Dehydrator/Blender

[HydroRaw]

Hello everyone!

I am going to buy a quality blender and dehydrator after all. It is largely due to the fact that I am enjoying my raw lifestyle. The food obviously tastes far better and I feel a lot healthier than ever.

As far as kitchen equipment goes, I have decided to get a K-tec blender and a 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator. I am going to purchase my dehydrator directly from Ecalibur since it appears to be the only source that sells dehydrators with built-in timers. The issue about a built-in timer is really a matter of personal preference. Of course, I could get a separate timer from Home Depot and use it with the dehydrator when needed. Why add another gadget if I could get a piece of equipment that is all inclusive?

With respect to a K-tec blender, I just have to shop around for the best price possible, including free shipping. Does anyone have a source of which I should be aware? For those who are wondering why I am getting a K-tec blender rather than Vita-Mix, it is largely due to the fact that it fits under the cabinet better. Really, it is a toss-up between those two blenders, but I want to have it readily accessible in my kitchen if you get my drift.

Looking forward to ordering them sometime this week.

Have a RAWSOME day!

Wayne

[Revvell]

Thanks! You too! :)

Revvell

[Texicalian]

Morning Wayne - after shopping around on the internet, I ordered my Ktec from http://www.2-life.com/. http://blenders.livingright.com/item240.k-tec-champ-hp3-white.html actually has a lower price, but 2-life met the price and they were closer to me than AZ. Be sure and request the email coupon code - that's what makes the difference!

[HydroRaw]

Hello ladies!

I really appreciate hearing from you both. Thanks, Texicalian, for the heads up about those two online sources. One of them is selling K-tec blenders for $314.95/each, including free shipping. Not bad! I might get another blender jar ($41.95) as a back-up to save extra bucks on shipping if it is ordered with the blender.

Texicalian, how do you like your blender other than the fact that it is extremely noisy? Does it meet your expectation at all? By the way, did you get that recipe book from K-tec at no additional cost after ordering your blender?

Cheers,

Wayne

[Texicalian]

Hi Wayne - I LOVE my Ktec. I'm still learning what it can do easily and what its limitations are. I've made this wonderful zucchini soup that tastes exactly like the soup I used to order from my favorite Mexican place in Austin - very good for homesickness and food cravings! It does heat the food up if it runs on the higher settings for very long. Yes the recipe book came with it. I think the instruction part of the book is the most helpful to a rawfooder.

[rawpriestess]

Love my Excalibur, good choice Wayne,

Don't like the K-tec, but glad you do.

I've had my Vita Mix for about 10 years, and use it almost every day,
but I have three counters with no overhead cabinets, so it works for me,

It's funny, I was just thinking yesterday, how difficult it must be for people who have a "normal" kitchen with cabinets that are lower, I only have two cabinets that are "regular" height, so it makes my food prep easy.

Best of luck to you on your purchases, and on the RAW lifestyle.

[Sharon in Colorado]

I use the K-tec, there are great things and not-so-great things about it, same as the Vitamix.

For my family of 5 I decided to get the extra blender container, since it takes too much time with only the one container.

Be sure to save your receipts, as I've had to send my containers back several times after the gears grind. (When it sounds incredibly loud, louder than the usual very loud, it means the gears have been ground). By the way, I do suggest using foam ear plugs, unless you are blending outside, it does get VERY loud and if you use it everyday like I do, you will experience some hearing loss without ear protection. I hope one day to see the household models come with a noise shield like the ones in the juice bars.

Customer service is excellent, as long as they have proof of purchase. I've never had a problem getting anything replaced. I've even had my machine fully rebuilt.

[HydroRaw]

Hello, again!

Whoa, I am overwhelmed with numerous responses since my last post.

Thanks, Sharon, for the tip about saving the reciept as proof of purchase. It makes sense as there is an eight year warranty on K-tec blenders and I surely want to make sure that my blender gets either repaired, rebuilt, or even replaced at no cost if needed.

With respect to suffering from potential hearing loss while using the blender, I don't think it is going to be an issue for me since I am totally deaf. I guess it is going to be one of those rare times when my deafness is fully appreciated. Smile!

