36 Adaptive Kitchen Gadgets You Need To Keep You Independent

Table of Contents

My mother’s hands ached as she grew older. She stopped buying jars that were difficult to open, and foods that were too hard to cook.

There are cutting boards that hold the food so you can cut with more confidence, even while using just one hand. There slice-protection gloves to protect your fingers and hands while using a knife. There are devices to hold your pots steady on the stove, and to tell you when they have come to a boil. There are forks with large, rubber handles that are easier to hold. Angled utensils make it easier to bring food to your mouth even when you have a limited range of motion. High-wall plates give one-handed eaters a place to push food onto their forks and spoons.

I would find a fridge full of open airtight containers and unsealed Zip-Lock bags. I finally had to insist she stop cooking when I could see she was afraid of burning herself.

Cooking and eating are core to living independently. As her hands and eyes failed, so did her confidence she could remain independent in her own home. What we needed were some effective cooking and eating utensils to compensate for the disabilities that come with growing older.

I found some excellent devices to cooking and eating, and some that I would not recommend as well. Here is how to get help cutting, washing, boiling, and eating, even with the weaknesses that come with age.

Old Age Disabilities Increase Cooking Difficulties

One of the biggest threats to independence is injury. The disabilities of old age make kitchen injuries more likely.

We have to avoid kitchen accidents to maintain our independence in our own homes. Besides, avoiding a kitchen accident is much cheaper than cleaning up after one.

Will a pot of boiling water slip from your weak hands?
Will a knife slip and cut you if your hands are shaking?
Will you get the spoon to your mouth if a stroke limited your range of motion?

Common disabilities affecting cooking and eating include:

arm and hand weakness and pain
tremors
forgetfulness
low vision
low hearing
use of only one hand
limited range of motion

Common disability causes include:

Parkinson’s Disease
Stroke
Arthritis

Common cooking and eating problems include:

difficulty holding and using a knife
keeping one’s hand steady while cutting
inability to see the measuring spoon size
inability to wash, cut, and stir food
inability to get a fork or spoon to the mouth

How Kitchen Gadgets Help You Stay in Your Home

Adaptive kitchen and eating gadgets compensate for the arthritis, stroke, and neurological disorders deficits. They remind us when we forget. They help us see with larger numbers and color contrasts.

I found tools and gadgets to make it easier to cook and eat, even with the disabilities of old age. Disabilities increase the chance of burning or cutting oneself. These gadgets make cooking safer and eating easier.

If you are unable to cook, your food gets more expensive. It is fine if you can afford a cook, and you want to offload that job. Otherwise, losing the ability to cook is losing a big piece of your independence. Cooking and eating are two of the “activities of daily living” that can make or break your ability to live in your own home.

Part of staying independent in your own home is deciding what to eat, and when to eat it. You get to choose your food. You get to choose when you eat. If disabilities and deficits limit your cooking and eating, then they push you closer to dependent rather than independent living.

How Weakness, Arthritis Limit Us in the Kitchen

The kitchen is the most dangerous room in the home. There are open flames, hot surfaces, and sharp objects. There are heavy pots, scalding food, and boiling liquids. From breaks to burns, too many things can go wrong to just “wing it” in the kitchen.

Weakness, arthritis pain and forgetfulness increase your chances of getting hurt in the kitchen. Spilling a pot of boiling water can be the last accident you have before you move to a nursing home.

Now add the frustration of opening packages and cans. These can be difficult to open even when we have all of our healthy abilities. Pull-tab cans are almost impossible with arthritis. Manual can openers require both hands to set up, and good squeezing ability to use. Plastic bottles are now so thin that they twist instead of the cap you are trying to remove. Paper cartons are more likely to spill for the same reason.

Do not get me started on the plastic film that covers food in plastic containers. It is almost impossible to see, and there is not enough of it hanging over the side to get a firm grip on it. Jars that used to be hard to open are that much harder with aching or weak hands.

It is too easy to make a mess, and too frustrating to open packages with sore hands, or a limited range of motion.

So it makes sense to get help with jar lids and heavy pots that stand between you and getting something to eat in your own home.

