Contents

• Cooking safely
• Pouring liquids
• Spreading butter and other spreads
• Weighing and measuring
• Chopping and peeling
• Choosing kitchen appliances

Cooking safely

• Get a fire blanket and/or fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
• Avoid walking around the kitchen with a hot frying pan.
• Consider safer alternatives to frying, such as grilling.

Microwaves

As a microwave switches itself off, often with an audible ping, it may be helpful if you tend to forget to turn the cooker off.

Microwaves are:

• Useful for cooking small quantities.
• Useful for making hot drinks.
• Can defrost food quickly.
• Take up little space.

The following suggestions may help to alleviate some difficulties with cooking:

Cookers and Hobs

• Practise when the cooker is cold and turned off.
• Consider using a cooker guard if appropriate.
• Ensure that handles are not overhanging the cooker edge.
• Place tactile or visual markings on controls.
• Consider using coloured pots or pans that contrast with the cooker.
• Beware of stretching over steaming pots.
• Boil vegetables or potatoes in a chip basket placed in the pot. This eliminates having to ‘search’ for them in boiling water and scoop them out.
• Consider ‘one pot’ dinners such as a stew.
• A timer may be helpful when cooking. Tactile and audible timers are available from NCBI’s shop.
• Use a long skewer to check that food is cooked.
• Use appropriate pots for ring size.

When positioning pots on the cooker hob, it can be difficult to tell when a pot is fully on a ring. Ceramic hobs are flat and smooth and make it even more difficult.

• Practise positioning pots when the hob is cold.
• On a cooker with ‘rings’ the pot may feel unsteady if it is not positioned correctly, so check it for steadiness.
• Consider using the back rings as the back of the cooker can be used as a guide. This may also be safer.
• Use the edge of the cooker as a guide.
• Place tactile markings on the front and side edge of the ceramic hob opposite the centre point of the ring. When the hob is cold and switched off, use finger widths to judge distance from edge of hob to edge of ring. Some hobs light up a bright red colour that may be visible.
• To check if the hob is on, hover your palm safely above the ring to feel the heat.

Grilling

• Practise positioning the grill pan when the oven is cold and turned off.
• Ensure that the handle of the grill pan is firm and secure.
• If possible, boil food first such as sausages so they will require very little grilling.
• Consider placing food in a baking tin and placing the baking tin on the grill pan – this keeps the grill pan clean and prevents food rolling off the grill. It also reduces the area to be searched when transferring food.
• When grilling or frying sausages, flatten them slightly so that they will be less likely to roll and will be easier to turn.
• Alternatively, place a skewer through both ends of the sausage and turn the skewer to cook the other side. Be wary of hot skewer handles. Be careful to keep skewers away from electric elements.
• Use a skewer to check if food is cooked – sausage skin should feel firmer when cooked. Skewers with long handles may be safer.
• A timer may be helpful.
• Consider using oven gloves to lift the grill pan from the oven.
• If you have difficulty with grilling, consider using a microwave.

Using the oven

• Familiarisation with the oven is very important. Practise positioning the trays when the oven is cold and switched off.
• Consider tactile or visual markings for the controls or dial on the oven.
• Use oven gloves when placing food in or removing it from the oven. If oven gloves make it difficult for you to hold a dish safely, consider placing the dish in an appropriate-sized baking tin, which may be easier to hold with the oven gloves. This will also help to catch any spillages or drips and therefore help keep the oven clean.
• Use a timer or skewer to tell when food is cooked.
• Before removing dishes from the oven ensure that you have a clear space on the worktop or table upon which you are placing the hot dish.
• Additional lighting in the form of task lamps positioned appropriately may make this task easier and safer.

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Pouring liquids

Always practise with cold water before moving on to hot water.

