Kitchen Help
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Make sure things you use frequently – especially pots and pans – aren’t hard to get to. “On my show, I keep things at waist level, on the countertops,” says Sandra Lee. “That way you don’t have to bend over or reach up high.” If you do keep pots and pans in cabinets, don’t stack heavy ones on top of each other.
Invest in lighter-weight cookware. “You don’t have to buy heavy ones to get a quality pot or pan,” says Sandra Lee. You can also cut down on the pots and pans you use. “Get a wok,” she advises. “You can use it for so many things. For example, if you’re going to steam vegetables in a bamboo steamer, you could use a lightweight pot to boil the water, but a wok is even easier.”
Buy a two-handled pot. Or, if you’re stuck with a heavy one-handled pot or a weighty pan, Melissa Peavey, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist at Frisco Hand and Upper Extremity Specialists in Texas, suggests putting one hand on the handle and the other underneath to distribute the weight. (Be sure to use an oven mitt or silicone gloves for hot cookware.)
Cooking
Fill a pot with water after it’s on the stove. Don’t carry the full, heavy pot from the sink to the stove; instead, use a pitcher to fill it up. Consider using a two-handled pot, as well. “It’s so much easier to lift the pot from the stove,” says Incorvia.
Choose precut meat or vegetables. “I might have to pay more, but it’s worth it because it cuts down my preparation time as well as the need to chop,” says Incorvia. Or rethink what needs chopping. “I’ll put whole chunky veggies in soups and stews, and slice them after they’re cooked,” says Beth Josolowitz.
Get creative with your tools. If your hands or wrists are painful, use a rocker knife to cut vegetables and even meat. Some versions are double-handled, which allows you to apply even more cutting strength while sparing wrists. Peavey says a pizza wheel can be an inexpensive alternative for cutting vegetables and thin cuts of meat.
Do as much as you can with one pot. “I’d be lost without my slow cooker,” says Christina Foster. “I cook almost everything in it – I toss in whatever meat I’m making, add frozen vegetables, a sliced onion and a couple of potatoes. Within a few hours, the work is done for me.” Don’t have time for a slow-cooker? Use a wok. One-pot cooking helps with cleanup, too.
Don’t peel. Unless you have an electric peeler, peeling can really be tough and hands and wrists. You can buy some veggies (like carrots) pre-peeled. For potatoes, do what Joanna Lee does: leave the peel on (it’s healthier that way, too).
Sit down. Limit time on your feet by doing prep work while sitting at the table. “It’s OK to sit down to mix things,” says Peavey. Or get a tall bar stool you can perch on while stirring at the stove, and cushioned mat for times when you have to stand.
Cleaning
Limit dirty dishes. You can even buy disposable plastic liners for your crock-pot, so you don’t have to wash a single pot.
Throw it all away. It’s more expensive, but you can use paper plates and even disposable pans for cooking, says Peavey. If you don’t have a dishwasher, it may be worth it. And you can even “go green” when entertaining by using recyclable paper plates and cups, says Sandra Lee.
Read Sandra's own arthritis-friendly recipes
For more easy kitchen tips, read:
Stock Your Pantry for Easy Cooking
Read how a former chef is grateful to lupus for showing her new ways to cook, in:
