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carole_gw

LOOKING for: Just a question...Does anyone here own a juicer?

Carole
23 years ago

Such as a Juiceman, Juiceman Jr., or LadyJuicer, and if you do, is it used often?

I'd like to get one. I love the idea of putting all kinds of fruits and veggies into a machine and making wonderful juices. I've wanted one for a couple of years now, but I'm afraid it will be like the pasta machine....One of those gadgets that seems like a good idea at the time, then you use it once or twice and put it in the cupboard never to see the light of day again. lol

Too bad there aren't any places to rent those types of appliances to try them out.

Comments (16)

  • peebody83_hotmail_com
    23 years ago

    My dad is on his second one, and that's pretty much what happened. As I recall, he really and truly enjoyed the juices he made, but the machine was a pain in the neck to clean. I don't know what brand he got, but if you buy one, take care that it is easily taken apart and washed.

  • wheelerc_nomail_com
    23 years ago

    Thanks. :-)

  • tvang_rocketmail_com
    23 years ago

    Hi Carole,

    I am a third generation juicer! (Grandmother, mother, and now me.) We've all owned "Champion" juicers (of course a different model per generation) purchased through health food stores. Of course now with the internet one could comparison shop models and prices more easily.

    I keep my juicer on my kitchen counter so it's always available and ready to go. If your interested in fresh juicing, and mindful that you are nourishing your body with "live" food -- you probably won't set the aside the juicer as you do the pasta machine.

    Personally I think it's very easy to take apart, clean, and put together again. (I think much easier than my food processor -- which by the way sits in the cupboard and rarely gets used!)

    Below I've posted a web address discussing the Champion juicer (there were a few hits that came up for the Champion juicer -- so check some of those out -- as well as maybe some of the models you mentioned). The Champion is on the expensive side I know. And if nothing else, at least you might find some information to help with your decision/search for a juicer that would work best for you. Maybe just starting out with a less expensive brand to see how you like it/how often you use it would be a good start. I don't own any, but I know there are also books written on juicing -- I've seen them in the health food stores.

    http://www.earthportals.com/Portal_Market/champion.html

  • jholfeld_juno_com
    23 years ago

    I have a juicer its called the juiceman .. anyway its not real expensive... think we got it for less then 60. at Target . It does carrots with ease. Anyway its a snap to clean every thing just rinses out and down the garbage disposal. I use a little brush for the strainer part and it can all be done in less then 2mins if even that. BTW those Champion juicers are on E-Bay at some really good prices you might try a bid and be happier. bestbuy.com is also a good idea. If you like quality juice you will save a ton of money with a juicer. Good Luck! :) I do understand what you mean about another prop for the kitchen you buy and don't use. I do that with a lot of things. You name it I bet I have it somewhere around here hehe. But we watched this video on health so the juicer has never been set to the side since. Dr. Day has some good videos on why you should juice. drday.com
    Best of luck
    Jancie

  • wheelerc_nomail_com
    22 years ago

    Thanks to you both. I will look into all the information.

    Janice, you say the Juiceman is easy to clean, if you're not rinsing it all down the drain would you still consider it easy? I ask that question because we compost and are also in the country on a septic system so I don't do garbage disposals. :-)

  • gymarque_swbell_net
    22 years ago

    I have used juicers for almost 10 years now. I couldn't live without one!

    I use the juicer all day, everyday, juicing for two people.

    I currently have an Omega 1000 which I love. Be sure to buy the filters and use them with the harder fruits and veggies. I'm used to the cleaning process, so it really isn't that bad. It has a 10 year warranty (the newer ones have a 15 year warranty). And they do honor it. The juicer I received was unbalanced. I shipped it back and they balanced it -- it works perfectly!

    Before the Omega, I went through other 3 juicers. All were Juiceman II. I would not recommend this juicer for several reasons.

    1. It only has a one year warranty.

    2. They change the country in which they manufacture the machines & replacement parts like we change our underwear. A few years down the road, you may have to do like I did, buy a whole new juicer because my parts were no longer available although to the naked eye, both the old & new juicers looked identical.

    3. They cost just as much as the Omega 1000, which has the 10 year warranty.

    4. By design, gunk gets down in the motor and on the inside of the body. There is NOTHING that you can do about it. And when you turn the motor on, you can smell the old stuff spewing out. Imagine the mold spewing into your waiting glass.

    As for the Juiceman Jr., I would recommend it even less. The motor will not hold up if you will be a serious juicer.

    By the way, I have my eye on the Norwalk because all of the centrifugal juicers that I have named above oxidize the juice by its very design. The only way to make sure that you get as many of the nutrients is by grinding the fruit or veggie & then pressing the pulp juice. The Norwalk does this, but it is VERY expensive. It is around $2,000 new, but sometimes you can catch them on eBay. The Norwalk also grinds butter and grains.

    I plan to get one as soon as I can afford one.

