I've never liked the wall or under-cabinet mount ones and we've never had them. We use simple plain vertical holders, a base and a single upward rod for the roll to go on. Not even with a spring device as the first one you show has. Any mechanism to use to allow one-handed ripping would get in the way for us.

Try changing your use pattern. If you'll be needing one or more paper towels, take them off the roll and put them within easy reach before you get your hands wet or dirty. That's what we do and it works fine.

Between dish towels and wash rags, I can't remember the last time I pulled out a paper towel. What are you using them for?

Our kitchen counter has one like you show on top, an Oxo. We don’t pull the paper towel towards the presser thingy, we pull away from the roll. I’m not sure I’m making sense, but we don’t use the presser to hold at the perforation, just to hold the roll from rolling, and it works for us. The presser can be on the side away from us. Maybe it’s just a technique difference..

The dispenser in the laundry room, yep, the whole roll is unrolled! And it’s right above the sink so if you’re not quick they all get wet. It takes one hand to hold the roll and one to tear off a sheet.

In the garage, the paper towels are on a loop of a wall shoe rack. It doesn’t roll easily at all; if you want more than one sheet, you have to pick it up.

When you can plan ahead, it makes sense to pull off what will be needed, as Elmer suggests. I do that, when I can. But we don't bother with a holder at all -- just stand the roll upright on the counter. That seems to work as well as any holder.

My dream is to get a commercial paper towel dispenser for our garage, the kind that hangs on a wall and you pull out one towel at a time. Simple and effective. DH has a habit of taking the whole roll from the kitchen out there every time he needs one. And never bringing it back in. Grrr!

sushi, it doesn't matter how many rolls are already out there, he'll take another from the kitchen 'just in case'. But if we had a commercial unit screwed into the wall ... maybe he'd eventually get it, lol!

In the garage we have an automatic paper towel dispenser. LOVE IT!

$58.50 I have 3, of the one on the top right, in your photos. I like it. ☺ I like the wall mounted one better.......

I have one of those rods with a short bar to pull the towels against. Something that I found by accident and it should not matter but ease of tearing depends on the direction the roll faces. Pulling toward me then down slightly is fine if the cut edge is in one direction. If the edge is in the other direction I have to put my hand on the top to prevent more sheets than I need unrolling.

I have ours on the fridge, magnet mounted. Never have a problem. Rip and use.

I hear ya, I’ve had every single one of those, and none of them are one handed so I gave up and just got a nice solid one but it requires 2 hands. The ones with the outside holder on them are worse! https://www.amazon.com/Umbra-Modern-Stand-Paper-Holder/dp/B000G62YE8/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1NXIHD0GGFLCW&dchild=1&keywords=paper+towel+holder&qid=1601072816&sprefix=Pa,aps,168&sr=8-6

This is the kind I have... I can’t recall the brand, but it might be a simplehuman one? It’s one of those tension ones, but the little bar doesn’t press against the roll. I have also found that it matters which way I load the paper towels as to how easily it tears off one sheet at a time with one hand. But if I load it this way, it works every time. If, and a big if, my spouse or one of my kids changes it I usually have to turn it around to fix it. LOL!

I do the same as nickel, just stand the roll upright on the counter. Makes it easy if I have to take the roll someplace, like to wipe up cat puke.

Sephia, we have lots of hairball and cat puke pickup, LOL.

I just keep mine under the kitchen sink on the ledge. Also one in the bathroom under the sink. As Donna and Sephia mentioned it's easy to take the roll for the cat-yak. Damned furballs.

I had one like you pictured that the arm goes in as the towels are used. It may be great for some, but I didn’t care for it either. I went back to using an older one I got from Target 15 years ago that’s looks kind of like the one below. The rolls of Costco paper towels are too big for it, (which is what prompted me to get the other one) so now I just set the roll beside it until it’s been used enough to fit. It does make a good ring holder though.

I have the one you picture on the top-left. I really like it. The cylinder gives a satisfying ratcheting sound as the roll turns. To get a clean one-handed perfect tear is all in the speed and wrist action—well, mostly the speed. I grab the edge of the paper towel with one hand, and very quickly and with a flick, rip the towel off. Clean cut, don’t need 2 hands, can’t see any flaw. If you do it slow, you’ll have problems.

Jasdip, I love that - cat yak. I've not heard it called that before. I have two cats, and I'll find the occasional slimy cat hairball. And one of my cats tends to eat fast - when she does, up it comes.

Can't say I have ever has a long standing issue with a paper towel dispenser. Gotta say NEVER have I understood why anyone would want them taking up space ON THE COUTNER. Always seemed like a new fangled fancy fad. They look cool for sure but that's about it. Bigger kitchens that mine are needed I assume.

I prefer a wall mounted P.T. holder too and I like skmom's knife strip in what appears to be wood-grain. Mine is stainless and talk about getting things off the counter. How much room do knife blocks take up?

That’s aggravating! We have four cats and go thru a lot of paper towel cleaning up after them. We have never used a holder - it either sits out on the counter or is under the sink. I regularly carry it to clean up the aforementioned cat yak or canned food smeared on the floor (our special needs kitty is a messy eater), so a holder wouldn’t be convenient for that. I use cloths to clean our counters.

Sephia, yes Roxie inhales her food sometimes, and up it comes. I've noticed that she doesn't chew her kibble treats, so they come up whole. I'm trying to remember to feed her a smaller amount then a little while later give her the rest. As far as the treats she gets just a few, where Bud will get his usual, larger amount. She's the cat-yak thrower.......she also grooms herself all the time. She's such a diva! LOL

I use few paper towels. I prefer hand knitted cotton dishcloths for counter, cabinets and range top. My cat does not do the yakking thing very often. I put a dab of olive oil on the top of a front paw now and then to move the hairballs along. ( You gotta move quickly on that maneuver )

I have one with a marble bottom (heavy,) and no arm of any kind. I find it fairly easy to use as it sits still when I jerk on it to tear off a towel.

I have one similar to this: Spring-loaded Under Cabinet Paper Towel Dispenser. Works great and LOVE it.

Wall-mounted spring load paper towel dispenser

In honor of the beloved towel pig 🐽 how about a paper towel pig?

I have always used the cheap, standard, old fashioned holder and mount it to the underside of the cabinet next to the sink. Works fine for us with the Costco paper towels.

I finally discovered one I love; it looks like the one in the upper left - but I've sadly come to discover that not all that look like that work well. Mine is a Kamenstein, and the little stick on the side really doesn't matter and barely touches the paper towels anyway. It's the right tension from the center-spike-thing that allows me to use one or two at a time, as I wish.

"Between dish towels and wash rags, I can't remember the last time I pulled out a paper towel. What are you using them for?"

Here they can become part of the city's curb-side collection of organics (to be turned into compost), so I often use them instead of rags, as long as I'm not using any chemicals.

Raven, I love the pig. Every time I see a post about him (and there have been many), I consider getting one like him. But my kitchen is small and counter space is limited.