Arthritis is a condition that can affect people both young and old. It manifests in swelling or pain focused around the joints, and the symptoms can worsen over time. This can affect your daily routine, and you may have to adapt the tools you use, especially in the kitchen, to have as much comfort as possible.
Finding the right tools makes the condition more bearable. If you’re looking to invest in kitchen-specific ones for arthritic hands, read on to find out more about your options.
The Best Kitchen Tools for Arthritic Hands
Arthritic hands require tools that adapt, especially over time as the condition can worsen. Making your kitchen fit your needs is always a great step, especially if you have specific ones. Arthritis in your hands won’t prevent you from cooking and enjoying the benefits of your time in the kitchen. Here you’ll find a selection of the best tools for you:
Kitchen Openers
Swelling and pain from arthritis can make it challenging to open kitchen items like:
- Jars
- Bottles
- Cans
There are many types of kitchen openers that are made specifically to help with arthritis, from electric ones to rubber-grip ones. You can also mount some openers on the edge of a cabinet or counter, making lid removal a breeze.
Cup Holders
As arthritis gets worse with time, gripping a cup or a glass can become a form of torture. Luckily, you can get cups that are adapted for arthritis, but you can also add cup and glass orders to your existing favorites. These aids usually come in the form of silicone or rubber grips that can fit multiple sizes.
Vegetable Chopper
Chopping vegetables can be a task that puts a lot of strain on the wrists in particular. You should get a vegetable chopper that helps. There are many electric choppers, with some of them adding the functions of grinding and cutting too. But if you’re looking for something more hands-on, you can always opt for a rocking vegetable chopper.
Magnetic Tools
Using magnets can help immensely with arthritic hands. Magnets will cluster everything together so that items don’t get lost in places that are hard to reach. It’s a great idea to have magnetic measuring cups and measuring spoons to make baking easy, even with arthritis.
Ergonomic Reacher
Reachers are great tools to use when getting items from cupboards and cabinets. Equipped with a trigger and handle that is comfortable to use with arthritic hands, you won’t have to aggravate your aching joints to get things that are out of reach. The end of the reacher turns both vertically and horizontally, so even the deepest cupboard won’t pose a challenge.
Scoop Plate
Adaptive plates are beneficial for people with arthritis. Scoop plates, for example, make it easy for food to be piled onto a utensil, and they are frequently skid resistant. This Parson’s version is also break-proof and suitable for microwaves and dishwashers (top rack only).
Mandolin
Mandolins and other vegetable slicers will make it easier for you to prepare meals that involve lots of ingredients. Your hands won’t have to go through the hard work, but you’ll still be able to get your vegetables ready in precisely the way you need. When selecting a mandolin or other type of slicer, make sure you get one with a comfortable grip.
Portable Crockery
Pots and pans can be cumbersome and hard to move around in general, let alone with arthritic hands. To make this easier, you should opt for crockery with two handles. If you can’t find pots and pans with two handles, or if you’d rather have a more rounded collection, make sure to have at least a silicone grip on pots and pans with only one handle.
Several of the biggest crockery companies in the world have adapted their offer to include arthritis-friendly pots and pans, so you’ll be able to cook without the extra pain or swelling even if you have to make big meals.
Non-Slip Mats
Keeping chopping boards and bowls from sliding while cooking can aggravate the tension in your joints and make the pain worse. To prevent this, non-slip mats are a cheap solution that can make a world of difference. Place them under items you are using while preparing meals and enjoy the lack of sliding.
Cooking Utensils for Arthritic Hands
Having the proper utensils can significantly reduce the effects of arthritis on your hands. Like other kitchen items, these tools have evolved to become more adaptive. There are several options that you can pick from according to your needs. The following are the most popular choices used by those with arthritic hands:
Wooden-Handle Utensils
Premium cookware manufacturers like Le Creuset have been creating a range of utensils with wooden handles. These offer more grip that accommodates arthritic hands. The range includes crockery, but the main draw is in the:
- Spoons
- Basting brushes
- Spatulas
- Scrapers
Foam-Grip Utensils
Utensils that include foam grip are favored by those with arthritic hands. Foam grips offer a tighter and easier hold on utensils and, combined with an ergonomic design, they make eating a less painful process, even if your fingers aren’t cooperative. You can also opt for silicone handles or vertical ones, depending on what works best for you.
Curved Utensils
Curved or bendable utensils are one of the best choices on the days when you have a limited range of mobility due to pain or swelling. These types of utensils are one of the most versatile adaptive tools, as they can turn at every angle, which means you can keep food on them regardless of hand position.
They are suitable for both left-handed and right-handed people, and you can hold them easily due to their large textured grips. Make sure to have a set of these around for the more difficult days, but they are a great choice at any time, as they don’t add pressure to your joints while you use them.
Best Kitchen Gadgets for Arthritic Hands
Gadgets are always a fun addition to any kitchen, but they become essential when you’re dealing with arthritis. These are some of the best choices for items to add to your counter space that will make life easier:
Slow Cooker
Slow cookers are convenient additions because they take away most of the effort involved in cooking. You can prepare your ingredients with the other arthritis-friendly items in your kitchen, then throw them all into the slow cooker according to the recipe you’re following and let them cook at whichever speed you prefer.
Slow cookers take away the need to stay at the side of a pot or pan, stirring away and keeping tension in your hands. It’s also great if you’re cooking for bigger parties with no added effort.
Food Processor
Food processors combine several tasks and mechanically take away some of the effort involved in preparing meals. Depending on the type you get, you can use them for chopping, grinding, blending, and even mixing. It’s a great way to minimize both the number of tools you need to buy and the time you have to spend on cooking.
Stand Mixer
A kitchen stand mixer can be an investment that takes up a lot of counter space, but it’s essential if our arthritic hands are aggravated by having to press buttons and deal with beaters on traditional mixers. If you use mixers frequently, this is a worthy gadget to consider adding to your kitchen.
A stand mixer can mix everything from cake batter to pizza dough to meatballs, and all you’ll have to do is throw in the ingredients in the specific way needed for your recipe and let the mixer do the heavy-duty work for you.
Conclusion
Arthritic hands don’t have to keep you away from cooking. You can add plenty of tools to your kitchen that can minimize the effort and pain you have to deal with while preparing meals. These items can help you feel in control even on days with limited mobility, and more adaptive equipment is being added to kitchen ranges every day.
Content Disclaimer
The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this Blog article are not intended to amount to advice, and you should not rely on any of the contents of this Blog article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this Blog article. OccupationaltherapyBlog disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this Blog article.
Sources:
https://blog.thewrightstuff.com/arthritis-kitchen-utensils/
https://www.arthritis-health.com/blog/12-handy-kitchen-tools-those-arthritis
https://www.healthline.com/health/rheumatoid-arthritis-kitchen-tools#ease-of-use-utensils
