Looking for a good juicer
 

Anybody here use juicers? I've become interested in them as of late as a way to jump start getting back to being healthy.

I get home from work generally in the middle of the night, and catch an infomercial on a juicer that is compact and can pulverize anything you put in it, but I didn't catch the name of the product. Anyone know the name of this thing, or use one they really like?

They'll never vote you in the Hall of Fame if you juice.

Do you just want the juice or do you want the fiber, too? A Vitamix will destroy everything in its path and make it juice. I love mine.

I think it's called the "Barry Bonds Assistant Trainer".

All of it. This particular model I saw said you could even put almonds in the thing, and in seconds they're pulvarlized....

Excellent points. Obviously I'm not thinking this through.


Sad, too, because I've never seen myself as anything else but a first ballot shoe in.

Just looked it up. The model they were advertising looks like it can do all of what the Vitamix can do, but it was smaller and more compact.

I do a green smoothie every morning... basically it's green grapes (WITH the seeds), pineapple, fresh spinach and flax seeds with a little water and ice. One minute on high in the Vitamix and it drinks just like a shake. There is NO grit whatsoever.

I also do smoothies with blackberries and raspberries now, which is something I'd never do with my KitchenAid blender because the seeds were so small they'd never get ground up. The Vitamix gets 'em like none other.

I've done smoothies with almonds and cashews, too. While a little weird, if you want it smooth, you'll get it smooth, no problem.

I've been using it for about 6 months now with no dip at all in performance, and I'm using it on average 4-5 days of every week.

Do you use the shakes as meal replacement, or just as a supplement?

Is it the Ninja Kitchen System?

I rarely eat a full breakfast, so a smoothie is generally what I do, and it's easy to drink on my way to work.

I'd go with Clay Matthews, but Brian Cushing would be worth considering.

Nope. The one I saw literally was hand held, and it looked perfect for my needs if I were to take it to work.

That's kind of what I'm looking for. I guess I could pre-mix one and keep it in the cooler until lunchtime....

I though Clay Matthews got his strength from his 70's hair?

Just anecdotally, my experience with TV products has led me to not buy any more TV products.

As for blenders and juicers, I've always bought good stuff - my last one was a KitchenAid, as I said earlier. The Vitamix kicks its ass.

I use the Jack Lalane juicer from target. Paid a little bit over a $100 bucks for it and it works fine. They are a pain in the ass to clean though. It might be tempting to buy one of the cheaper ones you see at Wal Mart for $60- $70but I've heard they are crap. The high end Brevell juicer that you see in the movie "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" is like $300 or something ridiculous like that.

It's also worth mentioning that smoothies aren't nearly as good if they're pre-mixed. The oxidation breaks down the vitamins and the texture can get kinda weird.

If you really want to do that, I'd suggest a Vitamix at home and an el cheapo blender at work. Make the smoothie at home and freeze it. Use the work blender to make it at lunch time.

Note, he's not really wanting a true juicer. He wants the fiber and and the good parts of the fruit, not just the juice.

Well you can always mix in the pulp if you use a juicer.

Omega 8006. I just finished a 30 day juice fast. Was going to do 1 then decided to push myself to see if I could do it. Went very well and am glad I did it.

Bassomatic

I could be wrong, but I don't think it would work that way.

Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus 850-Watt Juicing Machine

I've been juicing lately with one of these.. it works great

Vitamix all the way! I absolutely love mine. Dont buy a Jack a Lane juicer or one like that.. They are a huge pain the ass. Go Vitamix or Blendtec (A friend of mine has one of those and its pretty cool too). Not only can you juice but you can make peanut butter, hummus, ice cram, soups...pure Awesomeness!:clap:

What kind of juices? I did one for 2 weeks in February and lost 12 lbs. I did one for 10 days a couple weeks ago and broke it after I lost 10 lbs. I found it to be mentally taxing.

I did a bunch of different things. There are a lot of good recipes on the fat, sick and nearly dead web site, think it is join thereboot.com or something. All fresh fruits and vegetables and all organic. Lots of kale, carrots, apples, ginger, tomatoes. It really depended on what I was craving at the moment. I ended up losing 29 pounds in 30 days though I didn't do it for the weight loss I did it to see if I could do it. I have done 5 days a lot of times but the problem with 5 days is that it is over right when you are finally feeling good. The first 3-4 days are torture, headaches, aches and pains and just a general feeling of shit. After that I felt fantastic, tons of energy etc.

The problem with me as it relates to juicing is that I don't always have access to a lunch room with my job, hence why I was looking for a good, portable juicer to take with me, and why I made the statement to FMB about possibly taking my shakes with me.


Toadkiller - on your 30 day juicing, did you eat exclusively shakes and juices for all your meals?

