Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Cooking with Arthritis Gadgets: Good Grips POP Containers Review

If you have arthritis, then chances are getting the tops on and off containers is not that easy (understatement). Wrestling with tins, tupperware and ties is enough to get you cursing before you even start attempting to cook. For me the challenge is that I want to keep my rice, pasta and flour in proper airtight tins. You only have to find mites in them once or knock a whole bag on the floor to know that a peg just doesn't do the trick. However most airtight tins are really difficult to open and close. So difficult that I've been tempted just to smash them on the floor to get at the pasta in my hungrier moments. OXO Good Grips do a range of arthritis-friendly kitchen implements, including these POP Containers.

What do they do?
They are airtight, stackable containers designed to keep your dry food fresh. The lid comes off with a little push of a large round button in the middle and you can use the popped up button as a handle. They come in a huge range of shapes and sizes. I bought a 2.3litre rectangular container which is a good size for flour, sugar or cereal.

Do they work?
The containers are great fun to use and very easy to get in to. They stack neatly and because they are rectangular you can get lots in a cupboard. However, they are quite heavy to lift and I find the plastic a little slippery. Most annoyingly you can't wash them in the dishwasher.

Do they make it easier to cook with arthritis?
For me they are an improvement on jars with a levered, screw or clip opening. They are probably going to be useful for bad wrists or poor grip but if you have very sore hands lifting the top off may be tricky.  They are quite pricey at around £6-12 each compared to some containers.

Overall verdict?
A- I'd buy more simply to enjoy popping the lids up 

(PS - I bought and reviewed this just for fun. No-one paid me to or asked me to. I just like gadgets.)