Kitchen Tools are Made for the Young

The tools we use to measure are not that friendly to the eyes. I’ve already thrown away all my measuring spoons and cups that feature white on white embossed numbers. Seriously? White on white embossed numbers? Even excellent eyes have difficulty with that design.

Many can openers and jar openers require strength to use. They were designed by young men with big hands and perfect eyesight. Not to mention that so many things are badly made knock offs. These break too easily, and too soon.

Kitchen Gadgets that Help Your Hands

Here are some solutions that augment weak hands, and relieve the need to squeeze achy joints. They will allow you to stay independent longer because you will be able to keep cooking the foods you love.

Achy and weak hands make it difficult to squeeze tools and food. A stroke can limit your range of motion, or the use of a hand. (Unfortunately there are few to no tools to supplement the loss of both hands.) From stiff and achy joints, all the way to full-blown arthritis, having hand problems causes big difficulties in the kitchen.

Adaptive Jar Openers

If you cannot grip with your hands, you are not going to be able to open jars. A common problem is not being able to hold the jar while turning the lid. Opening a jar is difficult with arthritic hands. It is almost impossible using just one hand.

Here are some gadgets that help you open jars with limited hand functionality.

The “V” Form Jar Gripper

The “V” Form Jar gripper acts as a second hand when opening jars. It is a counter top device shaped in the form of a letter “V.” The angle allows it to help open many jar sizes. A gripping rubber strip lines the inside, holding the jar as you turn the lid.

To use the “V” form type of jar gripper, you push the jar into the device until the sides firmly surround the jar. This stabilizes the bottom of the jar, allowing you to turn the lid with one hand.

One example of the “V” form is the Solo Grip One-Handed Jar Opener. This is a great solution. Obviously, anyone can find benefit from a product like this because sometimes you just need that extra grip on the jar.

Solo Grip Jar Openers Pros

The “V” shape provides an “extra hand” for those with the use of only one hand
It can be used with other jar opening tools (as described below)
Unlike the under-the-cabinet solution (described below), the Solo Grip doesn’t require you to hold the jar up
It is small enough to fit in a kitchen drawer

Solo Grip Jar Openers Cons:

The Solo-Grip might not work so well with flimsy plastic containers because it needs pressure to hold the container in place
“V” openers might not accommodate gigantic jars

Check the Price on Amazon for the Solo Grip One-Handed Jar Opener.

The Under-Cabinet Jar Gripper

The under-cabinet jar gripper is popular even with people who have use of both their hands. This gadget is similar to the “V” jar opener in its shape. In this case, you place the lid into the device, not the jar. You mount this gadget under a cabinet.

The EZ Off Jar Opener is a good example of an under-cabinet jar gripper.

EZ Off Jar Opener Pros

The under-cabinet jar opener gadget holds the lid while you turn the jar, solving the “one handed” jar opening problem
You can hold the jar with a hand-held silicone gripper
The device is accessible, but also out of the way.

EZ Off Jar Opener Cons:

You need to install it with a couple of screws. Some people might not be able to do this on their own
It requires you to hold the jar up while turning. Those lacking strength might find this hard for heavier jars
You can’t use a rubber gripping pad on the lid for more leverage

Check the Price on Amazon for the EZ Off Jar Opener

Silicone and Rubber Jar Opener Grippers

Silicone and rubber grippers help weaker hands hold the jar or lid in place. Usually you use grippers to hold the lid, but you can use one on the lid and another on the jar. You hold the jar or lid with a large disc of gripping material and voila, no more lids slipping through your grip.

Some grippers are just flat discs. The cone-shaped grippers give you more surface area (and therefore strength) to apply to the jar lid. The LCZX gripper package contains both flat and cone jar openers.

You will usually find jar grippers sold in sets. You can use one on the counter, to stabilize the jar, and a second gripper on the jar lid.

LCZX Rubber Grippers Pros

Totally basic no moving parts
Easy to store
The cheapest solution available

LCZX Rubber Grippers Cons

Still requires strength
Not a solution for one-handed opening
Heat and sunlight will degrade material over time
Some materials are grippier than others

Check the Price on Amazon for the LCZX Rubber Gripper Jar Openers.

