For most people, cooking is a skill that takes time and confidence to master. However, it can be even more difficult with limited vision. You may be nervous about using a knife, handling raw meat, or pouring boiling water. The good news is, there are no end of gadgets, gizmos and aids which can help you carry out these tasks safely. This week, we spoke to Harriet Smith, a 33-year-old, blind food blogger from Buckingham, about her top tips for getting creative in the kitchen.
Q: Tell us about your blog.
A: I have always been interested in healthy eating and cooking, so in 2019 I decided to start my blog Harriet’s Blind Kitchen. The aim of the blog is to post simple, healthy recipes with up to 5 ingredients that visually impaired people can cook easily, whatever their ability. Of course, it’s not just geared towards the VI community. Sighted people can make my recipes too.
Q: What is your eye condition?
A: I was born with Retinotopy of Prematurity, and I have no sight. In 2017 I qualified with my first guide dog Sparky.
Q: What are your go-to kitchen accessibility aids?
A: Firstly, for weighing out dry ingredients, I use my talking scales. I have had them nearly all my life and they still work!
Secondly, for making a cup of tea, I use a water dispenser. The way it works is you put a cup under the dispenser, and it will automatically stop when the cup is nearly full. You can also adjust the settings depending on the size of your mug. I bought mine from Argos, but lots of places sell them. I sometimes use a liquid level indicator from the RNIB as well, it beeps and vibrates when your cup is nearly full.
Thirdly, for opening tins, I use a ring pull opener, which simply hooks under the edge of the ring pull and allows you to peel back the lid.
Finally, when draining pasta, I like to use a silicone steamer basket. With this, you don’t need to tip a pan of boiling water into a colander. All you do is place the pasta into the basket, and then place the basket straight into the boiling water. Once cooked, simply remove from the water using the basket handles. You can also use this for steaming vegetables.
Q: How do you cook meat?
A: I love my slow cooker. You can put meat in it or a casserole, and then put it on at the beginning of the day. If you need to go out for the day, you can leave the slow cooker on and when you get back, the food is basically ready. It’s safer, more cost effective and you can be a lot more confident that the meat is cooked through.
Q: What would be your advice to someone who is currently learning how to cook for the first time?
A: I would say make simple recipes like the ones on my blog. They don’t need to have lots of ingredients. If you are not confident with chopping, I would recommend buying ready prepared food like frozen chopped onion or ready grated cheese. This will also save time.
Information written by Charlotte Bateman,
March 2024
More thoughts on accessibility aids and equipment for the blind
Life skills and hacks including cooking videos from Harriet on the Student Portal >
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