The countertop grill makes cooking easy for the blind and visually impaired.

A few years ago my brother-in-law gave me a wonderful Christmas present - a small countertop grill! I brought it home and made a grilled cheese sandwich, and I was hooked.

Within a month, I had bought a large model that would hold six or seven strips of bacon, three or four hamburgers, or enough of whatever I was cooking for a meal for two. I use one or both of my grills almost every day.

Easy to use and clean, and requiring no special recipes, these grills are a kitchen appliance that could have been made just for a blind person. They come in different sizes, from one barely big enough for two hamburgers or two slices of bread to one that can hold three or four hamburgers.

When the grill is placed on the counter or table in front of you, the lid opens up and back. Food is placed on the bottom cooking surface, and the top is then closed over it. Since the top also has a cooking surface, the food cooks on both sides at once; no turning necessary.

The cooking surfaces have grooves that allow fat to run off into a little drip "drawer" under the grill. The drawer is easily removed for cleaning.

Cookbooks and manuals for the grill tell you to preheat the appliance before adding food. Food cooks more evenly, however, if it is added before the grill is heated. It is also easier to position food on a cool surface since there is no popping grease or hot grids to cause burns.

Most grills come with timers, but these really aren't necessary. It's easy to tell when food is done by sound and smell. Pork chops, hamburgers and chicken have a delicious browned smell. As bacon cooks, the fat sizzles and bubbles and runs off into the drip drawer; when it's done, the bubbling sound diminishes and the smell is yummy.

Many blind and visually impaired people are afraid of heat and don't like to turn foods in a skillet. Some people also are very hesitant to take food out of a hot oven. I know how they feel, because it took me a long time to overcome these fears myself. Many people settle for microwave cooking, trading good taste for easier preparation.

It is true that food can get very hot on the grill. However, when food is finished cooking, just unplug the grill, open the top, and let it sit for a few minutes. Things cool down enough so you can remove the food with a spatula, tongs, fork or your fingers.

So what can you cook on the grill? Meats, fish, sausage, vegetables; toast, frozen waffles or frozen pancakes; open-faced sandwiches; leftovers (just sprinkle pizza, potatoes, chicken etc. with a few drops of water before grilling).

These grills are available at local stores and on-line. Many things that are used by blind and visually impaired people have to be specially-made, and they are only available from a few companies throughout the country. They are usually very expensive. It's great to find something so useful that doesn't have an exorbitant price tag.

With this grill you can once again make good-tasting meals easily and quickly. Buy one with removable plates that can double as a griddle, and you have two appliances in one. Clean-up is lightning-fast, so you spend less time in the kitchen.