• Gather all the equipment you require.
• Take your time.
• Dry your hands and equipment to prevent slipping.
• If you are purchasing a kettle choose it carefully. Some kettles have elements that lie flat on the bottom of the kettle so that very small amounts of water can be boiled. Consider getting a small travel kettle. A cordless kettle might be handy, though some can be difficult to reposition on the base. Consider the weight of the kettle. Ceramic teapots can be very heavy to lift when full and stainless steel kettles and teapots will feel very hot on the outside to touch.
• Consider boiling only the required amount of water; for example, fill the kettle from the teapot.
• Consider using a microwave for boiling liquids, this does away with the need for pouring. Always wait a few seconds before opening the microwave to help prevent the likelihood of a burn.
• Avoid moving around a large area with boiling water.
• A Dycem non-slip mat or a tea towel will help keep cups and teapots steady.
• Pour liquid over a draining board or a tray, this will help contain any spillages.
• If you prefer to hold a cup while filling it, you may consider putting on a rubber glove to protect your hand.
• Place the spout of the teapot against the cup. Use an elastic band, elastoplast, tactile marks, etc. on the spout to aid steadiness when pouring.
• Use contrasting colours to help you judge levels of liquid, e.g. white mug for tea, dark mug for milk, etc.
• If using a liquid level indicator, available from NCBI’s shop, position it near the handle of the mug to help keep it out of the way. Check it is working before using it.
• When pouring from a 1 or 2 litre bottle, support the bottle under your arm for steadiness.
• A tea bag holder prevents ‘fishing’ for the tea bag.

Ways to tell when the teapot or cup is full:

• Sound: The sound changes as liquid approaches the top.
• Weight: The container feels heavier.
• Sight: Using contrast may help to see the level rise.
• Specialist aids: Use a liquid level indicator.
• Cork: A cork (from a bottle) will float to the top.
• Practise: Familiarity with a task will make it easier.

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Spreading butter and other spreads

Difficulties with this task may include knowing when the slice is covered with butter or spread and knowing how much butter is on your knife.

• It may be helpful to practise with toast as it is harder and less likely to tear than fresh bread.
• Cut bread into small pieces, so it may then be easier to cover with one spread of the knife.
• Hold bread in the palm of your hand.
• Spreads are generally easier to spread than butter, especially when the butter is taken from the fridge.
• Use your fingers to feel the amount of butter on your knife.
• Alternatively, use a teaspoon to take butter from the container and place it in the centre of the bread. Then spread it to the edges.
• Butter bread in a systematic way, going from corner to corner and so on.
• Use your fingers to feel bread to check that it is covered.
• Use colour contrast, for example bread with contrasting colour board or plate.
• Dot some spread on each corner and in the middle at the top of the slice of bread and then spread the three dots downwards.
• Dot a larger bit of spread in the centre and spread it outwards, rotating the slice of bread.
• Use your thumb and finger as reference points, spreading from one to the other, moving your fingers along the top and bottom until all the bread is covered.
• Keep a damp cloth nearby for wiping greasy fingers.

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Weighing and measuring

• Talking kitchen weighing scales, a tactile and talking measuring jug, stainless steel measuring cups or a set of measuring spoons and talking measuring tape are available from NCBI’s shop.
• Also consider using a weighing scales with appropriate print size and contrast.
• You could ask a sighted person to score the inside of a plastic measuring jug with a sharp knife to mark different measurements, e.g. half a litre, etc., which you can then feel.
• A litre carton or pint bottle or glass can be used as a measure.
• Use a yoghurt carton or cup that holds a certain amount, e.g. one yoghurt carton = 3 ozs flour.
• Work from known measurements, e.g. a pound of butter when halved = 8 ozs, when halved again = 4 ozs.
• One litre of water or milk weighs one kilogram (but allow for the weight of the container).

Handy Kitchen Measures

Key: YP = yoghurt pot Tbs = level plastic tablespoon.

Macaroni – 1 YP = 3ozs or 3 tbs = 1 oz.
Oats – 1 YP = 2 ozs or 4 tbs = 1 oz.
Sugar – 1 YP = 4 ozs or 2 tbs = 1 oz.
Icing sugar – 1 YP = 3 ozs or 3 tbs = 1 oz.
Rice – 1 YP = 5 ozs or 2 tbs = 1 oz.
Cornflour – 2 tbs = 1 oz.
Breadcrumbs – 1 YP = 1 oz.
Cheese – 1 YP = 2 ozs.
Cocoa – 3 tbs = 1 oz.
Dried fruit – 1 YP = 4 ozs or 2 tbs = 1 oz.
Semolina – 1 YP = 4 ozs or 2 tbs = 1 oz.
Flour – 1 YP = 3 ozs or 2 tbs = 1 oz.
Suet – 3 tbs = 1 oz.
Syrup – 1 tbs = 1 oz.
Liquid – 1 YP or 8 tbs = quarter pint.
Soft margarine – 1 tbs scoop = 1 oz.
Hard margarine – 1 finger width = 1 oz.

