There are many reasons to find more helpful objects for the kitchen. As a disabled person who learned to cook through the course of the pandemic, I can name kitchen appliances that can help disabled people, children, elderly chefs, and anyone looking for faster, more comfortable ways to cook. There’s no reason to take more time in the kitchen just because it’s the “old-fashioned way.” Taking the time to name helpful kitchen appliances, and getting those appliances to meet your goals and feed you and your guests, is a rewarding experience. Let’s name kitchen appliances that have helped me as my joint problems have progressed.
Name Kitchen Appliances That Can Make Cooking Easier
Some of the kitchen appliances that can improve the cooking experience aren’t ones you’d guess at first. I always make sure to have my step stool in the kitchen so I can reach products that are high up. As a short person who has difficulty gripping objects, the step stool is a must. This is accompanied by my grab tool, which lets me grab onto objects that are far or up too high.
Long recipes usually mean lots of dishes and exertion from moving everything around. That also means more dishes. Instead, why not make it all in one pot? When asked to name helpful kitchen appliances, most pick this one. You can make stews, meat, and just about anything if you have an Instant Pot. Just let it know what you’re cooking and it will tell you when it’s done. The Instant Pot also doubles as a slow cooker (crock pot), so you can continue to make beloved recipes that cook all day.
If you’re still using a crock pot, don’t forget to use plastic crock pot liners. These keep your dish warm while ensuring you won’t have to scrub out the inside of the ceramic crock pot, which can take a lot of work.
Speaking of items that might be tough to wash, what about all those cooking utensils? I’ve switched out my cheaper plastic and metal cooking utensils for silicone products. These are much easier to hand wash, and they’re dishwasher safe, too.
Ready to name kitchen appliances that can help with pasta? Try a silicone clip-on strainer for your pasta-draining needs. Just clip it onto the side of your pot and drain your pasta and veggies. While you’re cooking your pasta, you can use an on-the-spot spoon holder (which comes in a variety of fun shapes) to rest your spoon.
Speaking of spoons, can you name a kitchen appliance that helps you get the rest of the peanut butter out of the jar? I can! It’s called a jar spatula, and it’s great for peanut butter, jelly, canned goods, and my favorite — Nutella!
Name Kitchen Appliances For Arthritic Hands
When you have arthritis and inflammation in your joints, certain mundane tasks become extremely difficult. The most noticeable is using a manual can opener. Instead, invest in an electric can opener. To use it, simply plug it in, press the can up against the blade, and let the machine rotate it. Be careful of sharp edges when handling and disposing of your can.
Have you ever had a recipe that calls for chopping garlic into fine pieces? Forget that! Instead, use a garlic press. To work it, take a bulb of garlic and pull out just one piece. Place it in the garlic press over a small bowl and squeeze it together. It will easily create small pieces of garlic for you.
One of the most annoying things that can happen in the kitchen or elsewhere is difficulty opening bottles. As my arthritic hands get worse, that only increases. Even a soda cap can be hard sometimes, and Gatorades are notorious! Name a kitchen appliance that can help. How about grip tools? Some of them look like potholders, while other manual and electric grip tools go around the cap so you can twist it.
Chopping veggies can also be a challenge, especially with a dull knife. Instead of messing with that, try a rocker knife. These kukri-like knives mean you only have to place the knife on the meat or veggie and rock it back and forth. Pair with a non-slip chopping mat for best results. If you’re going for pizza, you can also get something called a pizza cutter Ulu knife, which makes pizza slicing much easier than it is with a traditional rolling cutter.
Having disabilities including arthritic hands can make it tough to name kitchen appliances that help more than they get in the way. However, these devices have saved me time and frustration, and have helped me maintain my independence and improve my safety practices in the kitchen every day.
