The best jar lifters
The cheapest tool on the site and the one whose failure mode is a burn. Worth getting right.
Disclosure: we earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend — see how we pick and our affiliate disclosure.
A jar lifter is a hinged tool with rubberized jaws shaped to a jar's shoulder, which lets you lift a hot jar straight up out of boiling water without tilting it. Kitchen tongs cannot do this reliably — they grip a wet round jar at two points and slip, which is how people get burned and lose batches.
If you buy exactly one thing from this hub, buy this. It costs less than a case of jars and it is the difference between lifting fourteen hot jars out of boiling water uneventfully and having one slip.
Why tongs do not work
Ordinary kitchen tongs grip at two small points on a smooth, wet, round surface, and they pull the jar toward the center rather than cradling it. Three consequences follow. The jar can rotate out of the grip. It tilts, which puts water on the sealing rim you just wiped clean. And if it slips, it drops into boiling water from height, which is a splash of boiling water and a broken jar in the same moment.
A jar lifter's jaws are curved to sit under the shoulder of a jar and are coated so they grip when wet. The jar comes up level and stays level.
What to look for
- Rubberized or coated jaws. Bare metal on wet glass is the same problem as tongs.
- Jaws shaped to a jar shoulder, not a flat clamp.
- Fits both mouth sizes. A lifter that handles regular and wide mouth jars covers everything you will own.
- A firm hinge with some spring. It should hold its grip without you squeezing hard for the whole lift.
- Long enough handles to keep your hand well clear of the steam coming off the canner.
Quick picks
Every pick below is screened against the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s published canner rules first. Tap a row for the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Key spec | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball Secure-Grip Jar LifterIf you buy exactly one canning tool, buy this. Rubberized jaws shaped to a jar shoulder, lifting a hot quart straight up out of boiling water without tilting it. Kitchen tongs do not do this and the failure mode is a burn. | The one tool to buy first | Fits regular and wide | Check price on Amazon#ad we earn a commission · live price pending |
| 2 | Ball Secure-Grip Canning Utensil SetThe four tools that make canning a two-handed job instead of a three-handed one: a jar lifter, a wide-mouth funnel, a magnetic lid wand and a bubble remover with a headspace scale. Buying them together costs less than buying the lifter alone twice. | The whole tool problem, once | Lifter, funnel, wand, tool | Check price on Amazon#ad we earn a commission · live price pending |
| 3 | Norpro Canning Essentials SetA larger boxed set covering the same ground with a couple of extras, usually at a lower price. The pieces are lighter than the Ball equivalents, which you will notice on the jar lifter and nowhere else. | A cheaper full kit | 6 pieces | Check price on Amazon#ad we earn a commission · live price pending |
Ball Secure-Grip Jar Lifter
If you buy exactly one canning tool, buy this. Rubberized jaws shaped to a jar shoulder, lifting a hot quart straight up out of boiling water without tilting it. Kitchen tongs do not do this and the failure mode is a burn.
Published specs
- Fits
- Regular and wide mouth jars
- Grip
- Rubberized jaws
- Why it matters
- Lifts a jar level, without tilting the seal
What works
- Lifts a jar straight up rather than pinching it, which keeps water off the sealing surface
- The rubber grip holds on a wet jar, which is the exact moment tongs fail
- Costs less than a case of jars and prevents the most common kitchen injury in this hobby
What to know first
- Only does one job. Everything else in a tool set is still missing
- Nearly always cheaper bought inside a set than alone
- The rubber degrades over years of boiling water; it is not a lifetime tool
Specs from NCHFP, Recommended Canners. We have not handled this product — see how we pick.
Ball Secure-Grip Canning Utensil Set
The four tools that make canning a two-handed job instead of a three-handed one: a jar lifter, a wide-mouth funnel, a magnetic lid wand and a bubble remover with a headspace scale. Buying them together costs less than buying the lifter alone twice.
Published specs
- Contents
- Jar lifter, canning funnel, lid wand, bubble remover
- Fits
- Regular and wide mouth jars
- The essential one
- The jar lifter
What works
- The jar lifter alone justifies the set — tongs slip on a wet jar and a dropped hot quart is a genuine burn
- The bubble remover doubles as a headspace gauge, which is the measurement beginners most often eyeball wrong
- Everything is dishwasher-safe and stores inside the canner
What to know first
- The magnetic lid wand is the one piece you can genuinely skip — clean fingers work
- Plastic tools stain with tomato and turmeric, permanently and harmlessly
- If you already own a lifter, buying the set again is redundant
Specs from NCHFP, Recommended Canners. We have not handled this product — see how we pick.
Norpro Canning Essentials Set
A larger boxed set covering the same ground with a couple of extras, usually at a lower price. The pieces are lighter than the Ball equivalents, which you will notice on the jar lifter and nowhere else.
Published specs
- Contents
- Jar lifter, funnel, lid lifter, tongs, bubble remover
- Fits
- Regular and wide mouth jars
What works
- Usually the cheapest way to get a complete tool set in one purchase
- The extra tongs are genuinely useful for fishing lids out of hot water
- Covers everything a first season needs with nothing important missing
What to know first
- Lighter build than the Ball set, most noticeably in the jar lifter's grip
- More pieces than most people end up using
- Plastic pieces are less rigid, which matters for the bubble remover's headspace scale
Specs from NCHFP, Recommended Canners. We have not handled this product — see how we pick.
Buy it in a set
A standalone lifter costs nearly what a four-piece set costs, and the set includes the funnel and bubble remover you also want. Buy the lifter alone only when you already own the rest, or when you are replacing a lifter that has worn out. See best canning tool sets.
When to replace one
When the coating on the jaws has hardened, cracked or worn through to metal, or when the hinge has loosened enough that the grip feels vague. Both happen eventually — a jar lifter lives in boiling water — and neither is worth nursing given what the tool costs.
Next stepThe other tool worth buying wellCommon questions
Can I use kitchen tongs instead of a jar lifter?
Do jar lifters fit both regular and wide mouth jars?
Are silicone-coated jar lifters better?
Should I buy the lifter alone or in a set?
How do I lift jars without a lifter?
Sources
Product specifications are taken from each manufacturer’s own published page, cited on the product. We have not handled these products — how we pick.
