I know this is a topic some of you have been waiting for me to cover for a long time. And I have to say I’m sorry for not doing it sooner! I have pretty much all the kitchen gadgets I need (and then some!) by this point so it’s definitely time I share this with you.
I’ve made two parts, one for kitchen appliances and one for gadgets and list them in order of most used and loved. And yes I do love some of my kitchen appliances because they make my job SO much easier. And who doesn’t love that right?
I also wanted to share blog recipes using each of these gadgets so you can get some new recipe ideas as well so be sure to check out the links below. 🙂
Part 1: Top 12 Kitchen Appliances For Your Vegan Kitchen
1. Vitamix ($400-$500) / Omni Power Blender ($300)
So the Vitamix is probably my first love. I’ve wanted one for most of my life (it was my dream as a child every time I saw the Vitamix demos at the trade shows – strange I know!) as I’ve always loved fresh fruit (no dairy!) smoothies, sorbets, fruit ice creams and blended soups. When I first got serious about eating raw and vegan food it was the first purchase I made and I haven’t looked back since. I know it’s very pricey, but what I recommend is saving about $10/week or $40/month towards one, and after a year you’ll have enough to purchase one on Amazon or Ebay. Older models can be had for about $350. This hands down is my most used appliance and it cannot be beat for the fact that is produces the smoothest green smoothies and pureed soups and sauces and it doesn’t break! Oh you can try, but I bet you you can’t break this motor. To me it’s just not worth going through a new $50-$100 blender every few months burning it out trying to blend frozen fruits and thick dips, so the Vitamix has been a great investment for me personally, plus it saves time in the kitchen. Instead of blending and stirring, blending and stirring (which can take 5-10 min with a regular blender in all) in 30-90 seconds I am totally done blending and either eating or finishing my recipe!
Another option is the Omni Power Blender – it is essentially a Vitamix knockoff (they are not happy about this) and I have used one once and it was pretty decent for blending. It is high power and seems durable, but it does not puree green smoothies as quickly or as smooth as the Vitamix. I would say it’s a not bad option if you like to do lots of blending but the Vitamix is too out of reach. It also has a plunger which I find is essential for anyone wanting to make dips or banana ice-cream. Sure some people love the Blendtec but I am not a fan of a blender without a tamper that has too many preprogrammed functions to figure out how to use. (Saving your pennies + having a garage sale this summer can help raise some funds for some much needed kitchen gadgets too)
Vitamix Recipes:
Chocolate Cherry Blender Ice-cream, Banana Berry Acai Bowl, Vitamineral Green Smoothie, Holiday Eggnog Smoothie, How to Make Perfect Green Smoothies, Avocado Green Smoothie, Cherry Mango Love Smoothie, Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad, The Best Caesar Salad Dressing, Mexican Black Bean Corn Soup, Creamy Raw Vegan Mexican Cilantro Corn Soup, Dr. Fuhrman’s Anti Cancer Soup, Spaghetti Marinara With Chickpeas, Summer Harvest Soup,
2. Zojirushi Rice Cooker ($139-$159) / Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker ($41)
I will confess I was a user of $10 rice cookers for much of my rice cooking period. When I first discovered them at the discount store I was intrigued, cooking regular rice instead of microwaving pre cooked rice or using Uncle Ben’s minute rice? I used it, but often it would keep resetting leaving me with undercooked or still watery rice and sometimes even burned crispy rice on the bottom. Not good. So when I heard about the Zojirushi (and then saw the price) I scoffed, how good does a rice cooker need to be? And then I tried it… and holy mackerel I was hooked. I use my Zojirushi probably 3-4 times a week for all my rice and quinoa dishes (and steel cut oats too). What I like about it is I can pre program it to start at any particular time or just hit it an hour before I start dinner (for white rice, or 2 hours for brown rice) This is great when I don’t know what I’m making yet, I have time to decide whether i’m going with stir fried vegetables, lentils, beans, curry, and more. The Zojirushi also has some special features in that you can make porridge (steel cut oats), 1 pot meals with it (comes with some recipes), bake cake (it’s true!) and use different types of mixed rice, brown rice or sweet (dessert) rice recipes.
An inexpensive alternative is the Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker which my mom has and I use it when I visit her place. It has a white rice, a whole grain (for brown rice) setting, boil and simmer function. So you can cook both rice and/or vegetables in it. It does have a delay starter which is handy and I have used it to cook steel cut oats by programming it to start before I wake up in the morning. It’s a very good option, just doesn’t have as many bells and whistles and is much bigger than the Zojirushi so it takes up more counter space.
