. This model is a typical design in that it takes the form of an adhesive flat plate that the item itself sits on, which sticks to the underside of the cupboard.
What we will say is that we’re not sure adhesive is enough; you are going to be giving this little plastic item some hard work, and it is bound to come use at some point. The good thing is that this one comes with screw holes for permanent fixing – but with no screws! This one works by having a v-shaped slot lined with two layers of teeth, into which you push the lid. The teeth grip, you turn it, and it comes off! Customer reviews are favourable, but some confirm our concerns about the adhesive, so find some screws!
2. Eternal Jar Opener
As you are likely expecting, there is little difference between the jar openers we have selected apart from design details. That’s what we would also expect with a set of items designed to do one specific job, and nothing else. This one is a different shape to the one above – sort of a star shape – but uses the same double-layer of teeth. It comes in a choice of colours which are green, blue and pink, but no white finish which may put some people off.
This one is affixed by adhesive only, and while it promises to be strong, we remain unconvinced that it will stay stuck to the surface for as long as it needs to. The lower part – the bit that does the cutting – can be removed and stored in a drawer if you wish, although we’re not sure there’s any point to this! It’s good, has only a couple of customer reviews and they like it, and it’s cheap.
3. EZ Off Jar Opener
Often, when looking at items such as these – that is bare utility items designed for a practical purpose – we come across one among many that stands out quality-wise. This is one, despite the rather naff name, and we like it a lot. It’s simple, for a start – there’s no attempt at giving it shape as it’s simply circular – and it even looks like a far higher-quality item than those we’ve reviewed above. It is well-designed with the usual V-shape and double teeth too.
Where we think this one a cut above is that it comes with no adhesive, but with a number of screw holes – and the screws required to fit it in place. It is still easy to fit, but clearly the makers have recognised a sticky pad has a limited lifespan, while screws will keep it permanently in place. Furthermore, the customer reviews are uniformly excellent – it gets five stars from all – and while it is a few pounds more expensive than the above two, if you want one that works and will stay in place, we think this could be it.
4. Gumin Multi Kitchen Tool
This is a slightly different item to those we have already reviewed, in that it comprises two pieces. The first is a jar opener akin to those we have already seen; in fact, we believe it to be the one reviewed second above, as it is the same shape and style. It comes with two teeth and the v-shaped cavity, and is adhesive only fitted to the cabinet.
The second item is a multi-tool that works as a bottle opener, and also promises to perform a number of other tasks that we are not too sure about. It’s a decent enough idea, but for someone who has trouble opening jars, we’re not sure it’s going to be a great deal of use. However, it’s very cheap, so if you don’t have a bottle opener, you can buy this and get a cheap jar opener into the bargain.
5. Tpingfe Jar Opener
Back to the jar openers – the usual type with the v-shaped twin jaws for gripping the lid – and this is another circular device that is designed to screw into the surface, rather than stick with an adhesive pad. This is in its favour, as we have already expressed doubts about the longevity of adhesive on an item that will be used as forcefully and often as this one.
It’s made from plastic, it comes with screw holes and screws, and it is easy to fit. Designed specifically for people with problems getting the lid off jars, it does the job – or at least that’s what most of the customers say. One in fact says it ‘does not work at all’ which flies in the face of the rest – it’s cheap, so it’s up to you.
6. Chef Remi Jar Opener
Our final choice is this one, but we should say it’s not an under-counter design. Instead, it takes the form of a hand-held device that you fit over the head of the jar – there are different radius sections along it – and twist. The added leverage will enable the jar lid to come away easily, or at least that’s the intention. We’re not sure it will be suitable for those with arthritis or other problems that limit movement and strength.
It is supposed to be able to fit 8 sizes of jar lids – we’re guessing that covers all the ‘standard’ sizes in use – and it seems well-made, plus it promises 10 times the strength of doing the job by hand. It is very popular with around 300 customer reviews – the vast majority of which are five-star – and is not expensive, so for someone who does not need the under-counter version, it might be worth a look.
That’s our selection of jar openers, so which is for you? Before we conclude, a little information about what to look for.
Features to Look For
Normally at this point we would suggest a list of important features to look for. With these under-cabinet jar openers being all the same design or very similar – besides the one that is not an under-cabinet device – we have only one thing to advise you, and that is this: make sure you get one that screws into place. An adhesive pad will not last as long and may indeed not last for much more than a few uses, as some customers have reported.
So, using that advice – and given the price of all of these covers a range of about a fiver from cheapest to most expensive – here is our recommendation.
Our Choice
It’s not always we can offer you one that we recommend above all others, but we can today. The one to go for is the EZ Off Jar Opener as it is the best design of these, one of the most favoured by customers, and comes with all the fittings to screw it into place. It may be the more expensive, but we’re talking a few quid more than the cheapest, and we reckon it is well worth it.
These really are very clever and useful little devices, so we recommend you fit one now and make sure those lids come off easily every time.