Mechanical Leverage Jar Openers

Mechanical leverage jar openers are probably what you think of when you picture a jar opener in your mind. It consists primarily of a longer handle with some kind of jaw-like end that grips the jar lid. The leverage comes from the longer handle that provides a mechanical advantage. The longer the handle, the less force you need to provide to open the lid.

You still need to hold the jar however, so you might consider complimenting a mechanical opener with a Solo Grip or a silicone/rubber pad to help steady the jar.

With its rubber feet that lock onto the jar lid, the Kuhn Rikon “The Gripper” increases the mechanical leverage over some other designs. The Gripper has three rubber feet that you hover over the jar lid. Then you turn a wing nut to lock the feet onto the lid. The rubber feet add leverage in addition to the leverage coming from the handle. This gives assistance to weaker hands. The only downside is that it might be too small for some larger jars.

“The Gripper” Jar Opener Pros

The lever amplifies the force you provide
Reduce the squeezing and gripping you must do

“The Gripper” Jar Opener Cons:

The mechanical handle design is might be too small for larger jars
This device design requires two hands to open jars
Some designs within this category require squeezing the handle

Check the Price on Amazon for the Kuhn Rikon “The Gripper.”

Vacuum Break Jar Openers

Air contact ages food, so manufacturers vacuum seal jars to remove the air. The vacuum seal is what makes jars so hard to open. If you break the seal, the jar becomes easy to open. Easy peasy.

The Vacuum Break jar openers break this vacuum seal, making it much easier to remove the jar’s lid.

A Danish engineer invented the Brix Jarkey jar opener to help his arthritic mother. Many arthritis organizations endorse this jar opener.

It is important to remember that you are not prying off the lid. You are simply getting under the lid and prying enough to break the vacuum seal. You use this device the first time you open the jar. It will not help if the jar is stuck shut because the contents sealed the edge.

Brix Jarkey Jar Opener Pros

The Vacuum Break design requires little strength
They are very small, and so fit in a drawer
They break the vacuum seal to solve the stuck lid problem

Brix Jarkey Jar Opener Cons:

The Vacuum Break design might require some dexterity to get under some lids
Not all stuck lids respond to breaking the vacuum seal
This design does not help with stuck on lids
This is not a one-handed solution

Check the Price on Amazon for the Brix Jarkey Jar Opener.

Handheld Electric Jar Openers

Handheld electric jar openers require almost no effort. They are the best design for one-handed use, and weak hands.

To use the handheld electric jar opener, place it over the lid, and press a button. The Vooco Electric Jar Opener is a perfect example of how simple this type of solution can be. Many manufacturers create this design, probably because it is superior to all other methods.

You place the Vooco jar opener over the lid, and press the button. The Vooco presses two rubber arms against the jar body. Then it spins the lid to open it. It’s the best solution for every type of disability we’ve discussed, including arthritis, achiness, weakness, and one-handed use.

Vooco Electric Jar Opener Pros

The handheld electric jar opener is an almost effortless solution
These are great for one-handed operation
They fit most normal jars

Vooco Electric Jar Opener Cons:

This works only on a some jar sizes
You still need to hold some jars to stabilize the operation
Handheld electric jar openers often will not work plastic or tapered jars
They are more expensive than mechanical devices
They need 2 AA batteries

Check the Price on Amazon for the Vooco Electric Jar Opener

Adaptive Can Openers

Canned food was invented in the early 1800’s. The earliest can opener was a hammer and chisel. The can opener as we know it today with the crank and round blade has been with us since around 1920. This handheld and non-electric can opener design requires too much strength for weak or arthritic hands. Most require two hands to use.

The most popular improvement on the handheld design is the counter top electric can opener. Place the can under its blade and magnet, snap the handle closed, and push a button to open the can.

The electric can opener is a great improvement over the hand-held manual type. I just don’t think it’s the best choice for people with arthritis, hand weakness, or for one-handed use. That prize goes to the handheld battery-powered can opener, which I recommend for one-handed use and weak hands alike.

Handheld Battery-Powered Can Openers

The handheld, battery powered design works best for people with aching hands, weak hands, limited range of motion, and tremors. The handheld can opener requires only one hand to operate. It’s easy to use. It leaves no sharp edges on the can or lid.

I think everyone should have a battery-powered can opener like the W-Dragon Electric Can Opener. It excels at reducing the work involved in opening a can. It is easier and safer than every other can opener design.