Rice Cooker Recipes:
How To Cook Brown Rice, How To Cook Basmati Rice, Greek Rice Stuffed Peppers, Greek Stuffed Eggplant, How To Cook Sushi Rice, California Rolls, Asian Vegetable Stir Fry With Tahini Sauce, Chickpea Quinoa Burgers with Lemon and Thyme, How To Cook Steel Cut Oats, How To Cook Quinoa, Protein Packed Spinach Salad With Quinoa, Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats
3. EZ Bean Cooker ($100) / Nesco Digital Pressure Cooker ($75) / Presto Stovetop Pressure Cooker ($50)
I’m fairly new to using pressure cookers, I’ve only been using them for about 2 years now but they are one of my favorite devices because #1 they are fast, and #2 you can cook almost anything in them. Potatoes, beans, lentils, grains, vegetable broth and more. Many people feel leery about pressure cookers imagining they are some sort of potentially exploding kitchen contraption, but please please have no fear. Dangerous pressure cookers are more old wives tales that could have only occurred with the old “jiggle top” style of pressure cooker. The ones these days come in two varieties, stove top and electrical plug in style (just like a rice cooker). I prefer the new digital pressure cooker style and just recently got an EZ Bean Cooker which is like the ultimate pressure cooker as it’s totally preprogrammed for every type of bean or lentil you would like to cook – which means NO soaking time. Yep! No overnight soaking, no taking all day to cook beans. Your beans will be done between 30-70 minutes due to cooking under high pressure. This in itself is invaluable as there’s no more need for canned beans and dried beans are so much cheaper. The Ez Bean Cooker also has a manual mode so you can use it to cook any other items you like, just program in the time to cook.
Another alternative is the Nesco Digital Pressure Cooker which you can cook everything you desire in, but you’ll need to use a pressure cooking chart to determine how long to cook the food you desire. And finally the Presto Stovetop Pressure Cooker is a great low cost option, but it’s best for gas stoves. I don’t recommend it for electric stoves as it’s hard to control the temperature (as you have to bring it to a boil and then lower it to cook with steady steam and the stove rings can retain heat for too long to do this) It also comes with a handy pressure cooking book with times and a few recipes which is very handy to have at your finger tips.
Pressure Cooker Recipes:
How To Cook Chickpeas, How To Make Homemade Vegetable Broth, Kik Alicha (Ethiopian Split Pea Stew), Holiday Yam Pecan Casserole, Vegan Avocado Dill Potato Salad and of course mashed potatoes and any recipes requiring cooked beans or lentils.
4. Ninja Cooking System ($130)/ Hamilton Beach Crock Pot (Slow Cooker) ($50)
The Ninja Cooking System is a fancy slow cooker with many more bells and whistles. You can cook in it just like a pot on the stove, it comes with a non stick pan which means easy clean up and you can sauté and brown any items you like before turning on the slow cooker setting. It also comes with a small cake pan and a wire rack so you can bake or roast in it dry just like an oven! I like using it for my chilli recipes and slow cooked vegetable stews and bean dishes.
A cheaper alternative is the Hamilton Beach Crock Pot, which can still be programmed with desired cook time on high or low and comes with a glazed ceramic insert to cook in. I like this size as it’s generally large enough to make dishes that serve 6 people. It’s definitely useful in the summer when you don’t want to heat up your house cooking, or set it and forget it Sunday recipes.
Slow Cooker Recipes:
Vegan French Split Pea Slow Cooker Soup, Slow Cooker Indian Dal Soup With Mixed Vegetables, Indian Tarka Dal Curry,
5. Cuisineart Food Processor ($100)
For some recipes, a simple food processor is required. I like to use mine to quickly shred root vegetables, slice cabbage or zucchini rounds, pulse nuts, make veggie burgers, hummus and black bean brownies. If you’re into raw food recipes or making your own dips a food processor is a must have kitchen item. It also works well when you don’t have a high powered blender and you need to puree thick mixtures.
