What Juicer to Use

I have gotten some questions about what juicer I use, so I thought it might be worth talking about in a post. I am not an expert in this area, but I have owned three juicers,known many people who juice and researched a good bit, so I can share from what I have learned.

If you get a juicer you want to get one that is gonna be able to handle greens. Greens are a HUGE part of one's juicing regiment for health. It is paramount. There are lots of other things to consider when purchasing a juicer, but that is the biggest as far as I am concerned. I owned a Jack Lellain Style Juicer (Juice Man), it was fast and easy to clean, but it did not extract as much of the juice out of the fiber as others and it did not do greens. I would not recommend it. It is also said that an auger/masticating style juicer is better than centrifugal, because it leaves more nutrients in the juice, it doesn't separate as quickly or foam as much other. So that is another major thing you want to look for. I had a Champion Juicer, and it does a great job making juice, but it was a bear to take apart and clean. It was really heavy and huge (taking up a lot of horizontal space on the counter) and it didn't do greens well. However, I don't remember ever having to strain my juice. The juicer I am using now is the Omega Vert which is also the same machine as the Hurom (but it has a better warranty with it). I am very pleased with this machine. It handles my greens well, it juices fast, its quiet, it's small, it's easy to take a apart and clean. However, it does let a lot of pulp through (which amazes me, because the screen is tiny), so I do take an extra step of straining my juice through a jelly bag. Now from what I see in the Raw Foodie World, is that the juicer "everyone" seems to be using is the Breville . If I were to purchase one again, I would investigate that one further. It has a much bigger hopper than the Omega and has the engine to handle it, so it appears to be great for large volume. It also looks like it is less expensive than my Omega Vert, so while I haven't used it or investigated it fully (since I have already made my purchase); I would highly suggest doing that, if one were to buy a juicer

The king of all juicers might just be the Norwalk Juicer, but unless you are really fighting a life threatening disease, it seems unnecessary to buy, because it is $1000 to $1400 and it is HUGE. :-)

Having said all that....You can Juice Fast/Feast with Vitamix too! You blend up your juice than strain it. The straining is a little bit more laborious, because you have to get all the fiber out yourself..but it is an option if you already own the machine or your budget would not allow for two machines and you really need a good blender. It is a great machine! A blender is needed for the softer fruits like tomatoes, peaches, mango, etc. These do not go through a masticating juicer well. I LOVE mine, I have been using Vitamix for 14 years or so.

YouTube is actually a really good place to investigate juicers in action and there are comparisons there too. There are a lot of people who juice themselves doing videos on it. I researched my juicer, than bought it on Amazon, because you can usually get free shipping there and no tax

Juicing takes some investment. Good machines are not cheap - but they should last you. It takes commitment (first and foremost)! Educate yourself, pray about it and if you are convinced it is for you, move ahead. (Having said that, whenever you try something new it is natural to be unsure, but if you DECIDE to do it, your convictions should take precedence over your "feelings" to see it through.) Then you do need a machine of some sort and it takes A LOT of produce, which really should be organic if you can. If you are really strapped for cash and you are person of faith; you can pray about a juicer and keep your eyes open at yard sales, Craig's list, Ebay and places like that...Yah may just provide you with one! I have seen it happen more than once!!! You may be able to borrow one from someone who is not juicing at the moment. If you can't get organic produce, you can use conventional or grow your own. The next best thing to growing your own is your local farmer's market or co-op, so you can get the freshest produce

I hope this post helps

Shalom, pamela