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Juicers

StefunkStefunk Raw Newbie

I am hunting for a juicer on e-bay and don’t know what brand is best. I need a medium priced one, not ready to spend a lot. Any suggestions on a good one?

Comments

  • deborahanndeborahann Raw Newbie

    I got a greenstar for Christmas and I really like it but it does take longer to clean up as compared to my old Lalane(sp?). It extracts more juice though and the juice stores a long time with little degredation. It also homogenizes and I needed this function, too. This seemed to be the top rec’d juicer for the functions I wanted. With a couple of small extras it was 375 or so. Pricey but hopefully a forever purchase!

  • msrawdivamsrawdiva Raw Newbie

    i saw that the lalanes are on sale for $100 on the infomercial…so, it’s worth it?

  • msrawdiva…I had he LaLane juicer for a while and it worked well…the biggest advantage is that the opening is really large. I like the champion juicer better..it makes a very clean juice that is higher in enzymes and also makes nut butters..it is also well built and will last a long time. The only thing is that it costs about twice as much. (around $200.00) Maybe you can find a better price on Ebay.

  • I love my LaLane juicer. I have never had a problem with it and it is 2yrs old. I had a juiceman juicer that blew 2wks after I got it. Yes there are juicers such as the Champion that can homogenize, but I love the easy clean up with the LaLane. Anything that needs to be homogenized I just stick in the VitaMix with liquid/oil and it comes out just fine.

  • newbienewbie Raw Newbie

    I wouldn’t go for the Jack Lalane. I bought one for about $90 at Costco last year and was disappointed. It work ok for the first two times, but then I had to replace the blade b/c it was no longer sharp enough. I returned it and am now in the research phase of looking for a better one. I like Green Star, but don’t want to spend $500!! Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks

  • Newbie, Wow, either you had bad luck with the LaLane or I had good luck. I guess with anything you buy there are always a couple of lemons. Good luck with your juicer search.

  • RawJim…Both…Centrifugal (spinning) juicers such as LaLane create friction that causes heat and destroys some of the enzymes. Masticating (grinding) juicers such as champion “chew” the fruits or veggies and create less heat. The result is a cleaner and richer juice. The fiber pulp remaining from masticating juicers is often dryer, demonstrating that more juice has been yielded.

  • jenny2052jenny2052 Raw Newbie

    I love my Omega 8003—it’s much like a Green Star, but at $200-$250 new, it is much cheaper than the Green Star. It’s particularly effective at juicing greens, and will even juice wheatgrass. It also has a homogenizing function, so you can make nut butters, just like with a Champion. It is a bit slower than the cetrifugal juicers like the Juiceman (which I had before), but I still love it.

  • newbienewbie Raw Newbie

    Jenny – how long have you owned it? how’s the clean-up? how wet/dry does the left over pulp come out? Thanks!

  • jenny2052jenny2052 Raw Newbie

    I’ve had it since May, but I’ve only used it regularly since July or so (it was an unexpected gift).

    At first I thought clean up was going to be a drag—the juicer itself has 6 parts to dismantle and clean, plus the containers for pulp and juice. But actually, I’ve found that it is easier to clean than my old centrifugal juicer. The parts come apart really quickly and easily, and most of them are big and made of smooth plastic—if you clean them right away, a quick once over with a soapy sponge and hot water is all that’s necessary. The “screen” that filters the juice is only about an inch square, and it is the only thing that requires more of a scrub with a brush. On the centrifugal juicer, the screen is massive, so it took ages to get all the little bits and pieces unstuck. (I can’t remember whether they’re diswasher-safe or not since I don’t have a dishwasher—that may be an issue for some.) I will say that I received this from my dad after he got fed up with it after using it only twice. He felt that cleaning it was a gigantic hassle, and it wasn’t worth the effort. Maybe since I’m used to the centrifugal it didn’t bother me so much?

    I’ve found the pulp to be very dry on this machine, especially compared to the Juiceman (which isn’t terribly surprising). I’ve never felt a need to run it twice. But I’ve never used a Green Star, so I can’t compare how it stacks up against that. Apparently the Green Star is better at juicing greens, but I think the Omega does a nice job—I definitely get way more juice out of my kale than I ever did before.

    I’ve never had a problem with pulp backing up (some reviewers on Amazon have), and the reverse button is really handy if there’s any small sticking point (like the time I impatiently fed in a bunch of frozen almonds). It is very quiet to operate and it feels very sturdy and well-made. I definitely feel that I will have it for a long, long time.

    Now the downsides:
    -It is pretty slow. I’m always surprised how long it takes me to juice things: usually about 25-35 minutes including chopping and cleanup. It’s not horrible, but it definitely isn’t fast. I have to say though, and this is kind of odd, but because it is so quiet, I kind of get into a zen rhythm when I am juicing and don’t mind the slowness.

    -The feeder chute is really on the small side—about the circumference of a large carrot. So even some carrots need to be chopped before juicing. That is kind of a hassle if you’re used to feeding stuff like big carrots straight through.