Food Processor Recipes:
Low Fat Chickpea Hummus, Sweet Potato Yammus Hummus, Smoky Yam Black Bean Burgers, Chickpea Quinoa Burgers with Lemon and Thyme, Black Bean Brownie Recipe, Tahini Dip For Falafel, Vegan Cheesecake with Blueberry Rooibus Compote,
6. Breville Juicer ($150) / Green Star Juicer ($465-$529)
A juicer is something you may be interested in if you like to make fresh juices or Dr. Fuhrman style recipes. He starts many recipes off with fresh carrot and celery juice and a decent juicer is a quick way to get loads of nutrition from veggies you might otherwise not eat or not be able to chew. I have a Breville juicer and I like it because it’s easy to clean and the cup it comes with scrapes off the juice foam which is quite handy. For those who are concerned about centrifugal juicer and want a gentler way to extract nutrients from veggies a Green Star juicer is a great choice. It’s also the best way to juice wheatgrass and greens. (They don’t fair so well in a centrifugal juicer)
Juicer Recipes:
Pomegranate Apple Grape Juice, Kale Apple Celery Juice, Apple Celery Carrot Beet Juice, Fruit and Veggie Smoothie With Beet Juice, How To Make Dr. Fuhrman’s Anti Cancer Soup
7. Proctor-Silex Coffee Grinder ($14)
This one is absolutely essential, but not for what you think! I don’t even drink coffee, nor have I ever ground coffee. What I use it for is grinding chia seeds, flax seeds, small quantities of nuts and whole spices to make my own spice mix. It’s invaluable to have as it’s often cheaper to buy these items whole and then grind them yourself so then you have both the whole seed/spice and a ground version for quickly using in recipe. I like to add ground chia to my Banana Pancakes, smoothies, and sometimes salad dressings (it makes it thicken nicely). I don’t like buying ground chia or flax in the store because it perishes quickly and then you have to store it in freezer which can take up a lot of space, so I prefer to grind 1/2-1 cup batches at a time and keep them in smaller containers in the freezer for ease of use. A coffee grinder is easy to pick up at any kitchen store so make sure you have one.
Coffee Grinder Recipes:
Punjabi Garam Masala Spice Recipe, Dr. Fuhrman’s Cinnamon Fruit Oatmeal, The Best Ever Vegan Banana Pancakes,
8. Hamilton Beach Sandwich Maker ($23)
You may scoff at the idea of needing a sandwich maker, and truth is you don’t really need one, but if you have one you’ll enjoy making oil-free toasted sandwiches, panini, and more. I like to slather some homemade hummus on bread and add sautéed veggies such as onions, mushrooms, zucchini, peppers and more and grill it (no oil) so it comes out all toasty and melty and delicious. Get creative and use your favorite veggies, raw or cooked and favorite dip to create an easy meal.
Sandwich Maker Recipes:
Engine 2 Inspired Tempeh Mushroom Melts
9. Cuisinart Hand Blender ($35)
A hand blender is super handy (ok I know) to use for a variety of reasons. When I travel and can’t take my Vitamix with me, I can bring my hand blender as it’s stowable and easy to pack. You can make smoothies on the go wherever you are. At home it’s nice to make blended sauces and soups straight in the pot (instead of moving everything into a blender to puree) in a matter of seconds.
10. Procter-Silex Electric Kettle ($14.50)
An electric kettle is great to use to save on time for cooking pasta. Just boil your water and then pour it into the pot and return to a boil to easily chop your cooking time in half. I also use my kettle to make rooibus or herbal tea on a cold fall/winter day.
11. Black & Decker Toaster ($35)
You probably already have a toaster, but it’s nice to have to quickly toast some bread for toast and jam, toasted sandwiches, breakfast bagels, or even toasted buns for homemade veggie burgers.
12. Presto Air Popper Popcorn Maker ($20)
Who doesn’t love popcorn? I skip the the microwaved popcorn and prefer to make my own in an air popper so it’s oil free. Then I use a mister to spray on a little soy sauce and season with spices. Nutritional yeast, paprika, chipotle powder, salt and pepper are all great choices for your oil free pop corn.
So there you have it, my list for the top 12 “Must Have” Kitchen Appliances for your vegan kitchen.
What is your most beloved small kitchen appliance? Which one do you want to get next?
Hello!
I am moving to semi-raw nutrituon (after 11 years of being vegetarian). I was looking for the articles like this, as I have to re-arrange my kitchen. What do you think of dehydrators? I refused wheats as well, and now I need to find alternative cracker recipes (for dips and spreads). Thank you!
I’ve noticed on tv on shopping channels people raving about “air fryers.” I’ve also noticed a lot of Indian recipes to use in this device. Any comments on it?
no sorry, i don’t fry foods or use fryers.
Veronica, while I have never used an air-fryer, I know it does not really fry food. It is used by many no oil WFPB cooks. It is supposed to circulate the heat better when you oven bake fries.
I prefer to use my oven, I have a convection setting if needed. But I’m not going to buy an air fryer to try and make oil free “fryer” foods, I don’t eat fries that often so for me it would be another gadget to take up room. I have so many already.
Thanks so much for all you’ve done the Whole Food Plant Based world!
