If you have arthritis, many kitchen tools can ease your suffering, thanks to the many innovations created by kitchen and equipment manufacturers and food companies. Here are some suggestions to make life in the kitchen more comfortable:

• Utensils such as spatulas, spoons and turners now come equipped with thick rubber handles, which are non-slip and very easy to hold.
• Other kitchen tools to make life simpler for you include pizza cutters with the same type handle. You can use the cutter to cut other items besides pizza.
• Consider replacing your cookware with a lighter version that has fat handles on each side of the pan. If you really don't want to stop using your heavier cookware, use potholder mitts on both hands to take these pans off the stove or out of the oven.
• Baking pans such as cookie sheets now have handles on each side. These handles make it easier to remove them from the over.
• Jar opener innovations include models you can mount under a cabinet, making them much easier to use. Another new product is an electric jar opener which takes all the work out of opening jars.
• Buy a non-skid mat to help prevent cutting boards and mixing bowls from slipping. You can also buy new mixing bowls with rubber bottoms that prevent the bowl from slipping.
• If you love homemade bread, invest in a bread machine. These great appliances take the work out of mixing and kneading bread.
• New kitchen cabinet hardware includes lever-like openers as a replacement for cabinet handles.
• Peeling eggs is difficult when you have arthritis. Now there is a new gadget called an Eggstractor, which will peel your eggs automatically.
• The Starfrit Rotato Potato Peeler Express peels not only potatoes, but also apples and anything else in the fruit or vegetable categories.
• You might like to get an automatic shredder/slicer or a food chopper to assist you with those duties.
• If you love English muffins, look into buying an English muffin splitter. After inserting the muffin, you just pull the plastic handles.

By Ellie Kuykendall