Whether you turn to Delia Smith or Gordon Ramsay to help you time your Christmas Day cooking to perfection (or you’re a kitchen deity with perfect timing), we’re here to make cooking with a sight condition easier.
1. Get the measure of mince pies and more
Take the guesswork out of measuring with either our Talking kitchen scale with easy-to-see jug or the IKONN kitchen scale.
Our Talking kitchen scale with easy-to-see jug lets you measure wet or dry ingredients and hear the results in a clear male English voice. The slimline scale weighs up to 5kg/11lb and the measuring jug holds up to 1,300ml/2.25 pints. A tare function allows you to zero measurements before adding more ingredients.
The scale has tactile buttons that contrast with the case and a large LCD display, while the jug has bold markings on the outside, showing millilitres, pints and UK fluid ounces. A braille gauge designed for measuring liquids by touch in this easy-to-see jug is available to purchase separately.
The IKONN kitchen scale has a large, high contrast display and tactile buttons that allow it to be used as a standalone product, but when paired with an IKONN Controller or the myIKONN app (for iOS, Android, or BlindShell), you can hear measurements spoken.
When paired with the free app on your smartphone or tablet, you can also get an extra-large readout on the screen in one of eight high contrast colour settings.
Both scales operate in metric or imperial and have a tare function that allows you to zero measurements before adding more ingredients.
2. Ensure perfect … timing
Looking for an easy-to-use talking countdown timer? The Kero talking tactile timer speaks the hours and minutes while you set it and speaks remaining time in hours, minutes and seconds on demand, at the press of a tactile button.
You can also ask the digital assistant in a smart device (for example, Siri or Alexa) to set one or more timers – especially helpful when you're juggling all the different bits of Christmas dinner!
3. Take the temperature
When you need to be sure that your food is hot all the way through, our talking food thermometer lets you check quickly and easily at the press of a button.
Alternatively, the IKONN Kitchen Thermometer can be used to measure the temperature of an oven/grill or individual food items safely and easily. With its large, high contrast screen, it can be used as a standalone product, but when paired with an IKONN Controller or the myIKONN app (for iOS, Android or BlindShell), you can hear the temperature of up to three probes announced in Centigrade or Fahrenheit, and also set temperature thresholds per probe so that you can manage different ingredients on the stove or in the oven or barbeque and be alerted when the desired temperature is reached.
When paired with the free app on your smartphone or tablet, you can also get an extra-large readout on the screen in one of eight high contrast colour settings.
The thermometer has ports for three temperature probes and is supplied with two stainless steel probes with 1m cables, plus a magnet for attaching the thermometer to a metal surface outside the oven, and a grill rack to stabilise the probe when it is resting on a barbecue grill.
The IKONN Kitchen Thermometer measures temperatures precisely from 0°C to 300°C/33°F to 572°F and can be used to ensure an oven has reached the correct temperature, or to check that food is sufficiently hot in the middle.
4. Handle with care
Unlike oven mittens, our five-fingered heat-resistant oven gloves allow a more secure grip. Heat-resistant to dry contact heat up to 250 degrees Celsius (482 Fahrenheit), these gloves are designed for flexibility and comfort and are available in two lengths. Both the medium and long sleeves protect your wrists, while the long sleeve will also protect your lower arm.
5. Safety first
Protect your hands when cutting food with our cutting gloves. Made of a lightweight and breathable mesh and available in three sizes – small, medium, large – these gloves protect you from painful cuts when preparing food. The gloves are made from cut-resistant, machine-washable material and allow for plenty of dexterity, making them ideal for cutting, slicing, peeling, mandolin use, and much more, while protecting you from injury.
6. Conquer tricky jars
For a little extra help getting into jars and bottles, check out these openers: Gripper jar opener and the Dycem non-slip jar opener.
7. Stop slips
Make your veg prep safer by putting some non-slip Dycem under your chopping board, or use a Dycem mat to keep bowls steady while you mix ingredients.
8. Dial it up
Use tactile bumps or Tacti-Mark to mark up the dials on your oven or hob and make it easier to choose the right temperature.
9. Ready, steady, cook!
Our talking microwave is specifically designed for blind and partially sighted users and is easy to use with only four, tactile, controls, and no complicated programmes. Simply select volume level and power level, then set the time using the minutes and/or seconds buttons, and press ‘Start’.
As well as announcing power and time as you set them, the microwave will alert you to the cooking time remaining and tell you when the time is completed. Time remaining is also displayed on an LCD display.
The microwave will alert when you open and close the door, and you can pause and restart any cycle by pressing 'Start' dial.
Our talking induction hob has also been specifically designed for blind and partially sighted users to enable them to cook quickly, safely and with confidence.
This worktop induction hob is easy to use, with tactile controls and all functions spoken in a clear English voice. With only three controls – a rotating dial with tactile edge, and two tactile buttons – spoken feedback, and several safety features, you can cook on this portable single hob with confidence.
Choose from 10 power levels and, if you want, set a timer (up to 59 minutes) for cooking. If a timer is set, the hob will speak its countdown, ‘ding’ and announce ‘powering off’ before switching off. If you cook without the timer, the hob will shut off after one hour as long as the temperature remains below 220 degrees Celsius.
10. Find festive foods in an accessible format
A braille version of the M&S Christmas Food guide is available, free of charge from our Shop, and you can stream an audio version on the M&S website.
You can also order a braille copy of Tesco Festive Food to Order from our Shop and stream an audio version on Spotify.