For my 2 cents: I love my Oster Versa, high powered blender. It is 1500watts, has a “pusher”, and has a 6 year warranty. A great buy for half the price (at least) as the Vitamix. The main reason I purchased it though is that the Vitamix is very tall and wouldn’t fit under my kitchen cabinets whereas the Versa just slides under although I have to put the lid in the cupboard! It was important to me that when not in use, I could push the appliance out of the way.
The other thing I could never part with is my Instant Pot. I use it at least once a day but sometimes 3-4 times a day. It makes the best rice I can imagine (brown basmati, Jasmine, wild, any kind), quinoa, barley, etc. I just love it. I cook all my dry beans in it and they come out perfectly. I also love to make a batch of yukon potatoes twice a week…..and love to eat them with the cheese sauce from your site (yukon, zucchini, etc — yum!). Of course I make that cheese sauce with my Versa too. I also love that I can saute with my Instant Pot, I can slow cook in it, and I can also lower the pressure and cook broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, etc. perfectly in 3-4 min. It’s so easy to make oatmeal, steel oats, kamut, & buckwheat oats in just minutes. It’s just the most versatile appliance I’ve ever had. At my church’s rummage sale this summer, I gave them my rice cooker and Fodor pressure cooker which I always disliked.
Life is good in a well-equipped kitchem!
and you so much!
Good tips and product ideas, thanks! I have one more. I used to have one of those air poppers and was never happy with the popcorn it made as it always came out so dry. Like eating desert air. I found this one at aldis and it is super perfect. Inexpensive, easy clean up, bpa free and works like a charm. I tried to post a picture but it would not let me so I am putting in a link. Aldis does not always have them so if you ever see them grab one for yourself and a couple for Christmas gifts. They featured them a couple of weeks ago so there might still be a few left in som stores. You won’t be disappointed.
http://offers.kd2.org/pics/9c/3f/9c3f5631423e087d05f5fe159c380d92a72967bf.jpg
One more thing, I also have a glass microwave popcorn maker. That one does not do nearly as good a job as this plastic one from aldis.
Great gadgets! I have one that replaces the rice maker, slow cooker and pressure cooker and I use it a lot!!! I cook beans and then make rice. I have two bowls! I found one extra pot that is stainless. It’s the Fagor 670040230 Stainless-Steel 3-in-1 6-Quart Multi-Cooker!!! Thanks for the tips!!!
wow thanx much am getting started now
I just ordered the bean cooker. It’s exactly what I wanted, and I didn’t know they made it. Thanks!
Thanks Veronica I have almost all gadgets except slow cooker my old one not working most of the time now a days I use my pressure that’s also good enough but my lentils and beans have to be soaked thanks Are air fryers of any help!!
As I don’t cook in oil, I have never used an air fryer, nor do I want to get in the habit of looking to make my own fried foods sorry.
I’ll chime in from the 2015 newsletter I just received. I use the Magic Bullet (had it for YEARS and have one in the travel trailer) for grinding flax, etc. as well as small amounts of processing. Love my Blendtec (also have a Vitamix.) They each have a few things that the other doesn’t do as well. Immersion blender! Thanks for the travel tip.
Thanks for the quick list – Some I have, some I wish for (Vitamix of course). One comment about food processor’s. I have the one pictured the Cuisinart Pro Classic – its a great Food processor with a strong motor – my biggest bug about it since going Vegan is that the working bowl is too small. Contacted manufacturer and there is no larger bowl size for this model. Making larger recipes is a bit of a pain. Looking at getting a larger capacity one (11-12 cup) in the near future.
Love this! Thanks so much for all the great tips!
? The EZ Bean cooker- does it solve the gassiness problem that usually can only be resolved by first discarding the soak water and then also pouring off the froth from the first 15 minutes of cooking beans???
Thanks! 🙂
I have had and used a Vitamix for many years, but just recently sold it on Craig’s List and bought a Ninja Pro Blender System. I liked the Vitamix but like the Ninja more.
I recently bought a spiralizer. They are not expensive, and you can make so many wonderful “pasta” dishes using zucchini,cucumber, daikon etc…thanks for all your great tips and recipies!
All these appliances look like lots of fun. I avoid cookin in plastic or aluminum. Do you have any ideas for non plastic appliances?
