Gadgets That Can Make Life Easier

When you’ve worked hard all your life and contributed to society, why should it have to be a chore to open a can? When you’re trying to eat right, why should you have to deal with technology from the Stone Age?

In short, if we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we get the good glasses down out of the cupboard?

No reason. Not any more, with these gadgets around.

Reach-It ($9.95): Very handy: Giant light-weight tongs with substantial rubberized gripping tips.

Russell Hobbs Automatic Electric Teakettle ($78): For years, this supremely practical doodad was only available in England, and only for English electrical current. It boils water much faster than a stove-top kettle, or a microwave oven. The cordless version, unlike an ordinary electric heater, can be removed from its heating base for freedom of movement. And it’s extraordinarily safe. The heating element automatically shuts off when the water reaches the boiling point, and if you happen to turn it on empty a special sensor turns it right back off. A new model, the Cordless Electrical Teakettle ($76) is the most convenient unit because of its light weight and its locking lid.

Sunbeam Timer ($11.95): At 8 inches across, this must be the world’s largest and easiest to read kitchen timer, It’s big enough to hang on the wall.

Large Type Cookbook, by Jean Hewitt ($5.98): Contains more than 300 recipes from the New York Times in extra large type.

Mini Whip-Stirrer ($8.95): A handy beater for small portions, such as omelets and diet drinks.

Weatherbee Jar Vise ($4.95): This device mounts conveniently under the counter with either screws or adhesive. Slip any size jar (from 1- to 4-inch cap diameter) into the V-shaped blades and simply twist to the left to free the cap.

Norpro Battery-Operated Sifter ($13.80): Make it easy on your hand with an electrified plastic sifter.

Zeroll Ice Cream Scoop ($20): This sleek, charcoal-gray scoop stays non-stick due to a permanent defrosting fluid in the handle, activated by the warmth of your touch. It’s all one piece and made of metal but needs a little special care: Dishwashers and heating more than 140 degrees are no-no’s.

Metro Marketing Battery-Operated Salad Spinner ($10.95): Push the button and there go the greens, spinning themselves dry. Not as bulky as other spinners, this black and white beauty includes a transparent serving/storage bowl.

Electric Crumber ($8.95): Clean up that tablecloth between courses. You have your pride.

Swiss Vegetable Peelers ($11 for set of four in red, blue, yellow and green): These have comfortable, ergonomically designed handles and extra-sharp German steel blades.

Krups Mini Pro ($35): Small food processors are perfect for daily tasks such as chopping onions and mincing garlic, nuts or herbs, where the small quantities tend to get lost in a full-size machine. They’re also useful for pureeing foods for soft or liquid diet preparation.

Pill Timer ($15): This clever little case, barely larger than a business card, reminds you to take vitamins or medications on time and then resets itself after the alarm to repeat the cycle. The 20-second double beep is discreet and meant for your ears only.

Acme Juicerator ($225): Beyond orange juice, there’s tomato, celery, apple and carrot juices, which can be extracted in this juice extractor, one of the most powerful machines around. But on days when you want that refreshing O.J., (or lemonade or grapefruit juice) this model is equipped with a special juicer attachment.

Moha Universal Slicer ($30): Highly recommended by the Frugal Gourmet, this gadget hasn’t really been replaced by any electric machine. You simply stroke the food over the sharp West German blade, and out come thick slices, thin slices, or julienne shreds, depending on which blade you’re using. A sliding guard protects your fingers as you work.

Joyce Chen Unlimited Scissors ($14.99): Julia Child uses these tiny shears for cutting chicken bones. Their extra hard chrome molybdenum blades can also handle shrubbery and flower stems, even rubber, plastic or thin metal. The comfortable flex handles are designed for right or left handed use.

Joyce Chen Peking Pan Plus for 2 with Chencote ($26): The health advantages of stir-fry cooking are well known; the non-stick Chencote coating on this pan makes it possible to stir-fry in even less oil than usual. This 9 1/2-inch pan has not only the depth and long handle of a wok but the convenient flat bottom of a saute pan.

Zyliss Can Opener ($17.95): A manual can opener usable even by arthritis sufferers. Once the handles are pressed together, no more pressure is needed to open any size tin. Put it in your earthquake kit.

Strongboy Jar Opener ($9.95): From Sweden comes this unique utensil, which works on the same principle as the automobile radiator cap remover; the spring steel loop can be adjusted to strangle and open any type cap.

Reach-It, Sunbeam Timer, Large Type Cookbook, Mini-Whip Stirrer, Weatherbee Jar Vise, Norpro Sifter, Zeroll Ice Cream Scoop, Metro Marketing Salad Spinner and Crumber are available at Cookin Stuff (Torrance and La Habra).

Joyce Chen Unlimited Scissors are available at Gelson’s and Cookin Stuff. The Joyce Chen Peking Pan will be available in June at the Broadway.

Swiss Vegetable Peelers, Krups Mini Pro, Acme Juicerator, Moha Universal Slicer are available at Williams Sonoma. For mail order: P.O. Box 7476, San Francisco, Calif. 94120-7456.

Pill Timer may be ordered from Hold Everything catalogue: Mail Order Department, P. O. Box 7807, San Francisco, Calif. 94120-7807.

Zyliss Can Opener, Strongboy Jar Opener are available at Kitchen Kitchen (Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells) and Cookin Stuff.