Managing in the kitchen

[JayB1]

Hello, I am trying to equip my home with items which would make things easier on my wrists and wonder whether any of you find a steamer useful in this respect? If my husband is around there is no problem as he lifts the pans and, at the moment, I tend to serve up from the pan rather than try to lift them so perhaps a multi-tiered steamer wouldn't be of any more benefit? We don't have an awful lot of space to serve up on either side of the hob so it would be useful to lift the steamer baskets across to the other side of the kitchen where there's more space I suppose. I am also considering buying a small travel kettle too but then it would mean having two kettles on the worktop as lots of visitors equals lots of tea making! As worktop space is limited I can't decide! I don't want to spend for the sake of it so would just like to hear any opinions

Thank you, Jay x

[Sailaway]

Hi, I do use a steamer basket so that quite often I only need to draw water for one pan and then I don't have to strain the veg through a colander. I don't have one of the electric ones so can't help you there.

We bought a new kettle, it's much lighter than the last one. It's a black Russell Hobbs model 15076, and is actually lighter than our travel kettle. The travel kettle's in the bedroom for an early coffee, since nipping downstairs is no longer an option!!

The best help I got with the kitchen was from Occupational Therapy. A lovely woman came and assessed my abilities within my own house and has provided the most amazing help. Your GP or social work office will give you the number to ring. It is an excellent service, and they will either provide what you need or tell you how to get hold of it. And they'll come back to reassess if things change later.

[JayB1 in reply to Sailaway]

Oh thank you SO much for this info! It is just an ordinary stainless steel steamer I was thinking of getting not electric and I will look at the kettle right now as it sounds just the thing!

I was given splints for my wrists by the OT department but have never been assessed and now find that my actual fingers are much more bothersome than they were and I find it difficult to do fiddly things if you know what I mean. I will make enquiries next week.

Thanks again for helping.

[emmajj1971 in reply to Sailaway]

I have had an electric steamer for many years and it has made a world of difference to me in the kitchen, also its so much safer than heavey saucepans with boiling water in them. Hope you find this helpful.x

[earthwitch]

Definitely ask an OT for help on this. They can do a full assessment, which includes asking you what you have problems with and showing you some different ways to deal with it. I've always been really impressed by what they have offered me - often things I wouldn't have thought about myself. In particular there are quite a lot of different ways of getting around both the problems you have described (lifting pans, or getting vegetables out of pans, and tipping a kettle). Mum has a kettle tipper gadget - means she can use the regular kettle, but its on a kind of stand that tilts so she doesn't have to lift it at all (and fills it from a smaller light plastic jug). Its worth finding out several different solutions to the problem, then seeing what you think would work best for you.

[missjwren]

I have alot of problems lifting and holding and i have had to change a few things in the kitchen. i have an electric steamer,which is so much easier to use,very light. i just put mine on the draining board as my kitchen is small.

i also have a one cup steamer. it is shapped like a poss kettle and it gets filled the same way. but you just put your cup on the stand and press a button. so no tipping the kettle with a risk of scalding. dont know how i managed without this.

i also have elctric tin opener and grater and chopper. hope this is of some help.

jenny.

[Dogrose]

I've had an electrical steamer for ages, we got it before I developed RA. It is much easier to use and steamed veggies are nicer than boiled too, and I think retain their vitamins better instead of having them boiled out into the water. You can cook other things in it too like rice and fish but I just use it for veggies. XXX

[DandyLad]

Why don't you see if you have a DLC in your area. DLC are Disability Living Centre. Your GP or RA nurse/doctor can refer you or in some areas you can refer yourself. They are amazing, they have handy helpers for every single room in the house and they offer very sound advise. I always swore I would never use a rollator, a walking frame with 2 front wheels. Well guess who has one and now can't imagine life without it. I do hope you find all that you are looking for.

[JayB1]

Good morning to you all and thank you. The steamer is a certainty then but it does seem as though I need to either be assessed ot take advice from our local DLC if we do have one. The kettle tipper would be good I think. I already use a plastic jug to fill the kettle and have a batter operated tin opener but I just caught myself this morning lifting my big pyrex bowl full of porridge for our breakfast so I need to get a plastic bowl for that too! I was wearing my splint but I do know that I sometimes lift without thinking and this particular bowl is quite a weight.

Thanks again, Jay x

[knobblyknees]

I have a kettle tipper which is good for me. I would love to have a cloth wringer as wiping tops is really a problem for me. I hate soggy wet tops

[mitzymoo in reply to knobblyknees]

Hi

I also hate soggy cloths, I use microfiber cloths with detol multi service cleaner to clean all my counter tops etc.

Just spray services and wipe with dry cloth, no soggy cloths or water marks from cloth being too wet!

And the spray comes in few different fragrances

Hope it helps, take care and angel blessings to you all

[knobblyknees in reply to mitzymoo]

Thanks for the suggestion, will definatly try, just hope I can squeeze the trigger. I'm seriously unstrong with my wrists and fingers

[mitzymoo in reply to knobblyknees]

Hi

If it is too difficult to press undo it and poor abit onto your cloth, it isn't like water it does dry on the cloth so it shouldn't matter whether you spray it or dot it.

I've got gammy hand (no feeling to right side of my body) and manage to spray it, the fuller the bottle the easier to spray!

Good luck a day take care, i'm a big believer in angels and I have asked them to watch over you.

[knobblyknees in reply to mitzymoo]

Thank you Mitzymoo

[mitzymoo]

Hi again!

I have. Some white plastic pans for the microwave that has a vent on the top so you can either use it as a pressure cooker or open the vent to use as steamer.

It has handle on each side to help get in and out of microwave, I would be totally lost with out it.