Friday, October 29, 2010

Omega J8004 Nutrition Center Commercial Masticating Juicer, White


Omega J8004 Nutrition Center Commercial Masticating Juicer, White
Product By Omega Juicers     (8 customers reviews)
Lowest Price : $246.52 

Technical Details

  • Masticating juice extractor with powerful single-gear commercial motor
  • Dual-stage juicing; low speed of 80 RPMs means no foaming, clogging, or heat build-up
  • High yield with very dry pulp; auto pulp-ejection for continuous operation
  • Easy to assemble, operate, and clean; UL- and cUL-approved; runs quietly
  • Measures 14-1/2 by 6-1/2 by 15-1/2 inches; 15-year warranty

Product Description

Omega's 8004 Nutrition Center has an exclusive "dual stage" masticating extraction method. It has a low rotation speed of 80 RPM's and continuous juicing with automatic pulp ejection. High juice yield with very dry pulp and with less foaming than other double gear juicers. This unit is engineered for quiet operation and long life and with heavy duty commercial construction.

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Customer Reviews

  
"I'm giving this 4 stars...." 2010-09-22
By Shana Reeves (los angeles, ca)
So after a few weeks of going back and forth between this juicer and the breville pulp extracting centrifugal juicer in the same price range, I settled on this. I have been juicing literally everyday since I got it and the health benefits have been amazing. I wanted to write a review because I always depend on reviews to buy products so I thought it's my turn to give back!

This juicer rocks! It's great with greens and pretty much everything I put down it. But I'll break it down like this:

pros

really sturdy machine
does greens
has other attachments (for nut butters, pasta, sorbet, etc)
super easy to clean
probably best masticating juicer around (this type of juicer is supposed to be better because the machine doesn't become warm thus killing some of the beneficial enzymes and nutrients)

cons

chute is small so you have to chop a bit more (but in reality how much longer does it take to do 6 extra chops?)
you do have to put pressure on some of the harder items going down.
it takes a little longer to juice than a centrifugal juicer

I make a cocktail of an apple, a beet with greens, 3 carrots (carrots go down pretty easy-haven't had to chop one yet!), a hand sized wedge of cabbage, about 1-2 cups of spinach, ginger, and half a lemon (rind removed). I timed it and it takes me about 16 minutes from start to finish in washing to assembling to clean up. This cocktail yields about a pint of juice in case anyone is interested!
So, the 4 stars is cause of the cons, but it is a super solid machine and I'm glad I got it.

  
"Fancy product but not for every body" 2010-09-09
By PJ
I basically used this juicer for carrot juice and it was not very efficient. It took me 7 mid size carrots to make a cup of juice and the pulp was not very dry, so I had trouble throwing it in compost and I ended up having to use the pulp somehow (in other food prep)...was not good for Apple either.

But the big plus of this product was how easy it is to clean...literally takes afew minutes. I quite liked that. But I returned the product as I was primarily interested in carrot/apple juice.

  
"Quiet, efficient, sturdy, easy to clean - excellent" 2010-07-15
By D. Korte
I've used up two centrifugal juicers in about 4 years. I decided to lay down the money and go with a great machine. Wow, I didn't expect it to provide such excellent results. It's very quiet; much more so than the Champion style or centrifugal style by leaps and bounds. You can talk while using it. I was afraid it would be slow. It's much faster than I was expecting with the auger style process. There is basically no foam in my juice which is magical. My centrifugal had almost as much foam as juice and foam is not good for health reasons and just loss. I mainly juice carrots with a 1/2 pear or 1/2 apple. Very nice. I tried beets, celery and even kale. No problem at all, except for digesting the beet juice. I did have to slice the beet. After reviewing all the videos I was worried that I'd have so much prep time. Not the case. I use whole carrots with an occasional trim at the top for the 1 1/2 inch opening. My centrifugals had a larger opening, but was odd shaped so large round carrots or other objects still would not fit. I saw videos of people tossing whole apples into their gee whiz centrifugal juicer. Who would want to do that. Toxic seeds and parts I don't want in my body. True, I've only used it for a month, but the quality of every piece seems superb. I would have no reason to doubt it will last 15 years. I have an engineering background so I look for how things are built, forgive me. I feel cleaning is easier than my centrifugals. I had to clean the pulp out of them a couple of times per juicing and that was tough. Also, this device is much easier to thoroughly clean. I decided against the Champion when I saw juice ooze out the side of the screen and items pop out the top. That just can't happen with this unit. Since I use it so often it has replaced the food processor on the counter top. It looks sharp in the kitchen and the handle makes it easy to pick up and move. I use a mixing bowl with suds to drop the items into for a final clean and disinfection after a rinsing and prior to a drip dry. We used the blank plate for frozen dessert, but ate too much to digest it well. We're learning about various juices and desserts as we can do so much more with this unit. The pure kale juice was an interesting exploration.

