The Hamilton Beach Talking Microwave has an interface designed for people with low vision or dexterity issues.

The settings are designed to be intuitive and easy to change, and the function buttons and dial control are large enough for people who have difficulty using their fingers.

The oven’s voice issues clear instructions and the oven’s smaller size is suitable for everyday solo needs and medium-size casseroles.

We’ve included this video Cait found of two seemingly able-bodied young people using this microwave. We don’t think the video is all that informative but it does give you a look at the oven in action.

Hands down, our favorite food writer is Mark Bittman, author of The New York Times column “The Minimalist” and the blog “Bitten.”

Bittman makes cooking accessible without dumbing it down. Take, for example, this column on the microwave - which he proposes renaming the “Whiz-Bang Steaming Oven.”

There’s hardly a kitchen in North America without a microwave, and many people with disabilities - especially vision and dexterity issues - favor them because they don’t have to fear touching hot elements.

Bittman provides myriad - and simple - ways to use your microwave for more than reheating leftovers and softening ice cream. Pulling from other cooking writers and inviting tips from readers, he shows you how to make everything from Steamed Chocolate Pudding to South Indian Eggplant Curry.

Cait found Bittman’s tips most informative and she’s been using a microwave for years. Marty, on the other hand, an avowed Luddite, does not own a microwave and believes they are dangerous and contribute to societal disintegration.

On a moment’s notice, Marty can mount her High Pony of Self-Righteousness against microwaves, processed food, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Chinese food imports, disposable technology and the TV show “American Idol.”

As Cait warns: “Don’t get Marty started. You DON’T have that much time!

Marty often makes fun of people who call into TV shopping channels to gush over the product of the moment. Now she gets to razz Cait, who called in to QVC to rave about these graters.

In Cait’s defense, she uses these graters regularly, finds the ergonomic handles easy to hold and shreds even a big block of cheese expeditiously. This set comes with two blades - one for hard cheese and one for softer cheese and includes a nutmeg grater, which eliminates the need to buy powdered nutmeg, which turns stale quickly.

Cait gave up her box grater after getting these graters several years ago and though they’ve been through the dishwasher hundreds of times, they look and work as good as the day she got them.

Our Gimpy QVC cheerleader says the plastic covers keep the graters sharp in the drawer and her hands free of nicks from the blades. Cait says she grates food much more regularly with these graters and using them makes her feel like a Superstar Chef. (And no, we aren’t making any money from promoting these.)

Eds Note: To hear Cait gush, uh, comment, on the graters, click here, then click on ‘videos’ on the upper-left side of the QVC screen and then click on “On-Air Presentation” underneath the photo of the graters.

Cait thinks there are nearly a bazillion things you can do with these colorful Silicone SiLi Twists, while Marty thinks it’s closer to a kazillion.

These 16-inch Twists, with a core of steel wire, are easy to use, large and gentle on the hands and are microwave and oven safe up 428 degrees F. They can go directly from the freezer to the oven for myriad food uses, including trussing poultry, bundling asparagus for cooking and securing food to make chopping and slicing easier.

Cait uses the Twists to secure loose items - including sponges she wants washed - inside her dishwasher so they don’t fall through the rack into the bottom of the washer.

She also likes them as plant supports and as twists on strollers, walkers, wheel chairs. Bright and easy to see, the Twists could benefit people with visual impairment who need help identifying objects.

Eds Note: Do not use on a grill. The Twists are heat resistant - but not THAT heat resistant.

Sili Twists (Set of 6) - Silicone Zone

Cait has become rather delirious about the SiliconeZone Easy Lid. At first, we credited it to her recent bout of pneumonia, but it turns out it is the lid that has her waxing enthusiastic.

The easy-to-handle lid comes in four sizes (6″, 8.75″, 10.5″, & 12.5″), is light-weight, vacuum seals, heats up to 675F and can be used as a trivet, a splatter shield, and to cover bowls and pans in the fridge - no plastic wrap or foil needed.

The translucent silicone makes it easy to see the contents and it’s good to go in the microwave, oven or freezer. It’s also easier on the hands than heavy glass lids or metal lids that heat too hot and can burn you if you’re not careful.

The Easy Lid won’t give you a spill-proof seal but it will keep the air out of the food in a bowl on the fridge shelf. It’s easy to clean, dish-washer safe and available in several colors. (Cait’s is a 12.5″ in orange.)

The Towel Grabber puts a cloth right where you need it in the kitchen, bath, garage, nursery, tool shop, etc.

Simple, space-saving and sturdy, the towel grabber comes with strong adhesive tape that attaches easily to any unpapered wall.

It works by tucking a small piece of the towel into the jaws with your index finger.

A quick pull removes the cloth and the jaws snap out for easy cleaning.

A great stocking stuffer at $2.99 for a pair.

We turned to electric kettles after too many tea kettles burned up on the stove. (Marty’s attention span is the length of a gnat.)

We tried other models before settling on the Breville which has proved a safe and rugged kettle. (Other brands we tried were noisy, broke too quickly, imparted a plastic taste to the water, didn’t swivel or had temperamental on/off switches.)

The Breville, made of brushed stainless steel, quietly and quickly boils up to 1-4/5 quarts of water for coffee, tea, instant soups, etc., and shuts off at boiling, ringing a bell to tell you it’s ready.

The Breville’s safety features won’t let it boil without water and a removable scale filter ensures better taste.

The Breville has an LED-illuminated water gauge for ease in seeing how much water is in the kettle, an ergonomic soft-grip handle and a swivel base, which saves your hands.

The Breville has lasted longer than any previous electric kettle and proved impervious to repeated, and sometimes abusive, use. The downside to the Breville is its price, about $69, and its weight - it is a solid little beast.
Krup’s stainless-steel kettle, for about the same price, has gotten good reviews but we haven’t owned one and can’t vouch for it.

We first saw the Buddha Bowl on Oprah Winfrey’s list of “great things” and thought it might feel steadying for those of us who don’t have quite the grip we used to.

The 12-oz. Baby Buddha Bowl at $16, and the heftier 18-oz. Buddha Bowl at $18, are produced by Flavour Studio of British Columbia, which says it strives to design products that are “clever yet elegant with a strong emphasis on ergonomics and functionality.”

The bowls come in eight colors and are microwave and dishwasher safe. (Eds. Note: Marty likes the heft of the bowls while Cait finds them a little too hefty.)

This pepper mill is a cinch to use if you have some thumb power.

Hold it in the palm of one hand and use your thumb to press the bouncy button on top.

It even has a little window that lets you know when it needs a refill. No batteries. Little fuss. Little muss.

$24 plus shipping at MoMA New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

We love to cook but, like many of us, can’t do it for long on our feet. So we always have a sturdy stool nearby so we can sit longer at counter-height and chop, stir, and toss with less back and knee pain.

Cait uses her stool while waiting for her toast to pop and to steady her arms while refilling narrow-mouthed bottles, such as her vinegar cruette. To wash dishes, she opens the cupboard doors beneath her sink, pulls up her stool and sits with her feet just inside the cupboard.

Our good friend, Lisa Kostopoulos, par excellent chef and owner of The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, keeps a stool in front of her stove to aid the stirring of her always perfect sauces and steel-cut oatmeal.

Maybe you bake fewer birthday cakes or put up fewer jars of pickles or your famous freezer jam. Get yourself a stool and see how much longer you can hang around your stove.