W-Dragon Electric Can Opener Pros

Truly effortless functionality
It is easy to use with one hand
It does not require normal strength
The open can and lid have dull edges
The lid doesn’t drop into the food

W-Dragon Electric Can Opener Cons

It needs batteries
It takes up to a minute to open a can
There are competing models that seem identical so it is hard to differentiate

Check the Price on Amazon for the W-Dragon Electric Can Opener.

Plug in Electric Can Openers

Electric can openers have been around for quite some time. The counter top electric can opener is a good choice for someone with weak or aching hands. Some manufacturers brag that their electric can opener is especially good for arthritis users. However, these can opener designs are no different from the competition’s designs.

Plug in Electric Can Openers Pros

Easy to use
No batteries required
It is better than a manual can opener for weak hands

Plug in Electric Can Openers Cons

It requires electricity
It takes up counter space
It can be pricey
It requires two hands to load the can

Pull Tab Pullers

If you remember opening a can of sardines with that key that you had to turn, then you know why pull-tabs are a welcome invention. Key cans required twisting, hand strength, and a strong grip with both hands.

Pull tops replaced key cans, greatly reducing the hand strength requirements to open these cans.

Pull top rings are not without their problems however. It can be hard to get a finger under the ring. They can hurt your fingers when you pull. In addition, if you have fingernails…

Pull-tab pullers like the Kole Ki Ring Pull Can Opener are a simple to use and inexpensive solution to these problems. The Kole Ki uses leverage to pry open the ring. It requires little effort. However, it does require two hands to use. We have yet to find a one-handed pull-top puller.

Kole Ki Can Opener Pros

It is easy to use
It is inexpensive

Kole Ki Can Opener Cons

The lever might not fit under really tight pull rings
The device requires two hands to operate

Check the Price on Amazon for the Kole Ki Ring Pull Can Opener.

Adaptive All-in-One Jar, Can and Bottle Openers

One device can open cans, bottles and jars. That’s the Black & Decker Lids Off.

Black & Decker Lids Off

The Black & Decker Lids Off JW400 is an electric jar, can and bottle opener. The JW400 does not open pull top cans, but I don’t know of any electric can openers that do. It does open plastic jars.

Be aware that the top of the Lids Off needs to be lifted to fit the jar inside. This might make one-handed operation more difficult than a device like the Vooco electric jar opener. You need to be able to pull the Lids Off top up to put the jar inside. Having said that, the Lids Off is very popular with people who have arthritis, even in both hands.

Note that the Black & Decker JW200 is a jar opener, and does not open bottles or cans.

Black & Decker Lids Off Pros

Useful for people with weak hands, tremors, and low vision
Useful for people limited to using one hand
Removes can lids, jar lids, and metal bottle tops

Black & Decker Lids Off Cons

Does not remove pull tab lids
The top may be too difficult to lift up for some
It’s expensive
It takes room on the counter
It requires electricity

Check the Price on Amazon for the Black and Decker Lids Off.

Adaptive Kitchen Gadgets for Washing Food

I couldn’t find any washing devices for weak and arthritic hands. There are some good sink brush options for one-handed cooks.

Baronic Triple Bar Glass Brush

This Baronic Triple Bar Glass Brush uses suction cups to stick to the bottom of your sink. It allows you to wash glasses, bottles and cups with one hand.

In reality, it is probably more versatile than that. It will help clean anything you can stick between those bristles. You could even lightly scrub some veggies, although the bristles might not be stiff enough for potatoes.

This type of brush comes in a few configurations. There are different length brushes, side brushes, one brush and two brush designs. They are useful for one-handed dish washing, and for people who have difficulty with grasping a sponge.

Baronic Triple Bar Glass Brush Pros

Requires only one hand to use
Four suction cups holds the three brushes to sink
Useful for cleaning glasses, bottles, cups, and dishes
Allows one-handed glass cleaning
Inside and outside of glass cleaned at the same time

Baronic Triple Bar Glass Brush Cons

Some users wished for stiffer bristles

Check the Price on Amazon for the Baronic Triple Bar Glass Brush.

