Adaptive Cooking Tools
We’ve compiled a list of all of our favorite adaptive cooking tools for your beginner chef! Cooking is a necessary life skill and should be an accessible activity for all individuals, including those with physical and developmental disabilities. Culikid’s list includes tools that help beginner cooks stay safe in the kitchen and that help make adaptions for individuals working to improve their hand coordination and fine motor skills.
Culikid Knife
Culikid Safe Knives
Culikid’s knives are made of sturdy plastic that makes cutting safer for all ages with less risk for injury. Children, teens, and adults use these to get comfortable using a knife for the first time while strengthening fine motor skills and hand coordination. These knives work on almost all foods except raw meat and large, hard vegetables like squash.
Email info@culikid.org
TruChef Kids’ Gloves
TruChef Cut-Resistant Kitchen Gloves
TruChef’s cut-resistant gloves add a layer of protection for using traditional knives as well as other sharp kitchen items such as graters and peelers. They come in adult and kid sizes. Gloves are machine washable.
2 pack of kids gloves, $15, buy here
3 pack of adult gloves, $20, buy here
Slice ‘N’ Fun PRO
Slice ‘N’ Fun PRO
This adaptive cutting board enables safe, one-handed cutting with forked levers to hold ingredients in place and bottom grips. It eliminates slips and the need to hold the food with your non-cutting hand, avoiding kitchen cuts completely. This can also be used to hold food while peeling or zesting to truly minimize injuries.
$50, buy here
FunBites Food Cutters
FunBites Food Cutters
These cutters help turn healthy foods including fruits and veggies into fun shapes. They are a great way to help with picky eating. Cut up healthy foods and encourage your kids to play and create a picture or use to make new foods more accessible in a familiar presentation.
$8, buy here or email info@culikid.org
Curious Chef Measuring Spoons
Curious Chef Measuring Spoons and Cups
If your child or teen struggles with fractions but knows their colors, these measuring spoons and cups are perfect for fostering independence in the kitchen. Instead of saying, “get the one quarter cup” you can say “get the orange cup.” Since both sets use the same colors for the same fractions, it’s also a great way to help them get more comfortable with fractions at the same time.
Measuring cups, $4.50, buy here
Measuring spoons, $3.50, buy here
Dycem Nonslip Mat
Dycem Nonslip Mats
Keeping kitchen tools sturdy can be a challenge. These mats stabilize bowls for one-handed mixing and can be put under cutting boards to prevent slipping. These are so versatile and can even be used on a seat if your child struggles with posture due to slipping down in a chair or under a plate to help foster independent eating. Dycem also has other products that help with hand coordination including super grip tape that can be applied to kitchen tools to help improve your child’s grip.
7.5” Diameter Non-Slip Mat, $15, buy here
Super Grip Comfort Tape, $14, buy here
Williams Sonoma Junior Chef Oven Mitt
Williams Sonoma Junior Chef Oven Mitt
Getting your child or teen comfortable using the stove, requires the proper tools, including oven mitts that actually fit. Without proper fitting mitts, they risk burning themselves or dropping hot food if they don’t have a good grip. According to America’s Test Kitchen for Kids, the best-fitting oven mitt made for kids is this one from Williams Sonoma. It is large enough to fit a tween or teen and is flexible enough to allow kids to properly grip trays and pans.
$8, buy here