I am a bit of a sucker for kitchen gadgets. All sorts of weird and wonderful contraptions can be found in my kitchen drawer ... and yes, I admit it, many of them never see the light of day from one year to the next.

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In stark contrast, this little beauty has earned its place in my drawer many times over.

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It doesn't look much. It really doesn't look much. A plastic handle with a loop at one end and a jutting out bit underneath. Exactly the sort of object you'd be looking at with a very confused expression if you came across it without knowing what it was.

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But this, my friends, is the JarKey. A triumph of design. Sheer genius when it comes to opening jars. You may think I'm waxing rather too lyrical, but I really am impressed with this gadget.

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Unless you have wrists of steel, I'm sure you have at some point struggled to open a jar. Toast is waiting, jam jar lid won't budge. Maybe like me you've tried the 'run it under hot water' trick or tried using a tea towel so your hands don't slip. Maybe you've resorted to going in search of someone with stronger wrists. Maybe when everyone's had a go and failed you've gone without whatever it was in the jar.

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With the JarKey, such struggles are a thing of the past. You simply sit that "jutting out bit" under the lip of the lid, press the loop bit down into the centre of the lid by lifting the handle - only a very small amount of pressure needed - and hey presto, a little popping sound tells you the vacuum seal is broken, and the lid will unscrew easily.

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Now I actually have quite strong wrists, and yet I have had plenty of use out of my beloved JarKey. I can only imagine how useful it would be to someone with less strength and mobility.

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There are various alternatives on the market - but frankly, why bother? This is simple, sturdy, takes up very little room, is a doddle to use, and works every time. You can get hold of one for a paltry £3.49 from Lakeland Limited - a fab bargain for something worth its weight in gold!