Off the point, does the company that makes Vita Mix realize about its limitation with overall blender height for people who have, as RawPriestess mentioned, "normal" kitchen arrangement? It is a shame that the company might have lost many potential customers because of this very issue. Why couldn't they come up with alternatives such as shorter blender containers? Oh well...

Enjoy the day while it lasts,

Wayne

[Sharon in Colorado]

Wayne, I purchased the K-tec for the same reason as you - I wanted it to fit under my cabinet. Well, now that I have 2 blender containers, I can't store them on the base, under the cabinet. The blender containers are now sitting next to the base.

Another reason I got the K-tec was because the base of the container was a lot wider than the Vitamix. I used a borrowed Vitamix for over a year so I already knew all the drawbacks. It was a real pain getting nut butters, pates and hummus out of the base because it was so darn narrow.

But now that I would use my food processor for those things, I'd highly consider getting the Vitamix if I had to ever get a new blender. One drawback about the K-tec is that there is no tamper, and if you use a lot of frozen fruit or solids and not enough liquids, there'll be cavitation. A couple of times I'd use a celery stick to push things down, or I'd have to stop the machine because the hole in the lid isn't large enough for for any kind of push stick. Another thing I have to do with the K-tec is keep my hand on top of it during the blending process. If it were to rock around, the gears would grind, causing a lot of smoke and metal dust on the base. That could present a problem with your hearing loss (if you're not watching it) because it does have a distinct sound when it does that, or when it cavitates.

If the only reason why you want to get a K-tec is that it'll fit under your counter, you may want to reconsider. Yes, the Vitamix is a monster of a machine, but I find that the base is sturdier, I like the tamper, and I never have needed to hold down the container while its operating.

[Revvell]

I absolutely love my Vita-Mix and I have cabinets over my counter. No problem. I put the container next to the base - or in the cabinet above.

I also have the K-Tec with two (count-em, two) extra containers. I dislike it muchly. The containers are too small and it starts at waaaaaayyy too high a speed ~ at the lowest ~ whereas the Vita-Mix starts slowly and one can build up to extra-super-duper high.

Revvell

[HydroRaw]

Hey Sharon!

I really appreciate the issues that you just raised about your K-tec blender. Now I am having some doubts about it, especially with my deafness if not hearing grinding sound poses problems. If I take the Vita-Mix route, where will I store the blender? Oh dear! I suppose the blender base could be left on the counter and I store the container somewhere else. Let me think about it some more.

By the way, making hummus and pates wouldn't be a problem since I have a Cuisinart 11-cup food processor and it works extremely well. I just need a reliable blender for smoothies and blended soups.

This is exactly why I truly enjoy the Raw Food Talk forums along with many wonderful people who are kind enough to support one another with feedback, input and/or suggestions.

Have a RAWSOME evening!

Wayne

[HydroRaw]

Hey Revvell!

Yeah, I "hear" you loud and clear. Your feedback is very much appreciated. I will be doing some research on Vita-Mix as there are presumabaly several models.

Thanks, again!

Wayne

[HydroRaw]

Hello everyone!

After doing some research, I think Vita Mix 5000 (without "Dry Blade" container) is going to be the choice for my next blender. This is in spite of the fact that I will have to shell out more bucks for it (approximately $80.00 more than K-tec). At least, the blender has a variable speed control and comes with a 7 year warranty.

Does anyone have that particular blender? If so, how do you rate it?

Cheers,

Wayne

[Sharon in Colorado]

Yes, I also use my Cuisinart for nut butters, pates and things. Back when I was using the borrowed Vitamix, I had a very small food processor that I never used. Now that I have the Cuisinart and it's on my counter, I use it for most things, and my blender for smoothies, and sauces. So the nut butters, hummuses and pates were being made in the Vitamix and it was so hard to get the thick stuff out from the bottom as it got stuck under the blades and in the crevices, etc. That is why I would get a Vitamix now, if I had to get a new blender.

I'm glad you decided to go with the Vitamix!

[Revvell]

I have the Vita-Mix 5000 w/out the dry blade. I love it.

Revvell