how much use do your dehydrator and food processor get ?

[proteus]

i have a blender that i use once or twice a day, and a juicer that i use once a day. but i don't have and have never had either a food processor or a dehydrator. i am wondering for those of you who do - how much use do they get ?

with respect to both FP and dehydrator do you consider it - a necessity? a luxury? a toy? waste of counter space?

are there any recipes that you enjoy on a regular daily basis that require either of those appliances ?

also do you think your FP and/or dehydrator is too big? too small? just right? what size/capacity do you wish you had gotten?

and finally - do these appliances require any other appliances to be useful ? for example do you need a food processor in order to make good use of a dehydrator ?

[Andi B]

If it's in your budget - go for it.

I waited years before purchasing my food processor that cost around $135 but I absolutely LOVE IT!!! The dehydrator was around $100.

In response to your question, I used my FP 3 times yesterday..
I use it nearly everyday - dehydrator appx. 3 times a week.

with respect to both FP and dehydrator do you consider it - a necessity? a luxury? a toy? waste of counter space? Absolutely a necessity for an ex "carboholic" like me.. I LOVE the onion bread and wraps you can make for sandwiches out of zucchini & ground flax seed. anything that you want to give a "baked" taste to. Like nut crust for your pie, cookies, etc.. Kale chips are a MUST in the dehydrator - YUM!

This site has loads of yummy raw food recipes done with both a dehydrator and a food processor. I think the 2 compliment each other very well, but overall my FP gets much more of a workout than the dehydrator..

[Revvell]

i have a blender that i use once or twice a day, and a juicer that i use once a day. but i don't have and have never had either a food processor or a dehydrator. i am wondering for those of you who do - how much use do they get ?

Little to none currently.




with respect to both FP and dehydrator do you consider it - a necessity?

Not currently.



a luxury?

Nahhh. Nothing concerning my health is considered a luxury.



a toy?

Rather expensive ones, if so, although, I do tend to purchase expensive "toys" if you check out my play room.


waste of counter space?

Currently as I'm not using them.


are there any recipes that you enjoy on a regular daily basis that require either of those appliances ?

Not currently


also do you think your FP and/or dehydrator is too big?

No.


too small? I'd go for a 14-C fp.
just right? Dehydrator is.


and finally - do these appliances require any other appliances to be useful ? for example do you need a food processor in order to make good use of a dehydrator ?

Depends on the recipe. Mostly a VM will suffice.

[proteus]

i see opinions have split. anyone wants to break the tie ? :)

[Revvell]

Might want to ask how long someone's been eating raw. USUALLY someone who has not been raw for long use those items more than those who have been. I got my stuff about 15 years ago when I first went raw. Well, except the VM ~ got the original one about that long ago; purchased a new one last year I think it was.

[sport]

I only use mine to dry seeds after soaking but I did use it to make crackers when I was beginning.

[DebB]

I have a mini (maybe 1-2 cups?) KA food processor and my work horse - the 11 cup Cuisinart FP. I've been looking at the 14 cup Cuisinarts, but my 11 cup will last for many more years. I've almost worn out the container to it (it came with a second one). I use my FP several times a week and for the way I do food prep and the meals I prepare, I would not want to be without it. If it conked out, I'd buy another one within the week., perhaps opting for the 14 cup size (which has a smaller work bowl included for smaller jobs).

I love having my 9 tray Excalibur (with timer), however I don't use it "a lot". I tend to stay away from a lot of breads and crackers because I have weight gain issues if I have too much of those types of things. I do a lot of dehydrating my soaked seeds & nuts. Yesterday my husband made 2 dehydrators full of beef jerky - so it's not just me using it for raw. Even though I don't use it often, I would not want to be without it. I like the 9 tray (I do have a 4 tray Excalibur) because when I do use it, lots of times I dehydrate many trays at once. For my purposes I love the timer and wouldn't want to be without it. I also have 9 Paraflex (non-stick) sheets - I wouldn't want to be without those.

If I had to replace my dehydrator - I'd look seriously at the Sedona by Tribest. Here's a comparison video done yesterday by John Kohler (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHjSHgG2nGk&feature=feedu). Hope this helps. *Ü*

[proteus]

I have a mini (maybe 1-2 cups?) KA food processor and my work horse - the 11 cup Cuisinart FP. I've been looking at the 14 cup Cuisinarts, but my 11 cup will last for many more years. I've almost worn out the container to it (it came with a second one). I use my FP several times a week and for the way I do food prep and the meals I prepare, I would not want to be without it. If it conked out, I'd buy another one within the week., perhaps opting for the 14 cup size (which has a smaller work bowl included for smaller jobs).

I love having my 9 tray Excalibur (with timer), however I don't use it "a lot". I tend to stay away from a lot of breads and crackers because I have weight gain issues if I have too much of those types of things. I do a lot of dehydrating my soaked seeds & nuts. Yesterday my husband made 2 dehydrators full of beef jerky - so it's not just me using it for raw. Even though I don't use it often, I would not want to be without it. I like the 9 tray (I do have a 4 tray Excalibur) because when I do use it, lots of times I dehydrate many trays at once. For my purposes I love the timer and wouldn't want to be without it. I also have 9 Paraflex (non-stick) sheets - I wouldn't want to be without those.

