#thatfeelingwhen… you’re low on spoons but you gotta get your grub on. The eternal struggle!
I’ve certainly been there. I love cooking, but all that standing and walking was really getting me down. So, I got a couple of great pieces from Ikea, and now cooking is way easier. Here’s what I do:
1) Keep a high chair in the kitchen. I live with 3 other people, so I needed one that could be folded and tucked away as needed. For me, the most important features were a backrest and a footrest, so I settled on the FRANKLIN Bar stool ($45) from Ikea. Check it out in action:
[Image description: A kitchen countertop, with a stove, a high chair, and a cart full of food and dishes.]
It puts me at just the right height for the counter, and I can position it so I can reach the stove and the counter with no problems. I’ve also found that it slides pretty nicely on the floor without any scuffs, so I’ll sometimes push myself around using the counters.
PRO TIP: I always keep a water bottle with me when cooking–that’s some hard work I’m doing, and I gotta stay hydrated! Plus, it’s great to have a little water on hand; I’ll drip a little into the pan to get a feel for how hot my oil is, or add a little when I need it for my recipe.
[Image: A kitchen counter and sink, with a high chair and a cart loaded with dirty dishes.]
I can also use it for washing the dishes! Again, everything is in easy reach, so I’m good to go. This chair has been worth the price ten times over by now.
You might be wondering about that cart–and, in fact, that’s the next part of my disabled cooking setup!
This is the RÅSKOG utility cart ($29.99) from Ikea: an item that I had been drooling over for years, which just dropped in price from a whopping $80 (thank the Swedish gods!). I bought it for myself without a use in mind, but once I got the chair I realized what a great addition this would make.
You see, it’s got wheels (albeit kind of dinky ones), and multiple levels, so you can hit the fridge, pantry, and cabinets to load up on all the things you need for your cooking adventure. Here was my setup for some yummy fried rice:
[Image: A closeup of the loaded cart, with a variety of foods and dishes piled on its three shelves.]
All the foods and tools I need in one convenient spot! I transfer them over to the counter and stovetop as needed, and then throw them back on the cart when I’m done. For example, foods that need to go back to the fridge get the top shelf, and dishes that need washing get the bottom. Then, when I’m all done, I just wheel it over to the fridge and the sink to clean up!
The crowning glory to this setup, though, is the small bins you see hanging from the edge of the cart. These are containers from Ikea’s BYGEL series ($0.99 ea.). The black one is for regular trash, green is for composting, and red is for recycling! I don’t always use these, but when I do they are super handy and keep me from having to walk around to various trash/recycle/compost bins.
The only drawback is that these containers have small holes at the bottom, so drippy compost is a little complicated. This could easily be solved with small composting bags, though, or a number of other little fixes. There are probably some hanging containers more suited to this, too.
This whole setup has been treating me really well, and can be adjusted for how I’m feeling and how complicated my recipe is. Lately, I’ve been more mobile and have just been using the chair, but I have everything I need if I’m tired or want to take on something big.
I hope this inspires you to take control of your kitchen and get cookin’! :)