Ableware One Handed Vegetable Brush

The Ableware One Handed Vegetable Brush has two suction cups that stick the brush to your sink. Once you get past the idea that you can clean your nails, dentures and vegetables with the same tool, you should definitely get one. Or get one brush for each task. Put one or two in the kitchen sink, and one or two in the bathroom sink.

Because the bristles are stiffer than the bottle brush bristles, the Ableware brush is good at scrubbing potatoes. The Ableware is useful for one-handed vegetable scrubbing, for people with tremors, and with arthritis.

Ableware One Handed Vegetable Brush Pros

Useful for people with one hand, aching hands, and with tremors
Requires only one hand to use
Two suction cups hold the brush to the sink
Can brush vegetables under running water

Ableware One Handed Vegetable Brush Cons

None

Check the Price on Amazon for the One Handed Vegetable Brush (and nails)

Adaptive Measuring Gadgets

I couldn’t make out the size on my measuring spoon even when my eyesight was good. While I like the idea of color-coding measuring spoons, the system breaks down with a big set. Out of eight spoons, which one is 1/4 again? The spoons and cups below are actually intended for children and campers, respectively. But the spoons are good for low vision cooks. And the cups are good for both low vision and arthritic cooks.

The Curious Chef Measuring Spoons

I like the 6-spoon Curious Chef measuring spoon set because it offers both colors and large numbers to indicate size. The sizes are 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 teaspoon; and 1/2 and 1 tablespoon. The measuring sizes are written in white onto a background color. The color repeats going up the spoon handle. This is a good measuring spoon set for people with low vision.

Curious Chef Measuring Spoon Pros

Useful for people with low vision
They are different colors
They have large numbers

Curious Chef Measuring Spoon Cons

They might not be easier to grasp for people with hand problems
The colors could be a bit brighter

Check the Price on Amazon for the Curious Chef Measuring Spoons.

SmartKook Silicone Measuring Cups

The SmartKook Measuring Cups might be intended for campers, but their extra large grips and bold colors make them adaptive as well. These measuring cups are useful for people with low vision and arthritis or grasping issues.

These cups are made of silicone, a wonderful material that withstands high temperatures and is easy on the hands. The cups pop up for use, and fold down, making them flat for storage. The grip is rubbery and non-slip. The cups are four colors, one for each 1 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 cup. There’s an extra set of black and red cups that come with the package. I would buy it just for the silicone colorful cups.

SmartKook Measuring Cups Pros

These are good for people with low vision and grasping issues
Know the cup size from its color
Easy grip silicone handles
Lightweight
Fold flat in storage

SmartKook Measuring Cups Cons

Missing a 3/4 cup (but you can always measuring out 1/2 and 1/4 each)

Click the following link to Amazon if you would like to get your SmartKook Measuring Cups.

Adaptive Cutting Boards and Bread Slicers

With a regular cutting board, you use one hand to hold the food, and the other to hold the knife. One type of adaptive cutting board holds food for you as you cut it. A “food holding” cutting board holds the food on spikes or in a vise. It is helpful for people with tremors, hand aches, and the use of only one hand. It can be helpful to people with low vision. This type of board is safer for people with two hands, as the food-holding hand is away from the knife. However, the spikes that hold the food are sharp, which can be a danger for some types of users.

Etac One-Handed Paring Board

The Etac Deluxe One-Handed Paring Board with Rocker Knife offers both a vise and spikes to hold food as you cut it. Food spikes are useful for one-handed cutting but are dangerous if you don’t have good motor control. The vise can hold food or a prep bowl between its two panels. Plant food into the spikes to keep it still while cutting it. Four suction feet also keep the board still.

The Etac Paring Board comes with a rocker knife. Place this on the food and rock the knife backward and forward for one-handed cutting. You don’t need to lift the knife to slice. The blade rocks into and out of the food.

Etac One-Handed Paring Board Pros

Helpful for people with one hand, weak hands, and small tremors
Holds food in vise and on spikes
Four suction feet hold board on counter
Comes with one-handed rocker knife
Vise holds bowls as well as food

Etac One-Handed Paring Board Cons

Some bowls slip upward in vise
Some users had difficulty with suction cups holding board to counter
Spikes can be dangerous

Check the Price on Amazon for the Etac Deluxe One-Handed Paring Board with Rocker Knife.

