by Nikou

Created on: September 08, 2010

Equipping the Vegan Kitchen

When first starting to cook vegan, it can be intimidating. Suddenly, all the tips and trick you used to use don't work anymore. Knowing how to tenderize a tough steak isn't useful, nor is the tip on separating eggs. You will also find your equipment needs to change, along with everything else. I am going to tell you the basic items you need to successfully cook vegan, without a lot of headache. These are the things I use everyday in my own kitchen, and, I believe, are well worth the time and money spent to obtain.

Equipment

Heavy Duty Blender - I personally recommend the Vita-Mix (mine is a 5200 series, but even an older one is great). These are commercial quality blenders, and have lifetime guarantees. The only reason I have a new one is my Grandma won't give me hers... She's still using it, even after 30 years. You will be blending things, and you want them to blend smooth. You can drive yourself crazy with a cheap blender, or invest in a good one that will serve you for a long time. Do your research, ask people for their opinions, and don't settle for an 'OK' one.

Food Processor - If you don't get a Vita-Mix, you will probably need a food processor. I have had one, and right now I don't. There are things that are better done in this, but a Vita-Mix will handle those tasks quite well. You can chop vegetables quickly, crumb bread, make pesto, and a dozen other tasks. If you skimp on the blender, then you need to get a food processor. This is a time saver, though not necessary for quality of food.

Juicer - If you like to drink a lot of juice, this is an important piece of equipment. A Vita-Mix can blend all your fruits (and vegetables) into juice also, but if you don't like pulp, then you'd better get a good juicer. Look for one that is easy to take apart, and that captures all the pulp in an easy to empty receptacle. If you like citrus juice, then get a heavy duty press juicer. Then you can just cut the fruit in half, and juice it. Peeling mounds of oranges every morning is not a pleasant task, and cleaning a press juicer is generally quicker than an ordinary juicer.

Stand Mixer - Again, an optional piece of equipment, but it saves time. I don't have one (my kitchen isn't big enough), though I've had one in the past. It is nice if you make your own bread on a regular basis, and can help with mixing other things up. But you can skip this if you have some of the other basics discussed above.

Gadgets

Garlic Press - If you like garlic,

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