{
    "id": 1070284,
    "title": "Making tea with sight loss",
    "slug": "making-tea-with-sight-loss",
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    "url": "https://teas.co.uk/wiki/making-tea-with-sight-loss/",
    "modified": "2026-09-18T00:45:35+01:00",
    "excerpt": "Liquid level indicators, contrast, tactile labels and a fixed layout make a cup of tea safe and easy with low vision. What works, and where to get it.",
    "content_text": "Boiling water and a china mug are a poor combination if you cannot see the level rising. The good news is that the problems are well understood and mostly solved, either with a few pounds of kit or by changing how the kitchen is arranged.\r\nThe three risky moments\r\n\r\nFilling the kettle \u2014 hard to judge, and a heavy kettle is awkward.\r\nPouring water into the cup \u2014 the one that scalds people.\r\nFinding and identifying the right tea \u2014 frustrating rather than dangerous, but it spoils the drink.\r\n\r\nSolving the pour\r\nA liquid level indicator hooks over the rim of the cup and beeps or vibrates when the liquid reaches it. RNIB's model has two levels, so you can stop short and leave room for milk. Practise with cold water first, and keep the electronics out of the water. RNIB liquid level indicator\r\nA one-cup water dispenser is the other answer: you press a button and it delivers a measured cupful with no lifting and no pouring. For many people this is the single biggest improvement.\r\nIf you are pouring from a kettle, keep the cup in the same spot every time \u2014 a tray with raised edges, or a mat at a fixed place on the worktop \u2014 and use a kettle tipper so nothing has to be lifted.\r\nContrast and layout\r\nRNIB's kitchen advice comes down to good lighting without glare, strong contrast, and things always being in the same place. RNIB: six ways to adapt your kitchen \u00b7 RNIB: how do I make a cuppa?\r\nFor tea specifically:\r\n\r\nA dark mug for milky tea, a pale mug for black tea \u2014 the contrast makes the level visible for many people with some sight.\r\nA light-coloured tray under a dark kettle, or the reverse.\r\nTask lighting over the worktop, positioned so it does not shine into your eyes.\r\nOne fixed spot for the kettle, the tea, the mug and the spent-bag dish, agreed with everyone in the house.\r\n\r\nIdentifying the tea\r\n\r\nTactile labels \u2014 bump-ons, elastic bands, or different-shaped containers for decaf and caffeinated.\r\nKeep the box, and mark it rather than decanting into anonymous jars.\r\nSeparate strongly scented teas; you can often identify peppermint or chai by smell alone.\r\nSingle-ingredient teas are easier to keep track of than a cupboard of similar blends.\r\n\r\nSmall changes that help\r\n\r\nFill the kettle to the minimum, so it is light and boils faster.\r\nUse a timer \u2014 a talking timer or a phone \u2014 rather than watching the clock.\r\nLift the bag out with a spoon and put it straight into a bowl kept in a fixed place.\r\nSit down to drink it. Carrying a full mug is the other common accident; a trolley or a lidded travel mug solves it.\r\n\r\nGetting an assessment\r\nEquipment that suits one person does not suit another. An occupational therapist can look at your kitchen and recommend aids, often through your GP or local authority, and RNIB can advise on products and support. Ask before buying something expensive.\r\nOur teaware essentials page covers ordinary kit, and one cup tea brewing suits a simple, low-risk routine.\r\nCommon questions\r\nAre level indicators fiddly?\r\nThey take a little practice. Try them with cold water a few times and they become automatic.\r\nDo I need a special kettle?\r\nNot necessarily. A kettle tipper or a one-cup dispenser usually solves more than a new kettle.\r\nWhat about loose leaf?\r\nA basket infuser is easier than a strainer \u2014 it lifts straight out, with no pouring through anything.\r\nCan I still use a teapot?\r\nYes, with a locking lid and a fixed pouring position. Many people find brewing in the mug simpler.",
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