Helpful Kitchen Gadgets to Make Life Easier if You Have Pain

Kitchen gadgets – some are helpful, some less so. But for people who live with chronic pain, a chronic illness or a disability, some kitchen gadgets are essential and can make life so much easier.

My Mum used to love kitchen gadgets. She visited the Ideal Homes Exhibition in Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall every year and she never returned home empty-handed. Her purse was always a bit lighter though. The demonstrators at those shows really could talk the talk. They claimed their kitchen gadgets would prove to be so helpful and save everyone time, effort and money. Some of her purchases were helpful. Some were time savers. However, many turned out to be a total waste of money and were condemned to the back of a cupboard.

Thanks to my Mum, I have the same passion for kitchen gadgets but I shop online from the comfort of my armchair. And despite taking my time to read reviews, I’ve still made some purchases that have been shoved to the back of cupboards before being sent to the local charity shops. However, I’ve also made some good purchases which have made my life easier.

Helpful Kitchen Gadgets Can Make Life Easier

There are some kitchen gadgets which really are helpful, especially if you live with pain, a disability or a chronic illness.

Living with chronic pain is difficult, but I want some normality and independence in my life. My husband does most of the cooking in our house, but I still want to help and, on the odd occasion, I want to cook or bake myself. But it’s a huge struggle and I’m able to do less and less because of my pain. However, it’s something I enjoy and don’t want to give up entirely so I do what I can to make it easier. That’s where my kitchen gadgets come into play.

Helpful Kitchen Gadgets if You Have Pain, a Chronic Illness or a Disability

Making life easier is my number one priority. I mean, why struggle in the kitchen when a helpful gadget can make things simpler? I own several which I find invaluable but I also have a wish list. However, I think I’d run out of kitchen space if I were to buy everything on it!

Here are a few kitchen gadgets which I find helpful. (I own and use many of the products I have listed.)

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The Basics

Whether you’re trying to reach for a tin of baked beans or cut open a pack of frozen chips, there’s a gadget to help. A long-reach extender is useful anywhere, but it is so so practical in the kitchen. It’s one of those ‘must haves’ for anyone with a disability. Another useful item I keep in my kitchen drawer is a pair of easy-grip scissors. I was given a pair years ago by an occupational therapist because of my painful hands. They make cutting anything so much easier than normal scissors.

If you’ve ever had problems with pain or weakness in your hands or wrists, you’ll know how difficult it is to do simple everyday things like turn on a tap or turn the dial on the washing machine. But thankfully, there are some nifty little tools that can help.

Fancy a Cuppa?

The problem is that lifting a boiling kettle can be too difficult and dangerous when you’re in pain. Using a kettle tipper can solve that problem. Fill the kettle using a jug, then when it’s boiled, just tip the water into your mug. You never need to lift a heavy kettle full of boiling water again.

Help With Opening Tins, Jars, and Bottles

Opening tins, jars and bottles can be a nightmare (and not just for people with pain!) We bought a Kenwood tin opener about 20 years ago and we still have the same one to this day. Even cans with a ring pull are difficult for me to open due to having painful hands but I have a handy little gadget that lifts the ring pull and helps me to pull back the lid. And where would I be without my trusted bottle and jar openers? (Answer – asking my husband to help me.)

Kitchen Gadgets for Mixing, Slicing and Dicing

It’s important for everyone to eat healthily, but sometimes the thought of preparing food is more than I can handle. I don’t have a great deal of energy, my body has too much pain to stand for long periods of time and my hands also get really painful. My husband does most of our cooking, but I still try to cook and bake if I am able to. I use shortcuts when I can and thankfully, there are many helpful kitchen tools and gadgets which will do the job easily.

If you don’t want to use a food processor for veg if you’re just needing a small amount, there are small gadgets like the Genius Nicer Dicer. I’ve had one of these for years and love it. There are also knives with special handles to help people with disabilities. They allow you to grip and control the knife more easily. If you have problems with your hands or wrists, I’d really suggest trying these. My lovely occupational therapist also gave me one of those knives many years ago. It made such a difference.

Electric knives are also helpful.

Helpful Kitchen Gadgets – Worktop Cookers

I’m a big fan of worktop cookers. It’s not so long ago when my kitchen was cluttered with a grill, a slow cooker and a deep fat fryer amongst all my other gadgets. Now, thankfully, many worktop cookers are multifunctional so you don’t need as much equipment on your worktops. They normally perform a variety of functions like air frying (using a tiny amount of oil therefore much healthier than a deep fat fryer), grilling, slow cooking, baking and pressure cooking.

Those machines are so much cheaper to run than a standard cooker. And, a big plus for me, they’re easy to clean. But for anyone living with pain or a disability, they are so practical. They really can make life so much easier – and safer. You don’t need to keep checking for pots boiling over or clean a mess on the stovetop when they do. Worktop cookers are easily accessible so there’s no bending up and down to get food to and from the oven. I don’t know how many times I have burnt my arms on my oven or I’ve lost my balance and food has landed on the kitchen floor.

My current favourite is my air fryer. I could not live without it. Okay, I could, but I would miss it because we use it every day. Last year, I treated myself to the Ninja dual-zone air fryer. It has two drawers for cooking in meaning that you can cook in two different ways at the same time. You can set both sides to finish cooking at the same time so you can cook a complete meal. It air fries, bakes, roasts and dehydrates. I even make toast in mine so I’ve thrown out my dodgy toaster which never toasted evenly. But the main reason that I bought the dual-zone version is because I have coeliac disease. The Ninja dual-zone means that I can cook a gluten-free meal in one side and a normal meal for my husband in the other with no fear of cross-contamination.

Other Useful Items to Keep in Your Kitchen

There are a few other useful items worth keeping in your kitchen if you struggle with pain or a chronic illness.

I’m known to be a wee bit accident prone. I fall over my own feet and I just need to look at a glass and it falls over. So, I’m a fan of anti-slip matting which you can place on your worktops to stop anything from slipping. It’s great under plates, cutting boards or food mixers to keep them in place. You can also buy trays that already have a non-slip covering applied.

If you’ve room, keep a chair or a stool to sit on while you work or to take a quick rest. Sometimes, just taking the weight off your feet for a few minutes can allow you to carry on a little bit longer. And try to keep everything you need within easy reach. Don’t stretch and, please, don’t ever climb on a chair or stool to reach top shelves. If you really need to get something from a higher shelf and nobody can do it for you, use proper steps. Always be safe.

I hope you find some of these kitchen gadgets as helpful as I do.

Do you have gadgets in your kitchen that are really helpful? Have you ever made any purchases that are now hidden at the back of a cupboard?