My Favorite Kitchen Tools for One-Handed Use
For those with arthritis, hand weakness, limb loss, or dexterity issues, the right cooking accessories can make all the difference
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Many people experience difficulties when it comes to cooking due to factors like arthritis, mobility loss, Parkinson’s disease, or, like me, limb difference.
Several years ago, I had an arm amputated following a Vespa accident. While learning to function one-handed changed my life in many ways, my love for cooking was as strong as ever. It became a top priority to transform my kitchen into an environment tailored to my new way of doing things. I began the search for easy, one-handed-friendly kitchen gadgets, and I quickly realized that lots of people face similar challenges.
Companies have seen this need, and now there are plenty of products designed to make cooking easier. Some are created specifically as adaptive tools, and others are “accidentally accessible.” But regardless of how they came to be, they’re out there, just waiting to make your life easier.
Whether you cook a lot or you’re just looking for upgrades to do everyday tasks such as straining pasta and spinning salad, you’ve come to the right place. Below are helpful kitchen accessories that cater particularly well to those who require adaptations.
These aren’t just things I found in a quick Google search. These are the very items that have turned my kitchen into a place where I can independently and efficiently cook with one hand. I’d even go so far as to say that I no longer find preparing food to be any harder than it was with two hands.
Video: Chloé Valentine/Consumer Reports
With the Farberware Pump Salad Spinner, all you have to do is throw in your greens and press the pump on top. You don’t even have to screw on the lid, which simplifies the process immensely. A nonslip grip on the bottom keeps the device in place while spinning, so there’s no need to hold it still. When your salad is sufficiently spun, just press the smaller button beside the spin button. Neither of the buttons requires a lot of force; they’re easy to push.
This spinner comes in two sizes. The 3.16-quart is perfect for one or two people. For a larger group, there’s the 6.6-quart, which performed well in our tests of the best salad spinners, earning our Editor’s Choice distinction.
Shop: Farberware Pump Salad Spinner, from $21 at Amazon and Walmart
A Multitalented Cutting Board
This adaptive cutting board provides counter support, a nonslip surface, a vegetable peeler, and more, making cooking much less frustrating.
Photo: Amazon Photo: Amazon
My favorite features are the “bread guards“ on the sides. They hold your slice in place so you’re not chasing your toast around while trying to butter it. I also use the guards to help open cheese. (If you’ve ever fought to get cling wrap off of a wedge of Stilton, you’ll feel my pain.) The rails keep the cheese in place while I slice through the wrap. They’re even useful for holding a jar or tub in place (think nut butters, jams, tubs of Cool Whip). They keep the container steady, so I can go in with one hand without having it topple over or slide across the counter.
A lot of adaptive cutting boards are extremely heavy and bulky, making them awkward to move around, a nightmare to store, and difficult to fit in the dishwasher. At about 16x13 inches, this one feels like the Goldilocks of board sizes. It’s easy to whip out if I need a quick surface to cut strawberries on for my morning oats, but it also provides enough area for meal prep.
And the nonslip grip on the bottom is a win: This board won’t budge. Plus, it comes with a built-in vegetable peeler to help make that task easier. It basically does everything short of saying “Yes, Chef!”
Shop: Glogo Adaptive One-Handed Cutting Board, from $45 at Amazon
A Grinder for Pepper and More
Spice grinders can be challenging for me to use, if not downright impossible. I’ve tried electric pepper grinders before, but I never kept them because they took up space, always ran out of power, and were a mess to refill. But FinaMill’s Classic Rechargeable Grinder is different.
Photo: Amazon Photo: Amazon
It uses detachable pods to hold the peppercorns. They’re easy to open and have a wide mouth, which makes them a cinch to fill. And you can use this device to grind all sorts of things, including herbs, salt, and even tougher spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
It comes with two pods: an “everyday” one (for smaller whole spices) and a “pepper pod.” You can purchase additional pods on Amazon or FinaMill’s website.
To switch out a pod, gently tap the FinaMill flat on the counter, and it releases. Then just snap on a different pod. The swappable pods make it easy to go from a quick spritz of pepper to a sprinkle of herbs in a flash.
FinaMill’s grinder is rechargeable, eliminating the need to fuss with batteries and tricky compartments. There’s a battery-operated version for $20 less, but I think being able to recharge instead of buying batteries makes this a smart upgrade.
Shop: FinaMill Classic Rechargeable Grinder, $90 at FinaMill. FinaMill Classic Battery Grinder, from $70 at Amazon and FinaMill.
If you want a more traditional electric grinder set, take a look at our picks for the best electric salt and pepper grinders.
