Tips On How To Open A Stubborn Jar Lid

There are many things that could be considered a challenge when you’re in the kitchen, but the perhaps the greatest of them all is opening a stuck jar lid. I remember a time when I spent 20 minutes trying to open one. Thankfully, I was successful in my attempt.

Fortunately, you won’t have to experience that. Mental Floss has provided us with tips on how to open a stubborn jar lid. Here is one of them.

RUN THE JAR LID UNDER HOT WATER.

You may have heard this tip before, and it really works: If you run a stuck jar lid under hot water for about a minute and dry it off, it should be easier to twist open. This is due to the heat from the water expanding the metal in the lid. According to Spoon University, a hair dryer has the same effect. (Just be careful about making the jar too hot to hold.)

See the other tips over at the site.

(Image Credit: RyanMcGuire/ Pixabay)

Comments (4)

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Newest 4 Comments

A physics teatcher taught me the bang the bottom technique. Works like a charm.

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That's a good option. There are also a half dozen other jar opener designs available at almost any place that sells kitchen stuff.

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Folks with smaller-than-average hands and/or dealing with an unusually wide-mouthed jar face a complication that these various "hacks" don't really address -- what do you do when your fingers don't span wide enough to actually grip the lid? A swivel-type or strap-type oil filter wrench can be had for 6-12 dollars, and may be worth keeping around for such problems even if you don't change your own oil.

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Please Please Please. Easiest way to open any jar no matter how tight it is. My mother showed me this long ago. Take a butter knife, flip it around so you're holding the blade (it wont cut you its a butter knife). While your holding it by the blade, go around the jar hitting the lid. But you want to hit the lid sideways, the direction to which its supposed to open. So you're basically going to turn the jar slowly with one hand to the left, while you whack the lid to the right.

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