Electric food warmer/lunch box. Have seen these advertised for car. My mom can only use microwave on high (legally blind among other problems). Thought maybe a food warmer/electric lunch box would be good for warming up bread, buns, etc, that are hard to get exactly right in microwave. Would need to be very simple and safe to use. Any thoughts?
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I looked at different lunch box warmers and I think they could be dangerous to learn for a blind elder, IMO.
I got a couple of toaster ovens, in succession, that lasted less then a year, I was tempted to find an alternative but, I am super happy I tried again. I have had the new one for several years and it still works beautifully. I do recommend buying a bigger, better quality one though. You know, room to remove and place items without catching yourself on a hot surface, it is well worth the investment, IMO.
The above shortened link will take you to the Amazon page for the lunch box food warmer.
Walmart also carries these.
Look online at a Low Vision Aids catalog.
Also a lighted handheld magnifier may be a good option.
If you can find one, a very old microwave could be good. My M had one with only one heat setting and a circular twist dial for time. Very simple. Brilliant! When M died, it went to MIL. Then I think to another older lady.
On my Microwave I have a cook time button and a cook power button. I hit the cook time, put in the seconds/min I need then hit the cook power which starts at 100%. Each time you push the button it goes down 10% and u hear a bing. So if Mom wants something at 50% she will get a bing for 90, 80, 70, 60, 50%. After 5 bings she is at 50%. This is how I defrost and lower the % so bread does not heat up too fast. For a roll on high at 30 sec in my Microwave, it would be tough.
And as for using the microwave, most people never use anything but high. You can find a microwave with quick start options - something like 30 seconds, one, two or three minutes - and mark those places on the key pad with raised stickers or puffy fabric paint. Has your mom ever had any low vision training?
This might sound a bit odd but maybe a Heating Pad would work. Put the bread or rolls in the heating pad, wrap them and turn on High for a bit. Most Heating Pads turn off automatically so there is little risk that it would be left on.
I hope others have ideas that might work.