A Weird but Effective Knife
This knife was life-changing for me, and I’m not exaggerating one bit. As someone who thrives on fresh produce, I find myself chopping and prepping vegetables and fruit every day. But for a while, I was spending way too much time doing so, because I was working so hard with my one hand.
Video: Chloé Valentine/Consumer Reports
The positioning of the handle and ergonomic curvature on the blade of this chef knife minimize the amount of force needed. And I cannot overemphasize how well this knife cuts. I consistently use it to slice through whole watermelons and papaya. I feel like the Hulk because it makes conquering even the toughest challenges easy.
The design is similar to that of a rocker knife, but the shape of the blade and distal placement of the handle help make more precise cuts. This means I don’t need to switch knives when I want to cut something large into smaller pieces.
Need a steak knife with a standard grip? Check out our picks for the best steak knives.
A Clip-On Strainer
This was an Amazon Prime Day impulse buy that has become one of my most used kitchen gadgets; it turns a standard pot into a strainer. It works on any pot that you can hold comfortably. For me, that’s anything with a single long handle. (I use an oven mitt for extra grip with heavy pots.)
Photo: Amazon Photo: Amazon
I was skeptical about this strainer’s ability to remain attached to a pot with the weight of pasta against it, but I was utterly wrong. It works great for anything you have to strain, whether it’s pasta, rinsed berries, extra liquid or grease from a pan, or a pot of boiled potatoes. Yes, I’ve tested this with potatoes, and it still holds against the weight.
Shop: Yevior Clip-On Strainer, from $7 on Amazon and Walmart
Tiny Tongs
I find myself reaching for mini tongs constantly. They help me get things out of tight jars, serve noodles, mix salads, arrange delicate garnishes, serve pastries, and separate sliced cold cuts or cheese. Think of them as an extension of your hand.
Photo: Amazon Photo: Amazon
Metal tongs tend to mar delicate items such as dumplings and noodles. The silicone tip here is gentle on whatever you’re grabbing, and it helps you get a better grip. These tongs also make a good alternative to a spatula in certain situations. If you need to flip a toastie, burger patty, sausage, or anything else that may require two spatulas, the tongs really come out on top.
Shop: Hotec Mini Silicone Kitchen Tongs, from $9 at Amazon
A Spoonula
A tool with multiple uses like this one is always my first choice when preparing food. When you’ve got several things going on the stove, it’s nice to be able to flip, stir, sauté, scoop, scrape, and then serve without needing to reach for a new utensil every time—and that’s precisely what the Spoonula enables you to do. It’s like the spork of kitchen gadgets, but it actually works. And it makes for fewer dishes afterward, which means less work for you.
Shop: Farberware Spoonula Multi-Tool Scoop, from $8 at Amazon and Wayfair
Photo: Amazon Photo: Amazon
A Sharp Vegetable Dicer
If you struggle with hand dexterity, knowing you have to chop something can be daunting enough to make you pull up Uber Eats on your phone. I’ve passed on recipes that involved chopping onions or have gone to the store to buy them prechopped (and wildly overpriced). But this modest little contraption has changed that.
Photo: Amazon Photo: Amazon
With it, you still have to peel onions and cut them in half. But then you just place one on the chopping surface, bring down the lid, and get a perfect chop every time.
This chopper has stainless steel blades and a nonslip base, so you don’t need to support it with your other hand. It comes with attachments—various graters and slicers—which are also great (pun intended). The whole base stays put, so all you need to worry about is holding on to the vegetable you’re grating or slicing.
Shop: Ultrachop All-In-One Vegetable Chopper, from $26 at Amazon
You’ll find a few more chopper options in our roundup of the best veggie dicers.
Other Products to Consider
This removable knife grip can make any knife in your kitchen more accessible by adding comfort and control.
These taco stands are the things you didn’t know you needed—but trust me, you do, because Taco Tuesday rolls around once a week. These make it much easier to fill your tacos and set them down between bites.
This juice press from KitchenAid is designed with a flat bottom so it doesn’t topple over while you try to put something inside. I will say that this will not be a great pick if you struggle with loss of strength, because you need to squeeze with a little bit of force. But it’s very helpful in cases like mine.
Video: Chloé Valentine/Consumer Reports
How I Evaluated These Accessible Kitchen Gadgets
These are products I rely on and love. I’ve cooked with these tools and seen the genuine ease they’ve brought to my kitchen.
The adaptive cutting board and Swedish chef knife were among my earliest discoveries, and years later, I find that I use both daily. The smaller tools, such as the clip-on strainer and Spoonula, are also frequent flyers. Mini tongs have basically replaced my hand at this point, so if someone yelled “Edward Tong Hands,” I’d definitely answer. What I’m trying to say is, this isn’t just a list of things I think might be helpful because they look cool. These are the items I use daily and have evaluated in multiple real-life food-prep situations.