Cooking: Pouring

Some practice and a little bit of planning go a long way to pouring hot and cold liquids safely and accurately.

If possible, line up squarely with the surface in front of you. This helps you line up with what you're pouring and makes the job easier. If you're worried about spilling a little think about working on a tray. If you do, any spills are on your tray and not on your work surface, and trays are easier to clean up. If you use a different-colored tray from your cups or bowls, it creates contrast, which is really helpful for any kitchen task with low vision.

Pouring coffee into a light-colored cup is easier to see than pouring it into a dark-colored cup. Don't be afraid to experiment with lighting. Can you add a standalone lamp to create a brighter work area in your kitchen?

Now, here's a simple technique for pouring. Use a cup and a pitcher with a spout. Put the spout of your pitcher on the rim of the cup. You may have to lift the cup up to get them lined up. Make sure the spout of the pitcher and the rim of the cup are touching each other. Holding the pitcher in one hand and the cup in the other tilt the pitcher up and pour slowly.

If you want to practice this technique a few times start with a pitcher that is half-full. This works with pouring hot liquids too. Here's another trick to use if you're worried about spilling. Just pour over a sink. Hovering over the sink may require more skill but it works well in a pinch. Now let's talk about how to know when a cup is full. If you're pouring something cold for yourself you can just use your finger. Put your finger over the edge of the cup and hook it in just a little. When the liquid touches your fingertip, you know you're near the top. You can also try listening for the sound and feeling the temperature of the liquid as you pour. These are cues that can give you feedback on how much liquid is in your cup.

Say you're holding a styrofoam cup for a hot liquid. Listen as it fills and at the same time feel for rising warmth. Notice how the sound changes as the cup begins to fill up and the liquid reaches the top. Ice can act as another cue. Add ice to an empty cup before you begin. Then as you pour, you'll feel the temperature change. Combine this with how the liquid sounds as it fills the cup and you'll have a better idea of how much to pour.

There are plenty of cues you can use to pour safely and accurately without relying on your vision. If you found this workshop helpful and want other tips for preparing foods and dining, check out the other workshops in this series.