Getting older is daunting. From greying hair to wrinkles and forgetting where you parked the car. Jokes aside aging does bring unique health issues. Seniors account more than 12 percent of the world population. It will increase to 22% by 2050.
There are various preventive measures to help your loved ones towards healthy aging. Aging brings in difficulties in the ease of living. Seniors particularly above the age of 65 face issues inability to think, learn and remember. This may lead to forgetting to eat. (malnutrition). Inability to use complicated devices. Sensory impairments like vision, hearing or dexterity (Inability to use touch-pads). They are also prone to injuries and hence should avoid too much of movement.
Are you concerned about the well being and safety of your aging parents or grandparents? Who are living all alone…
Here are the things that you need to consider when buying a Microwave for the elderly.
Microwave Ovens for Seniors – Easy controls
Intimidating controls are a NO go. Look at minimal buttons, settings, and options. Stay away from microwave ovens that make everything confusing. Complicated controls add to confusion and frustration. That’s why Dial control is the first qualification criteria. Microwaves with turn knobs ease operation even with dexterity and vision impairment.
- Easy to read buttons and controls
- Large, easy to read print with lots of contrast is on priority. Big bold black prints on white are preferred.
- Size
- Avoid bulky machines. Something at least big enough to hold a dinner plate is good.
- Rugged pull handle
- Push button latches are a definite NO. It is tough on seniors with sensory impairment and only adds to the frustration. Go for that old PULL handle that is prominent and rugged. Note- Pull strength is easier for the seniors than fragile fingers on delicate touch-pads.
- Auto Shut-off
- Auto shut off is a great safety feature for the elderly. They shut down automatically in-case forgotten or once the task is complete.
- Loud Enough Ding!
- Seniors need to know that their food is ready. Particularly important that they are reminded to take out food and consume.
When talking of Microwave for seniors the first thing you should ensure is that they have it safe and easy to use. This will make preparing meals easy thing for them. Since electric hobs and induction devices are a bit complex. It would be difficult for elderly people to use them. This makes a simple meal preparation difficult.
When it comes to simple, quick, and easy meal preparations… Nothing beats the versatility and effectiveness of a microwave. Equipped with various menu options, these devices cook with the touch of a button. This makes cooking a pleasant experience for all ages. (Needless to mention cooking without using naked flame or fire)
Microwave cooking is the best alternative for cooking/reheating food for seniors. It offers simple hassle-free cooking. But Microwaves come in the advanced and progressive devices. What we want to do is look at microwave ovens that best fit the bill for seniors
They should also have various inbuilt features that are simple and make them easy to use. These units with basic features of cooking and reheating are effective. No wonder seniors love them (and you) for their simple controls and easy settings.
Easiest and Simplest Microwave Ovens for Seniors
So, here are some of the easiest and simplest microwave ovens. These are the best-fit design. Lets talk about Microwave ovens for seniors.
Panasonic NE-1025F Silver 1000W Commercial Microwave
Panasonic NE-1025F Silver 1000W Commercial Microwave Oven is the ultimate choice when talking microwaves designed for elders. Its on top of the list of microwaves for seniors. Mainly for the fact that it balances all the aspects of features, cost and design perfectly well.
NE-1025F comes with 1000W of high cooking power. 0.8 cubic feet of cooking capacity. The device is large enough for regular use and small enough for a narrow kitchen counter. The most interesting features of the microwave oven include.
- Simple and easy to use dial control knob
- No rotating turntable and the rotating ring. (Ingenious hidden rotating antenna and offers safe usage.)
All it requires is to pop in the food and turn the knob to the desired time. No glass turntable makes this device particularly insightful. As it takes out all the fuss of cleaning, maintaining and extra care required out of the equation. NE-1025F has Stainless steel front, smooth easy to clean interiors, and go and grab door handle. These are some more distinctive features that work well with elders. Besides this, the chiming sound that the device produces is soothing to ears. (once it’s done.) Adds more to the uniqueness to the product. No more annoying beeps and whistles that are often loud, startling and irritating. As it is clear, the Panasonic NE-1025F scores big on design. Keeping the aspect of ease of use especially elders in mind. that you won’t find in other high-end microwave ovens. Panasonic NE-1025F Silver 1000W Commercial Microwave is all equipped with unique features. This Oven is by far the best device for your grandparents or aging parents. To summarize these are features that make Panasonic NE-1025F number one choice.
- Dial control knob instead of push buttons
- Absence of turntable and rotating ring,
- Easy go and grab the door handle
- Easy to clean interiors, and
- Pleasuring chime when the task is complete
are some of the outstanding features that make this microwave oven ideal for elders.
Get Panasonic NE-1025F Rotary Dial Now
Sharp Electronics R-21LCFS Microwave Dial Timer, 1000-Watts
https://youtu.be/9leLuQOQLasSharp Electronics R-21LCF 1000-watt Microwave, 1 Cubic Feet is again ideal for seniors or people with cognitive impairment. Easy to operate with simple design and features. All you need to do is to set the power, dial in the time, and forget. A simple beep and your food is ready. The microwave has stainless steel interiors and shiny chrome finish pull handle. The Sharp Electronics R-21LCF 1000-watt Microwave works great. It’s simple to operate, easy to clean and the best part has no turntable. The dial timer has 10, 15, and 30 seconds increment. There is a simple to read time guide right on the front panel with suggested cooking times. The unit is bit pricey but people using it swear by its ruggedness and durability. Its one of the best microwaves you can gift to your elderly loved ones.