If I had to replace my dehydrator - I'd look seriously at the Sedona by Tribest. Here's a comparison video done yesterday by John Kohler (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHjSHgG2nGk&feature=feedu). Hope this helps. *Ü*

seems like some sort of obsession ;)

ps: i watched that video today, as i am subscribed to his youtube channel. that video is actually what prompted me to ask this question :)

[proteus]

Might want to ask how long someone's been eating raw. USUALLY someone who has not been raw for long use those items more than those who have been.

interesting. i thought the opposite was the case.

is that for both FP and dehydrator ?

i haven't been messing with raw for a long time and i never really felt the need for a dehydrator. at times i wanted a food processor.

but when i was looking to get ani phyo's cookbook i realized it relies heavily on those two appliances, which gave me the impression that as people spend more time on raw diet they start to get bored and look for different ways to prepare food ?

personally i think i would be just fine with what i already have. i can eat fruits whole, blend leafy stuff and juice hard items like carrots, beets and pumpkin.

my parents are a different story though. they actually tell me that eating an apple is a chore. they will not touch a smoothie unless it is very sweet and bright colored. but they love juice - they will even have celery and cabbage juice if its mixed with some sweet juice like apple or carrot.

i just don't like to see them cook food using heat. they understand the benefits of raw eating but they are mentally weak and they simply eat whatever tastes good to them. sometimes my father will even eat candy made with hydrogenated fat even though he knows what hydrogenated fat does to the body, and he knows that it is in that candy.

my first attempt to stop them from eating this crap was by taking over their shopping. i would buy my dad candy ( because he only wants to eat candy for the most part ) and make sure that it is relatively healthy to the extent candy can be healthy ( meaning no hydrogenated fat for the most part ). but this backfired pretty bad when since i was very hungry i would end up eating those candies myself. after an incident where i almost killed myself binging on his chocolate, candy and brownie supplies that i myself have bought earlier in the day i was forced to abort this plan. the experiment only lasted about 2 weeks.

then i got a juicer and it has been a HUGE success so far. they ask for juice every day. personally i didn't feel that i *needed* a juicer but i knew i could use it in my diet and i do drink juice now, but only about 1/3 of the juice i make - they take most of it, while i rely primarily on smoothies.

so with FP and dehydrator i am sort of looking for a similar outcome - something that would make parents have more healthy food and at the same time something i would also benefit from.

problem is i knew what juice is prior to getting a juicer because i had a cheap centrifugal juicer before and i knew everybody enjoyed juice from it - we simply didn't use the centrifugal because it was so inefficient that it was a waste of money using it. in case of food processor or dehydrator none of us have ever had one so it would be a total gamble.

if i get it and never use it myself that isn't necessarily a failure. however if i get it and none of us end up using it - that will be pretty bad !

[Aleesha Sattva]

many long term raw foodists eat very simply... hence no need for appliances... a good quality knife will suffice.

that said... i love having my appliances for when i do want to make something else. so i wouldn't give them up and yup... i'd buy them all again.

[proteus]

a good quality knife will suffice.

i disagree. i would say a blender and especially a juicer definitely can help you get more nutrients than you would be able to otherwise. i think with knife alone you are much more likely to end up deficient.

hunter gatherers despite being carnivores still consumed 100 grams of fiber per day. to get the same amount of nutrition with plants alone they would have to consume 200 grams of fiber per day yet anything above 50 grams a day is already pushing it. with a juicer we can stay within that 50 grams and get as much nutrition in as we want.

[Stina]

For the last 4 1/2 years I've been about 75% to 90% raw. Between the juicer, blender, dehydrator and food processor, I use my food processor the most, for sure. I get tired of pouring green smoothies down my throat. I digest better eating my food. For example, I just used my Cuisinart to blend dates, bananas and cinnamon to pour over raisins and cut up apples.

[drolemil]

I agree, the longer a person is involved with raw foods the less they rely on appliances other than their blender. I usually use my food processor a couple times a week, and my dehydrator a few times a month. My blender however is an everyday tool. ;D

Dehydrators aren't really that necessary, more like a luxury in my case (to make extra delicious marinated veggies, fruit leather, the occasional batch of cookies, etc).

I think a food processor is more useful than a dehydrator. Mine's a pretty old model I obtained from a yard sale and it works great. I use it to quickly chop/grate/combine ingredients and it's fab for building a quick salad or sweet (mmmm, grated apples w/ meyer lemon juice :heart:).

What I eat on a daily basis are green soups/smoothies/puddings, salads, and just whole/chopped fruit. I'm not much of a prepare-ahead-of-time person, so that's also a big factor as of why I only dehydrate every now and then.

HOWEVER, if you're aiming for a lifetime of vitality with raw foods like many of us are, I'd buy both the food processor and blender at some point. No need to rush your purchase, but it /does/ make your life in the kitchen easier and gives you more options on what to eat, as well inspiration for new recipes.

