Quote:
Originally Posted by Jellybean50
What types of juicers do you all use - i'm in the market for a good, powerful one.
If you'd rather msg me that is fine. Thanks.
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This is right up my alley, Jellybean. I spent a month researching every juicer available because I was just in the market for one, too.
There are several different kinds of juicers and many different brands. What you need to know before you even research them is what your needs are for a juicer.
Are you changing your dietary habits into more whole, raw, organic and healthy foods? Are you just looking for a way to add a few more veggies to your family's diet and juicing is the way you want to go? Are you just wanting to make the occasional fun, fruity drinks?
Will you be doing some serious juicing? Will you be doing a juice fast and/or using your juicer every day? Or just once in awhile or a couple times a week? What's your commitment level (if you've decided)?
What do you intend to juice mostly? Veggies? Fruits? Greens?
Do you need the juicer to do anything else? There are juicers that make pasta, nut milks, grind grain into flour, etc.,
Once you know what your goal and commitment level are to USING a juicer, you'll be better prepared when it comes to BUYING one.
If you're into changing your lifestyle, getting healthier and using your juicer often, then it's worth investing a little more and getting a good one. If it's just for occasional juicing, a juicer from WalMart or Target will do just fine.
The two types of juicers are the centrifugal and the single auger. The centrifugal juicer uses a metal mesh to cut and juice your produce like a salad spinner. They run at a higher RPM, which isn't necessarily good or bad. Studies show that they do increase the temperature of the juice a degree or two (which you don't want) as well as oxidize the juice (which you don't) want because these things kill some of the micronutrients).
But, here's an important word on that! There's a lot of hype about the temperature and oxidation of centrifugal juicers. While it's true that they do kill some of the micronutrients, it's a negligible amount, especially if you drink the juice right away. The only time this is a big issue is if you're making the juice and storing it for 24-48 hours. Then it becomes a little more of an issue.
Centrifugal juicers run from very inexpensive store models (like Hamilton Beach, Braun, etc.,) to expensive top models like Breville and Omega. Breville makes a line of them ranging from $100 - $400.
Single-auger juicers (also known as masticating juicers) work by a large, screw looking type piece that crushes the food at very slow RPMs, which increases the nutrient density because it's a slower process which doesn't heat up the juice because of the high speeds. Studies have shown that single-auger juicers DO produce a higher nutrient dense juice but they do tend to cost more. They can also make nut milks, grind flour, make nut butters and pasta (sometimes needing a special attachment that comes with the juicer).
In my own search, my goal was to change my lifestyle and get healthier. I'm looking into juicing a wide variety of produce, including greens, and using the juicer daily.
The most important thing to me was the quality of the juice. I wanted that nutrient-dense juice and was willing to spend more money on a juicer that gave me that. So, I bought the
Omega VRT350 HD. (Link goes to Amazon.) It had great reviews and, of the single auger juicers, this one was exactly what I wanted. It takes up very little space, is very easy to clean, very quiet, very sturdy and has a great 15 year warranty which is unheard of!
TIP: If you're doing some serious juicing, get a juicer with a great warranty. A juicer is only as good as it's warranty.
I got the juicer and was so excited! This got mostly great reviews from people on Amazon so I knew I chose the right juicer. I read the manual, watched online videos and learned how to use it correctly. I alternated hard and soft produce, cut it small (the feed shoot is very small) and fed it in slowly. It takes more time to prepare all the produce and juice it but I was prepared to accept that because it takes less time to clean and the juice is a better quality.
BUT... I had all of the experiences that all the BAD reviews said they had. It kept jamming (making scary sounds), the pulp ejection shoot was unusually small and kept clogging and the amount of pulp in the juice was abnormal and unacceptable! It was like pureeing the produce in a blender. Even trying to strain it took a
long time because the pulp was too thick. This was too much for me and I decided to return the juicer.
In the end, it took at least 10 times longer to use than a centrifugal juicer would. I didn't care how easy it was to clean because that saved time was eaten up by just using the machine and preparing the produce.
I decided that getting a centrifugal juicer was the way to go. Out of all the centrifugal juicers on the market, I am very confident that this is the brand to go with. Many people own this one and it gets great reviews. There are still some bad reviews about it on Amazon but mostly because people either don't know how to use it or got a lemon (which is remedied by getting it replaced by the company).
With the money I saved from returning the Omega, I got TWO of the
Breville BJE510XL Ikon 900-Watt Variable-Speed Juice Extractors. (One for a friend.) It's marvelous. The feed shoot is huge and fits a whole apple so there's very little time spent cutting produce to fit. The clean-up takes a minute or two longer but that time is justified by how much time it takes to juice your produce... literally seconds!
This model of the Breville is a step higher than the model most people get (which is the
Breville Juice Fountain Plus). I like the variable speeds because juicing soft produce at a lower speed gives great results! But, you need the higher speed for harder produce, like beets and carrots. Breville also makes a
compact juicer that rates high and is reported to work really well for just under $100.
No complaints about the Breville Juicer, which has a 10 year warranty!
But, I always say to use what you have and what you can afford. Get a used one on Craigslist or go with Hamilton Beach, or just use your blender and then strain the juice out of a mesh bag. (A paint can strainer bag works PERFECT and they're really cheap at Home Depot!)
If you have any questions, just ask. I've researched juicers to death and could now write a book about them.
Lastly, there's a guy on YouTube (John Kohler) who demonstrates and discusses all kinds of juicers. He sells them but his reviews are very fair and honest. He loves the Omega VRT350 HD but admits that it has it's problems. (This is the juicer I returned.) Check out his videos for great information! (He doesn't demo/sell department store brands or ones like Jack Lalanne, though.)
P.S. If you do decide to buy a Breville (of any kind), they sell them at Bed, Bath and Beyond. That store mails out 20% off coupons often to people on their mailing list. My Breville Ikon was $199 and, with my coupon, I got it for $159, which is only $10 more than the one step down model, the Breville Juice Fountain Plus, which is only $149. If you use the 20% off coupon for that one, it would only cost you $119! If they don't have it in the store, have THEM order it for you from their website. They'll apply the coupon (which you can't use online) and they'll waive the shipping fee. FedEx will drop it off for you!
Bed Bath and Beyond is the ONLY store whose mailing list I like being on! Those 20% off coupons just keep coming and their return policy is VERY liberal! When I was ordering my juicer, a guy was there returning an eight year old frying pan! They gave him a new one, no questions asked and no hassle!
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Going to check into the Breville you spoke of first.
