Juicers

Wondering if anyone juices vegetables, fruits and grasses? If so, what products do you use to make your juice? I owned a Breville Juice Fountain for 4 years before the blades got dull and I cracked a part. Just purchased the Omega NC 800 and so far not bad at all. Its easier to clean and quieter than the centrifugal juicing Breville, not to mention produced more juice. The Omega makes pasta noodles, butters and frozen creams too! :mrgreen:

My first juicer experience happened when I was subletting a house from a friend. It was an Acme (now called Omega?) brand, which only made me think of Wile E Coyote, but it was huge and indestructible. As soon as I moved out I bought some celebrity brand name contraption that was garbage, and soon found an identical Acme on craigslist for $40. They’re great, the parts are easily available online and easy to fix, should you ever need to. They’ll go through anything I can throw at it from the garden: seeds, rind and all.

Cleaning can be a little tough, though I’ve learned to run a bit of water through at the end to make everything easy to peel out of the spinner. The pulp can be used to make veggie broth the same day! :smiley:

The centrifugal aspect of it does make it pretty loud, though.
AcmeJuicer5001.jpg

Wow 40$, Absolute deal! I have been fond of the all stainless steel Angel juicers, but im not ready to drop a grand on one. Funny most people buy all kinds of stuff but we skimp on items that improve health. :smiley:

I started looking at these very diligently for awhile, But slowly realized the cost of juicing itself was actually pretty high. Something like $4+ bucks a glass of juice in produce. Eventually the hype faded for me and I moved on before I bought anything.

Something like the Omega which doubles as other kitchen appliances seems interesting.

I use a Vitamix blender. Spendy, but useful for more than juice. I’ve made soups, sorbet, pesto, etc. And as you are using the whole fruit/vegetable it actually healthier. I make green smoothies almost daily. It’s changed my life.

You don’t need the top end model, the lower end one that retails for about $600 is good enough. It spins so fast you can actually make soup hot, just by blending it!

R

We’ve been look at adding a juicing solution to our future product line-up. Between the juice extractor and slow juicer method, the slow juicer easily won out. Much better quality juice, quieter and much easier to clean too. The slow juicer method is pretty much the same as the horizontal juicer you’ve got, Jboogie941, and you’ve got added functionality. Kudos on your choice! :slight_smile:

This caught my attention, aaaaand there goes my afternoon! How hot would you guess? Enough to melt shredded cheese?

Holtag, I’d be interested to learn what makes the slow juice of a better quality? I’d imagine better extraction of the minerals/nutrients present, but I’m not sure by what function.

I’m glad this subject got brought up. Juicing is something I just started to do without much thought or research (it was just a good way to use up excess produce from the garden), but it’s probably something I could stand to learn a little more about. Adding it to the list of weekend ideas…

So I thought I would responded to the new responses and update on my Omega. I have heard great reviews about the Vitamix. My only concern about the speed and heat is it damages the live enzymes and nutrients. I prefer the slow masticating juicer over the faster ones personally. I forgot to mention I have a Nutri-bullet, which I do use for making soups, smoothies and salsas etc. Its a little workhorse. I have found when buying veggies and fruit, your best bet is local farmers markets. I just bought a crap load of stuff for 24$. I am in Florida so we have year round cheap produce which is a great bonus.
As for the updates, one thing I have noticed is that the Omega will clog quickly with any soft fruits such as berries. You have to put harder veggies or fruit behind the soft ones to clear up the straining blade. It leaves very little pulp at the bottom of but is easily pulp free with a little strainer. Juicing has dramatically improved my health and energy also. Completely worth the cost!

Nice. Makes me thirsty. BTW, Vitamix only really gets hot it you leave it on for a while. For steaming hot soup you need about 3 min I think. When I make smoothies, it’s only blending for less than 30 sec and you put in cold water and/or ice cubes (I do both) so it doesn’t get warm. Juice is nice and cold and ready to drink.

I’m guessing with that kind of Omega juicer, you don’t get any of the fiber or pulp?

R

Very little pulp Richard. I like a little sometimes, just depends if Ive juiced 50/50 mix of fruits and veggies. Sometimes I do large shot glass sized juices of 100% veggies, which feels like your slamming a crappy whiskey shot. An all broccoli and spinach juice with pulp can be rough getting down.

I recommend experimenting with different fruits to add to juices. I normally to kale + cucumber + ginger + green grapes for sweetness. Yummy. I drink about 10oz of it in a glass a day.

R

In addition to fruits, I’m also a fan of trying out different herbs. Fresh Parsley is one that I like to add, especially to juices with ginger. There’s a nice balance in the flavors, and it’s easy to grow. :mrgreen:

I’m not too sure what information you’re after, but I also use a Vitamix. It’s fast, you end up eating everything you put in and the cleanup is easy (you can sometimes get away with just water and a bit of soap and running it for 30 secs). It’s also easier to justify as it’s useful for other tasks in the kitchen as well.

I’ve heard a lot about the Ninja blenders as a decent cheaper alternative. The Vitamix are kind of expensive and seem to have retained a lot of the features that made it a great commercial blender - no stupid safety mechanism, steel spline connection and overall a very durable construction.

It reminded me of the old Juiceman infomercials.

First you have to decide if you want a masticating juicer or a centrifugal model.

I am using a Breville masticating juicer.It’s is the best slow juicer.It is incredible. Well designed, completely dishwasher safe (top rack for the plastic parts, bottom for the stainless of course,) powerful, easy to hand clean if you want, large feedtube, simple controls (although they also make one with variable speeds) and very solid construction.

Brand & Model:Breville BJS600XL Fountain Crush Masticating Slow Juicer

Key Features :
Extracts maximum juice yield from soft fruits & vegetables
Ultra quiet 240-watt motor
Direction control helps to dislodge blockages
Filter basket with auto purifying for maximum yield and easy cleaning
Juice contains more fiber and less froth
Juicer Type: Masticating / Single Auger
Power/Speed: 240 watt / 80 RPM