Arthritis-friendly gadgets for your kitchen

During the holiday season and into the new year, your kitchen is a place where you’re likely to spend a lot of time. From festive meals to special desserts, you may be busy cooking and baking.
But if your fingers are stiff and painful, tasks that used to be simple may now seem difficult. Health monitor went in search of gadgets that can make your life in the kitchen easier. Here are some items we found:

• Hands-free can openers. These cordless electric devices open cans of different sizes. They “walk around” the tops of cans and stop when done.
• Small soft-gel grip utensils. With handles that are larger and softer than usual, these utensils require less hand strength to use. Available items include bottle openers, graters, peelers, cheese slicers, pizza wheels, and melon ballers.
• Angled knives. Instead of forming one straight line, these knives are shaped like the letter L. The blade forms the bottom of the L while the handle is vertical. Angled knives are designed to keep your hand and wrist in a neutral position. They are equally useful whether you are right-handed or left-handed.
• Reachers. Long sticks with jaws that can grip and lift items from the upper shelves of your pantry can be very helpful for preparing food. One reacher may weigh very little (say, less than five ounces) but be able to lift up to two pounds.
• Special cookware. Pots and pans are available with handles that are shaped like a comma. These handles reduce wrist strain and permit safer pouring when tilting the pans to transfer their contents onto plates.
• Flatware. Forks and spoons can be found that are lighter than normal and/or have specially designed handles to make them easier to hold.

In addition to trying out new tools, look for recipes with only a few ingredients. That means less measuring and pouring—and more time to spend with family and friends.