Kitchen Gadgets & Aids for the Elderly
We round up the best and most useful kitchen gadgets and utensils that can help and aid the elderly and disabled in the kitchen.
By Kitchen Gadget Box
Are you trying to find a neat kitchen gadget for the seniors in your life? We did a lot of research on these products and put together this helpful guide for you. We are sure they would appreciate any of these items as a gift this holiday season.
Useful Kitchen Utensils & Aids for the Elderly & Disabled
Any of these gadgets would be helpful for them to have at home. They are designed to make living on your own easier as a senior. So, if you want to buy them something meaningful, we would have to recommend one of these kitchen gadgets.
Hamilton Beach Compact Food Processor
This product caught our attention since it had a ton of positive reviews online. Cooking can come with a lot of difficulty for seniors; however, this food processor can make it a bit easier.
It uses a blade system to chop up fruits, veggies, nuts, and more for recipes. The food processor was very affordable and can hold up to 8 cups of food at one time. If they love to cook for many people, this tool would be very beneficial for them to have.
The machine is also very simple to use. It comes with a button to start it up, then choosing between chopping or grinding the food. We saw that customers loved how this machine worked and praised it for its ability to handle hard foods, like nuts too.
The design of this gadget is also pretty compact and portable. We are confident that anyone could find somewhere to set this up in their kitchen.
Overall, we thought this was the best option for a kitchen gadget for the elderly. It allows them to cook more dishes they otherwise might have a lot of trouble with- allowing them to continue living in the comfort of their own home.
What we love
- Affordable
- Can grind or chop foods
- Compact and easy to move around
- Helpful in cooking homemade food
Hamilton Beach Open Ease Automatic Jar Opener
If you know an elder who is having trouble opening jars, this would be a wonderful gift for you to give them. This is a Hamilton Beach product. The brand even says that they talked to the Arthritis Institute to figure out the best design.
It is really simple to use, which is why we decided it should be one of the top kitchen gadgets for the elderly. All you need to do is put the tool on the jar and push the button. The opener will do the rest on its own. Push the “Release Lid” button to get it to turn off.
After that, the machine shuts itself off, so that you do not have to worry about it. We thought that the price was reasonable. This tool improves seniors’ lives and makes it much easier for them to cook at home- making the cost well worth it.
Overall, we thought this product was perfect. We are confident that your family members would appreciate having one of their own to use at home.
What we love
- Works well at opening jars
- Decently priced
Fullstar Vegetable Chopper
This gadget is another beneficial one if they love to cook their own meals. As we age, it can be harder to cut vegetables. However, we still need to eat them to stay healthy- which is where a quality veggie chopper like this one comes in.
This model comes with four different types of blades that you can swap out. These options work best with all types of vegetables, so you should be able to cut up a variety of them.
The chopper also includes a storage container that holds your cut veggies until you are ready to use them. We appreciated that the blades are durable and made from a type of stainless steel that resists rust. The blades give you perfectly chopped veggies.
It is also worth noting that the bottom of the chopper has a non-skid film attached to it. These features keep it stable on the countertop while you use it.
The only issue with this product is that food can easily get stuck inside of the blades. You might need to use a knife to dislodge them.
What we love
- Very affordable
- Cuts cleanly through veggies
- Comes with different types of blades
- Rust-resistant materials
Kitchen Gizmo Snap N Strain Strainer
Lifting a heavy pot of pasta can be hard for anyone. Plus, you have to maneuver the pot over to the sink and dump the water without burning yourself or losing all of the noodles you just cooked. This gizmo offers a simpler solution.
This tool can fit any round pan, pot, and even large bowls. That makes it perfect for cooking at home- we are confident that your loved one would be able to get a lot of use out of it!
To use it, you just snap it onto your pot. From there, you tip the pot over the sink to drain the water. The gizmo has a spout that helps prevent splashing yourself with boiling water and a net that blocks the noodles from falling out.
We noticed that this product is pretty affordable, too, so we think it is worth it since it can be used on just about any rounded pot. No matter what your family member loves to cook- they will be able to find somewhere to use it!
Some customers mentioned they had issues with the snaps attaching or that it drained the water too slowly.
What we love
- Fits just about any round pot, pan, or large bowl
- Prevents burns
- Prevents losing noodles in the sink
MaxiAids Talking Microwave Oven
If they use a microwave a lot to warm their food, it may be worthwhile investing in this talking microwave oven. Sometimes, elders may forget about the food they were cooking or have trouble reading the buttons on their current microwave.
A product that talks make it easier for them to cook. We are sure that they will use it every day, especially if they often cook in their current microwave. This tool makes it much more accessible and helps them to stay independent at home.
The microwave will read a lot of different things to you. For instance, it will tell you the current cooking time, the power level, and other settings. If you were to forget about the food in the microwave, it would remind you to come to get it.
What we love
- Makes cooking more accessible
- Speaks and reminds you when your food is done
Buying Guide
Knowing what features in a kitchen gadget benefit an elder the most is important when deciding what to buy. We put together this short guide to help you recognize signs of a good product easier.
What to Look For
Before you buy a product, think about how it will fit a need in the elder’s life. For example, what do they like cooking? Do they prefer to make their own meals, or do they like to heat up food easily in a microwave?
If they enjoy cooking, you can try offering them gadgets that make the process easier. A vegetable chopper or food processor might make a world of difference to them and help them save their time and energy.
Any gadget that helps keep them safe while handling hot food is also worth it. We tend to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but it is the place where we can be injured the easiest. Kitchen gadgets help keep elders safe while making cooking simpler.
Other Items that Make the Kitchen Safer
Any gadget that makes the kitchen safer is a great choice. Kitchen timers are a good option since they remind us of when our food is done or to turn off the oven.
If you know an especially forgetful elder, there do exist stovetop monitors. These items shut the oven off after no one is in the kitchen for a certain amount of time.
The items we listed in this guide help build a safer kitchen for a senior who lives at home.
FAQ
This is a topic that often gets a lot of questions. We made sure to answer a few of the ones we see the most often.
How should an elderly kitchen be organized?
We recommend that you take some time to declutter. You want everything to be easy to reach and handle without having to stretch to grab something. Plus, you want the cabinets to not be stuffed to the point where stuff comes tumbling out.
How do I make my kitchen wheelchair accessible?
You will want to start by adjusting the height of your countertops and stove. Adding under counter stoves or a microwave is also a great idea.
You will also need to ensure that there is at least 60 inches for the wheelchair to turn in the kitchen with ease. Keeping ample space between counters is helpful.