Parsons ADL Cutting Board

Cutting boards aren’t just for slicing food. You can use a board like the Parsons ADL Cutting Board for tasks like buttering bread with one hand. The Parsons board has walls on two sides. The little walls stabilize the food as you prepare it. The Parsons board also has one set of three food spikes. These hold food for one-handed cutting, but can be dangerous for people with tremors. This board also has four suction feet to hold it in place.

Parsons Cutting Board Pros

Helpful for people with one hand, weak hands, and small tremors
This board is especially popular with one-handed cooks
Walls hold food for one-handed preparation
Suction cups prevent board from moving
Spikes stabilize food for cutting

Parsons Cutting Board Cons

Spikes can be dangerous
Some users find walls too high to prepare food
Some users found suction cups to be too strong

Check the Price on Amazon for the Parsons ADL Cutting Board.

Bagel Guillotine

The Bagel Guillotine includes an integrated slicing blade. This makes it a stable cutting device, if only for bagels. It’s a container with a guillotine style blade. The blade slices the bagel when you push the device downward. The Bagel Guillotine is also good for people with low vision, as well as those with weak or arthritic hands.

Bagel Guillotine Pros

Useful for people with tremors and low vision
Knife is not required to cut the bagel
Handles large bagels

Bagel Guillotine Cons

Not for one-handed use
Be careful when cleaning the device

Check the Price on Amazon Bagel Guillotine

Magigo Bread Slicer

The Magigo Nature Bamboo Foldable Bread Slicer is variation on the knife guide. It is a box with multiple slots. Each slot represents a slice of bread. You can change the distance between slot guards to make small, medium, or large thickness slices. The slicer has a crumb tray that turns into a serving tray, and 20 serving bags with twist ties.

Magigo Bread Slicer Pros

Useful for weak hands, tremors, and low vision
Slots guide the knife as you slice
Has three bread sizes
Folds for storage

Magigo Bread Slicer Cons

Is not for one-handed use
Sometimes fails to cut the bottom of the loaf
Soft wood is easy to slice

Check the Price on Amazon for the Magigo Nature Bamboo Foldable Bread Slicer

Cut-Resistant Gloves

Cut resistant gloves have been a staple in the meatpacking and processing industry for quite some time. In recent years, they have made their way to consumers. It only takes a careless moment with a slippery veggie or an angry cheese grater to create a kitchen disaster.

Make sure you are getting food grade cut proof or cut resistant gloves with level 5 protection. There are other work gloves that are cut proof, but I always look for food grade materials so I feel comfortable getting it near my food.

You can find cheap cut-resistant gloves, and chain mail gloves costing 10 times as much. You can also find some that come in different colors to separate meat cutting from veggie and fruit cutting.

Regardless of which ones you choose, make sure you use the ones you get for kitchen work only for cutting food. You don’t want to contaminate your gloves with non-food related material. Also, keep in mind that these gloves are not puncture proof. It protects you if the blade slices against the glove. It does not protect you if the tip of the knife slips into the glove.

Kibaron Cut Resistant Gloves

The Kibaron is a good choice for a pair of cut resistant kitchen gloves. They are machine washable and offer a good snug fit. They have a sizing chart so you can ensure the proper fit. The proper fit ensures that your gloves don’t impede your dexterity, or leave extra fabric at the ends of your fingers making it more difficult to work. These gloves are designed for kitchen work but you can use them for anything. My only suggestion would be that you dedicate one pair to the kitchen so you don’t introduce potentially harmful elements from other hobbies or projects into your food.

Kibaron Cut-Resistant Gloves Pros

Especially helpful for people with tremors, but useful for anyone doing any cutting
Protect hands from knife slices
Good dexterity through the fabric
Level 5 or EN 338 gloves are food safe
Many gloves are machine washable

Kibaron Cut-Resistant Gloves Cons

Generally cut-resistant gloves should not be put in the dryer
Gloves in this category protect against slices but not against punctures

Check the Price on Amazon for the Kibaron Cut Resistant Gloves

Dexter Right Angle Knife

Right angle knives help people whose wrists get achy from chopping food. This Dexter-Russell right angle knife allows you to hold the knife in one position as you slice. It limits the amount of wrist action you need when chopping and slicing. It allows you to hold the knife at a right angle where your wrist is strongest. You avoid the awkward motion usually associated with cutting and chopping food. This is a very sharp knife. Be especially careful. At six inches, it might be a bit on the short side for larger items like watermelon, but it is perfect slicing roasts, halving cantaloupe, chopping carrots, and mincing parsley.

