How to open a jar with a little elbow grease - and some great tools

Often, the difficulty of opening a jar isn't about your actual hand or arm strength, it's just about getting a proper grip on the lid, especially a jar lid that's smooth and wide.

To get a better grip, you need to increase friction. And to do that, a simple rubber jar gripper pad will do the trick nicely.

A four-pack of Regent Round Multi-Purpose Jar Grippers costs only $5.99, so go ahead and make the investment.

Jar grippers let you increase your leverage by squeezing onto the lid while your hand grips the tool several inches away from the jar itself. The added force should be enough to turn even stubborn lids. You can also try the GXONE Jar Opener for added grip. It has multiple jar sizes so you can open any jar easily.

To get a better grip and more torque, you can try a $11.95 Kichwit Jar Opener, which uses a single rotating motion to secure steel grips around the lid and then help you twist it off.

If you open lots of jars, consider a $15.99 EZ Off Jar Opener that affixes permanently underneath a cabinet and that holds the lid firmly in place with a series of little teeth, allowing you to twist the jar with maximum muscle applied, even using two hands if needed.

Finally, you can take all the effort out and go completely hands-free, turning to an automated jar opener like the $36.79 Hamilton Beach Open Ease Automatic Jar Opener.

And if you still can't get that stubborn jar open, throw it in the trash and order a pizza.