5 ergonomic kitchen gadgets that will make cooking more accessible

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Cooking is a valuable life skill and a fun and enriching hobby. Even if you don’t plan on taking up “Iron Chef”-level cooking, it’s good to be able to prepare your own meals and perform simple kitchen tasks. However, cooking is by its nature a very hands-on practice that generally requires a good level of dexterity in these numbers. If you have physical problems that may limit the use of your hands, or even if you lack coordination, cooking may seem a bit inaccessible.

Fortunately, because cooking and working in the kitchen are both common hobbies and necessary tasks, there is no shortage of tinkerers and engineers creating kitchen gadgets, unconventional appliances, smart devices and other tools that will take the strain off your wrists. These tools will save you a lot of sadness and fatigue in the kitchen, which should allow you to put more energy into the rest of your day or return to the kitchen for more creative activities if you feel like it.

Pierce any countertop with the Intelbras Automatic Jar Opener

If there was ever a mortal enemy for those with weakened wrists, it would be the stubborn jar. Whether it’s weather conditions or an overly enthusiastic vacuum seal, some jars are absolutely impossible to open, at least without putting all your body strength into twisting the cap. In fact, you can hurt yourself by trying to open a jar lid too hard, so having an Intelbras automatic jar opener nearby may be beneficial to you.

This clever electronic jar opener is perfect for household members who may have trouble staying on top of things, such as young children, people with arthritis or people with wrist injuries. Just place the jar in the port, close the handle to keep it in place and press the big red button on the top. The powerful high-torque motor will instantly remove the cover, after which the handle will easily return to its original storage position. This gadget can handle any jar lid from 1.2 to 3.5 inches in diameter and requires little or no manual intervention on the part of the user.

Save some work with the StirMATE automatic pot mixer

Has someone you love ever told you that they slaved over a hot stove all day? Chances are good, they were standing over a large pot of soup or stew, stirring constantly, for what must have seemed like an eternity. Some recipes call for constant stirring to prevent the ingredients from sticking or solidifying, but standing still and doing that while the pot takes forever to simmer is absolute murder. If you have better things to do than stand and stir, and you almost certainly do, let the StirMate Automatic Pot Stirrer do it for you.

This futuristic gadget is rather brilliant in its simplicity: it’s a motorized stirring stick that you can attach to your regular soup or stew pot to keep everything moving while you’re busy with other parts of meal prep or doing literally anything else. Just insert the special three-prong stirring stick into the device, clamp it on the side of the pot and align the stick with the center. Turn the variable speed switch and it will start stirring until you turn it off. StirMate can automatically adjust to any pot with a diameter of 6 to 9 inches and a depth of 3 to 9 inches. The device can mix continuously for up to 10 hours on a single battery charge.

Give your wrists a break with the FinaMill salt and pepper grinder

Grinding your own spices is a good way to refine the flavor profiles of your culinary creations, and keeping a supply of whole dry spices to grind when needed is a good way to save space and money. Unfortunately, just like opening jars, the repetitive twisting motions associated with a manual spice grinder can be an absolute killer on your wrists, especially if you do it frequently for many different meals. It was with situations like this in mind that master engineers invented the battery-powered motor found in the FinaMill salt and pepper mill.

Although it’s marketed as a salt and pepper mill, the FinaMill can handle almost any dry spice, from rock salt to peppercorns to dried garlic. Simply load your spice of choice into the branded capsules, insert the capsule into the bottom of the grinder, twist the bottom to your preferred thickness, and click the button on the top. This way you have ground spices that you dispense into the bottom of the sachet for the next dish, all with one hand and without physical effort. The capsules are made of materials that do not contain potentially harmful bisphenol A, while the grinding elements are made of durable ceramics, so the only thing you have to worry about is replacing the batteries occasionally.

Increase your productivity with the Starfrit Rotato express peeler

Here’s a fun fact: the peels and peels of many fruits and vegetables are actually richer in vitamins and nutrients than their inner parts. Unfortunately, many peels have quite a poor taste, so even if it means losing nutritional value, they should be thrown away. However, these skins are not going without a fight; Peeling with a knife or hand peeler is a very skillful task that can result in nasty cuts to your fingers if you’re not careful. If you prefer to save money on patches, just let Starfrit Rotato Express take care of it.

This electronic peeling device is designed to remove skins from all types of produce in one clean piece, leaving the fruit or vegetable perfect for cutting and cooking. Simply attach the target to the lower teeth, secure the top tab to hold it in place, and lift the cutting arm up. Press the button and, like a gramophone needle, the cutting arm will methodically cut off all the skin from the vegetable, automatically stopping when it reaches the bottom. Just like that, you have a long, single ribbon, ready for compost and nice, clean vegetables for the stew.

Chop everything with the Hamilton Beach Electric Vegetable Chopper

Of all the repetitive tasks you may encounter in the kitchen, chopping is king of them all. Even putting aside any worries about handling sharp knives and standing and chopping onions all afternoon is one of the most monotonous things you can do in the kitchen – it’s hard on your hands and your patience. Save your knives for when you really need them and consider leaving all the chopping to the Hamilton Beach Electric Vegetable Chopper instead.

This professional chopping device is small in stature but has a feisty temperament. Simply add up to three cups of small vegetables, nuts, fruit or anything else you want to cut on the side, replace the lid and press down. The rotating stainless steel blades come to life, slicing and chopping ingredients in just seconds. The lid also has a built-in oil dispenser if you want to emulsify ingredients into sauces and dressings. When you’re done, simply throw the bowl, lid and blade into the dishwasher for easy cleanup.