When you first went raw...did you

[Queen Bean]

go out and invest in whole lot of equipment such as a dehydrator, blender, food processor, juicer etc etc? Do you think you could have succeeded without all of that?

[trinity082482]

I got a blender and a 1 cup food processor which both cost about $40.. so ya lol not high end. and a really nice person here donated a food dehydrator to me, and I love it to pieces! :D

[Riiiya]

there was a blender in the house i live, and the host just gave it to me because it's old and she got a tiny one for her morning smoothies with MILK arrr

So that's ALL i have actually, but have been happily raw for over a month! i definitely want a food processor....and a better blender eventually. but so far, it's not a struggle at all :rolleyes:

[rawfigure]

Yes. I am glad to have what I do and use them all but not daily and some not even weekly ! You can do it simple w/o equipment and improvise. If I had to say one thing is a must it would be the Food Processor, then the Juicer. And good sharp knives.

[Lady Green Jeans]

Had the small dehydrator (Excaliber 4 tray) for years--has not seen that much use until the last two years. Food processer was newer addition to my life--but love it love it. Vitamix was a gift to myself to improve my health. Would not part with it for anything. These three pieces serve me very well in the raw lifestyle.

[StarFire]

All I had was a blender that my gf loaned to me. I saved money and eventually was able to start gathering equipment. I think I got my dehydrator about 3 weeks into my journey. but - I've heard that you can also use your oven on it's lowest setting and keep the door proped open - and it's like having a dehydrator! I was also recently loaned a juicer - but I don't know how to use it! :D

[Queen Bean]

What do you use your food processor for?

[Mialsse]

We already had a blender (a cheap 30 $ blender from walmart), and does great with our green smoothies. We also had a magic bullet which works better then the blender when I'm making apple or pear sauce... but, if we didn't have the bullet, I'd make due with the blender. I wouldn't buy it specifically for raw.

The only thing we bought specifically for raw foods was our food processor, and it was only about 40-50 $ at walmart. It's a big one (we're a family of five) and it has the wide spout which I love, because I'm too darn impatient to stand there chopping up all the veggies to fit into a tiny little hole. We don't use the food processor daily... sometimes not even weekly, but I AM glad we have it. It comes in really handy sometimes!

I used to want a dehydrator, I was just waiting for funds to come through, but I'm pretty much over it now. If I happen to find one super cheap (garage sale, etc) I'm sure I'll pick it up - just for the experience. But, at this point, I KNOW it wont get much use, so I'd never shell out a few hundred for something new.

I DO want a vita-mix one day, though. Our blender works fine, but I want better then *fine* someday, lol. I'm in no hurry, though ...

Honestly, good knives and a blender is all I really need. And bowls. HUGE bowls for salads, lol.

[eachpeachpearplum]

I had a 4 tray dehydrator I used to use for jerkey:eek: that was gathering dust so i was thrilled to find when going raw it was one of the tools of the trade.

I was given a my Grans Cuisinart FP that I remember her buying when I was around fourteen, I'm now 38 and it still works like a dream!!

My yuppy Waring blender just could not hack it so I sold it and bought a VM quickly followed by a Breville juicer - gifts from my husband.

If I had to have one item it would be the VM hands down followed by the dehydrator followed by the FP. I do use my juicer every day but this one is a more personal choice.

I just want to add that I never use my juicer to drink just straight juice. I add the juice to huge amounts of greens & whole fruits to kick up the flavour. Also for doing carrots for an amazing soup from the book RFRW.

I rarely use my Saladaco.

[Rawkinlocs]

When I first started, we were on a really...REEEEAAALLLY tight budget so I got what I could, when I could. I already had a centrifugal juicer from the days when my husband "thought" he wanted to get into juicing and then the juicer just went into the cabinet and was forsaken; and we also already had a blender, not a Vitamix, but a cheap model. The first thing I bought was a food processor because so many recipes called for processing in the food processor, so I got the kind recommended by Alissa, an expensive Black and Decker 10-cup and I STILL have that processor today (4 or so years later) and while it's got signs of wear, it's still going strong!

