Kitchens Gadgets That Are Lifesavers For People With Dexterity Limitations

This ergonomic jar opener covertly mounts beneath your cabinet and uses a V-shaped, carbon steel teeth design that grips onto most jar lids and saves your hands and wrists from unnecessary strain.

Promising Amazon review: “I ordered this because I live alone and my hands are weak and arthritic. I am an occupational and certified hand therapist (retired) and was compelled to write a review! This is exactly what I needed to open jars! It was easy to install and ready to use! I put it under my kitchen cabinet. There are screws included that one could use to make it more secure, but I just used the double sided tape also provided and have had no problems whatsoever.” — Gracie B

The Starfit Rotato Express is a relatively hands-free alternative to fussing with slippery potatoes and flimsy traditional peelers. This electric peeler also works on more than just potatoes. It can be used for foods like apples, mangos, zucchini, carrots and more, and shoots the removed peel into a neat pile that’s easy to discard.

Promising Amazon review: “Having severe arthritis in my hands I was no longer able to peel potatoes. This works like a charm! I highly recommend.” — Amazon customer

By combining the force of your own weight with its rocking design, this ergonomic tool crushes cloves of garlic without you having to struggle with the squeeze designs of traditional garlic mincers that rely on hand strength. The backless and stainless steel construction make it easy to scoop out the crushed garlic, and it can be thrown in the dishwasher when it comes time for cleanup.

Promising Amazon reviews: “I have always used a Zyliss garlic press and that requires hand strength. Recently I developed thumb tendonitis and I looked for another product. I saw many here on Amazon and decided on this one after watching the Joseph Joseph product video. You can stand over the crusher and push on the garlic with both hands and squash it. You can scoop garlic into the cooking pan, turn the scoop around and push the garlic peel off the back of the crusher. It cleans up easily.” — KDWade

“We love garlic! I have small hands and arthritis, and it was hard for me to use the traditional garlic press. This is the solution! Highly recommend!” — Chrisp

Designed by an occupational therapist, this adaptive stainless steel and dishwasher-safe knife allows users to safely slice and cut foods one-handed and can reduce the strain placed on fingers and wrists.

Promising Amazon reviews: “This knife greatly reduces pain if one has arthritis in your hands and shoulders. Good quality.” — Catherine del Pilar

“I purchased this after having issues with my hand. I could not use a regular knife and was spending so much money purchasing pre-cut food. This is a wonderful knife and easy to use. I never put it far away.” — FLShopper

Unlike the traditional hand-held juicers that require a squeezing motion, this innovative gadget by Joseph Joseph uses a unique twisting action that’s significantly easier on hands and wrists. Suitable for juicing lemons and limes, this tool is made from a durable stainless steel and is completely dishwasher-safe.

Promising Amazon reviews: “This is by far the most fabulous juicer I have ever used. It is effortless, which is a blessing for my arthritic hands. It is a bit bulky, but it is worth making room for.” — ankonagirl

“Most juicers require you to use your thumb in order to squeeze the handle…if you have any thumb weakness or pain, that’s problematic. This juicer translates the normal single-handed squeezing motion that requires grip strength into a side-to-side action and uses longer lever arms, so that you can push the arms closed using both hands (putting pressure in your palms, where it doesn’t hurt).” — Gina Norman

Rather than having to wield a tiny paring knife to cut away a pepper’s tricky membrane and core, this tool removes it all in one fell-swoop. Compatible with a variety of peppers, it’s made with stainless steel and BPA-free plastic and is safe to wash on the top rack of your dishwasher.

Promising Amazon review: “The reason that I like this product is because of its versatility, convenience, and ease of use. The Chef’n QuickCore pepper corer is an amazing tool that makes coring peppers a breeze. It’s dishwasher safe, which makes clean-up a breeze. Although you may still have a few random seeds that get stuck, this tool gets the job done effortlessly. It’s a great addition to any kitchen arsenal and I recommend it especially if you have hand pain!” — Jelirol92

Never break a butter sauce again or let a creamy purée go lumpy thanks to this automatic stirrer that continually mixes contents for you, giving your wrist a much-needed break. The stirrer offers a timer function and multiple settings and is available in either a battery-powered or rechargeable option that lasts up to nine hours per charge.

