Setting up your raw food kitchen can be easy and inexpensive with just a couple quality knives, a blender and a cutting board. Or you can dive into the world of making your own gourmet, raw food creations and use a variety of gadgets including dehydrators, mandolin slicers and juicers.

Here is a rundown of common kitchen essentials for the raw food enthusiast.

High Speed Blender

The most important, and most used, appliance in our kitchen is the blender. We use our blender several times each day to make green smoothies, raw “ice creams”, sauces, salsas, soups and even juices. We would have a hard time being on a raw food diet without a blender because it is so versatile!

I highly recommend the Blendtec Total Blender. It is a high-powered, top-of-the-line blender that is perfect for making many raw recipes, especially green smoothies. Vita-Mix is another quality blender that is popular. Any blender will do, but a high-end Blendtec blender will change your life!

Cost: Because a blender is so versatile and used with such frequency, I recommend buying the best one you can afford. Both Blendtec and Vita-Mix blenders cost around $400. Believe me, they pay for themselves very quickly. Any blender in the $100+ range should be adequate for smoothies, soups and other mixes. My first blender was a Cuisinart Duet that came with a blender and a food processor for just under $100 brand new. I still use the food processor along side my Blendtec.

Necessity: To me, a blender is essential for success on a raw food diet because you can do so much with it and a high-end machine will do the jobs of a simple juicer and food processor as well. It’s money well spent.

Juicer

A juicer is not necessarily a required piece of kitchen equipment for raw foodists, but I recommend getting one. To be honest, I came a little late to the whole green juice thing. Juicing is a great way to extract vitamins and minerals without the fiber in a smoothie. Plus they just taste amazing!

There are two common types of juicers, centrifugal and twin gear. Twin gear juicers are generally preferred by raw foodists because they don’t destroy as many nutrients and are less likely to heat up the juice. Either type, however, is fine since a less expensive centrifugal juicer doesn’t “cook” the juice and you’ll still get plenty of nutrients.

Cost: Juicers can be a bit pricey. A entry-level Jack LaLanne juicer starts at $100 retail with mid-range Champion juicers costing upwards of $250. High-end models like the Green Star can be closer to $500. If you are not sure if juicing is for you, get an entry level model or find used one and then upgrade from there if you feel juicing suits your raw food lifestyle.

Necessity: A juicer is not essential to a raw food diet, but many long term raw foodist swear by juicing for maximum health. It’s a nice appliance to have, but start with making green smoothies in your blender and if/when you can afford to, get a decent juicer to incorporate juices into your plan.

Dehydrator

A dehydrator is a wonderful tool for making raw convenience foods such as dried fruits, granola cereals, cookies, “breads”, crackers, nut-burgers, desserts, wraps and more. The most popular dehydrator for raw foodists is the Excalibur because it has a thermostat. Unfortunately, most dehydrators on the market do not have temperature controls and their heating elements get too hot, heating your raw foods above enzyme-preserving temperatures.

Cost: An entry-model, 4-tray “no frills” Excalibur dehydrator retails for under $150 with larger models quickly climbing into the $250+ range. This isn’t really a bad price at all considering that it will basically replace your oven with the types of raw foods it will make possible.

An inexpensive Ronco dehydrator retails for under $40 at most department stores, but it will not dry foods at “raw” temperatures. I tested mine and it heated up to 160 degrees.

Necessity: A dehydrator is useful for making snacks for when you are on the go or for recreating raw versions of cooked food. It’s perfect for when you are transitioning to a raw or high-raw diet.

Food Processor

A food processor is essential for making nut pates, sauces, salsas and nut butters or for grinding up seeds, especially if you do not have a high-end Blendtec or Vita-Mix blender. They are also handy for quickly shredding, chopping and slicing too.

Cost: Food processors are inexpensive and sometimes come bundled with blenders. A quality 4-cup food processor usually retails for about $40-50. Generally, the higher capacity of the food processor, the more it will cost you. I find that a 4-cup is generally sufficient for a single person or couple. If you are making raw foods for a family, you might consider spending a little more on a 7+ cup model.

Necessity: If you already have a high-end blender, you might not need a food processor unless you make a lot of nut pates. I find that a food processor does a better job of making nut butters and hummus too. Since they are inexpensive, you should add this to your kitchen.

Sprouting Jars/Kits

You will want to set up a little sprouting station so that you can sprout lentils, beans, seeds and grains for a variety of raw recipes and for the nutrients they contain. Sprouting kits can be as simple (cheap) or complex (expensive) as you want.

Cost: Commercial sprouting stations can be pricey but simple glass mason jars with a screen lid can be had for a couple dollars if you don’t already have them on hand. In a pinch, attaching porous cloth over the mouth of a jar or other container will be sufficient for sprouting.

Necessity: Minerals and protein are abundant in sprouted grains and legumes, but you don’t need to pay a lot of money for a sprouting station. Stick to the mason jars and you’ll be sprouting on a dime!

Spiral, Mandolin and Julienne Slicer

Spiral Slicer: While not a raw food kitchen essential, a spiral slicer will allow you to turn zucchini and yellow squash into long noodles for a raw version of spaghetti. It is satisfying to wind up healthy, vegetable noodles slathered with a raw, homemade marinara sauce on your fork! Use it with carrots or anything else too!

Julienne Slicer: Also not an essential, a julienne slicer will allow you to thinly slice vegetables and make matchstick carrots. It’s great for making raw coleslaw and “noodle” dishes.

Mandolin Slicer: A mandolin slicer allows you to make thin slices of produce. It’s perfect for making chips (which you will dehydrate) or for other, delicate raw creations. Some mandolin slicers (like the Swissmar-Borner brand pictured right) also have a julienne blade which eliminates the need for a separate gadget.

Cost: These simple slicer gadgets won’t be expensive. I’ve seen them at kitchen stores and online for as little as $25 each. A good mandolin slicer will probably be more expensive than a spiral slicer.

Necessity: Okay, I consider these luxury items, but seriously, a spiral slicer is totally worth the $25 if it means I can eat a raw spaghetti. If I had to choose between the three, I’d pick up a $50 mandolin slicer that comes with a julienne blade. It’s the best of both worlds and more versatile.

Other Equipment

Cutting Board: A large, quality cutting board makes raw food prep easier and mess-free. I use a large one where I can open coconuts, cut large pineapples and prepare a bunch of smoothie ingredients all at once. The type of cutting board you need is up to you. Plastic is easiest to clean but scratches easily and begins to look dingy quickly. Wood requires a little more care. Bamboo is the most eco-friendly option, but a little more expensive.

Mixing Bowls: Large mixing bowls are good to have on hand (and you probably already do) for making all sorts of raw goodies.

Quality Knives: You will be doing a lot of peeling, chopping and cutting, so use knives that are sharp and proper for the job. A sharp, quality kitchen knife makes your job easier and minimizes your chance of cutting yourself. Ceramic knives are supposedly better for cutting fruit and other produce as the blade reduces oxidation while cutting.

Heavy Cleaver: If you fall in love with young Thai coconuts, you’ll want a quality, weighted cleaver so that you can easily open them.

Coffee Grinder: A coffee grinder will come in handy for grinding up seeds like flax and sesame as well as cacao and dried Goji berries before adding them to smoothies or other recipes.

Nut Milk Bag: A nut milk bag will allow you to make creamy milk using nuts and water in your blender. You will then use the bag to strain the mixture and separate the pulp from the liquid.

When it comes to setting up your raw food kitchen, think about what you eat the most and invest in the equipment and appliances that will give you the best, long-lasting results. You can always add additional kitchen gadgets later on.

Source: incredibleraw.com