Jar lifter

For a long time, I just used a pair of stainless-steel tongs with rubber bands wrapped around the ends to move the hot jars around. This works fine, but certainly not as well as a tool specifically designed to lift jars. For my part, the purchase of a jar lifter made me a happier and more content individual, and I’d highly recommend you make the three-dollar investment yourself. You can find jar lifters in hardware stores and big-box stores that stock canning supplies. Note that if you’re using Weck jars (see Sources), you might consider getting one of the Weck jar lifters that fit them just right.