This juicer has more than exceeded my expectation.

  
"Identical to the J8006, better than the J8005, and a most cost-effective juicer for greens" 2010-06-23
By Aaron702 (Central Illinois, USA)
My wife and I have had this for four months of intense juicing of cabbage and occasionally broccoli. My wife had multiple stomach and duodenal ulcers from medications due to a spinal injury and we combed the internet looking for studies on the best home remedies, as prescription antacids were not healing her. We chanced across two studies on raw cabbage juice healing ulcers in a matter of weeks, so that led me to research juicers.

There are four basic types of juicers. In order of general effectiveness on greens, they are as follows:

1. Spinning blade/centrifugal ($50-$200)
2. Single-gear masticating (like this one) ($200-$350)
3. Double-gear masticating ($425-$550)
4. Hydraulic press w/shredder ($1,000-$2,500)

We were hoping the ulcers would heal quickly and I didn't plan to invest much. In reading the reviews on the spinning blade-type extractors, they seemed a poor choice for leafy greens, but quite good for fruits and other types of vegetables. One additional caveat I found was that juice from such juicers didn't keep that long, apparently due to oxidation and heat friction. My wife grew up with such a juicer and she had always enjoyed it, but she agreed it wouldn't work well for wringing juice from a cabbage.

Next came the single-gear juicers, and these varied from steel to melamine construction to a new high-tech super-hard GE plastic. Steel can oxidize fruit juice and melamine is a soft plastic that is most known for appearing in contaminated animal food from China, which in tests artificially appears as protein. Neither of these sounded good, but in reviewing the latest versions of the J8006/J8004 (they are identical except for the color and $40 difference), I found Omega was using GE Ultem, a plastic at least six times harder than melamine for the augur. This was a huge plus to me.

The double-gear juicers appear to get about 15% more juice out of the same amount of produce, but take quite a bit more time to clean. They are also twice the cost of single-gear juicers. This wasn't worth it to me.
Finally, the hydraulic press juicers get the most juice out, but can cost thousands of dollars. I couldn't find one under $800.

Our Experience:

I decided to get the J8004 and we went to town using it. It's been used probably 40 times so far for about 45 - 60 minutes each time. I make two quarts of cabbage juice at a time and it's refrigerated, with my wife drinking all of it within two days. At the end of the second day, if it's been kept sealed in the refrigerator, the juice tastes virtually identical to when it was juiced (just shake it up a bit because the juice settles).

Directions for the juicer say it shouldn't be used more than 30 minutes at a time. This isn't a problem, as I prepare two plates of cabbage leaves, juice them, turn off the machine, then prepare two more plates of leaves at a time.

The Omega leaves some juice in the pulp, which I now recapture by feeding the mash back through the machine. Strangely, the extra passes go very fast compared with the first one with the leaves, basically because the mash goes in the tube with absolutely no friction, and is much less volume to handle. In general, if you are juicing cabbage leaves, this is how each pass juices out if you got 600 milliliters with the first two platefuls:

1st time - 600 milliliters
2nd time - 150 ml more
3rd time - 50 ml more
4&5th time - 50 ml more total

Yes, the double-gear machines might get more each pass, but I figure that putting cabbage through three times is more than equal to putting the it through twice on a double-gear, and I save $250 for that net of one extra pass.

The unit has held up well and has never stained from all the greens touching it, so save forty dollars and get this over the silver J8006 twin (both units are superior to the J8005 because that unit, strangely numbered higher than this, uses a melamine auger and has only a 10 year warranty). The parts all rinse clean in no time, save for the two filtering portions on the cone the augur presses against. These require a brushing motion (one is included) to clean, and even then the part with the fine mesh retains some cabbage fiber. Fortunately, we put the parts in the dishwasher where anything remaining can be blasted off.

We've used it to mass-grind coffee with an included grinding option. It grinds a pound of coffee in about three minutes.

