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Inexpensive appliances?

I’m very new to raw foods and have been scouring the net for info, and it seem s a lot of recipes are calling for dehydrators, juicers, blenders, food processors, etc. Plus, it seems that the blenders and whatnot are $300-$400 for the VitaMix and similar quality.

Do I really need top of the line appliances for this, or will a nice trip to the thrift stores and craigslist still work just fine?

Also, I live in Phoenix and the farmers markets aren’t that great, and Whole Foods costs too much. What do those of you on a more limited budget do to stay raw? I’ve already intentionally simplified my life quite a bit, so the common “Simplify!” response won’t be of much help.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Comments

  • I would say “pick your battles”. You will be thankful for a decent blender – you just can’t make a good smoothie without it. The Vitamix is the superstar but my Cuisinart does the job and cost 1/3 of the price. I purchased a medium grade juicer and it works fine. My food processor is also mid-priced and does everything that I need it to do. I haven’t purchased my dehydrator yet but am saving for the Excalibur. That is just my choice. It isn’t difficult to find a dehydrator but it is challenging to find one with a temperature control. There is a cute little unit on the market made by Nesco that has a temp control. You can pick it up for about $60-$70. There are lots of people on this site that swear by it.

    So, in a nutshell, I would spend decent money on the blender and the dehydrator but haunt the thrift stores for a food processor and juicer.

    Good luck.

  • michigan romanmichigan roman Raw Master

    belows a link to a good thread on budgeting on raw =

    http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=225…;38 ..

    and on appliances ive seen all kinds of people buy everything to start then a year later only use their blender occasionally . the blenders big draw is for those that like smoothies and almond milk , but ive just a cheap blender and it does the job . so to me the high end blenders are a luxury and not needed .

    and being in phoenix you could make a giant outdoor solar dehydrator for pennies , ide search at www.motherearthnews.com and www.organicgardening.com .. for designs . and with a big solar dehydrator one could make huge batches of sun dried fruits and vegis in order to cheaply make fruit or vegi with nut and seed trail mix foods .

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    We went raw when we were on a tiny non existent budget. We buy our food processors at second hand shops. We get our blenders for

  • Hey zoe hopefully you will see this, Just wanted to say thanks for the e3live tip, we are eating so much less in my household because of it. Its weird and amazing all at the same time.

    OMNITHOUGHT: this could be just a suggestion for you also to try the E3live. it will cut the grocery bill in half not to mention all the other great benefits.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    Oh that is great ardesmond, yes it is totally weird isn’t it. I just can’t believe how little I am eating, how much energy I have and how good I feel, am a very happy girl ;)

    Especially now that I switched from the Klamath and the blue manna which is v.v. expensive to spirulina which is v.cheap and the effects are far greater, ha ha!

  • msrawdivamsrawdiva Raw Newbie

    i live in the phoenix area, too. i’ve subscribed to a local farm for produce from http://www.localharvest.org/csa

    i hit sprouts a LOT when some things are on sale…for instance, their grapes were $.29/lb last month, and i jsut got some good d’anjou pears for $.99/lb – a pound was 2.5 pears. they also always have raw nuts for sale – in their bulk section.

    i also got some things from trader joe’s like their raw almond butter and their freaky veggies, like the black cherry tomatoes and persian cucumbers.

    have you hit the farmer’s markets yet?

    and come through the east valley to pick your own citrus fruit from people’s trees – we got about 17lbs or oranges for $5…people NEED their fruit to be picked, so they supply you with the manual pickers and sell your picks to you.

    all this combined with deals on amazon keep me frugal.

    oh, yeah…someone on craiglist is ALWAYS selling a dehydrator in the phx are, so check it out.

  • msrawdiva -

    Excellent advice! Where do I find out about the personal farms?

  • Wow the personal farms sounds great msrawdiva. & to the posts above that I really hope I can find some reasonably priced gear because college is already taking enough from my pocket at the moment.

  • msrawdivamsrawdiva Raw Newbie

    go to http://www.localharvest.org/csa

    it should work!

  • Thanks for that URL, I’ve emailed the local one trying to see if I could get more info because I’m still not fully sure what it is all about. How does the one in your area exactly work?

  • msrawdivamsrawdiva Raw Newbie

    they sent me an application by email. i would pay about $200 or so for 12 weeks of produce – i believe they guarantee at least 10 lbs weekly and they have a chart giving what normally comes during that particualr quarter. if you join after the start date, they prorate the price. they either deliver, depending on where you live, or you pick up. you can also get a compost bag to put the scraps in and turn them in every week with delivery/pickup.

    here’s my local farm info:

    http://www.desertrootsfarm.com

    http://www.localharvest.org/csa/M6736

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    http://www.cookware.com/asp/show_detail.asp?sku…

    there’s a cheap vegetable noodle maker, if you’re in the market.

  • jsorensens2jsorensens2 Raw Jr. Superstar

    msrawdiva – Thanks for the info on local organic farmers! You’re a wealth of info! I’m going to trial a trial membership if they have room for me. Here’s the link again for others to find local organic farmers in their area. http://www.localharvest.org/csa

  • msrawdivamsrawdiva Raw Newbie

    oh gosh! you are very welcome. it’s great to be of some help after all the help i’ve received from this site. funny thing is – i’m SO embarrassed about my spelling in my initial post! i was in a training class and sneaking on this site…lol!

    i’m always sneaking on this site.

    winona…that’s a cute device…i’d love to splurge on it! but, did you see this one:

    World Cuisine 200100 – Rouet Spiral Veggie Slicer

    The Rouet spiral vegetable slicer cuts vegetables and fruits into curly, ribbon-like slices. By placing the vegetable or fruit on the prongs of the wheel and turning the wheel while pushing the base toward the vertical julienne blade, continuous spiral strands and curled julienne strips are created. This vegetable slicer is equipped with multiple blades… (See Full Description)

    OUR PRICE: $324.71 Original Price: $650.00 You Save: $325.29 (50%) SKU #WCS1441 Seen this item for less?

    WOW!!!!! have i seen it for less? how about i’ve never seen a slicer that expensive! lol!

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