    I am speaking from both experience and research. I consulted the following 2 websites before buying the Omega 1000.

    http://www.buyjuicers.com/compare.html
    http://www.juicing.com/juicer.htm

    Hope this helps.

  • cobaltfjord_aol_com
    22 years ago

    Don't buy a juicer. You lose fiber. Buy a Vita-Mix
    blender. It turns carrots, celery and apples and
    just about anything else into juice drinks, smoothies
    and/or soups.

  • wheelerc_nomail_com
    22 years ago

    My dad had a Vita-mix and he gave it to an aunt. I could have kicked him!

    Thanks Gigi for the info. :-)

  • tcampbell_christianemail_com
    22 years ago

    I disagree about replacing a juicer with a vita mix. Vita mix is a great machine and has its use in the kitchen. But to use a vita mix instead of a juicer is defeating the purpose of juicing. A juicer is designed to extract the juice from the fibers of the plant, separating the pulp from the juice. The reason for this is so that the pure juice, which is full of live enzymes, will immediately enter the blood stream(using no energy for digestion) and nourish your cells. It is important to remember that the fiber needed for good health is recieved by EATING fresh fruits and vegetables. The pulp that is left behind while juicing has little nutritional value, it is hard to digest and it contains toxins that a chemically grown fruit or vegetable may have contained. Fruits and vegetable juices are natural cleansers and healers of our bodies. It is amazing. Here is a link to a website of a man who had colon cancer and by changing his diet and by juicing he has been healed of his cancer. Good luck in your new venture and may you be healthier and happier!!

    Here is a link that might be useful: hacres

  • vanessand99_yahoo_com
    22 years ago

    I agree with Gigi and the other juice "pros."
    Here's my two cents:

    Champion Juicer-sturdy, efficient, but too pulpy for my tastes.

    Cheap ones (under about $150 bucks), including all the juiceman models, work great if you juice only once in a while, and don't work it very hard. I actually got smoke to come out of one made by Braun.

    Only other one I've used is one called the L'Equip model 221 (bought from livingright.com). It's awesome. Huge motor, fast, and with something like a 12 year warranty. It's a little loud though.

    Good luck Carole!

  • bmlee_liberty_edu
    22 years ago

    I agree that they are hard to clean, and you can't stick the real good ones in the dishwasher, so...start out with a cheapie and see if you like the idea. If you do..invest in a Champion or Omega. Not all juicers are created equal. Less pulp and more liquid is the goal. You can get your fiber from eating fruits and veggies. Don't forget that. You can not simply juice and get fiber.

  • srml99_yahoo_com
    22 years ago

    I agree that if you're going to get a juicer, get a good one. Anything under $150-$200 won't handle sturdy things like carrots, broccoli, etc. At least for very long. I have an Omega - agree with above suggestion to get the filters, if you get one. One of my favorite juices from the Omega is to juice Granny Smith apples with a bit of lemons for natural lemonade - really, really good but loaded with sugar. I also have a Vita Mix. There are pros & cons to both machines. The VM does let you incorporate the fiber into the drink. As for my husband & I, he went to a nutritionist in January and we've pretty much given up on juices as they provide all the SUGAR and no FIBER. I guess this would be a vote for the Vitamix, but we just haven't used it for that - we eat the veggies/fruit instead of drinking them. (We use the VM often for smoothies, tho but you can do that in a $30 Osterizer, too.) Good luck.

  • wheelerc_nomail_com
    22 years ago

    Thanks for the continuing information. We eat a lot of veggies so fiber isn't the goal. I really wanted a juicer for the great juice combos that I thought I could make. I'm beginning to think that maybe I'll just stick with my blender and my smoothies. lol

  • hoticetea_erols_com
    22 years ago

    I've been "juicing" for 20 years. The BEST juicer I've used so far is the NutriSource. It takes a minute to make juice and a minute to clean. It's quiet, and light weight. The others are a pain to use and clean. I got mine from discountjuicers.com.

  • tmparsley
    22 years ago

    i'm going to jump on the vita-mix wagon. i have had one for four years and, although it doesn't extract the pulp and all that jazz, it makes the most wonderful fruit drinks in the world. i think everyone should own one. it also makes great soups. as far as health benefits... well, a "whole foods" diet is supposed to be great. i use my V.M. almost daily. it is easy to clean, and has not given me any trouble. if smoothies are what you're after, you can't beat this miraculous machine! the more fruit you put in, the better. just a suggestion: throw in some silken tofu and a little honey and some toasted wheat germ with your fruit combo for good measure. another good one that I discovered this morning (i could go on forever) try 1 1/2 cups of chocolate soy milk, 1/2 c natural, smooth peanut butter, 1 T. honey, and 1 cup ice. it was the best breakfast i've had all week!

  • rocio
    17 years ago

    Those of you who like juicers, do you juice wheat grass? If so, how do you like your juicer?

    Those of you who like VM, I am planning to make fruit & veggie juice. Do you need to add lots of liquid to make such juice? I own an old Osterizer. I have to add lots of liquid to it.