Why Are Talenti Gelato Jars So Hard To Open?

Even worse than losing out on discontinued ice creams we may never see again is having a pint of your favorite flavor in hand — but being unable to open it. While it may seem like a somewhat frivolous problem, one brand has earned a reputation for its hard-to-open jars, and its customers are none too happy about it. Talenti has become famous not just for its delicious layered gelatos and sorbettos, but also infamous for just how difficult its products are to get into.

@puddlezcraig

Talenti must be sealing these jars with a torque wrench, because ain't no way, boy. Ain't no way. This isn't even the first time I've gone through hell attempting to open one of these jars either! #Talenti #Wtf #fypage

♬ Bomb Intro / Pass That Dutch – Missy Elliott

This issue is not a new one. People have been complaining online about the impossible-to-open Talenti jars for years, and social media is rife with horror stories of different methods used to try and pry the stuck plastic lids off. Dangerous attempts have involved screwdrivers, saws, scissors, knives, and other objects more likely to result in hand injuries than a tasty bowl of gelato.

In 2017, a reporter from Mic contacted the company about their own difficulties with an unyielding lid. They received an apology and an official explanation as to why Talenti gelato jars are so hard to open — the brand blamed it on new equipment. Specifically, that its "lid-capping machine experienced an issue that caused some lids to be particularly tight." The statement went on to say that the machinery had been repaired and that, although "there are still some tight lids out there," the newly produced jars would no longer be affected.

Despite the promise of Talenti's tamed machinery, years later, extra-tight lids continue to cause frustration. To this day, upset customers still reach out to the company on social media because of lids that will not budge. In fact, the majority of the brand's replies on X, formerly known as Twitter, are dealing with this situation. As of 2024, the brand continues to offer a familiar excuse: "[O]ur team is working on a fix for some of our lids that are too tight" (per X). It's so common that the company has responses prepared with an apology and request for customers to contact them for replacements.

The occurrence of too-tight lids is so widespread that Talenti has had to address the risk of injury when hacking away at jars with dangerous tools. Another of the brand's cut-and-paste responses warns: "Please don't try to find alternate, and potentially unsafe, ways to get it open" (via X).

Talenti does, however, recommend a version of the hot water hack to open stubborn jars. As posted on X: "We'd suggest running warm water on the top and sides of the lid to help loosen it." This actually makes sense and may hint at the real reason the gelato jars won't open. Plastic contracts when it's cold, so it's possible that Talenti's lids are literally shrinking onto their containers as they freeze. Conversely, since plastic expands as it heats, warming the cap should help to ease its grip.

There are a few other tricks you could try, too. Martha Stewart's hack for opening stubborn jars involves strapping rubber bands around their lids before trying to unscrew them. This essentially does the same thing as those rubber jar grippers that you can buy to make it less likely for your hand to slip when twisting.

Another method that's known to work well with Talenti gelato and other over-tightened screwtops is to easily open jars with the back of your knife. Don't worry; it doesn't involve jamming a sharp blade anywhere that it doesn't belong, but rather, just using the handle end of a blunt butter knife to whack the lid to help get it moving.

We can only hope that the company will eventually get its lid conundrum under control because, ultimately, nothing should come between you and your scrumptious frozen treat. Whether you're a fan of the brand's sea salt caramel gelato, coffee cookie crumble layers, or zesty lemon sorbetto, a good thing to know is that once you do finally get them open, the jars are BPA-free. They're also recyclable and can be reused in a multitude of creative ways. Talenti created the catchy #pintcycling hashtag for this and encourages people to share pictures of their upcycled jars used for food storage and meal prep, organizing craft and desk supplies, and even as cute pots for flowers and plants.