WOW! Love your website. First thing I received was about the needed small appliances. I can hardly wait for the gadgets. I’ve always been a “gadget queen”! I was a vegan in the 90’s for about 6 or 7 years. Then I slipped back to the SAD, although I still would eat vegan on occasion. In 2011 I was diagnosed with estrogen positive Breast cancer and I made the decision to go back being a vegan and doing raw foods as well. Only difference now is that I have to avoid soy products. For years I have had a vita mix starting with the stainless Stella container I have a more modern one now. There is no comparison to blended or montes noisy machine. Vitamix is the best. They used to let you put it on lay-a-way and may still do that. I liked your idea O’s saving $10 a week for 10 months. If anyone lives in a city with a Costco Warehouse or even Whole Foods market, they have demos several times a years and offer a great price – especially Costco. I have a rice cooker but I’m ready to go back to the zojhiroushi. I am interested in the pressure cooker as well I do have the Cuisinart food processor and love it. Thanks for all the suggestions and recipes. You are a blessing! Glad I found your website!!
What do you use for a mister?
She seems to have it all together, probably doesn’t need a mister!
Do you think she meant “mixer”?
No idea. Maybe she meant mister for oil? Which I don’t do
If you have a vitamix, do you also need a food processor?
If you have a slow cooker, do you also need a rice cooker?
If you have a vitamix and an instapot pressure cooker, do you need a slow cooker and all the other things?
Seems like there will be so many things on my counter and NO room for the food. I am overwhelmed!!
Can you please simplify and prioritize? What is absolutely a must and what are the nice to haves…?
Yes I need a Vitamix for smoothies and sauces. I need a food processor to shred lettuce, to pulverize nuts, to quick chop raw broccoli for salad. Slow cooker and rice cooker are two different things, one is for stew one is for rice. Why have a rice cooker? Because you set it and walk away and get perfect rice. Or you could try and cook it on the stove, hope it doesn’t burn and watch it constantly. I prefer to focus on the rest of the dish.
I don’t keep these things except the Vitamix on my counter. There’s no need to be overwhelmed you would only likely use 1 or 2 appliances a day. It’s not like I have a factory going on in my kitchen. I use things to save time depending on the recipe. Slow cooker is great for cooking food later, pressure cooker is for cooking food asap.
I used to make fun of rice cookers and sandwich makers, since you can do both on the stove… but I might just be tempted to get both: I ruined a pot cooking brown basmati rice when the water boiled off. Also, when I make a grilled sandwich in a skillet, when I have to flip it, veggies come flying out.
Ah, if only you US folk could buy a Thermomix!! One appliance that does (pretty much) all of the above and then some!!
Thermomix is far too expensive for the average person to buy and most won’t use something that requires a lot of trial and error to figure out how to use.
Wow that’s a lot of tools! We have almost all of them! Woohoo!
I had already written you, but I will try again. I don’t need to lose weight, but I do need to lower my cholesterol and my blood pressure. I am so happy to have found you because your cooking is down to earth. some things I can’t find yet, but I will. I make my own sour dough bread without oil and eggs. I use King Arthur unbleached flour, is that a bad thing??? I am a little overwhelmed with all the things I have to learn and buy, but I am very motivated, thanks to you. I will try the brown rice the way you do, the only thing I did different was cook it longer, and didn’t let it sit for 10 min. Hope this goes thrue this time. I will buy your book as asap
Thanks for these invaluable tips. My vegan journey is going to be better for all this information.
Thank you so much! Came at the most perfect timing.
I am blender shopping, I guess I know what one to go for now. Was on the fence between the Vitamix and the Blentec, so many reviews on line. I didn’t know what to do. But you locked it in for me. My next purchase will be a pressure cooker or rice maker. I know where to go to reread on them now. Great article!
Can’t wait for the gadgets, as I need a mandoline, and have no clue which one to get.
Love your work here, recipes, honest truthful information…I am serious, LOVE IT ALL!
Thank you again!
Oh, I forgot! I’m on my 3rd hot water maker that we buy at a local chinese grocery. It keeps the water temperature right below boiling, so, we never have to wait for anything to boil. We just leave it on, constantly. Great for making tea and coffee!
My Vitamix blender may be the greatest appliance I’ve ever bought, and, like you, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Another rather expensive appliance I invested in is my Excalibur dehydrator, but, again, it has more than paid for itself, over time.
Thank you so very much! During Christmas I accidentally dropped my kitchen scale and didn’t want to replace it with the same mega-cheap model. I really didn’t know which one to choose and then I read this article! I’m so thankful. And of course, every time I need a new gadget, I will refer back to your tremendous list.
Just a follow up: I received my new kitchen scale and I love it!! I’m so glad you recommended this because my head was spinning, trying to pick the right one. This is such a nice scale, so many great features and the price is uber-reasonable. Thanks again for your recommendations!
Love your list of kitchen tools (gadgets!).