Promising Uncommon Goods review: “Great for those who have arthritis or shaky hands. Also a lifesaver for moms!” — Speedy Boo

This dishwasher-safe knife uses an effortless rocking motion to slice, rather than depending on your finger dexterity. It can effectively chop everything from veggies to chocolate pieces to meats to herbs. It’s stainless steel, features an easy-to-grip handle and nestles inside a sheath for safety.

Promising Amazon reviews: “Great knife overall! I bought this for my mother who has Parkinson’s and can’t grip a regular knife! She loves it!” — Lisa Ford

“As someone with mobility issues, this knife has been a game changer. It used to take me about 15-20 minutes to cut two onions, now it only takes me about 3-5 minutes. This knife saves so much time prepping ingredients and saves my hands and arms from unnecessary strain. Very pleased with this knife. It’s got a super sharp blade, so be careful when you’re washing it and remember to slide the cover back on when you put it away. If you’re worried about cutting your fingers, you could try putting on some cut resistant gloves.” — april33453

If breaking up ground beef in your pan for taco night is wearing your wrist out, let this clever meat-mashing tool do the work for you. It’s made of BPA-free and heat-resistant nylon that’s also nonstick and dishwasher-safe. The five non-serrated blades are also great for breaking up softer cooked vegetables, making mashed potatoes or shredding chicken breast, and won’t damage the bottoms of your pots or pans.

Promising Amazon review: “Love it! I’ve had carpal tunnel surgery and this helps break up ground meat much quicker and better than me using a spatula or a fork, for what seems like forever, and resulting in a painfully throbbing hand and wrist. Will be getting a couple more of these!” — grachel

This BPA-free chopping tool puts and end to the meticulous cutting, prepping and slicing of vegetables thanks to its versatile collection of 10 different attachments, which include everything from a spiralizer to a dicer to a blade that promises not to squish ripe tomatoes.

Promising Amazon review: “I had two strokes. [It’s] hard for me to chop and do prep work in the kitchen. This works great! It locks in place and has many blades attachments.” — Deb

Perfect for opening soda bottles, stubborn jars and cans with pull tabs, this pair of tools helps facilitate a firm grip on objects, even if your hands and wrists aren’t up to the tasks. The jar opener features four different-sized slip-resistant rings to work on various sized bottles or jars.

Promising Amazon review: “If you have arthritis or loss of strength, this is the perfect tool. It works on everything from soda bottles to spaghetti sauce lids. I couldn’t open anything myself if I didn’t have this handy dandy tool in my house. I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to get this. The price is reasonable and worth every penny.” — Amazon customer

The Kitchen Mama electric opener makes easy work of opening cans and ensures that no blades come in contact with foods or any sharp edges are left behind. It’s battery-operated and starts and stops with just one push of a button.

Promising Amazon review: “…I am in my late 70s, in a wheelchair, and dealing with several different forms of painful arthritis. I still cook for myself and my husband and try to do as much ‘from scratch’ as I can. That means I open cans on a pretty regular basis. My new Kitchen Mama electric can opener arrived today. I think the next sentence says a LOT. I opened the box, removed the can opener, cleaned it with a food safe disinfecting wipe, installed 4 AA batteries, set a standard size can of chickpeas on the counter, set the can opener down on top of the can, pressed the button, and the can open started rotating around the top of the can. THAT’S IT!!! I didn’t have to fidget with positioning. I just sat it on top of the lid with the can opening part where I thought it should sit. No sharp edges, no muss, no fuss. I have only opened several different sized cans before writing this review which is why I promised to come back and report if any problems develop. This can opener is a life changer for me in the kitchen.” — P. Smith (This review was edited for length. Read the full review.)