Cooking

Information on accessible cooking, cooking techniques for blind and partially sighted people, recipes and other useful resources.

If you enjoy cooking, you can continue to feel at home in the kitchen with some simple adaptations and the help of special equipment.

Download Download our cooking factsheet (Word)

Many people who have sight loss love to cook and bake. Here we share a range of tips – and links to some relevant videos – which people with sight loss have come up with to help you get back into the kitchen with confidence.

Marc Powell, who has sight loss, said: "I've never been into baking before because I thought it would be far too difficult, but this kit really made a difference."

When shopping for food, don't be afraid to ask for help. Many large supermarkets have specially trained staff to help. Having someone to help you label the food when you get home can be useful, although there are other ways of marking your tins and boxes:

Talking appliances for blind and partially sighted people are one of the most useful gadget available, kitchen scales are a good solution to weighing food. They announce weight measurements and usually have an adjustable volume control.

Kim Jaye is a keen and talented cook and has sight loss. She said: "I can't live without my scales with the amount of cooking I do."

Watch Kim's video to see how the scales work

Manual versions are a great alternative to using an electric food processor; they can cut all kinds of vegetables and blend and mix. Try using a non-slip mat under the processor to help stabilise it while you are mixing in ingredients.

Coloured chopping boards are ideal for offering contrast on your worktop. Non-slip versions provide a stable base on which to cut your food and also sometimes come with raised sides to stop your food sliding off.

Watch Kim Jaye's demo on chopping boards

Dycem is a material used to make several non-slip products for the kitchen and around the home. Dycem is not sticky, but it grips on both sides of its surfaces preventing movement on dry, slippery surfaces. It is ideal for holding plates and glasses in place while you are eating and drinking.

It can also be used for holding mixing bowls and chopping boards in place too, which makes preparing food much easier. All Dycem products are non-toxic, latex-free, colourfast, odourless, and easily washed.

Talking measuring jugs can be used for hot and cold liquids and give a talking output.

See how talking measuring jugs work in this video.

These machines usually announce power settings and cooking times as you set them; they may also alert you to the cooking time remaining and tell you when the time is completed. Some versions will also alert you when the door is open – and that the contents may be hot.

Kim Jaye explained: "I love my gadgets in the kitchen, but I tell people with sight loss that I struggle with them because they have dials, digital displays and knobs – and I can't work out what they are unless I get assisted support. RNIB has developed this amazing talking microwave which is simple to use and only has four simple buttons to use."

Kim demonstrates the microwave in this video. 

Access a range of recipe books in accessible formats from the RNIB Library. You'll need to be a member of the library to access these titles. Sign up for free online or call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999.

You can also watch one of our videos below, featuring people with sight loss talking about their tips and equipment they use at home which helps make things easier.

Check out Kim Jaye's YouTube channel and Facebook page for recipes and to learn more about accessible equipment for the kitchen.

Georgie and Marc have created a helpful – and funny – video about cooking, watch below!

https://youtu.be/kicWl0Rq9qk

Our Online Shop has a wide range of kitchen appliances and gadgets.

We've got hundreds of products designed to improve the day-to-day lives of blind or partially sighted people