My Vitamix is the most used appliance in my house, second only to my West-Bend Digital Pressure Cooker. A multi use item that is also a browner, steamer, rice cooker and slow cooker. I absolutely love it. You have the convenience of multiple uses in one item and for people with smallish kitchens space saving items are a wonderful thing : )
Love your newsletter!
Great article Veronica. I really appreciate the work you do to promote the vegan message.
I would second the use of a pressure cooker. Specifically, an electronic pressure cooker. My favorite model to use is the Instant Pot because it allows you to digitally cook food with programmed cooking options.
After adding your favorite grains or vegetables to the cooking container, you can set it and forget. In less than an hour for most cases, your food will be perfectly cooked and ready for eating.
Feel free to go and read the full review of the Instant Pot I wrote at my blog: http://www.vegankitchenappliances.com/2014/01/instant-pot-ip-lux60-6-in-1.html
Insta Pot is similar to the EZ Bean Cooker, I like the EZ Bean Cooker better for those making vegan recipes as it has more presets for beans and lentils, whereas the Insta Pot has programs for cooking meat that some veggies won’t be using. But essentially are very similar. 🙂
excellent! Thanks
Thanks for your fantastic recipes
My all time favourite appliance is
my Thermomix. Not sure if it is available
In US.
It take the place of 10 to 15 appliances in the
Kitchen. It blends , processes, chops, grates, grinds,
Kneads, Steams, cooks, stirs, weighs etc. makes bread up to
Oven stage. Makes ice cream, sorbets, cakes scones, biscuits,
All kinds of dough, cooks rice and much more. I just love it.
You will only need a toaster and waffle iron, oven etc. Most other tasks
Are covered. Very high quality German design.
Stainless steel bowl. One set blades does all.
Cheers
I don’t believe the Thermomix is readily available in the USA, and most of my readers are from the USA. I have read many reviews on it and while useful it does seem a little bit complicated for the average person to use. So I still have a separate Vitamix, food processor, pressure cooker, rice cooker and slow cooker. Also that means people in my house can figure out these devices lol. I find the price tag of around $1500 a little steep too as it’s not readily available to everyone. But I’m glad you are enjoying yours, I am guessing you are overseas. 🙂
Hi I just wanted to second the thermomix. Definitely something I’d love to see you adapt recipes for as its such a time saver and would be a real first for thermomix recipes to have no/ low fat – 2nd website maybe?. I’m overseas too but love your recipes just now trying to adapt to cooking this way with the thermomix in combo with vegan and gluten free. Quirky cooking website is probably one you’d like – not vegan but whole foods. Thank you for the amazing recipes though, they are so inspiring after my stint of McDougaling very, very simply – rice, beans, potato and salad day in day out. I’m very grateful for your work as I’m a terrible cook myself.
I’m sorry I have no interest at this time in developing thermomix recipes. Most of my readers are on a budget and cannot afford a Vitamix or a food processor let alone a thermomix. They are also not available in Canada where I live.
Thank you. Thermomix fires-melt downs-blow ups are now becoming documented in Australia despite the company’s attempts to keep this under wraps
Thanks for this list! I’ve debating whether to get a pressure cooker and I think I’ve just been convinced 😀
Alas I got a blender for my birthday but it is so horrid that it can’t even make a smoothie out of spinach and other gooey foods – everything just puffs at the bottom and I have to poke at it with a stick 🙁 My husband uses it to make ice-cream but I feel rather bad for wanting to save up for a Vitamix, even though it looks like it could possibly level up my vegan food making skills!
Even if you saved $10 for a week for a 10 months you could manage for a Vitamix if you feel you would really benefit and use it a lot. It is my most used appliance and I have never broken it or needed another blender again in the past 4 years so for me it was worth the $400-$500 depending what model you get. 🙂
Thank you chef veronica for sharing these kitchen appliances and recipes too. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences…i love reading them. Im a new vegan lover and cant wait to have a vitamix blender. Keep posting as it inspire other people like me.
Love the list. I am a kitchen gadget/appliances lover. I like things to work right and fast. Can’t wait for the gadget list.. Have read a few other lists on websites but yours is the best.
Thanks Rose!
I’m not a Vegan, but my friend is. I’m sure he’ll find this helpful. Going to pass this stuff along to him. Also, just wanted to add that food processors are great– Vegan or not 🙂
I just recently bought a Panini maker and im glad I did.A few years back I gave away my Geaorge Forman grill to someone and I was kind of upset because I wanted to start making sandwiches again.After beating up on myself I got to thinking..I don’t eat meat anymore!Why would I even need a George Forman grill?
