Baking Made Easy
By Adrienne Greer Foley
For many people, baking for friends and families is an expression of love. But creating special confections also poses serious challenges for upper body joints that quickly get sore from the process.
“There are lots of gizmos and gadgets that help limit what the hands have to do,” says Debbie Amini, an occupational therapist and director of occupational therapy at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, N.C. “Look for products that have larger handles, and ones that eliminate the stress on joints when it comes to pressing, bending fingers or using repetitive motions that can be painful.”
Here are a few helpers sure to make your baking sessions simpler:
Zyliss Mix and Measure Set ($20, set of three) lets you read standard and metric measurements from above, without having to pick up the cup to check the amount. The angled plastic cups come in 1-, 2- and 4-cup sizes, have lids and non-slip bottoms and can be held with the handle resting on the back of the hand to support and stabilize a weak hand.
2) Non-Skid Mixing Bowls help you lighten your grip while cooking. Williams-Sonoma’s lightweight melamine bowls ($36, set of four) have non-slip rubber rings on the base to hold the bowl in place. “You don’t need to use your hand to hold the bowl while stirring,” says Amini.
3) KitchenAid Immersion Blender ($70) eliminates the need for a mixer if you’re pureeing soup, whipping potatoes or making just one smoothie. The plug-in stick can be gripped comfortably and held vertically. Stainless-steel accessories turn the immersion blender into a motorized whisk ($23) or chopper ($30).
4) Kaiser’s Upright Rolling Pin ($20) has upright, offset handles that promote a natural grasp – hands are perpendicular to, rather than parallel with, the counter – and provide more leverage. “The force to roll this pin comes from muscles around your elbows, not those in your hands and wrists,” says Amini.
Back to Focus on Osteoarthritis
See more everyday solutions