You can't go wrong with an Omega J8004 if you are juicing greens. We would definitely buy this again, but due to the incredibly long warranty, we don't expect to buy anything for over 15 years!

UPDATE: We've now used it more than 60 days on cabbage and broccoli and used it to make wonderful blueberry sorbet (using the second cone unit used for grinding). Putting frozen wild blueberries into it makes a sorbet come out the end that if allowed to thaw, is a perfect cold blueberry juice. This summer we have been using it in this capacity far more than for cabbage. WONDERFUL!

  
"AMAZING" 2010-05-03
By Tatiana Chacon (Santa Cruz, CA)
Honestly I had never owned a juicer like this, but it does amazing things for you.
It has pretty much replaced my blender and food processor, I am a fan of raw food recipes, and while the recipe book suggests that something will take 50 min to prepare (due to the use of blender and food processor) I finished the dish in 30 min...it does a great job with nuts and all hard foods.

I've only had it for about 2 months but it seems really strong and keeps surprising me everyday with all the things I can use it for.

It is easier to clean than my old manual juicer so that's a plus, really easy to set up and use.
Great for wheatgrass! it gets the last drop of juice from it, sometimes I run the pulp through again and it gets more juice.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Champion Juicer G5-PG710 G5-PG720-BLACK Commerical Heavy Duty Juicer

Champion Juicer G5-PG710 G5-PG720-BLACK Commerical Heavy Duty Juicer
Product By Plastaket Mfg Co Inc      (22 customers reviews)
Lowest Price : $235.99 

Technical Details

  • Heavy Duty Juicer for Fruits and Vegetables
  • Includes - Instruction Manual, Juicing Screen, Sieve, Blank Screen, & Tamper
  • Optional Items (not included) Grain Mill, Large Hole Screen, Can be wired 220V 60HZ
  • Large 1.75" Diameter Feed Tube
  • 10 Year Limited Manufacturers Warranty (1 Year on cutter blade and screens)

Product Description

The Champion Commercial Juicer is designed for continuous heavy-duty juicing of Fruits and Vegetables. In addition the Champion can make coconut milk, baby foods, fruit sauces, nut butters, ice creams, and sherbets. This juicer is not ideal for leafy greens and wheatgrass. The floating cutter is designed to separate the juice from the pulp all in one continuous operation with little to no intermittent cleaning. Powered by a full 1/3 horsepower, heavy-duty General Electric motor, the Champion Juicer is powerful, durable, and built to last. All juicer parts are made from 100% FDA accepted nylon and stainless steel. Heavy duty front and rear ball bearing installation for smoother running, maximum R.P.M.'S. Added winding capacity increases starting torque and allows the motor to run cooler increasing the durability factor and performance under heavy use conditions.

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Customer Reviews

  
"champion juicer" 2010-09-18
By david leWine
i know this product and it turned out to be just as i suspected it would. a champion in every dimension

  
"Not good for simply making good juice.." 2010-09-13
By Juicer for years (Tucson, AZ USA)
The champion juicer I have produces juice with way too much foam.

I am into juicing everyday and don't want to deal with 2 steps (don't tell me to use a filter/screen to press the juice to remove foam). I am going back to my old juicer (like juice man Jr.) way nicer juice. (Again don't tell me about heat.. .to kill the enzymes you need to get to 110 or 120, and I am not worried.. If you want to get all "hippie" then think about the oxidation caused by the foam from the champion...)

Please keep in mind I only want simple juice out of my juicer. Juice from vegetables and fruits. I'm doing things like making nut butter.

  
"Champion Juicer" 2010-06-07
By C. Smith
Very nice experience. It got here on time and in great shape just as described. I love my new juicer, you just can't mess it up!

  
"Best Juicer Ever" 2010-04-13
By Laz Man (Maryland)
A terrific juicer. I've owned others and they don't compare. Easy to clean, easy to push fruit through and sophisticated in it's inherent simplicity of use.

My family loves this juicer too. We buy apples and carrots from Costco for about 70 to 80 cents a pound, add some ginger and drink. It revitalizes us and I miss when I travel and can't have my juice.

More expensive to buy than others but well worth the additional cost. Because this will be the juicer you use.

Try freezing peeled ripe banana's and putting them through the juicer. It is an amazing treat that looks and feels like ice cream or custard.

Buy one.


