Blenders

• In the raw food kitchen you will generally find a blender that is both rugged and powerful, and would not be out of place in a juice bar. Quite frankly, the entry level machines that you find in most retail outlets are just not up to the job. Typically you do not have the power in the entry level models, so you will rapidly get frustrated by them.

• The two key blenders that you might find in the raw food kitchen are Blendtec and Vitamix. I have used them both and they are both excellent. The models do evolve over the years so do check out the specifications and check if any useful extras are included too, for example a second jug. The Vitamix comes in black, white, red or stainless steel.

Features to look out for.

• Make sure that it is generally rugged enough to do whatever you want without burning out. Look for motors that are at least 1.5Kw which is 2HP. Although you might think this is excessive power, the machine is only used in short bursts of up to 30 seconds. Look for the power and ruggedness first before checking for any fancy features.

• If I was looking to update my machine now, I would go for a bit more power than this if possible, so that I can blend avocado pits too.

• Ideally there should be two jugs so that you can use one for dry work and one for wet work. It's difficult to get a wet jug really dry quickly, and if there is only a bit of moisture left it will be much more difficult to make fine dry flours.

• With some blenders you can additionally purchase a smaller jug which is very useful for blending small quantities.

• A selection of speeds is useful. On my Blendtec, each of the pre-program buttons takes the machine through a range of speeds as it executes the program.

• A selection of programs with countdown timer is useful. You just put everything in and press the button. The machine follows a preset programme for a specific time and then stops.

• Most machines come with a pulse button, so that you can add an ingredient and blend it in for a few seconds. You can also use the pulse button where you want to control the final texture so that it is not too fine.

Benefits of the blender in the raw food kitchen.

• You work with whole living foods so that you can get all the benefits of the nutrients as well as the fibre. (It's the fibre that is so lacking in processed foods from the supermarket shelves.)

• You can rapidly make nut and seed milks by blending soaked nuts or seeds with some water.  You can just make this fresh, as and when you need it. Hemp seed milk is my favourite.

• You can make smoothies with just about anything, from fresh fruits or some of those blackberries you picked in August and froze. Yummy!

• Don't forget to add some green stuff too!

• You can make flour from flaxseed (linseed in the UK), and other kinds of nuts or seeds.

• You can make really yummy soups from fresh ingredients.

• And yes, you can make ice cream too, and know exactly what's in it! It's November in the UK as I'm writing this, so ice cream is not at the top of my list today!

 Blendtec Xpress Blender