Toaster Oven

What a world of opportunities my first toaster oven opened up for me! As a bachelor with an enthusiasm for cooking, but limited discovered abilities, that opportunity to stray from the frying pan or pot on the stove was a great thing. That old toaster oven lasted 11 years and was still going strong when it was replaced, both of them being Christmas gifts from my parents.

We had picked this one out because of its much greater size, advanced pushbutton controls and great reviews. As with so many things that are very similar from one model to another, it requires practice and finding a way that works best for us. Having had a first toaster oven I knew which features to look for in our next one and was not afraid to try out demo models in the store before choosing one.

Thanks to the size of this oven I could cook almost anything we would want in it for the two of us. When cooking for a larger group significant side dishes can be prepared in this oven. Besides saving power it has opened up great opportunities for me to cook even more effectively for my wife and slightly larger groups.

Source: Department stores.

French Press and Travel Mugs

One of the more frustrating aspects of using a wheelchair full-time is the necessity of having your arms free whenever you need to go anywhere, even on level ground. I'm not comfortable carrying a hot cup of coffee between my legs for any length of time because there really is inadequate space, and too unstable of a surface on the wheelchair cushion, to get your beverage and yourself to your destination without spilling.

My best travel mug to date has been the one pictured on the right. It has an entirely airtight seal so even when I do drop it it never spills anything more than what was left in the rim from the last sip. The open handle design is just the right size to snugly fit over the top part of the fork my wheelchair before the frame bends down to form the foot rest. I can comfortably travel with it hanging from the frame of my wheelchair, remove it easily for a drink, and replace it to carry on.

The French press/travel mug on the left is just that. A single serving French press ready to go. As mentioned last week, I wanted to talk about a French press. Just about any coffee aficionado you speak with will quickly declare a French press superior to a drip coffee maker. The tell is in the taste. This mug can be used as a regular travel mug with a standard, but hardly airtight, lid or as a French press to go or to be poured into a different mug. Unfortunately, in addition to the high price, shipping that exceeded the high price and heavy handle that makes it very tippy (not good for anyone let alone a quadriplegic), the screens in the plunger and the pour spout do not do the best job keeping the grounds out of what you are drinking. Maybe it has more to do with my cheap grinder and inexperience.

My ideal solution is yet to be found.

Sources: 

French Press: Amazon.com

Travel Mug: Department stores or specialty kitchen shops. This one was from Loblaws/Superstore

Kettle and Coffee Maker

Paralyzed hands with limited sensation need to respect hot beverages but that doesn't mean they cannot be enjoyed independently. For me, the key is in the shape of the handles, reliance in The Gloves, to insulate from any hot surfaces touched, and to stabilize with a second hand.

Kettle

The shape of the handle on the kettle is important to my safe pouring. However, the most important aspect is the contour, or lack thereof. The squareness and sharp edge of the handle, as opposed to round and more ergonomic, makes it safe for me to stick a thumb under the topmost part of the handle and not worry about that thumb slipping out of the handle while tipping the kettle by the bottom to pour. Round handled kettles are much more likely to slip off my thumb and splash or spill, the consequences of which I don't care to think about. Those sharp edges provide something to catch a thumb joint on.

Coffee Maker

As with the kettle, the focus of the above photo is the handle. By catching my thumb in the topmost crook of the handle, the rest of the weight being borne by the flat of my hand, I can safely pour from this carafe when it is less than three quarters full. If I am making more coffee than that it is very likely there will be enough of us that someone of the group is able-bodied and could pour until it is low enough that I could handle it.

That is the drip coffee maker. Next week we will address mugs and French presses.

Source: Department Stores - The rounded ergonomic handles are almost ubiquitous now. If you cannot use those a modification or adaptation may be required.