Essential Kitchen Equipment for the Raw Foodist

You have decided to become a person who consumes raw foods only, a rawist, but are not sure what equipment one needs. This article contains eight kitchen items that one uses to prepare food. All of these items can be found at any kitchen equipment store or even online, Amazon is a good place to start. You may even have a few items already in your kitchen and do not even realize it.

A good knife. This is the most important item any rawist or cook should have as it is the most basic and most used item in the kitchen. A variety of knives can speed up any job. A good knife can be purchased from $50 to $100, though there are more expensive sets out there. Choose a set that will fit your needs.

Dehydrator. This is in essence the rawist oven. Any food that has been prepared under 120 degrees (though there are some that argue 118 degrees) is still considered raw and maintains the food's nutritional value. This means that the dehydrator can make breads, crackers or even nut burgers. This machine removes water from food, thus it can be also used to create healthy snacks such as fruit leather. Price ranges from $40 up to $150 depending on all of the attachments and size one needs.

Salad Spinner. This small piece of equipment removes water from freshly washed fruit and veggies to save time from doing it by hand. Can be purchased in the range of $20 to $30.

Juicer. Just as the name implies, this machines makes quick work to produce good quality and great tasting juices. Some models also even use the rind, skin and seeds to help boost the vitamin content of the drink.

Vita-Mix Blender. This is one of the most expense items that a rawist has in their arsenal (costing about $500). This machine is several machines in one from a food processor to a blending to a juicer. It may be a wise investment to purchase such a piece to save one purchasing several different pieces of kitchen equipment. If this item is too much of an investment to start, then a high quality blender will also work and they can be found in the price range of $20 to $100.

Spiral Slicer. Though not required, it is a fun product to have to create different shapes of foods to shake things up a bit. It is also fun to make "spaghetti" vegetables. Otherwise, a mandolin is a good item to have in your arsenal as it will give you a uniform slice and thickness every time which is especially good when used in conjunction with a dehydrator. Prices range for these products from $20 to $40.

Sprouter. This device again does as the name implies, it sprouts nuts and seeds. Rawists know that sprouted nuts and sprouts are more nutritious and easier to digest, but can be a pain as they have to be watched daily. With a sprouter, you simply put follow its instructions and in one to three days, you can have sprouts.

There are many more products that can be used and purchased, but this should be a good starting point for anyone.