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Chopping and peeling

A certain level of manual dexterity is necessary for chopping and peeling safely. Discuss this further with your local NCBI community resource worker or an occupational therapist in your local health centre or call the Health Service Executive infoline on 1850 24 1850, Monday to Saturday between 8am and 8pm.

• Pre-prepared vegetables are available both frozen and fresh.
• Take lighting levels into consideration.
• Organisation and preparation are important.
• Use colour contrast wherever possible, e.g. chop carrots on a white chopping board, making them easier to see.

Peeling

• Peel unwashed vegetables, as they will feel moist when peeled.
• Try various peelers until you find one that suits you best.
• Consider peeling into a plastic bag or into the sink to keep waste together.
• Peel in a systematic way.
• Soak peeled vegetables in salted water and the remaining skin may become easier to feel.
• Remember that it is not usually necessary to get all the skin off.
• Peel away from the body.
• Hold the carrot or parsnip in one hand and rotate it as you peel away from you.

Chopping

• Use a chopping board in a colour and size that suits you best.
• Lay vegetables on a ‘chopping cloth’, e.g. a tea towel. This will help prevent them slipping and scattering.
• Cut vegetables into a manageable size before chopping. The ends can be cut off a large potato so that it can be sliced or handled more easily. When purchasing large vegetables such as turnips ask for them to be halved or quartered.
• Chop slowly and carefully.
• To hold an onion steady spear it with a fork and then chop. Onion choppers are available in some shops and may suit some people.
• Cut away from the body.
• Use a spiked chopping board, which will hold the item in place.
• Consider using a food processor.

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Choosing kitchen appliances

• Look at the appliance and try to imagine what possible difficulties it may pose for you.
• What difficulties have you experienced before?
• Is the appliance straightforward and easy to use?
• Too many dials and switches may cause confusion.
• Do the markings and controls contrast well?
• Digital displays may be difficult to read.
• Are the controls within easy reach?
• Can they be marked if necessary?

Choosing a microwave

• Are the controls within easy reach and possible to mark with tactile and/or visual marking?
• Digital displays may be difficult to mark and read.
• Are the controls straightforward and easy to use?
• Do the controls contrast well with the microwave casing?
• Talking microwaves are available from NCBI’s shop.

Choosing a cooker

• Do you prefer gas or electric?
• Are the controls within easy reach? If the controls are on the back of the cooker and you use a magnifier for reading the controls, this will involve leaning over hot rings. Controls situated along the front or down the side of the cooker may be easier and safer to read and operate.
• Do the controls contrast with the cooker?
• Do the controls ‘click’ when being turned? This may help set temperatures as each click can be counted.
• If you are a Braille reader, find out whether the manufacturers will arrange to have cooker controls brailled.

*Can the temperature displays on the cooker be easily marked? Sometimes the temperature display can be located behind a clear panel on the cooker, making it impossible to mark.

• While an eye-level oven is useful, can you easily reach into it to clean it?
• When pulling out the cooker shelves to examine food, is there a danger of the shelf falling out?
• Is there space nearby on which to place hot dishes?

Choosing a grill pan

• Check the position of the grill pan. While an eye-level grill prevents bending down, it may be more difficult to turn food and prevent food from falling off.
• Check that the grill pan handle is secure and steady.
• Does the grill pan come fully out or has it a catch that prevents it from falling out?

Choosing a hob

• It may be difficult to position pots or pans on a smooth ceramic hob that does not have a plate or ring indicating where to place the pot. Consider hobs that have rings or plates, as these may be easier to manage.
• It may be possible to ‘mark’ the edges of a ceramic hob, which can be used as a guide in placing a saucepan.

Choosing a gas cooker

• For a gas cooker a constant pilot light for automatic ignition as well as an automatic gas shut off is a safer option.
• A gas detector which detects leaks and uses an audible sound and light to warn users is available from Gas Oil Products, Tel: 01 811 0081.
• Bord Gais customer service will also give advice. For more information LoCall 1850 67 33 22.

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