Dexter Right Angle Knife Pros

Useful for people with a limited range of motion
Useful for people with arthritis, finger, or wrist issues
Can be extremely sharp
Dishwasher safe

Dexter Right Angle Knife Cons

Can be extremely sharp, both in use and in storage!
Too short to cut large foods such as melons

Check the Price on Amazon for the Dexter-Russell 6-inch Right Angle Knife

Multi-Food Slicer

A multi-food slicer holds many items so you can slice all of them with one cut. It saves on labor, helps to prevent injury, and increases the accuracy of your cut. The Rapid Slicer is one of the best examples of this kind of device.

The Rapid Slicer

The Rapid Slicer holds food between two places while you slice in the gap between them. It saves time slicing many small items like grapes and grape tomatoes. It protects fingers from the moving blade when slicing bagels, chops and chicken breasts. The guided knife movement makes your cuts more accurate.

This product is especially useful for people with tremors and hand weakness. The knife guide protects the user from the slicing action.

The down side is that it works best on smaller and flatter objects. It’s great for grape tomatoes, but won’t help you with a full size tomato. For that, you would want the Xunda Tomato and Lemon Slicer. This device guides your knife with several slicing slots.

Rapid Slicer Pros

Slices multiple items with one pass
Useful for people with tremors and weak hands
Has suction feet to keep it in place
Saves time
Especially good at slicing small foods (grapes, cherry tomatoes…)
Good for slicing chicken breast
Adjusts itself to different food dimensions
Dishwasher safe

Rapid Slicer Cons

Requires two hands
Not useful for larger food

Check the Price on Amazon for the Rapid Slicer

KitchenAid Mezzaluna Rocker Knife

A Mezzaluna Rocker knife is a curved blade that you rock back and forth over the veggies to cut them. You need only one hand because the knife holds the veggie down as it rocks across it. It’s particularly good at cutting parsley, and leafy herbs and vegetables. But it cuts regular vegetables too, such as carrots. It’s not as good at cutting mushy vegetables such as tomatoes.

Some Mezzaluna knives have two or more blades. Some cooks like that, but some don’t. Either way a Mezzaluna can make short work of your chopping using only one hand.

KitchenAid Mezzaluna Pros

Useful for people with only one hand, arthritis, or weak hands
Extremely sharp
Use on cutting board or in a bowl
Chops and minces vegetables, herbs and nuts
Saves time
Stainless steel
Dishwasher safe (but hand washing is recommended)
Get one with a blade cover (sheath) for storage safety

KitchenAid Mezzaluna Cons

Extremely sharp!
Be extremely careful when putting sheath on, taking it off, and using this type of knife

Check the Price on Amazon for the KitchenAid Mezzaluna

Adaptive Kitchen Gadgets for Cooking Food

It’s not always easy to keep a pot steady while you’re stirring its contents. Carrying pots of hot liquid is dangerous. I’ve only managed to find a few items in this space that are worth talking about. I hope that we’ll get more stove safety devices as the population ages.

Uccello Kettle Tipper

I have been a fan of electric kettles since I first visited England. Every household there seems to have at least one kettle.

The Uccello Kettle Tipper is an electric kettle that assists you in pouring the hot water. It has a counterbalanced tipping lever that swings the kettle into pouring position. You do not need to lift the kettle to pour from it.

The tip assistance is an old design that we are finally getting in America. This kettle is useful for people with one hand, with arthritis, and with tremors.

Uccello Kettle Tipper Pros

Helpful for people with weakness, low vision, tremors, and limited range of motion
Helpful for people using only one hand
Greatly reduces the strength required to pour boiling water
Stable base holds machine in place
Has an anti-scale filter

Uccello Kettle Tipper Cons

Uses electricity
Takes space on the counter

Check the Price on Amazon for the Uccello Kettle Tipper

StayBowlizer

The StayBowlizer holds a mixing bowl steady while your stir its contents. Many users describe it as “having a third arm” to stabilize bowls. People with trouble gripping, have use of only one arm, and arthritis find this gadget useful. It’s “like having a helper steady my bows.”

