4 tips for visually impaired people in the kitchen

Cooking with a visual impairment is not always easy. Spices are easy to mix up, frying and baking can cause burns and the new microwave has a lot of buttons. Fortunately, there are quite a few things you can do in the kitchen to make cooking easier. We have already listed 4 tips for you.

Tip from Jan: Work systematically

Just as in the whole house, it is also important to work systematically in the kitchen. And that starts with doing the shopping. Buy the same products as often as possible so that you can recognize the packaging. When tidying up the groceries, it is advisable to give everything its own place so that you can always find the groceries. If necessary, give them a (braille) label or something else that is recognizable. It is also nice to keep the same structure during cooking. For example, first put all the ingredients and supplies together and put them back in their place once they have been used. This way the countertop stays organized and you don’t accidentally knock anything over.

Renée’s tip: Use the right equipment and aids

We all like fries and nuggets, but that hot frying fat can often cause problems. An alternative to this is an Airfryer. This is a deep fryer that does not fry with hot fat, but with air. This is safer to use, but also healthier, easier to clean and emits fewer unpleasant odours. Moreover, you can make almost anything with it, even cakes and bread. An induction plate is a good alternative for baking and roasting. Much safer and cleaner than cooking over fire. There are also many tools that can make cooking easier. For example, consider a talking scale to measure ingredients, a liquid level indicator to indicate when the glass is almost full, and an anti-boil plate to prevent the pasta from boiling over.

Tip from Arend Jan: Mark frequently used buttons and functions

Most kitchen appliances (air fryer, microwave, toaster, induction plate, oven, etc.) have many functionalities and time settings and therefore have a lot of buttons that are not always easy to tell apart. Therefore, use markers (such as marker dots, Tip-Ex or a piece of adhesive rubber) to mark the most important buttons and settings. For example, to indicate every 20°C, every 5 minutes on the time indicator, or the most commonly used settings for the Airfryer. This way you won’t get confused by a huge amount of buttons, you can easily find the right button and you won’t accidentally press the wrong button.

Tip from Tina: Provide enough contrast

Contrast provides better visibility. This can also be applied in the kitchen in many ways. Use a dark cutting board for cutting chicken and an orange cutting board for cutting beans. It is better for glasses to have a striking colour than to be transparent. The same goes for plates and coasters. Use colourful coasters and plates that contrast with the colour of the dish. This way you never miss the last bite.