Later, I got a round dehydrator with temperature control (important that it has that) for less than $40 at a store in MI called Myer's and I used that for several years until I was gifted with an Excalibur 9-tray...I still have the round one and use it when I run out of room in my 9-tray and I've found that happening a lot since my family started eating raw with me and I'm making more stuff. But I worked that round model and did pizza, enchiladas and more...I didn't let the hole in the middle and the fact that I couldn't remove trays to make room for taller items stop me from doing almost any dehydrated recipe I wanted to make.

Then, just 2 years ago I got a Vitamix (4500) from Alissa's site. I had really gotten used to using the standard blender and had learned and taught myself little tips and tricks to get the job done efficiently but I really do love my Vitamix more and have found it to do the job quicker and easier...but a standard blender WILL do the job, it just takes knowing how to make it work.

So, all in all, I didn't run out and just buy up every appliance at once...I gradually got pieces at a time. You CAN "do" raw without all that stuff, though, if you want to eat very simply - but having those pieces of equipment just offers you more variety and opens up more possibilities. But you don't need all of that to be a raw fooder.

[cinnamon panda]

i am a rawbie hehe on day 7 & have only been using my Oster 16 speed (that cuts ice) Blender I received as a housewarming gift for my bacheloress pad about 4 years ago.

today i bought a food processor! the HB big mouth or whatever. just in the nick of time too...i am antsy to try some new thangs!

my advice is to just start using what you have and get the things as you need them.

[sfdreams]

Well, I have just been raw for the past 5 weeks, but so far I have not bought anything new. I had a Oster blender and a Magic Bullet, and a 25-30 yr old food processor. All have seen more action in the last 5 weeks than ever before!!:D

I do want to get a dehydrator sometime soon, as I want to add breads and crackers to my diet. I also would like a Vitamix, but as my magic bullet and regular blender are doing just fine, that is a purchase to put off.

If I had not had any equipment, I would think the minimum would be a regular blender or a Magic Bullet (way more easy to make single serve smoothies in!) I cannot imagine living without at least one blender.

[StarFire]

What do you use your food processor for?

I use mine to mix stuff like when I'm making flax seed crackers or onion bread, the fp will chop the onions. I use it to make raw banana ice cream
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/th357582627l0ng1ru-11.gif
(cuz i dont have an ice cream maker...)

I also make the fudge balls in there (it chops up the dates etc) I chop up nuts for the eggless egg salad or spicy taco mix, cashew sour creme.

that's probably (other than my dehydrator) the tool that I have grown to looove the most! When I first got it though - I didn't like it -- course I was trying to juliene carrots and it was ridiculously hard!!! lol!! then to wash it seemed like an impossible hassel...

but now that I figured out all the cool stuff I can make in there - some how - cleaning it seems much simpler too!... (no more trying to julienne carrots that's for sure!!) I got my fp at walmart they had them for $29 up to $60. I got the $60 one b/c it had a 14 cup bowl.

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/sun.gif

[EZ rider]

First a knife and a cutting board help. The simpler you keep the food preparation the better the raw foods program works IMO. That said the things you mentioned make it nicer and extend the raw food choices. I would get a blender second and as someone mentioned you don't need top of the line. Its kinda like cars you can get there in a cheap used economy car or a brand new Rolls Royce either way you can get there. I am still using my old cheap Walmart blender and its getting me there but when it breaks I will replace it with a better one and by the time it breaks I should know exactly the one I want as its replacement. The third piece of equipment to get will be different for everyone but I would wait to get it until you get an idea of how you want to eat raw. Basically there are two ways to eat raw as I see it. 1) FRESH RAW, where you eat the food as it is in the garden except to cut it with a knife, blender, or juicer, or whatever. 2) PROCESSED RAW, where you do something else to the food like dehydrating, freeze drying, fermenting, or whatever.

[barose]

Before going raw, I already had two blenders and an Excalibur dehydrator (for several years).

Honestly, I couldn't do it w/o the high-speed blender for sure. I need the smoothies, especially green smoothies go keep me going. If I try to eat whole fruit and salads all day Ill collapse. A simple raw diet can be especially difficult for some people, especially in the beginning. I still use my blenders at least 2x a day.

