Gadget pops the lid

Hamilton Beach has a gadget that can help you to open a jar, provided that the jar isn’t made out of plastic.

The OpenEase jar opener ($30) was designed to help people who have arthritis, but anyone can use it. You place the gadget on top of a jar and press a button to engage it. The opener adjusts to clutch both the lid and the jar and twists the lid open. You then remove the jar and press the release button to release the lid.

Consumers Digest got its first look at the OpenEase at the 2012 International Home and Housewares Show and found that it worked as advertised. However, Mary Beth Brault, who is a spokesperson for Hamilton Beach, conceded that the gadget isn’t as effective on plastic jars and might crush them.