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The kitchen tools that are kindest to arthritic hands take the twisting and squeezing out of the job. My two workhorses are the OXO Good Grips Jar Opener, which grips a stuck lid so your fingers do not have to, and the Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch electric can opener, which opens a can with one press of a lever.
My hands tell me the weather now. On damp mornings my knuckles are stiff until the second cup of coffee, and a stubborn pickle jar can ruin my mood before breakfast. I know I am not alone, because more than one friend has handed me a jar and said, you try it.
So I went looking for kitchen tools that do the gripping and twisting for me. I tried the fat handled peelers, the pull cord choppers, the electric openers. Some earned a permanent spot in my drawer. Some went to the church rummage sale. Here are the six that stayed, and exactly why.
The picks at a glance
| Pick | Best for | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|
| OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler | Everyday peeling | Fat cushioned handle needs almost no grip strength |
| OXO Good Grips Jar Opener | Stubborn lids | Steel teeth grab the lid so your forearm does the work |
| Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Can Opener | Cans without cranking | One lever, smooth safe edges, no twisting |
| Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus | Onions and nuts | One button does the chopping instead of knife work |
| OXO Good Grips Mixing Bowl Set | Stirring and baking | Nonslip bottoms so you can stir one handed |
| Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife | Slicing with less force | Light and very sharp, the knife does the work |
The peeler that made potatoes easy again: OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
This is the tool I hand to anyone who asks where to start. The handle is thick and cushioned, almost like a bicycle grip, so you hold it with your whole hand instead of pinching it between sore fingers. The blade swivels and stays sharp, which matters more than people think. A sharp peeler glides. A dull one makes you press, and pressing is what hurts. I peeled a bag of potatoes for Sunday dinner without stopping to rest my hand, which had not happened in a long while. One honest note: the handle is chunky, so it hogs room in a crowded utensil drawer, and the blade is sharp enough that you will want to store it point down. Worth it.
No more waiting for a strong pair of hands: OXO Good Grips Jar Opener with Base Pad
This one lives in my top drawer and I would replace it the same day if it walked off. You hook the steel teeth over the lid, hold the padded handle with your whole hand, and turn. The teeth bite so the lid cannot slip, and the long handle gives you leverage, so your forearm does the work your fingers used to do. It comes with a rubber pad that keeps the jar planted on the counter. Fair warning, there is a small knack to it. The first time, I did not seat the teeth all the way down and blamed the tool. Set it firmly, keep the jar low on the counter, and it opens like the lid was never stuck.
One lever instead of all that cranking: Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Electric Can Opener
Cranking a manual can opener is the exact twisting motion my hands like least, so this earned its counter space fast. You press the lever, walk away if you like, and it cuts along the side of the can. The lid comes off smooth, no jagged edges, which I appreciate every time I fish nothing out of the soup. It handles pop top cans too, the ones whose rings I can never get a finger under anymore. The honest drawback is size. It is a chunky appliance, and if your counter is already crowded you will feel it. But if cans are a regular thing in your kitchen, and mine is soup and beans all winter, it pays its rent.
Let the machine do the chopping: Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus
Chopping onions and nuts by hand was one of the first jobs my hands gave up on. This little Cuisinart takes it over completely. You drop the pieces in, press one button, and it pulses everything to exactly the size you want. The bowl is a good size, plenty for a soup base or a batch of chopped walnuts, and it is light enough to lift with one hand. The blade is the only sharp part, and it lifts out by its plastic stem so you never touch the edge. One honest drawback, the work bowl is not the easiest thing to scrape out, a thin spatula helps. It has lived on my counter for the past year and it still earns its spot every week.
Bowls that hold still so you do not have to: OXO Good Grips 3 Piece Mixing Bowl Set
Nobody thinks about their mixing bowl until stirring hurts. My old metal bowls skated across the counter, which meant clamping them with my left hand while beating with my right. These have a rubbery nonslip bottom that plants itself, so I can stir one handed and let the other hand rest. There is a wide lip on one side that works as a handle and a spout on the other for pouring batter without drips, and the three sizes nest for storage. My one complaint after a year is cosmetic. The white plastic picks up a faint orange tint if you mix anything with tomato in it, and no amount of scrubbing fully undoes it.
A featherweight knife so sharp it does the work: Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife
A dull knife punishes stiff hands, because you push harder and grip tighter to get through a carrot. This Victorinox is the opposite. It is very light, the textured handle will not slip even when wet, and it arrives scary sharp out of the box. Sharp is the kind thing here. The blade sinks through squash and chicken with the weight of your hand, not the strength of it. It is a plain looking knife with nothing fancy about it, and it quickly became the one I reach for. Two things to know. It is not pretty, no glossy wood or brass, and like any good knife it needs a few strokes on a honing rod now and then to stay kind to you.
What should you look for in kitchen tools for arthritic hands?
After a year of trying things, I look for four features. First, fat cushioned handles you can hold with your whole hand, because pinch grips are the enemy. Second, sharpness, since sharp blades need far less pressure. Third, leverage or a motor, anything that moves the work from your fingers to your arm or to a plug. Fourth, nonslip surfaces, so you are not squeezing something just to keep it still. If a tool checks three of the four, it usually earns a spot in my kitchen.
Is an electric can opener worth it for stiff hands?
If you open more than a couple of cans a week, yes, without hesitation. Cranking a manual opener is one of the hardest everyday motions for my sore knuckles, and an electric opener removes it completely. The trade is counter space and one more cord. If cans are rare in your kitchen, a smooth edge manual opener with a big soft handle is a fine middle ground. You will find more of my keepers on my list of kitchen finds that are actually worth it. And if your knees complain as loudly as your hands do, my garden kneeler roundup was written in the same spirit.
Questions readers ask
What is the easiest way to open a stubborn jar?
Give the lid a grip it cannot refuse. A jar opener with steel teeth, like the OXO above, plus a rubber pad under the jar turns a two hand wrestling match into one smooth turn. Running the lid under hot water for thirty seconds first helps too.
Are big soft handled tools really that different?
They are. A fat cushioned handle lets your whole hand share the work instead of loading it onto your thumb and fingertips. Once I switched my peeler and knife, going back to the skinny metal ones felt like a bad joke.
Can these tools go in the dishwasher?
The peeler, the bowls, and the chopper parts are all top rack safe. I hand wash the Victorinox knife, since dishwashers dull a good edge, and the electric can opener just gets a wipe down.
Which tool should I buy first?
Start with whatever task you dread most. For most of us that is jars, so the jar opener is my first pick. If you cook from cans all winter like I do, the electric opener is a close second.
Do I need special arthritis tools, or just better ordinary ones?
Mostly just better ordinary ones. Everything on this list is a regular kitchen tool that happens to be designed kindly. That is good news for the budget, and nobody at your table will know the difference.
