Living off the grid and reducing our everything footprint has led us to going manual in the kitchen. We had to look at the appliances that we have and use almost daily and find replacements that would do as good a job, or better. What I have in my kitchen is these:
These four appliances have served me for the past 6 to 11 years. They all carry rather a hefty price tag (which you can see if you click on the photos) and, in total, cost about $1,000.
When I looked for manual appliances, I found that they actually did more than my electric machines and produced a higher quality of food. The ones used the most are the stand mixer and the blender.
My stand mixer will be replaced by my hand, a whisk, and stainless steel hand beaters. I have already made it virtually obsolete. I spent last summer manually mixing and kneading in these stainless steel bowls. The sizes range from about 8 inches in diameter to about 18 inches.
I realized that the stand mixer was not only unnecessary, but also had capacity limitations. I now have 4 bowls of varying sizes to prepare various things at the same time, rather than one fixed size bowl. I have also learned that spending the 5 minutes or so to knead the bread by hand produces better results.
As for the blender, this hand-crank blender is on the shopping list for this summer. At less than 1/3 the price of my existing blender we can do everything, including crushing ice and making smoothies.
However, because I grind flour, other grains, and make nut butters in my existing blender, I also got this mill for all our grinding needs. It stone grinds flour and grains and has steel burrs to make far superior nut butters without losing the nutrients from heat that the blender generates.
Both of these appliances together cost less than my existing blender and do more, with superior nutrient retention.
The centrifugal juicer was never the best of options because masticating juicers provide a higher quality juice with more nutrients in tact. This is my manual replacement for our juicer...a better juicer at around the same price, or less.
My food processor will be replaced with the stainless steel food mill...no more plastic and my food doesn't just get pureed, mashed, riced, but also skinned, cored, and seeded...a BIG plus.
Al hamdu l'Illah, the replacement manual appliances cost just half of the existing appliances and are built to last a lifetime.I may even be able to sell the existing appliances and totally cover the cost of the manual ones inshaa Allah. The deal closer on all this is the free workout and fit, firm upper arms we will have, inshaa Allah. No flabby upper arms at Healing Earth Ranch, inshaa Allah!
These four appliances have served me for the past 6 to 11 years. They all carry rather a hefty price tag (which you can see if you click on the photos) and, in total, cost about $1,000.
When I looked for manual appliances, I found that they actually did more than my electric machines and produced a higher quality of food. The ones used the most are the stand mixer and the blender.
My stand mixer will be replaced by my hand, a whisk, and stainless steel hand beaters. I have already made it virtually obsolete. I spent last summer manually mixing and kneading in these stainless steel bowls. The sizes range from about 8 inches in diameter to about 18 inches.
I realized that the stand mixer was not only unnecessary, but also had capacity limitations. I now have 4 bowls of varying sizes to prepare various things at the same time, rather than one fixed size bowl. I have also learned that spending the 5 minutes or so to knead the bread by hand produces better results.As for the blender, this hand-crank blender is on the shopping list for this summer. At less than 1/3 the price of my existing blender we can do everything, including crushing ice and making smoothies.
However, because I grind flour, other grains, and make nut butters in my existing blender, I also got this mill for all our grinding needs. It stone grinds flour and grains and has steel burrs to make far superior nut butters without losing the nutrients from heat that the blender generates.
Both of these appliances together cost less than my existing blender and do more, with superior nutrient retention.
The centrifugal juicer was never the best of options because masticating juicers provide a higher quality juice with more nutrients in tact. This is my manual replacement for our juicer...a better juicer at around the same price, or less.
My food processor will be replaced with the stainless steel food mill...no more plastic and my food doesn't just get pureed, mashed, riced, but also skinned, cored, and seeded...a BIG plus.
Al hamdu l'Illah, the replacement manual appliances cost just half of the existing appliances and are built to last a lifetime.I may even be able to sell the existing appliances and totally cover the cost of the manual ones inshaa Allah. The deal closer on all this is the free workout and fit, firm upper arms we will have, inshaa Allah. No flabby upper arms at Healing Earth Ranch, inshaa Allah!
Kitchen Appliances for Living off the Grid
![Kitchen Appliances for Living off the Grid]()
Reviewed by vivien
on
January 16, 2014
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