Panini makers are excellent.I purchased a Hamilton Beach at Walmart and it heats up in less than 1 minute! The best part is that it even takes my frozen veggie burgers and whatever else frozen and fully cooks it within minutes as if it was fully thawed..a true win -win for those of us with busy lives.
I too love my vitamix. I am in the market for a pressure cooker. Can’t wait to retire my old old old one, that is the kind you are afraid is going to blow up. (I never have blown mine up). hehe. A new rice cooker would be a plus to. Thanks for the great info on these awesome kitchen tools.
I use a Stir Crazy Popcorn maker. It’s awesome. We use no butter but it tastes like we do!!!
3 TBL of oil and 1 cup of kernels makes 6 cups of popcorn. It’s enough to feed 4 people while watching Netflix movies!!!
I enjoy my Vitamix clone – Montel Williams product line. Just a more cost effective solution. I got mine several years ago at a sale price on online shopping network.
Thanks for this great list and your excellent and inspiring work, Veronica 🙂
Great list… Some of the things I have, and some I drawl about owning (Vitamix). 🙂
Thanks.
I drool as well about the Vitamix. 🙂
no breadmakers? i think breadmakers save money AND you can control how vegan you want your bread to be.
I don’t have a bread maker anymore. I find I have better digestion if I limit the amount of bread products I eat, so I don’t eat bread and baked products every day. Also since flour is so high in calories and refined it’s not exactly the center of a whole food diet. Most bread is vegan anyway, but only a few personal bread maker recipes work without any oil and eggs at all. Most are quite dense especially if trying to use 100% whole wheat flour. And as I make oil free and vegan recipes there’s not a lot of variety for appropriate bread maker recipes that are tested. When I had one I had a Zojirushi bread maker, it was about $200.
I have the same issue with bread products. If I eat them my weight loss slows down and my plumbing becomes very sluggish. So weird.
I used to have all those appliances but ditched them for the German made Thermomix. This replaces everything in your kitchen except toaster and oven. Makes the best juices, yoghurt, soups, rice, casseroles , steams, mills, grates , minces, purees , bread maker, double boiler and so it goes on . Look it up on you tube and you will be amazed about this amazing appliance. Available by direct selling only. If you buy on EBay the warranty is not valid. I know people who have had Vitamix and now have a Thermomix as it does so much more. One of the features is the speed 40 rpm to 10,000 rpm and only uses between 500 and 1500 watts, so save heaps of energy. Your food bill will drop dramatically and you will pay for it in savings in no time.
You are so right Thermomix is the ultimate kitchen appliance.
Thermomix is not easy to get and I don’t like promoting MLM companies, having to set up a demo party just to be able to buy one isn’t very convenient. Not to mention the price. $1600 in Canada, NOT for sale in the USA anymore (most of my readers are American) and $2000 in Australia is beyond most peoples and even my means. There’s no way I would spend that much on a kitchen appliance and I’d feel bad recommending it to people especially when a Vitamix is out of most people’s budget at $350-$500.
Just wanted to add that despite the hefty price tag in Australia they are incredibly popular maybe as they offer finance plans, maybe we just love gadgets, so you’d be surprised how many people have them here. Very popular with people/ communities relying on restricted diets such as GF/CF or other people who need to cook from scratch, avoid processed foods.
This was a great list. Thank you so much!!
Veronica,
Thank you for the tips on best appliances to use. Very helpful. I would love to get the
Vitamix some day. My biggest issue now is trying t find a non dairy yogurt (Whole Foods is the ONLY place around the Boston area) that isn’t high in sat. fats (so delicious for example). Any suggestions? Can I actually make my own yogurt (sorry but I am am babe in the woods when it comes to cooking).
Thanks!
Im in canada. The health food store is the only place to get vegan yogurt in most places too. You can make your own buy a culture from a healthfood store in the dairy section. Theres recipes ive seen using a crockpot
I have and use all but two items. I don’t have the air popcorn popper nor the electric kettle. The electric kettle for pasta water is a great idea! I believe that it is very important to use the right tools for the job. It makes your jobs sooo much easier. No dish is difficult with the right tools. Any tradesman spends money on his trade tools and equipment. The cook of the home should have the proper tools to do his/her job also. I just caution that you don’t go out and buy every tool you might use. Evaluate what you use, how often, the price, and if you need it. Will you use it enough to justify the purchase. A carpenter needs a saw, but does he need a power saw or will a hand saw be enough? I also believe in buying the best I can afford. But it once and have it and use it for a few generations! Thank you for sharing so thoroughly.
i love all the things you said just add The Progressive Chopper to the list. what a joy that is. Now all my veggies are uniform in size and it’s fun.
