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Most have push button controls or a keypad. If your grip is poor, you'll probably find these easier to use than those on a conventional cooker. Some controls are more fiddly to use than others so check them out in the shop. A few have rotary controls, which are easier for people whose hand control is less fine, and may be easier if you can't see very well. With some you have to see well enough to read the small screen which gives information about settings. Make sure the colour of the control, symbols and digits stand out against the background. Also try opening and closing the door and make sure it is big enough for you to get things in and out easily. Check the oven lighting and how easy it is to see through the door.

Making your kitchen easier to use (view report contents)

What's cooking?

Ovens

Hobs

Microwave ovens

Ventilation

Report Contents


Home About us Research services Reports Childcare products Continence Household products Mobility Telecoms and alarms General Surveys Design Ordering Links Site map change text size and colour ?		Making your kitchen easier to use (view report contents) What's cooking? Ovens Unlike free-standing cookers, a built-in oven with a separate hob can be fitted at a height that suits you. Make sure that you won't have to bend down to it or stretch to reach the controls. It should be next to a work surface so that you won't have to carry things far. B&Q Draycott A pull-out table nearby, trolley or mobile storage unit may also help - see picture 3 and picture 5. Some ovens have non-tip pull-out shelves - check them out for stability and strength. This one is by Neff available from B&Q £420 If you can, avoid an oven with a pull-down door. The inside of the door gets very hot and you'll have to stretch over it to get things out. Pull-down doors are not usually designed to take heavy weights so you may not be able to rest pans on them. Ovens that open to the side are safer and easier to use. Access is best when the door opens 180°. By ATAG prices from £700 Controls that are close together can be hard to use. Ovens with large, rotary controls with serrated edges or a raised bar are best if your grip is poor. If you're partially sighted, the colour of the controls should contrast with the background. You should also opt for 'click-into-position' controls with large letters and numbers. Hobs A worktop on both sides of your hob will reduce the distance you have to lift things. Check out how easy the hob's controls are to turn. Hobs with controls at the front cut down on reaching and are safer if you have a visual impairment. Most gas hobs now have automatic ignition. Some come on as soon as you turn on the tap. With others you press a separate button. Bear in mind that the pan supports on gas hobs mean you have to lift pans on to them. Check that the supports are close, so pans are safely balanced. Controls at the front are useful. This one is by Stoves £260 If you want an electric hob, you'll have to decide between a sealed hotplate and a ceramic hob. Both have their pros and cons. Some ceramic hobs are flat and fit flush with the work surface. This makes sliding things on and off and cleaning easier. The rings on sealed hotplates are slightly raised and this may make it easier to tell when the pans are in place if you can't see very well. The rings on some hobs glow when they are warm (halogen types are particularly bright). This helps you tell which ones you are using and reminds you to turn them off. This one is by Stoves £400 Microwave ovens Microwaves can take much of the strain out of cooking. For example, if you're a wheelchair user, you can have the microwave at a height that suits you. With a microwave you won't have to lift heavy pans. Some microwaves have grills and some can be used as conventional ovens too. This one is a Sanyo Super Showerwave. The range costs £85-£250 Most have push button controls or a keypad. If your grip is poor, you'll probably find these easier to use than those on a conventional cooker. Some controls are more fiddly to use than others so check them out in the shop. A few have rotary controls, which are easier for people whose hand control is less fine, and may be easier if you can't see very well. With some you have to see well enough to read the small screen which gives information about settings. Make sure the colour of the control, symbols and digits stand out against the background. Also try opening and closing the door and make sure it is big enough for you to get things in and out easily. Check the oven lighting and how easy it is to see through the door. This one is a Whirlpool UKM 330/1WH £150 Talking microwaves are also available from £150 from Cobolt Systems and some high street shops. Tells you what settings you have chosen. This one is by Cobalt Systems £240 Ventilation A hood over your hob will reduce the smell of cooking. Some withdraw the air to the outside, others pass it through a filter. The vast majority are operated by controls on the hood which makes them unsuitable if you can't reach. Hoods that you can operate by remote control are expensive, around £1,000. This one is by ATAG £1157 You could fit an extractor fan as an alternative to a hood. You'll have to fit the fan high up on an outside wall and near the cooker. They needn't be difficult to reach if you use a long pull-cord. A number of helpful devices help you open your windows. A remote control system can cost from around £300. But a long-handled opening device will cost as little as £21 Helpful hints Go for an oven which has self-cleaning surfaces Check to see if the space under the oven can be left open, or the unit modified to make this possible Special oven controls in Braille or superimposed studs are available through the RNIB. A ceramic hob can break if you drop something heavy on it With induction hotplates, although the contents of the pans cook, the hob surface and the special pans that are used only ever get warm. They're safe and energy efficient but expensive See Choosing a microwave oven that's easy to use. Use a highlighter or self-adhesive Braille labels to make the controls easier to read Back to top Report Contents Getting Started Topping up the units What’s cooking? Eat, drink and be comfy Water power Keeping cool Let there be light From floor to ceiling Money matters Useful gadgets Getting advice Helpful organisations Major mail-order companies Manufacturers What B&Q can do for you
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