"I created an account just to review this item!!" 2010-02-12
By E. Liao
Seriously?

If youre going to drop this kind of money in hopes of finding a reliable juicer, I suggest you purchase it from a store where you can return it after you tried it. Because one you try it out a couple of times, I can guarantee you'll want your money back. It gets dull fast, and its AWFUL, just awful, for leafy greens. And I also read in one review that someone had the clean up timed to 3 minutes. Why did they feel a need to time the process? Because it is an arguably LONG and irritating process. If you get some sort of routine down, it can be done faster- but there is no denying that as an every day task, cleaning up this monster = TIME SUCKAGE! STAY AWAY!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Jupiter Large Commercial Juice Press, Black


Jupiter Large Commercial Juice Press, Black
Product By OrangeX     (25 customers reviews)
Lowest Price : $99.99 

Technical Details

  • Professional-quality juicer for the home in black, made of cast iron and 18/10 stainless steel
  • Ergonomic rubberized handle will withstand 2,300 PSI (pounds per square inch)
  • Great for squeezing the most juice possible out of oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and more
  • Heavy base for greater stability and longer handle for additional leverage
  • Hand wash cone and funnel parts

Product Description

Finally a commercial grade juicer for the home that will do as advertised, deliver a glass of fresh squeezed juice. This mid-size commercial juicer form OrangeX is as cool and refreshing as the juice it produces. Whether your fresh squeezed fancy is oranges, grapefruits, lemons or limes the OrangeX commercial juicer will make your morning a breeze. Made from cast iron and stainless steel with 2300 PSI (pounds per square inch) of force everyone in the family can have freshly squeezed juice at the drop of a lever. Removable parts are dishwasher safe.

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Customer Reviews

  
"Very Happy!" 2010-09-01
By M. Hall
We have had our new juicer for about 5 days and we have juiced 9 bags (80+/-) oranges and grapefruit. I am very impressed with the quality of this juicer and how soildly it is built. The quality of the juice is very good, however, initially we did notice a small amount of bitter/acidy taste from skin acid that gets into the juice by being pressed. The solution to virtually skin-acid-free juice is to take a VERY CLEAN washcloth and drape it over the top of the orange or grapefruit prior to squeezing in the press. The washcloth absorbs the acid that is forced out of the skin which in turn makes wonderful tasting juice. Be sure to rinse the wash cloth after every 5 or 6 juicings to make sure you keep the acid out of your juice. All in all we are VERY HAPPY with this product!

BTW: It is a LOT faster than using an electric rotary juicer and your arms do not get as tired!

  
"How do you prefer your juice, pulp or no pulp" 2010-08-12
By Lawrence Parylla (Anderson SC)
The machine has it's faults

The suction cups don't work well but if you use one hand to squeeze and the other to hold the machine it solves the problem. I have to use two hands with the Kitchen Aid juicer I own and the Kitchen Aid requires more pressure

The handle has a habit of swinging down but as long as you store it in the down position and hold it in place while using it there is no problem.

It is too low to fit a large glass under it but I just use a measuring cup then pour it into a glass, if they made the space under the spout higher it would increase the overall height of the machine and would not fit under the cabinets above the counter

All the negative points are minor but the big problem with the machine is only important if you prefer pulp in your juice. This machine produces pulp free juice, I happen to like mine with pulp.

I have had a juice attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer for a few years and I liked the fact it produces juice with lots of pulp but the Kitchen Aid is a pain to clean, I don't think the Kitchen Aid is dishwasher safe, and it was more difficult to assemble and use. I was going to try to sell the Kitchen Aid juicer attachment but decided to keep both. I'll use the Kitchen Aid when I want to go through the extra trouble to get pulp and the Jupiter when I don't want to bother with the extra work with the Kitchen Aid

So if you prefer pulp free get this machine, it is easier to use, and clean, it's dish washer safe and it is a sturdier design than the Hamilton Beach Juicer Model #932. The Hamilton Beach and the Jupiter work on the same principle but in my opinion this is a sturdier design.

  
"FANTASTIC" 2010-07-19
By ragatazz (Belleville,MI)
I can't believe its this easy to make fresh orange juice and lemonade. It takes less than 2 minutes to make fresh orange juice or lemonade. The clean up is super easy. My only problem is keeping fresh fruit in the house. The handle doesnt take much pressure to push down. I would definately buy another if this one ever breaks, which I doubt it will. Its built very solid.

