Skip to main content
DEAL WATCH: Keurig K-Express | 22% off $69.99

Keurig has changed the face of coffee, and snagging one of these for less than $70 is a solid deal. Read Review

BUY NOW
Accessibility

4 easy-to-use cutlery combos for the disabled

These adaptive utensils make one-handed eating easier

One-armed person smiling while holding up assorted cutlery perfect for one-handed use that makes eating easier. Credit: Reviewed / Chloe Toscano

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

I’d just moved to a new city and didn’t know very many people. My mom had set me up to go on a [friend] dinner date (sigh) with the son of a friend of hers. And, as someone with one arm, I found myself sitting in front of one of my biggest obstacles—a fancy pizza place.

It was the kind that serves you thin and delicious little pizzas, abandoned in front of you, uncut and daunting. If I were with someone I knew, I’d usually trade plates with them while they cut mine up and then we’d trade back. No big deal. But with a stranger, I knew I’d be embarrassed to ask.

Seizing the lucky opportunity as he got up to use the restroom, I secretly asked the waitress to make sure they’d serve them to us pre-cut. “No worries, I’ve got you,” she said with a kind smile. Crisis averted. Although things worked out seamlessly that time, it still got me thinking about the fact that I’d like to be able to better cut and eat food independently.

My goal in researching the recommendations below was to find something I would not be ashamed of using in a nicer setting. So here are some restaurant-worthy, adaptive eating utensils that might help make you more independent at mealtimes if you, too, are living with an upper extremity disability.

Follow along throughout Accessibility April to hear more about the incredible accessible products changing people’s lives.

1. The Knork Original Single Fork

On left, one-armed person smiling while holding Knork eating utensil. On right, Knork eating utensil sitting on top of pink surface.
Credit: Reviewed / Chloe Toscano

The beauty of the Knork is that it's sharp enough to cut through food but won't harm you while placing food in your mouth.

The epitome of “single and thriving,” this fork-knife combo is a winner on so many fronts. I’d heard of sporks before but never a “knork.” My first thought was “ouch, that sounds dangerous.”

Contrary to my initial judgment, the Knork doesn’t slice your tongue and cheeks. It does, somehow, double as a magical fork that cuts your food.

Its widened neck creates a space to rest your finger. This, combined with the beveled edges, helps you apply force with less effort as you rock the Knork back and forth to cut through food. My favorite part about this design, however, is the aesthetics.

I’ve used one of those camping fork-knife-spoon combo tools at home before, but that isn’t something I’d feel comfortable toting along and whipping out at a dinner party.

I wouldn’t hesitate to slip this sleek Knork out of my bag and swap it out for the inaccessible cutlery placed in front of me at any restaurant. I was also pleasantly surprised in terms of what it actually successfully cuts. While it isn’t a steak knife, I still found it cut through a variety of things with ease.

I tried it on chicken, fish, and more tender pieces of meat, such as skirt steak and stewed meat, and encountered no trouble. It even seamlessly made it through the tofurkey I cooked for Thanksgiving which was, to my surprise, the toughest “meat” of all my test subjects. (Maybe I cooked it wrong.)

$10 at Amazon

2. For-Ghetti Spaghetti Fork

On left, four silver Forghetti forks. On right, one-armed person smiling while holding up three Forghetti forks.
Credit: Reviewed / Chloe Toscano

This clever fork is perfect for angel hair, fusilli, linguine, and more!

The Italian in me felt it necessary to include an adapted utensil directed specifically at pasta. Twirling pasta isn’t exactly a two-handed job (unless you’re a spoon twirler I suppose), but it can prove challenging if you’re someone who struggles with dexterity. The For-Ghetti is an adaptive fork with three small “teeth '' on either side, meant to help keep pasta wrapped around the fork, making the act of pasta eating more accessible to anyone who might find themselves in that boat.

Its high-quality stainless steel construction makes this little fork deceptively sturdy and capable of keeping pasta wrapped around your fork when spasms and tremors occur. My one hand sometimes encounters tremors due to fatigue and overuse, and I found this tiny fork extremely helpful as the pasta did, in fact, remain in place. It’s small but boasts a decent weight, so it isn’t flimsy to hold and handle. Additionally, the polished mirror finish makes this a great option to bring along to your next Italian restaurant outing.

$14 at Amazon

3. Dining With Dignity Flatware

Spoon and fork with circular grips on both side from the Dignity Flatware cutlery line.
Credit: Reviewed / Chloe Toscano

With the help of the built-in gripping aids, your cutlery won't have the chance to slip out of your fingers.

Developed with both “attractive” and adaptive design in mind, I was excited to come across this set of flatware. Available in either fork, spoon, or knife, each table setting option comes with a built-in gripping aid. Slip two fingers into the rings located on either side of each handle to more securely hold your cutlery.

I found that using my thumb and forefinger in the rings afforded me maximum control. But if you prefer a looser grip, then the middle and forefingers make for a good option to try as well.

Otherwise, this silverware set pretty much operates like any other fork, knife, or spoon you’d see. Unfortunately sometimes things designed with accessibility in mind don’t look so nice, but that’s certainly not the case here. These look like real silverware, minus needing to pick them up off the floor due to constant falls.

$63 at AliMed

4. Light My Fire Titanium Camping Spork

On left, one-armed person smiling while displaying the Light My Fire Titanium Camping Spork. On right, singular Light My Fire Titanium Camping Spork.
Credit: Reviewed / Chloe Toscano

This handy utensil is a fork, a knife, and a spoon all in one.

Despite the more rugged appearance, sometimes a good old camping spork is a very accessible option if you need to cut and impale food with just one hand. Although it clearly stands out as a spork, I think Light My Fire’s titanium construction makes for a slightly more elevated option.

Plus, of all the sporks I’ve tried, this was the one with the most serious cutting power. It made it through the over-roasted tofurkey like it was nothing and even cut through pizza (yes, I’m an occasional fork pizza-eater).

Additionally, where a weightier utensil might sometimes prove impractical to hold, the thin and lightweight design also makes this one easier to handle for someone who might be operating with the help of another appendage that might not grip with as wide a circumference as a hand, such as their feet or mouth. This all-silver utensil is as sleek as a camping spork can get, and I’d have zero qualms bringing it along for special occasions or the next time I go to the nice pizza place.

$20 at Amazon

Related content

  • On left, white Panasonic Nanoe hair dryer. On right, person smiling while holding up hair dryer to dry hair.

    review

    Panasonic Nanoe review
  • On left, children's onesie laying on wooden table. On right, product shot of the Magnetic Me printed coverall.

    review

    Magnetic Me coverall and PJs review

Up next