Are these kitchen gadgets stupid or useful?

[blue_dolphin]

5 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I am sorry but I do not believe that I can explain it any better. 
Edited to add that I can tell you that no jar has ever defeated me since I got this thing. 

The description & photos on the Lee Valley site make sense to me. I usually whack the top rim of the lid with the back of a heavy Sabatier cleaver which dents the lid and breaks the vacuum in a more dramatic fashion. I've never injured myself or broken a jar but I have alarmed others. I might get one of these as it's much more compact than the heavy cleaver which I don’t use for any other purpose. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

The description & photos on the Lee Valley site make sense to me. I usually whack the top rim of the lid with the back of a heavy Sabatier cleaver which dents the lid and breaks the vacuum in a more dramatic fashion. I've never injured myself or broken a jar but I have alarmed others. I might get one of these as it's much more compact than the heavy cleaver which I don’t use for any other purpose. 

 

Do you open Champagne bottles with your sabre?

 

[heidih]

13 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Do you open Champagne bottles with your sabre?

 

There is a great scene in bottle Shock where the vintner does indeed do that at his law office when he realizes his chardonnay is not screwed  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottle_Shock

[Kim Shook]

Oh, don't get me wrong!  I am all in favor of designs to make it easier for people with all kinds of issues to do things without having to seek help from someone else!  I have arthritic hands and waning strength in my arms.  This jar opener is wonderful and I don't know what I'd do without it.  I'm sure that as I age (63 now), I'll be using more and more of these helpful things.  NO, I have no issue with gadgets that are truly helpful.  I just didn't see these particular things are being anything but a money waste and asked in case I was missing something.  

[MaryIsobel]

On 7/22/2022 at 5:32 PM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Silicone jar grips work pretty well for most jars I need to open (and for bottles of Wray & Nephew).  If the jar grips don't work I have a Kuhn Rikon jar opener that I can recommend.

(eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

 

I am always on the lookout for a better mousetrap.

 

 

I also use the Kuhn Rikon jar opener. Works well for me when my t&t method of turning the jar upside down and giving it a thump on the counter fails.

[FauxPas]

 

For opening jars when my husband isn't around, I use a rubber band. Works very well for me, but may not work for everyone. 

 

 

[paulraphael]

On 7/22/2022 at 5:26 PM, weinoo said:

Some might think that one of the gadgets I've bought over the past year or two is dubious.

But I love it, and it works great. (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

 

No one would make fun of that gadget if they've seen it at scale.

 

[weinoo]

19 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

 

No one would make fun of that gadget if they've seen it at scale.

 

 

You do have to be careful around it!

 

[palo]

2 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

Or Lid Grabbers!!!

[farcego]

On 7/22/2022 at 5:26 PM, weinoo said:

Some might think that one of the gadgets I've bought over the past year or two is dubious.

 

 

But I love it, and it works great. (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

 

My mother had breast cancer many years ago, and the surgery damaged her muscles (she even had to sell her manual car and purchase an automatic one). When I saw your post, I searched the gadget in Amazon Spain and purchased for her, because she struggles a lot when opening bottles, even with a specific multitask kitchen tool she purchased years ago. So thank you for sharing this (I would never ever had thought that such gadgets exists), you made an old woman very happy and placed a middle aged kid back into the good books