People may cook meals for themselves to take to work or work within the food industry cooking, baking or preparing meals. Cooking equipment that has been adapted to include larger handles for easier gripping, requires only one handed operation or enables easier viewing of measurements are now available.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
People that have reduced grip strength, are one handed, are easily fatigued or are visually impaired may experience difficulty working independently within a food preparation environment either at home or within the workplace due to equipment design.
A range of kitchen equipment is now available within department stores, specialised kitchen stores or specialist suppliers that can allow an individual to undertake a task one handed, be lightweight to reduce fatigue, have larger handles to allow for easier gripping or have Braille or audio alarms to assist those with visual impairments. Prior to purchase of alternative cooking equipment consider the following:
- can the items be easily cleaned?
- does the item have audio alarms or Braille to assist persons that are visually impaired?
- does the item need to be light in weight?
- is the product required within the home or within a commercial kitchen as this will require different levels of durability?
- will the kitchen items need to be operated one handed and if so consider the method of operation such as, do handles requiring squeezing, winding or shaking?
- will the individual find it easier to grip utensils if they have large handles?
Sifters
Sifting of ingredients is required for most baking. Sifters are either metal or plastic and are operated by a winding operation, squeezing action or require shaking. Battery operated sifters are also available. The winding action sifters require two hands for operation and depending on grip strength capacity of the individual, having plastic over metal may be preferred as is operation by shaking rather than squeezing.
Splatter guards
Within the commercial kitchen environment where mixing may be required, splatter guards can be placed around the top of mixing bowls to reduce spillage or splatter.
Large handled utensils
Most commonly used utensils used within a kitchen environment such as potato mashers, mixing spoons, egg slices or tongs can be purchased with thick handles to enable easier gripping. These can be purchased through department stores or specialty kitchen retailers.
Liquid level indicators
For individuals with a visual impairment, battery powered liquid level indicators can be placed within cups or bowls to alert with an audio alarm when the item is nearly full to avoid spillage and increase safety.
Kitchen timers
For individuals with difficulty concentrating on multiple tasks, poor memory or those with visual impairments, a range of audio kitchen alarms or timers are available. Timers with Braille can also be used. Some are available from department stores and kitchen retailers or from specialty suppliers.
One handled kitchen utensils
A range of one handled items are available to help within the kitchen environment. Examples include one handled whisks that are battery operated, bottle brushes on suction cups, kitchen scrubbing brushes on suction cups, breadboards on suction cups or breadboards with nails for piercing vegetables or guides to hold food items.
Salad spinners
To assist in washing salad items, salad spinners are available that can be operated one handed through a handle squeezing or knob spinning action. They are generally made of plastic and are lightweight.
Measuring cups
Measuring cups used for cooking come in a range of sizes and weights. Some are available with large handles for easier gripping and also have measurements that can be viewed from the top rather than the side.
Speaking container labels
For individuals with visual impairments that have difficulty identifying products or ingredients within a kitchen environment, a range of lids are available that can be speech programmed with individual product names and identified by pressing a button.
Ergonomic cheese slicers
For individuals who have difficulty using a standard knife to cut cheese due to reduced wrist strength or mobility, a range or ergonomic cheese slicers are available that have a blade with a vertical handle that allows the slicing to be done using the whole arm, rather than just the wrist.
References
Independent Living Centres Australia Inc. 2007, Product Search, Independent Living Centres Australia, Sydney, viewed 12 January 2011, http://www.ilcaustralia.org/search.asp.
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