We always love to drink freshly squeezed fruit juice. I prefer this more than a cup of coffee. That natural fiber and vitamins will surely help in our digestion and prevent us from nasty colds and flu. If you want to savor a freshly squeezed juice right in your own home, you need a ‘juicer.’
A juicer is different from a blender. A juicer can only liquefy fruits or vegetables that are succulent (water-retaining). If you want to juice up something dense, say, a carrot, it may or may not juice it up properly. It is recommended that you chop it into small pieces first before putting hard and dense fruits and vegetables inside the juicer. Much better if you blend it first.
There are two kinds of juicers, and they are described on how they create the perfect juice:
- Centrifugal juicer – this type of juicer uses a rotating strainer with small blades to shred the fruits or vegetables until they liquefy. The main problem here is the pulp, where it may clog the strainer causing poor performance of the unit (less juice). With proper maintenance, this can be easily avoided. Juicers of this type are cheap and easy to maintain.
- Masticating juicer – this type of juicer uses a screw to that is controlled by a gear, almost the same operation like those screw compressors used in heavy industries. This is the one that ‘chews’ and compresses the produce slowly but surely (it goes through different stages). The price of this type of juicer is expensive. But masticating juicers are preferred by chefs and health enthusiasts as the juice being made is more nutritious than those being made by centrifugal type juicers. You can compare this by its color and taste.
There are other kinds of juicers in the market, but the above are the most commonly used ones. Choosing the juicer of your choice is a little tricky as the results may truly vary from one product to the other. Below are some simple tips to help you before your purchase:
- Juice quality – If you are getting the tastiest juice on the unit being demonstrated, buy it if you have the money.
- Price – Price is always a factor. Expensive units produce good juices, cheap ones are easily broken and makes poor quality juices.
- Easy to use and assemble – The instructions are explained in detail and less accessories to assemble or put apart.
Are you ready to buy a new juicer? I have reviewed below some of the latest juicers available on the market as below:
1). Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor
Big mouthed juicers are really convenient for putting in apples; large semi cut fruits and vegetables. The motor capacity of this Hamilton Beach is 800 watts and it gives 24% more juice than other brands. There is an extra pulp bin where it can house more pulp which prevents the unit for being clogged easily, and you can also use the pulp for dips and baby food as well.
The most impressive thing here is this unit is easy to clean and assemble. Like you, I don’t like complex machinery when it comes to food preparation. Previous customers have experienced it themselves. For the price of $ 60 at Amazon, this juicer is a steal! But one small catch though, just do not overwork the juicer to prevent overheating of the motor. This has happened on some customers, but not a big deal.
For ease of use and good price, I give this juicer a 4 star out of 5 rating.
Photo: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81v0D-a8gAL._AA1500_.jpg
2). Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Commercial Masticating Juicer
This Omega J8006 juicer looks like a “Mercedes Benz’ of juicers. As mentioned on the title, it is a masticating juicer meaning it thoroughly chews up fibers to get those extra vitamins, enzymes and minerals from fruits and vegetables. It does this in two stages. You get more juice and a real dehydrated pulp. The motor is a powerful one but rotates about 80 RPM. Aside for getting a good nutritious drink, this unit is quiet, easy to maintain, and guaranteed to last.
Some setbacks though, and the first one is the price. For $ 300, that’s a whole lot of money even for a juice buff will think twice. There are some reports that the auger, or the part which helps on liquefying the produce is not aligned properly, causing some plastic parts to be included in the juice. It could be an isolated case, but the problem is still there and it wasn’t resolved. And also, you have to cut the fruits and vegetables into small pieces so that this juicer can give its full potential. Still, lots of customers are satisfied with this product.
But money is still a big factor for my side. I will give it 3.5 out of 5 stars for now, and if there is a good discount, I’ll raise it a notch.
Photo:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RJIP5dJ%2BL._AA1000_.jpg
3). Jack Lalanne PJP Power Juicer Pro Stainless-Steel Electric Juicer
As seen on TV! I was surprised on seeing this unit getting some views and hits on the internet. Yes the advocacy of nutritious food intake is commendable. But our concern is if the unit will last and if it is easy to clean.
This Jack Lalanne PJP Juicer Pro stainless steel Electric Juicer has a 3,600 RPM motor, an extra large chute and pulp collector, and a stainless steel blade and mesh filter to ‘juice’ up those fruits and vegetables quickly and easily. Price at Amazon is around $ 133, which is satisfactory.
The answer to our concern on the first paragraph is negative. The pulp is stuck on the rotating blades at times which are hard to clean. Not dishwasher safe either and it will leave you frustrated for cleaning this by hand. I have noticed the motor is of poor quality. To confirm that, some reports came in that the motor has burned for about 1-2 weeks use. Worse, some defective units are shipped to the customer and it may take some time to replace it and deliver a working unit again.
But if you have this unit as a gift, bought it on a discounted rate, try to juice single fruit items only in a simple ‘non-stressful’ operation for the juicer unit. Hopefully, it may work just fine. 3 stars out of 5.
Photo: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71F-b-wd35L._AA1500_.jpg
4). Breville Fruit and Vegetable Juice Extractor
I like this Breville juicer a lot. Before I get too excited, here are the specs:
- 700 watt motor that operates at 14,000 RPM for max extraction.
- Extra-large 3-inch centered feed tube; stainless-steel micro-mesh filter
- Dishwasher-safe parts; custom cleaning brush included
- Measures 9-1/2 by 8-3/4 by 16 inches; 1-year limited warranty
The unit is simple but gorgeous. I am fan of simple but utilitarian designs and the Breville design department has done a good job on this. I can even see those juice and pulp while it is being liquefied, a cool visual treat indeed. When it comes to power, you will be awed as this can juice pineapples with its rind on. The unit can be assembled and disassembled easily for quick cleaning and a cleaning brush is included as well. I am satisfied with it like everybody else who bought it.
There are some bad points that causes concern, the blades have no replacement and it seems Breville has poor customer service. That is a shame as this product has some potential. Some users complain about the leaks which go into the motor housing. Since this is a bladed and centralized type of juicer, the nutrients and quality of the juice is not at par with masticated type ones. Since the motor is too powerful, the pulp keeps on splashing around. And the ‘easy to clean part’ seems to be overrated as the mesh is fragile; therefore it is hard to clean.
For now, I still like it. For the price of $ 100, let this be my entry level juicer for now, a nice 4 out of 5 stars for this juicer.
Photo: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Ubl9GqgkL._AA300_.jpg
URL: http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BJE200XL-700-Watt-Compact-Fountain/dp/B000MDHH06/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1329460232&sr=1-1
5). Nemco 55850 Easy Juicer
Nothing beats food preparation where you put your heart and muscle into it. This Nemco 55850 manual juicer is a slightly small version of those manual juicers used in Mediterranean and Asian kitchens where citrus fresh juices are highly prized. No need to plug it. With just a small push on the non slip handle, you can make instant juices easily. Chrome and porcelain components are also coated to resist citrus acids. A gripped feet is also designed to avoid slipping on countertops.
The amount is a hefty $ 229 more or less. I will give it 4.5 out of 5 stars because there is no ON/OFF button. It operates only through pure muscle power.
Photo:http://www.katom.com/largeproducts/128/128-n55850.jpg
URL:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ZJAS0Q/ref=asc_df_B002ZJAS0Q1755092?smid=A3OJS1UM61W602&tag=nextagusmp0356066-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B002ZJAS0Q
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