“What is this? It’s under the kitchen cabinet of the new home.”

Making it fit your jars
Making it fit your jars
For the most part, most of these openers that I have seen are adjustable. Like, they are not one-size-fits-all – ’cause there’s a lot of different oddball diameters when it comes to jar lids. For instance, some have knobs that you turn, others have those weird sliding tooth things. Depending on the type, you basically have to match the grip part to the size of the jar lid to open. It isn’t rocket science, but it does take some adjustments.

The jar opening thing
So, once it is mounted and adjusted, you can actually use it. You take your jar, and ram the lid part up into the opener. The teeth (or rubber or whatever it is) will grip the lid. Then, you hold the jar still with one hand (unless you are coordinated enough to do it with one hand, in which case, ok) and you twist the jar. Or more accurately, you kind of pull and turn at the same time, depending on the model. Some have little levers, or rotating gizmos, but essentially it is just adding enough torque for you to break the seal.

It is pretty impressive how well it works, to be honest. Even jars that I would guarantee require a crowbar, or a phone call to a friend stronger than you, generally pop right open.