I think I'm going to do one at least twice a year from now on. With what's being done to food in this country in this day in age I think it's absolutely vital to cleanse your body of toxins. I have lots of people in my family who have gotten diabetes as they have gotten older and I think detoxing your system helps prevent it.

I would recommend storing the juices in mason jars overnight. That's what I did at least.

Carrot + Apple = Amazing.

What Vitamix model do you use??

I did entirely just juice for 30 days. And I am not a skinny non food liking guy. I love my beer, I love smoking things on my smoker and I love to eat. I highly recommend a fast to anyone. Maybe not the 30 day, but why not a 5 day or 10 day. See how it makes you feel.

JFC....these Vitamix ones are $500?

So did this just turn into a poop thread?

Well I want one but holy hell that is pricey!!! Better start saving -- I'm very interested in this.

If you use one consistently, they're worth every penny. If you use a blender once in a while to make a margarita, but that's it... stick with something cheaper.

Christ, 500?

Well, I guess the kid can always go to state school.

With my goofball schedule, I just don't know if I can pull off an entire juice fast for 30 days. My hours vary week to week, and I don't always have access to lunch rooms. FMB said it isn't a great idea to pre-mix stuff for later. Maybe I can find a way to just replace a couple of meals a day, then snack sensibly in-between.

Pre-blending will work, but it certainly won't be as good or good for you. If you can get a cheap blender at work, make them at home the night before and freeze.

Did a 10 day fast using a cheap juicer ($60 Hamilton Big Mouth from Amazon). Centrifugal rather than masticating, so you don't get all the fiber, but fiber has never been an issue for me! :D I plan on starting a 2 juice / 2 small meal diet program next week, and only see the fiber as being an issue if you are fasting.

One point regarding storing juice. Don't. Reports vary on how quickly they're nutritional value drops to minimal (1 hour or 48?), but regardless, they taste like shit once they've oxidized. Especially if you incorporate a citrus or other fruit as most recipes recommend, it seems to sour or curdle the whole thing. Blech!

Personally, my primary requirement for a juicer is that it must be fast and easy enough to not change my daily routine much. Otherwise I wouldn't use it. Some of my key concerns:

- Easy to Clean. If you buy a centrifugal unit, make sure to use bags in the pulp receptacle. I can tear mine down and wash with the brush in just a few minutes. You'll not want to use a dishwasher if you use it more than once a day.

- Less Chopping. Buy something with a big mouth attachment. Quartering apples isn't difficult, but dropping a whole one in is just so much simpler.

- Dispenser Height. Skip all those cups/containers that come with a juicer. They're a waste of time. Most of the reviews I read researching multiple juicers was that the cups/pitchers wouldn't seat right (causing leaks or spray during juicing) or last long. My grocery store sells clear plastic cups (Dixie or Solo) with lids. Just make sure your juicer is tall enough to dispense into them. Great for breakfast on the go.

- Organic. I'm not a big organic guy, but with juicing most of the nutrients are in the skins. Just feel a little more comfortable with less chance of insecticides and such since I do a quick rinse before throwing into the juicer.

Favorite Breakfast Drink (Orangesicle):
1/4 Cantaloupe (skinned)
2 Oranges
Handful of Berries
Scoop of Whey Protein Isolate (plain)

EDIT:
Forgot the juicer!

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach.../dp/B000FHQJ6C

Cheap enough to get a "taste" for juicing. If you like it, you can always upgrade to something of a higher quality. Once mine breaks down, I will probably consider getting a higher end masticating unit like the Omegas or a Vitamix.

This is what got me thinking ......

http://www.nutribullet.com/index.php?r=site/faq

Why don't you just eat the fruit?

The concept is to put more fruit/vegetables into the juicer than you could spend time eating. Who's going to eat 3 whole apples, a bunch of carrot sticks, peaches, etc. for one meal?

Where'd you get this picture of Clay?

That goes back to my comments of "system cups". What happens as you lose cups, drop them in the parking lot on the way into work, melt them leaving them in the car, etc.

Plus, that's a blender, not a juicer.

Read the early posts. I think he's actually looking for a blender. He said he's wanting the fiber and pulp.

Gotcha.

Guess I got hung up on "juicer" since I can't stand blended vegetable drinks and don't really consider them juicers since they have a consistency of wet saw dust. Yeah, personal bias. Sorry! If he wants the fiber, he needs a masticating unit like you and others have suggested.

Anybody interested in fresh juice drinks really needs to understand that blenders, centrifugal juicers, and masticating juicers all make a very different product in terms of nutrient, fiber, and flavor. They should almost be treated like three completely different appliances if you ask me.