Get Sharp R-21LCFS Rotary Dial Now
Commercial Chef CHMH900B , 900W Counter Top Microwave Oven
Commercial Chef CHMH900B , 900W Microwave Counter Top Microwave Oven Equipped with 6 microwave power levels ranging from Low, Defrost, M.Low, Med, M.High, and High. This microwave is easy to use with knobs instead of the touch-pad. A 30-minute timer with end of cooking alert offers convenient and smooth operations. With mechanical control knobs, the unit is easy to use for the elderly people. Talking of vision or dexterity issues operating a touchpad. I don’t find any cons in this Commercial Chef CHMH900B , 900W Except the fact that it is a simple basic type of microwave oven. It performs the basic tasks of cooking and reheating. Commercial Chef CHMH900B is little powerhouse. It has the ability to perform all types of simple and easy meal preparations. Including reheating the leftovers. Simple usage and easy mechanical control make these devices ideal for seniors. The durable easy to grasp grip type handle is a definite plus to open and close the door. This is a good choice if you want the best Microwave oven at a reasonable price.
Get Commercial Chef CHMH900B Rotary Dial Now
Nostalgia RMO7AQ Retro 0.7 Cubic Foot Microwave Oven
Nostalgia RMO7AQ Retro 0.7 Cubic Foot Microwave Oven adds a bit of retro novelty and you can watch your elders smile as they have the first look. Gift them the retro piece design and one of the most advanced microwave oven. With heating capacity of 700-watt its powerful at the same time. It has a easy to read LED display with digital clock and comes with 12 per-programmed settings. This eliminates the need of manual settings for some of the most standard chores. The Nostalgia RMO7AQ Retro comes with metallic-made stainless steel material. The front panel is made up of hardened plastic. The user can select the presets using the knob which is of great significance for ease of use. LED is designed to show bigger and more conspicuous readings. So there you have it Retro design and ease of use that best fits the seniors.
Get Nostalgia RMO7AQ Retro Now
Daewoo KOR6L15 Manual Microwave Oven, 700 Watt, 20 Litre
(Available in U.K Only)
Daewoo KOR6L15 Manual Microwave Oven, 700 Watt, 20 Litre (U.K Only) With 5 power levels for cooking at a different temperature. This unit is well equipped with a dual wave system for uniform heating and cooking. The Daewoo KOR6L15 microwave comes with a 35-minute dual speed timer. Offering quick and convenient cooking. Simple dial control knob design keep seniors and elderly persons comfortable on use. The only con is the high price of the microwave. but since it comes with added features of dual wave system and dual speed timer, the device worth its price. Especially if you are looking for something advanced yet safe and easy to operate.
Get Daewoo KOR6L15 Manual Microwave Now
Commercial Chef WCM660W 600W Microwave Oven
Commercial Chef WCM660W 600W Counter Top Microwave Oven is a basic microwave oven designed especially for small compact kitchens, dorm rooms, and offices. Its simplicity and effectiveness at what it does makes it perfect for seniors use. Commercial Chef WCM660W Oven performs all the basics of microwaving from heating, baking, and rewarming the food efficiently without any hassles. With 600 watts of power and 0.6 cubic feet cooking capacity its good enough for single or couple use. Its equipped with 6 power levels – Low, Defrost, M.Low, M.High, and High. The machine is elegantly designed and comes and white and black color options. This is your choice if you want the best Microwave for seniors but at relatively lower price.
Get Commercial Chef WCM660W 600W Microwave Oven
Special utensils and plates with raised edges.
Buying the right microwave is an important thing for the seniors. But don’t miss on their other specific needs.
Remember seniors are less independent and might have issues consuming food.
Consider Microwave food storage tray containers. They are microwave sectional trays with lid. They may be used as dinner plates or for storage with lids in the refrigerator. Needless to say they are unbreakable.
Also there are a whole range of utensils from Sammons Preston that fit the bill of old and elderly.
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I appreciate your page concerning seniors and microwaves. Out particular concern isn’t addressed and I wondered if you may have some helpful information. We have turned off the breakers for the oven and stove for her safety, but now she’s had an incident of setting the wrong time on the microwave to the point that there was smoke in the house. She only uses it for pre-made meals, popcorn or to warm coffee. Is there a microwave available with only short time settings so she can’t make this mistake? Or could we have a microwave altered for this?
Hey Tina…
Please check this out http://amzn.to/1YqtV2Q.
This is a link to Panasonic NE-102F microwave oven, especially designed for elders. The device has just one knob, no buttons, that acts as a timer.
All it requires is to just open the door, insert food, and spin the timer (knob) to 10, 20, 30 seconds… or from 1 through 6 minutes. It doesn’t have any start button, it just comes on when you set the time, and starts counting down. I hope this helps. Please let me know if it solves your problem.
That would certainly be easier to work, but we’re hoping to find one that won’t run more than a few minutes. It’s really hard to anticipate what the next problem will be these days. The microwave really is her last thread to independence and we want so much for her to keep that. I wrote to General Electric and asked them if perhaps in their service department they could modify the microwave to only use the beverage and popcorn button, but they said they could not. Thank you for your suggestions.
Oh, I re-read your microwave again and realize that I mis-understood the picture. I thought it went up to 6 hours and it’s only 6 minutes! That’s perfect! Thank you!! Thank you!!