  
"This is a workhorse of a juicer" 2010-06-16
By samadhi (texas)
After reviewing many other juicers, I'm glad that I settled on this one as a gift: it is a solid workhorse... and now we have a standing supply of fresh juice! In an age of powered appliances for every possible kitchen function, I am happy to have this old-fashioned--and thus reliable--machine.

Pros

Build: The juicer is heavy and solid. I doubt that I could harm it, even if I had such intents. I anticipate many years of fresh juice from it. It can be unwieldy, and may go after a fingertip or two, until you learn to position the citrusy victims just so.

Design: It has a few elegant design touches to ensure that use and clean-up is simple. The two removable pieces are sturdy, with a simple locking mechanism to ensure that they don't slide around with each press. The rest of the frame can simply be sprayed off. Awesome!

Taste: If you like fresh juice, then you know there's no debate about the difference in taste. This one produces much richer, more flavorful juice compared to the small hand-held juicer we had, but I can't compare its output to those of other similar models.

Pulp: The tray is slotted so as prevent pulp from sneaking into the juice. For those that like pulp, and don't mind the occasional seed, simply dump the accumulated pulp into the juice container. This is a simple design solution that lets everyone have their way in the pulp/no-pulp debate.

Cons

Juice-catcher: This is a minor point, but we hunted around to find a container of decent volume for catching the juice. On the other hand, this could be a pro: there's no included container/ carafe that has to be replaced, as with coffee makers.

Pith: I am sensitive to the hint of pith, having concocted many inedible dishes with more pith than zest. I can occasionally detect the bitterness of pith in the juice. This likely results from the complete annihilation of the juiced halves, which are usually split and mangled after one meeting with the press.

  
"The Best Juicer I Have Ever Used!" 2010-06-07
By Motoman25 (San Diego)
As others have said, this is a heavy-duty, truly commercial grade juicer. It is built incredibly well, and the rubber handle is great. Extremely high quality craftsmanship. It squeezes the heck out of limes, oranges and lemons (the only citrus I have tried so far) and does a phenomenal job of it with hardly any effort at all. As others have said, it is heavy. I disagree that it is more bulky than other juicers-- just heavier. It works great on lemons, by the way. If you want a great heavy-duty juicer, this is the one!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Hamilton Beach HealthSmart Juice Extractor


Hamilton Beach HealthSmart Juice Extractor
Product By Hamilton Beach     (2 customers reviews)
Lowest Price : $23.99 

Technical Details

  • Powerful 400-Watt Motor
  • Large, easy to open/remove pulp bin
  • Durable Stainless Steel Cutter/Strainer
  • 25 Food and Drink Recipes included

Product Description



  • Healthy, fresh-tasting fruit & vegetable juices



  • Powerful 400 Watt motor



  • Large, easy-to-remove pulp bin



  • Durable stainless steel cutter/strainer



  • 25 food & drink recipes included



  • Safety latches



  • Convenient spout

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    Customer Reviews

     
    "good juicer"
     2010-01-15
    By A. Alba
    i like this juicer a lot, it is pretty quiet and powerful. its true it does leave a bit of pulp at the end, but i just freeze the pulp to use later in soup. great juicer for the price!!

     
    "Worth the amount"
     2010-01-08
    By Sumit Jaisingh (Woburn, MA USA)
    The juicer functions fine except that there is a lot of pulp with juice left over in the pulp container. It is worth the amount paid.

  • Thursday, October 21, 2010

    Aroma ACJ-181 1-Liter Citrus Juicer


    Aroma ACJ-181 1-Liter Citrus Juicer
    Product By Aroma       (3 customers reviews)
    Lowest Price : $16.98 

    Technical Details

    • Small and large sized juicing reamers
    • Easy-to-clean, removable parts
    • Citrus reamer comes in two sizes to accommodate fruit of almost any size
    • Push down activation
    • Durable construction

    Product Description

    Fresh-squeezed juice is just moments away with the Aroma Juice Extractor. Two sizes of juicing reamers accommodate large and small fruits. Juice is collected in the detachable pitcher base, taking you from squeezing to pouring in one easy step. The motor is pressure sensitive - it starts and stops with a gentle press so there are no on/off switches to mess with when your hands are full. Compact and lightweight, it features convenient cord storage, and parts remove easily for cleaning.