You can use the StayBowlizer as the top pot for double boiling. Some people put it in the bottom pot, and then put the top pot inside the StayBowlizer.

StayBowlizer Pros

Easily hold bowls in place on counter via suction
Any size bowl will fit

StayBowlizer Pros

none

Check the Price on Amazon for the StayBowlizer

StirMATE Smart Pot Stirrer

The StirMATE Pot Stirrer does the task of stirring for you. It’s useful for people with the use of one hand, arthritis, and tremors. It’s also helpful for people who don’t want to stand at the stove for extended periods. The StirMATE allows the cook to multitask while the device attends to the stove pot.

A rechargeable battery powers the spoon, so it is cordless while you are using it. The battery’s charge lasts about 13 hours. It takes about a half hour to charge.

The StirMATE clamps to the top of the pot. An arm holds the spoon over the middle and a motor stirs the spoon. Use it to stir onions, soups, rice dishes and sauces. It’s especially good at continuously stirring, so it’s a great device for roasting nuts and coffee beans. The spoon sweeps the bottom to avoid scorching.

The StirMATE works with pots between 6 and twelve inches in diameter, and between 3 and nine inches in depth.

While the Amazon description states that you can get a thermometer and pot size extension kit for this device, neither seems to be available for sale. Do a search after reading this article if these interest you, as we can’t link to them at the time of publication.

StirMATE Pot Stirrer Pros

Good for people with tremors, who don’t want to stand, hand weakness, use of one arm, and arthritis
Eliminates the need to attend to sauces and stews
Allows for one handed no handed stirring

StirMATE Pot Stirrer Cons

Not specifically designed as an assistive device
May be overkill for some
May be too expensive to be worth it for some
Do not use while plugged in. Wait for battery to charge and use it cordless.

Check the Price on Amazon for the StirMATE Smart Pot Stirrer

Sammons Preston Pan Holder

The Sammons Pan Holder can be a big help in preventing spills and injuries. It holds a pot handle in place on the stove. You attach it to the stove top with suction cups. Place the arms where you want the pot handle to stay. Put the Pan Holder arms around the two arms.

The caveat with this device and others like it is that not all pot handles are the same. This device works best with a standard two Qt pot with a long handle. Also, remember that the rubber suction cups will melt if they get too hot.

Sammons Pan Holder Pros

Assists one-handed cooks
Stabilize pot while stirring
Suction cups secure gadget to stove top
Prevents spilling hot pot contents
Adjustable to different pan sizes

Sammons Pan Holder Cons

Skinny handles might not work with this device
Place suction cups as far from heat as is practical
Ensure bolts are tight before using

Check the Price on Amazon for the Sammons Preston Folding Pan Holder

Adaptive Utensils

Forks, knives and spoons can be difficult to grasp. The narrower the handle, the more difficult it is to grasp. One solution is to build out utensil handles with soft rubber.

Maddak Universal Built Up Handles

The Maddak Universal Built Up Handle is a set of four utensil handles. Household flatware fits in the handle ends. You can also use them to widen toothbrush and brush handles, to make them easier to grasp. The Maddak handles are soft rubber rings that make household object handles easier on the hands.

Maddak Built Up Handle Pros

A good solution for weak and arthritic hands
The handles are wide and soft, making them easier to grasp
Dishwasher safe
Can also be used with brushes and pens

Maddak Built Up Handle Cons

People with tremors usually do better with weighted rather than lightweight handles
Do not use handles with sharp knives

Check the Price on Amazon for the Maddak Universal Built Up Handle

Adaptive Dishes

Scoop plates and bowls make it easier to eat with only one hand. Push the food onto the utensil using the side of the dish. They have higher sides than normal dishware. Some have suction cups on the bottom to prevent the dish from moving.

Sammons Preston Plates

Some good scoop plates include the Sammons Preston Hi-Lo Scoop Plate, and the Sammons Preston Partitioned Scoop Dish. The plate has one high, curved outer wall for pushing food onto a fork or spoon. The dish has partition walls to separate food and for utensil leverage.