Listen to 10 Helpful Cooking Utensils For Arthritic and Weak Hands
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Adaptive cooking utensils for arthritic and weak hands can have a major impact on our health. When cooking for ourselves we tend to eat healthier than when we eat out or order delivery.
Whether you have arthritis, an autoimmune disease, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or any other form of illness that causes hand tremors, spasms, or weakness, you know the struggle of preparing meals with regular cooking utensils. Replacing them with adaptive utensils will not only help you eat healthier but make preparing your food safer and less painful.
Take a look at what I found to help make your life easier!
Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my coffee drinking habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me supplied with caffeine. It’s a win for everyone. I am not a medical professional and nothing stated in this article is to be mistaken for medical advice.
Potato and Vegetable Peelers
It was a comment on my post 11 Products to Help People with Hand Tremors Maintain Their Independence that prompted me to put this list together. It was looking at some awesome products and considering my own needs that made me order a palm peeler. I can’t wait to use it and then review it for you.
When choosing a vegetable peeler, think about what makes using one painful or difficult for your hands. Gripping is currently an issue for me and why I chose to give a palm peeler a try. The idea of swiping without gripping sounds lovely!
Cooking Utensils
Spatulas and Tongs
When it comes to flipping pancakes, French toast, and eggs, I want to prevent our food from ending up on the floor or being flung across the room. Both the spatula/tong combo and flip, turn, and grab spatulas appear to off a solution to my problem. Instead of chasing French toast slices all over my griddle, a flip spatula will keep it nice and orderly. While the spatula/tong combo will help keep food from sliding off the edge of my spatula. I have added both to my Amazon shopping list!
Easy Grip Handles and Handle Covers
Stirring, scooping, and flipping is easier when your cooking utensils have an easy grip handle. The key is finding a handle that you can hold without pain.
Another option is to purchase grips to go over the handles of the utensils you already own.
Slicers and Knives
Not being able to trust your hands can make anyone leery about slicing and dicing veggies and fruits. That is why many of us often purchase pre-cut products. But for those times when we want to do it ourselves, slicers like the ones featured below keep our hands safely away from sharp blades.
To my surprise, there were more adaptive knife options than I had realized. I figured I would find knives with thicker or more comfortable handles, but I did not expect to find knives that also make the cutting action easier as well! The rocker knife below looks like it would make cutting much easier than a basic one.
Can and Jar Openers
How many times have you given up on eating what you had planned all because your hands failed to open a jar or can? I have lost track! Thankfully, my husband is usually around and able to assist. But I had to come up with a backup plan for when he travels for work. My solutions are a combination of assistive tools.
Can Openers
When it comes to can openers, electric is my go-to tool. That’s because I struggle to use one even when I have a good grip.
Jar Openers
Opening jars is more complicated, at least for me. I don’t care how well an opener adheres to the lid, the jar will not get opened if the tool relies on physical strength to turn it. I still rely on an electric jar opener whenever my husband is not around.
Garlic Press
Finding the perfect garlic press requires knowing what your hands are capable of. Are your hands able to squeeze a press? Or would a rocking or rubbing motion be easier for your hands? Thankfully there are options for both!
Final Thoughts on Cooking Utensils for Arthritic and Weak Hands
The key to living with a painful chronic condition is finding products and new ways of doing things that make our lives easier. Anything that makes cooking with arthritis or weak hands easier and less painful is a win in my book.
What are some ways that you avoid or decrease pain from preparing meals?
Have you tried any of the products featured in this post?
My electric can opener is one of my best tools, I had to do a list of tools I use to help me when I recently reapplied for PIP (UK Disability payments) and I had 21 x
It’s mind blowing to realize just how many adaptive and/or assistive devices we require.