You've never used a Vitamix, I see. ;)

Breville Juice Fountain is excellent for $150....Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupon gets you down to $120. Very good buy. Had the Jack LaLane "industrial" strength stainless steel juicer and it was ok but sucked compared to this Breville and was the same price.

:)

Nope, and for the price of one I'd rather get a masticating unit. All the fiber without the pulp! (well, mostly)

Yeah, I was ignorant on the issue when it came to juicers vs. blenders. I am interested in blenders after learning more about them both.

I just got around to using my new Cuisinart CJE-1000, and it's pretty awesome. It certainly is pure juice and no pulp juicer, and we'll see how cool that is over time. and man, this ain't gunna be cheap!

I'll say this, if the "centrifugal vs. masticating" argument means that you have to use/clean this puppy once a day because the juice goes bad (oxidizes) too quickly, it might make it's way to the shelf quickly.

But I'll say this, get all the stuff on the counter and let a 9-year-old loose on it and it's a party!!!

http://www.cuisinart.com/products/juicers/cje-1000.html

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/image...162952660_.jpg

Add me to the list of those here who've been happy with their Breville juicer.

not sure why anyone would want a true juicer

Isn't most of the healthy stuff in the pulp etc?

It's a fad, but a healthy one. And at a microbiology level there are a lot of really good arguments for it.. I don't think you can go wrong picking between a juicer or a smoothy-maker when the third option are some of my awesome deep-fried wings...

And I've learned one thing... A little red bell pepper goes a LONG way.... Do-over!!!

Hire Hog Farmer. That guy gets every last drop.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't pulp fill you up fast? I think the benefit of a juicer is it allows you to take in a lot more fruits at once, therefore, you take in more good stuff. If that's the case, I've used a Hamilton Beech $100 model. Not as good as the top-notch stuff, but does it's job.

If you're looking for a blender, Vitamix is pretty badass but extremely expensive. Anyone use a Nutribullet? Feel like that does the trick really well for the cost, and I bet cleanup is super easy. I've never tried it but have heard good things.

Well this is true! The number of apples I've had today is kinda crazy. Not to mention celery, kale, lemons, limes, spinich and carrots.

I would think for most people getting filled up would be a good thing. I don't know too many people that want/need to eat more.


full stomach = less appetite for eating crap

You're also consuming a ton more calories and sugar. Part of the fruit that's food for you IS the fiber.

I've been wanting to get back to a breakfast or mid day smoothy. I quit because my blender, it's probably older than I am, was a pain in the ass to clean. I believe I still want all the pulp and good stuff, so a true juicer isn't what I want. I want something better than the horrible wet sawdust sludge texture you get from cheap blenders. I don't mind buying a quality machine if it's very easy to clean, but I'm not interested in spending $500 bucks for the one above.

Have any suggestions in the $150 to $250 range?

I think you can find a Blendtec in the $200-$250 range, and they a tiny notch below the Vitamix.

Juicing is a scam.

You take in too many calories and sugar in liquid form. The best part of fruit and vegetables is the pulp and fiber in food form.

Your body metabolizes and utilizes food the best when eaten not drunken, and that's why vitamin water is a big waste of money. Your body excretes fluid through your kidneys and it does a poor job of absorbing nutrients and vitamins. You waste 85-90% of useful nutrients when you drink them vs eating.

Save your money and eat your fruit and veggies

My wife has a Vitamix and loves it. It is louder than an Apollo V though

I would skip the extractor type juicers & get a Ninja. It pulverizes everything we put in it. I love that thing.

Shit. Well, good to know.

Reported.

I'll never own a non-Vitamix again. I love mine.

The biggest thing with Juicers is you have to buy a ton of fruit/veggies to get a half assed glass of juice. It works OK in the short term but that can add up.

bastard

This is what I ended up doing. That thing just mashes up everything I put in there. It would likely pulverize a Miata if given a chance.

The wife has an Omega juicer. She loves it. It helps that we belong to a CSA and get a metric ****ton of veggies in season. The pulp adds up and can be messy, though.

If you want something that will chop anything, the Ninja is fine (even excels at it). But if you want to make a smoothie with that super fine texture, it simply cannot compare to a Vitamix. And the build quality is notably better with the Vitamix.

I Love my Vitamix, and nothing compares at the end of the day.

Couldn't agree more. The Ninja commercials piss me off.

Yeah, the Ninja leaves chunks of spinach/kale in it. Overall the smoothies are still tasty, but not the smoothest of smoothies.

I've never seen a Vitamix in action, but I've heard good reports. That said, my Ninja does very well with smoothies. Unpeeled apples, kale, carrots, etc. I'm getting a nice smooth texture. Isn't Vitamix around $500?