This one is for appliances, the next one I will talk about gadgets that don’t require electricity 🙂
I’m excited to try my new automatic yogurt maker for making Greek style coconut yogurt. Wondering if anybody has successfully used one of these before, or could share a recipe?
That’s on my list to make my own yogurt one day. So far I just purchase coconut or almond yogurt occasionally. You can usually find starters in the fridge section at the healthfood store.
Interesting assortment. I have a VitaMix that I use every day. Also, we have a Jack LaLanne juicer and a Moulinex coffee grinder. I love my Hamilton Beach slow cookers and have baked bread, lasagne, pineapple upsidedown cake, pizza, as well as beans, rice, cereal, soups… The best cookbook I’ve seen on using a slow cooker is “Fast Cooking in a Slow Cooker” by JoAnn Rachor. http://amzn.to/11JVF8e
I love cooking my beans low and slow in my Le Cruset dutch oven. But that ez bean looks fun.
I was excited to see this appliance list. I actually have most of them. I do not have a juicer or the same kind of pop corn popper. I have a very small kitchen so I was debating about the juicer.
I was born in India and have been using pressure cooker all my life and still love it.
I also use the coffee grinder to use for my gram masala and other spices like cinnamon.
thank you for sharing and keep up the good work
Usha
My personal favorite: The Nutribullet. It makes veggie, fruit smoothies in a minute, takes up very little counter space and is very easy to clean. (You drink out of the same cup you use to do the mixing!) This also comes with the perfect grinding blade for instantly grinding flaxseed. I couldn’t live without it.
What a great post! I adore kitchen appliances and utensils. I use my Cuisinart Food Processor and my Blendtec all the time. Recently I purchased a Yonanas frozen fruit dessert maker and I love it!
When you get to gadgets, my very favourite one is the Shark tomato reamer. No other
measures up. I also love my Lee Valley rasp, Bronner mandolin, Pampered Chef spatulas in four sizes, garlic twist, the stainless steel scraper and wooden spatulas that my hubby made, just to name a few. My hubby calls me the “Gadget Queen”.
I, too, love kitchen gadgets and must either stay away from the kitchen dept./or stores or in the least, walk by with blinders! I come by this insane desire thanks to my Grand Mother. I still have all of her kitchen tools whose handles are made of red Bakelite (the original plastic). My favorite is a spatula that has the words “Suzie Flipper” on it. Its sole purpose is to make flipping pancakes easier – just place your thumb on the lever and press. What a treasure! Fast forwarding to today, I LOVE my Vitamix (I wanted one from the first time I saw them on TV in the 60’s) and Mom’s cast iron pots & pans – the original non-stick cookware! Of course there’s always my other best friend, my Fagor pressor cooker. Ah life is complete!
It isn’t extremely versitile, but I still love my Belgian waffle maker 🙂
As for what I need next, it may not exactly be an appliance, but I’ve always been meaning to pick up a food scale…..
I have a nice Belgian Waffle Maker too. I have used it for waffles and cooking shredded potatoes. I didn’t add it to the list as I haven’t yet perfected an oil free vegan belgian waffle recipes. It’s quite difficult!
What/how do u do shredded potatoes in the waffle maker? Sounds interesting. I put any type of batter in mine. Favorite is banana bread. Brownies good too!
Hi Sherry, you can cook shredded potatoes in a waffle maker just like in a panini press.
I am a newbie to being a fat-free vegan (cardiac arrest is a great motivator), so I appreciate your recipes, books, and advice. I am not new to cooking, however, and my indispensable device is, well I don’t know if I would call it a small food processor or a ‘chopper’, but a single knife, 2 cup bowl-sized chopper. I have had several versions of these, but my current version is a Krupp. Very heavy duty, with a motor like a jet engine! I first started using these devices to chop garlic and ginger, but I now have branched out to using it to make smoothies (though Vitamix does sound like the right tool for the right job in the smoothie department), fat free hummus, puréeing various things, etc. Very versatile and very easy to clean.
I enjoy your website – keep it coming!
Ken
Hi Ken,
The next article is going to be kitchen gadgets and things like that are indispensable for sure. My word count was getting massive with this article so I decided to do appliances and gadgets separately 🙂
Stay tuned!
YOU ROCK!! Thanks for taking the time to share the pics and info on all these fav items. You’ve saved me years of time! Appreciate you. xo
Oh wow thank you. 🙂 I have tried many many appliances and spend a lot of time making things from scratch with and without having time. So glad to help!