Kitchen Equipment for Plant Based Cooking: Blender, Food Processor and Pressure Cooker Picks

Short answer: For plant based cooking, the equipment that matters most is a high power blender for smoothies and sauces, a large food processor for hummus and prep, a 6 quart electric pressure cooker for beans and lentils, and a sturdy half sheet pan for roasting. Those four pieces cover nearly every ElectricDiet recipe as of October 2026, from hummus and red lentil soup to chickpea curry and sheet pan dinners. You do not need all four on day one. Buy in the order your planned meals demand them.

A note on language, because it matters on this site. ElectricDiet recipes are curated and planned, and this guide follows the same rule for equipment. Nothing here is presented as a hands on test result. The picks below are buying guidance, matched to published manufacturer specifications and to what the recipes actually call for, so you can judge capacity, power and size against your own kitchen.

Which equipment do ElectricDiet recipes call for at a glance?

Specifications are from the Amazon product listings checked in October 2026. Models and included accessories change, so confirm the current listing before you buy.

Do you need a high power blender for hummus and sauces?

You need power if smooth textures are the point. The Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender, 48 oz container is listed with a 1400 watt motor, a 48 ounce container sized for medium batches and small family meals, variable speed control, a pulse feature and hardened stainless steel blades. The manufacturer description says it can make hot soup using friction heat and clean itself in 30 to 60 seconds with warm water and a drop of dish soap.

On ElectricDiet, that job list is specific. The Thursday smoothie in the 7 day meal plan, the curry sauce base for Chickpea Curry with Coconut Milk, and lemon tahini dressing all ask for a smooth blend with fibrous or thick ingredients. A basic blender handles soft fruit. It struggles with the thicker mixtures, which is why the buying guidance here starts at this power level rather than at the cheapest jar blender.

The trade offs are size and noise. A 48 ounce container suits households of one to four. Larger households making double batches of soup may prefer a 64 ounce model in the same range. If you only make the occasional smoothie with soft fruit, this class of blender is more than you need, and the food processor below may be the better first purchase.

Is a food processor better than a blender for hummus?

For hummus, yes, for most kitchens. The Cuisinart Food Processor, 14 Cup, DFP-14BCNY is listed with a 720 watt motor, a 14 cup work bowl, an extra large feed tube, a stainless steel chopping and mixing blade, a 4mm slicing disc and a medium shredding disc. The manufacturer describes it for dips and purees including hummus, salsa and guacamole, and for shredding and kneading dough.

That matches the Homemade Hummus and Chickpea Salad Sandwich workflow. Chickpeas break down in the wide bowl without the repeated stopping and tamping a narrow blender jar needs for thick mixtures, and the same machine slices cucumbers, shreds carrots and chops onions for the rest of the week. If hummus is a weekly plan, a processor earns its counter space before a premium blender does.

Choose the blender first only if smoothies and pourable sauces are your daily pattern. Choose the processor first if dips, salads and vegetable prep are. Many plant based kitchens eventually run both, but the order should follow your menu, not a generic best list.

What size pressure cooker do beans and lentils need?

A 6 quart model is the practical size, and it is the size ElectricDiet already names in its meal plan. The Instant Pot Duo 7 in 1 Electric Pressure Cooker, 6 quart is listed with 7 cooking functions covering pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice, steaming, saute, yogurt and warming, a stainless steel inner pot with a tri ply bottom, and a capacity the listing describes as suitable for up to 6 servings, meal prep and batch cooking.

The time case comes from our own cooking guide. Soaked beans take 1 to 2 hours at a low simmer on the stove, while a pressure cooker cuts dried beans to 25 to 40 minutes at pressure plus release time, using the USA Pulses times published in How to Cook Quinoa, Rice, Lentils and Beans. That guide also gives pressure times for quinoa and lentils, and it carries the safety note that matters: never fill the pot more than halfway for beans, because they expand, and follow the FDA soak and boil advice for red kidney beans.

A 6 quart pot handles 2 cups of dry quinoa or lentils for weekend prep, a full batch of Vegan Black Bean Chili, and Red Lentil Soup with Spinach with room to spare. An 8 quart model only makes sense if you regularly cook for a crowd or double every batch for freezing.

Why does a sheet pan belong on an equipment list?

Because roasting is the default vegetable method in the plan, and thin pans warp. The Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet, 2 pack is listed as uncoated aluminum with an encapsulated galvanized steel rim to prevent warping, measuring 17.9 by 12.9 by 1 inches outside. The manufacturer notes that hand washing is recommended and that aluminum can react with acidic foods such as tomato and vinegar during prolonged contact.

The 7 day plan roasts two trays at once, one of sweet potato and red onion and one of broccoli and peppers, which is why a 2 pack is the sensible buy rather than a single pan. A half sheet is also the prep tray for stuffed peppers and the landing place for roasted chickpea snacks. It is the cheapest item in this guide and, for many readers, the one to buy first.

In what order should you buy this equipment?

Buy the sheet pan first if you roast weekly, because it is inexpensive and used constantly. Buy the pressure cooker second if dried beans and lentils are central to your plan, because it returns the most time. Buy the food processor third if hummus and prep work are your bottleneck. Buy the high power blender last, or first only if smoothies are a daily habit, because it is the largest purchase and the narrowest job.

Before any of it, build the week in the free Plan My Week tool. The recipes you actually pick will tell you which machine your kitchen is missing, which is a better buying signal than any ranking.

Sources

1. USA Pulses. USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council.
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bad Bug Book, second edition.

Photo: Crop faceless person pouring fresh banana smoothie into glass by Charlotte May, via Pexels (Pexels license).