[Mona]

I had an old blender and food processor. After a while I got a dehydrator to make bread, and now I have a new blender!

[G-Force]

I highly recommend the Vita-mix blender and a good food processor (Cuisinart rocks). Those items are used daily by me and they are essential (to me) for ease of use, easy cleanup, and the fact they're high quality. Other brands are good, too, but I wanted to make a one-time investment and to be able to use these for years and years. I have a juicer but never use it as I tend to throw everything into the Vita-mix, skins and all (to get the fiber and all vitamins). I have my Grandma's old Excalibur dehydrator but haven't used it yet. Pretty much living happily on green smoothies and recipes from Alissa's book made in the Cuisinart or Vita-mix. I got my Vita-mix from E-bay but the newer model is nice in that it has a variable speed (so you don't sent a small quantity of drink all the way to the top when you restart it - that would be nice to have a speed control).

You can definitely succeed without this stuff. If you have a cutting board, a good knife, a bowl to sprout things in, and maybe a hand-grater, you can do tons of stuff. Living raw is simpler and you don't need anything electronic (but having those things saves time). Check out garage sales and thrift stores and online auctions for older models if you want to save lots of money or just stick with the hand tools or just a knife.

[Frugal Raw]

I have a vitamix, and it is easily the most important tool I own when it comes to raw food. We chose to do the 3-month payment plan to get it. I later bought a food processor, which saves me tons of chopping time! I bought the Kitchenaid 7-cup model with the optional smaller bowl attachment. I have gotten amazing amounts of use from it! Now I also own an old, second-hand dehydrator, and am starting to learn how to use it, but I do not feel that it is a vital thing to have for doing raw foods. I do not own a juicer.

[JulesRules]

I already had a large food processor and blender w/ a smaller fp attachment. I started with those, but wanted a juicer, so I spent about 100. and bought the Jack LaLane at Walmart. It works better than my friends and she spent more money. Hardly any pulp and it is all dry...easy to clean. I'm sure there are better ones, but for now, this is great...

Really want an excalibur dehydrator, but I don't have the money for it, so I thought that maybe would wait till Christmas when I get a little money from my family and then I could apply it toward one. My Christmas present from my loved ones....

In the meantime, I might have to get an inexpensive dehydrator or find one in garage sale. I've been looking on craigs list and ebay, but they are still expensive or not available... My oven doesn't cook low enough. For this summer...I have put my nuts on trays in my car with the windows cracked and let the sun do its work to dry them after soaking...(I live in Tx where it is hot)

Might try that with Granola, hmmm

Jules

[sueko]

I already had a professional 20 cup Cuisinart and a Waring blender, they cover just about everything, although I would like to get a Vitamix some day. After about a month of raw I bought a 9 tray Excalibur food dehydrator and had a lot of fun with it at first, but don't use it quite as much, now. You can do raw with just a good knife, though. I eat primarily salads, unless I have lots of time for concocting recipes, and salads take no equipment other than a knife. Although I don't eat fruit, fruit eaten in it's natural state only requires peeling and/or cutting up, again, with just a knife. It's a toss up whether I would get the food processor or the blender first, it depends on what you want to do. Do you want to make sauces, pates and dips or do you want to make mylk and smoothies? Equipment does expand your options, but it isn't absolutely necessary.

[CaliRaw]

When I started eating raw I already had a 14 cup food processor (hamilton beach), juicer (jack lalanne power juicer), blender (14 speed Oster), and Magic Bullet. I purchased the saladacco (from alissa) and Excalibur 5-tray dehydrator. I plan to get a spirooli (for different sized spaghetti) and a Vita-Mix soon. I don't think I could have done it without the food processor. I haven't used the juicer since starting. The saldacco has helped and so has the dehydrator. I would have felt deprived without the dehydrator. Not having the other items would have made it more difficult, but still doable. I probably would've given up if I had to chop veggies by hand.

Oh, and I bought an ice cream maker, but I was going to get that anyway. :)

[The Forager]

I already had a blender, bought a food processor though, and getting a dehydrator for my birthday (12 days!). I cannot wait to make some corn chips.