I'm making the transition to vegan

[brimstoneSalad]

I don't have a processor - I have a juicer though. these things might be faster to cut/juice things but they are a pain in the ass to clean. if I don't clean every little cravis then it starts to stink. I've had it for a few years now.

Ah, yeah, juicers aren't really very useful. Much harder to clean than food processors. Also, they make juice and pulp, which aren't terribly useful unless you're having a party and want to serve a LOT of fresh juice to hundreds of guests, or the pulp if you're trying to make a gluten free pie crust or something.

The main function of a food processor is using it once a week or so, shredding and slicing a few pounds of carrots (which will be fine in the fridge), and pureeing sauces and dips (which can be refrigerated or frozen in large quantities).

Use the slicer to slice carrots into 'chips' which are more dippable than a huge carrot (and usually cheaper than packaged baby carrots).
Use the shredder to make shredded carrots to put in tortillas.
The base blade will create hummus and various other kinds of bean dip on the cheap. The dip can be put in tortillas with the shredded carrots, or of course be dipped into with sliced ones. You can also make spinach or collard green dips, or even broccoli. It's pretty easy to experiment, a dip is hard to mess up too badly once you get the hang of it.

Use corn chips in moderation for an enjoyable crunch, and try to find some that are baked and made with canola oil. Even better is whole grain bread if you can find some, toasted or baked into crunchiness. But spreading a dip also makes a good soft sandwich if you like those.

I tend to eat a lot of pureed stuff, because it's cheap, easy, and healthy since you can control what goes in it.

[boyjenius]

Great, I'll look into getting a processor now - I'm sure only using it once a week would be a lot better than using a juicer every time I want juice which Is how often I would use it

Great points here

[brimstoneSalad]

Great, I'll look into getting a processor now - I'm sure only using it once a week would be a lot better than using a juicer every time I want juice which Is how often I would use it

Great points here

They're also much easier to clean than juicers. Juicers are the hardest thing to clean ever, pretty much. Too many different moving parts and spouts and small mesh holes in the metal grinding wheel (sorry, I don't know what it's called).

Also, here's a tip:

For a processor, just rinse it off quickly, and then leave it open and out to dry. The tiny bits of carrots and things on it will dry out, and won't stink, then you can wipe it off and that stuff will crumble off much more easily later. It's trapped moisture that causes the stink.

And for your juicer: Don't bother to clean it at all. Just keep it in your refrigerator if you have room. It will stay fresh for a few days, until you want to make more juice.
(Yes, I'm a genius of 'laziness' )

When you're ready to buy a food processor, post here with the models you are considering, and I can help you look into their features.

[boyjenius]

Sounds excellent! Great tips, thank you so much for this help

[boyjenius]

When you're ready to buy a food processor, post here with the models you are considering, and I can help you look into their features.

what would you recommend i get first ? a food processor or a dehydrator ?

i feel like a processor would save a lot of time but a dehydrator would save me more money and freezer space

i'm going vegan for my health so i'm a little worried about the nutrients being depleted from the dehydration process, is it something to worry about ?

[brimstoneSalad]

i feel like a processor would save a lot of time but a dehydrator would save me more money and freezer space

I would look into canning, rather than dehydrating, if you want to save freezer space.

i'm going vegan for my health so i'm a little worried about the nutrients being depleted from the dehydration process, is it something to worry about ?

It's not too bad. But you'll find dehydrating to be slow, it will make your house hot and use a lot of energy, and it's basically a pain in the ass

I'd buy the food processor, and get into canning if you want to make large amounts and store them for eating later without the freezer.