:goodday:

[proteus]

ok i think i am getting the picture :)

[DawnD]

I don't use my dehydrator every week but I make mass quantities when I use it. I like to keep flax crackers on hand. I get crates of mushrooms from time to time and can fill my 9 tray with marinated mushrooms (worth having a D for mmmm). I use a FP often. I have a 11 cup, a mini FP and a magic bullet. I use my vitamix 2-3 times a day, a must for me.

I am eating lighter the longer that I am raw especially in the AM but I rely on recipes for evening meals and to satisfy raw hubby.

I have Alissa's Chili warming in the D right now. Can't wait!

[Reesh]

I never lasted long on my raw stints before because I got bored. Not because of taste or texture, but because the process of making the food was just boring me to death. I didn't have a food processor, I didn't have a dehydrator, and you know what blender I had ;) For me creating meals is a creative process. If it's not enjoyable for me I won't last. The food process and the vitamix have made things significantly more interesting (as has Ani Phyo's cookbooks) and I look forward to having a dehydrator.

[ReneeH]

I teach Raw Demo and Alissa Cohen Classes, so I use my food processor and dehydrator on a daily basis. Honestly, I love them! When I choose to fast or eat simply, they both just sit there. But, I enjoy making specialty meals! I use my Vitamix on a daily basis because I eat a Smoothie just about every day.

I think it depends on the person. I applaud those who can eat simply all of the time, I guess I'm just not "there" yet.....sometimes though...

I hope that Alissa will sell a "good knife"! I agree with Aleesha...a must have, especially if you can't afford a Vitamix. Both would be even better! :throwhearts:

If I absolutely HAD to, I could live without the gadgets, though... But, I'm glad I've got them!

[proteus]

I use a FP often. I have a 11 cup, a mini FP and a magic bullet.

my father has a magic bullet. i hate it. he loves it.

what do you think of those cuisinart and magimix food processors that come with 2 or 3 different nested bowl sizes ? would you rather have 3 separate machines as you do or one machine with 3 bowl sizes ? in terms of cost i think it would be about the same for both options but i don't know which is more convenient ?

[Kindred]

I would use them if I knew how. I dont know how to cook (prepare meals) and everytime I try it doesnt end well. Some people can do it I guess and some people like me... well we cant.

If I knew how to use them to a level where i wasnt just making expensive gunk I would. I am getting sick of throwing away experimental meals :(

[I_am_there]

I am FP challenged. I own one and don't like it much unless it's making a spread. I've never figured out the grating thing and so on. I'm WAY more likely to use the vitamix.

Vitamix - necessity. FP - Eh. Dehydrator - Eh. I would like to get into my dehydrator more (after my 6 wk green smoothie stint!) and the kids enjoyed the kale chips and flax crackers. The pizza things have never appealed to me, the ultra-expensive nut dishes are not likely for me to do either.

I do like having the large dehydrator (9 tray) because I have a large family (6 kids - ages 3 to 15). I've been looking at my countertop space and realized I could have more by putting the 6qu KitchenAid Pro upstairs in the storage room since I only used it ONCE last year. I also put Mr. Coffee into retirement for a while. :)

[bananaberrie]

I have a dehydrator and I really enjoy making certain things in it. Raw granola being one of them. I would buy the thing all over again just to make raw granola....so good and filling. I do feel, however that the dehydrator is a bit of a luxury item for me, but I tend to be a "keep it simple" when it comes to kitchen items. But I like being able to take my own food with me when I go out so I don't get hungry and eat whatever because I got hungry and just needed to eat. So for me having raw granola and dried fruit handy is a big plus. I have 3 kids and if I take fruit they always end up eating it.

I also agree with you OP that sometimes I get bored and want to try something different and my dehydrator gives me that luxury.

I have also found that if you are going to get into dehydrating recipes it does pay to have a FP. I also have a magic bullet and like you...I don't feel the magic, but a friend of mine loves hers. I did however just order from amazon a FP, a Cuisinart 12 cup. It has the stacking bowels you were talking about in a previous post. I think they will come in really handy, but I can let you know in a few days :) I plan on making my own version of Larabars when it gets here, again something I can grab and take with me so I don't get hungry out and about.

I hope this helps.

[changeisgood]

When I first went raw I went to B&N to look at cookbooks - there is no way as a newbie that I could have made some of the elaborate meals and desserts. So that is when I kept it simple. I had a blender/FP and juicer to start and I kept it very simple. I still use it every day. Wether a GS in AM or a shake in the eve or preping something to go into the dehydrator since getting one and I love it and use it quite a few times a week,probably more - flax crackers are a staple in my diet - it's a blessing.
I've always loved to cook, so choosing different recipies and preparing them is fun for me.
There are days that I just want an apple orange or kiwi. The crispness, the sweetness, the juiciness, it's suits all my senses. Othertimes my body tells me I need more, and a salad just won't do.
I put away my toaster/oven and replaced it with my blender and juicer. My dehydrator is in another area off to the side of my kitcehn with easy access.
Since my husband is SAD, we also have two separate fridges !

[proteus]

Since my husband is SAD, we also have two separate fridges !

you can never have too much control over what you eat :)