    -Because the grinding/juicing mechanism moves slowly, sometimes you’ve got to put a little muscle behind the plunger to move your produce through the chute. Again, it’s not a horrible problem, but if you’re used to the produce being sucked right through the mechanism with no effort, that doesn’t happen here.

    Overall, I’m extremely pleased with the machine, and I wasn’t really even expecting much from it. It works great as a food grinder/chopper, too! I’m very happy with that bonus function, as I don’t have a food processor—I use it all the time to grind things for bread, patties, or cakes. And finally, it is amazing to see a simple frozen banana come out of the chute looking exactly like soft serve ice cream. I’ve found it to be a huge asset in helping me to stay raw, as it makes it so easy to make comfort food for those times when I want something tasty and fast. And it may just be wishful thinking, but I really do think the juice tastes fresher and cleaner than it did coming from the centrifugal juicer.

  • newbienewbie Raw Newbie

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to provide such details. I know it took a lot of effort on your part. I appreciate it. The Omega has definitely moved up in my search. Thanks again

  • deborahanndeborahann Raw Newbie

    Jenny- Your description of the Omega sounds exactly like what I would say about my green star. I agree that the pulp, especially for greens, is much drier than a centifugal. I have only homogenized once and it was sprouted wheat and dates and it did take FOREVER to clean up the sticky dates! Sounds like the Omega would be a good deal but I didn’t get a chance to check out RawJim’s link.
    Good luck on your search Newbie!

  • Matt Monarch recommends the Green Star or (the ultimate) Norwalk juicer for juicing greens every day for the maximum energy. I have owned my (used) Champion for 20 years and have put it to the test over and over and it has never let me down. I wash the parts in the dishwasher. The juice breaks down pretty fast though, it’s starting to sour before the day is out. You can often get used Champion juicers in your local paper, in California anyway. You can buy replacement parts at the company website. I would someday like to own a Green Star but I ask myself the question, if it takes a long time, will I use it?

  • newbienewbie Raw Newbie

    I took the plunge and ordered the Omega 8003 from an Ebay dealer. I’ll let you know how it goes ;-)

  • skizzyskizzy Raw Newbie

    i have an omega 8003 and i adore it.

    jenny: there’s an even easier way to clean that little screen!

    after i pour the juice into a glass, i take the little plastic container, fill it with hot soapy water, and toss in the filter to soak. by the time i’m done drinking the juice, the little bits of pulp have soaked right off and all i have to do is wipe with a sponge.

    the omega is very easy to clean! i don’t think i’d ever use it if it wasn’t. _;

  • I am also in the market for a juicer. I plan to juice greens, wheatgrass, and fruits. I was strongly considering the Green Star, but I am thinking twice because it has many parts to clean. The Omega 8005 has few parts to clean, juices wheatgrass and is more in my price range. I think I’m going to sleep on it a few more nights before making the decision. I’m so excited to begin juicing!

  • michigan romanmichigan roman Raw Master

    heres a link to a site with great juicer info =

    http://www.discountjuicers.com/lowrpmjuicers.html

    • ive got a cheap centrifugal and have been reading about
      and asking questions about juicers for the past 2 years
      preparing for when i buy 1 and im completely sold on the
      champion . tens of rawfoodist/vegans/fasters have told me
      they love theres and have had them like others have stated
      here very long periods of time = 10 to 20 years . and what
      really sealed the deal was when i saw a champion at a store
      and picked it up , its just like a big wash machine motor
      that weighs 20 lbs i believe . totally heavy duty + simple / lasting design . and they come in a few different colors and i decided to get a black one in order to hide any juice stains that develop over time like have done on my white colored current juicer . and also on the champion you can get an industrial sized motor for like 20 more then the residential unit and was told by long time champion users its worth paying the extra 20 .
  • michigan romanmichigan roman Raw Master

    heres a link to said juicer for 235 with free shipping , at this link if order theres a icon on right side of page where you choose color .

    http://www.tendecades.com/catalog/item/3320830/...

  • StefunkStefunk Raw Newbie

    Wow, wow, WOW!! This is just what I needed to read! Thanks to everyone who added their information. Now I’m off to shop!

  • jenny2052jenny2052 Raw Newbie

    Oh, Skizzy, what a great idea! I’m lazy with dishes, so I always try to clean my juicer before I drink my juice, but I never realized I could save myself some time and effort by soaking the screen! Thanks!

    I’m also glad so many people are into the Omega! I think it’s awesome, so I’ve always wondered why there weren’t more people talking about it. :)

  • MarichiesaMarichiesa Raw Newbie

    Stefunk,

    If you are still looking you might check out Breville Juicers. I own one of those and a Champion and while the Champion juices more ‘nutrients’ the Breville centifugal is much quicker and MUCH better with leafy greeens.

    Having made the mistake with buying ‘cheaper’ to start I’d say save your pennies and get something well made once so you don’t have to buy again. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way!!

  • I love my Samson. Does all the fancy stuff and I saw it on ebay for 199.95

    Good luck!

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