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    Customer Reviews

      
    "juicer review" 2010-08-29
    By danielle
    We were pretty impressed with the juicer for the price, and it sure beats squeezing all the lemons by hand. Making lemonade is so much faster and we get a lot more juice with the juicer than by doing it by hand. We found that it is a lot easier with lemons to squeeze them just a tiny bit before you put them on the juicer. It is pretty small and compact, and the only negative is that with lemons several seeds still manage to work their way into the juice in the bottom tank, but you can easily strain them out or scoop them out.


    "Great little juicer!" 2009-02-15
    By S. Nielson (Avondale, Arizona)
    This is the third one of these we have owned. Each lasts about 10 years of pretty heavy use when lemons are season. It works great to juice and separate most of the seeds. I freeze 1 cup of lemon juice in a quart ziplock bag to make use of the lemonade during the year. Just add 1 c sugar and 2 quarts water. Perfect!

      
    "Won't buy this one again" 2009-01-12
    By Susan E. Feldkamp (Mesa, AZ USA)
    I purchased the Aroma ACJ-181 1-Liter Citrus Juicer since I have a wonderful tangerine tree in my backyard and wanted to use more of the fruit this year.

    At first the little juicer was doing an ok job then it started slowing down and reversing. The tray that keeps the seeds out of the juice didn't do it's job. "I know that I won't be growing a tangerine tree in my stomach but it isn't fun to drink the seeds!"

    The photo shows a lid which appears to cover the juice but it isn't a tight seal and fridge odors could get into the juice, also spillage is possible.

    Over all I'll just pick the fruit from the tree and eat it instead of taking the trouble of using the juicer.

    Wednesday, October 20, 2010

    MIU Polished Stainless-Steel Stand Juicer


    MIU Polished Stainless-Steel Stand Juicer
    Product By MIU
    Lowest Price : $89.97 

    Technical Details

    • Lever action makes the juicing process quick and easy.
    • Polished stainless steel.
    • Will juice oranges, lemons, limes and small grapefruits.
    • Wipe clean with damp cloth.
    • 7" x 7"x 19.5"

    Product Description

    MIU France item #: 90068 high polished stainless-steel jumbo stand juicer. Retro look displays elegantly on the kitchen counter. Bring the large lever handle down to squeeze juice with minimal effort. It sqeezes lemons, limes, oranges or grapefruit with ease. Great for home or restaurant use. Easy to assemble. The strainer and collection cup is removable for easy cleaning. Strainer and collection cup are dishwasher safe. Wipe the body down with damp cloth to clean. Measures: 7" L x 7" W x 19.5" H

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    Tuesday, October 19, 2010

    Champion Juicer White 1/Unit


    Champion Juicer White 1/Unit
    Product By Champion Juicers     (8 customers reviews)
    Lowest Price : $221.75 

    Technical Details

    • Model No.: G5NG853S
    • Dimensions: 17 x 7 x 10-in. / Feed tube measures:1/4 in diameter by 3 inches in depth
    • Weight: 30-lbs.
    • Volts/Watts: 540 watts
    • Origin: USA

    Product Description

    STANDARD US AND CANADIAN HOUSEHOLD UNIT Powered by a full 1/3 h.p. heavy duty General Electric motor. An Improved model with more starting torque, stainless steel motor shaft with latest design of front and rear endshield, front and rear ball bearings for smoother running and cooler operation. Manufactured as per CUL requirements.

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    Customer Reviews


    "Love Love Love It!" 2009-07-18
    By Wordworm
    A friend of mine told me about this a couple of years ago. I don't know why I waited so long to get it. I especially like making "ice cream" from frozen fruit. And the fresh juices are a delight. Very easy clean up, which I REALLY like.

    It did a good job grinding pumpkin seeds that had soaked in water for several hours (was supposed to be 24) for a raw foods pate. We had to add a bit of water at the beginning because it was just creating a sticky paste on the blades.


    "I've had one for around 18 years now" 2007-06-18
    By J. CARDINAL (Canada)
    I bought it around 18 years ago and have used it off an on ever since. It's definitely the most industrial piece of kitchen equipment I have.

    I've recently started using it regularly again and thought to myself there must surely be easier to clean better juicers on the market after all this time. I've pored over reviews and information on all other juicers I could find and was surprised that really there is nothing better out there still. Sure there are easier to clean ones but they do not seem to juice as well and people complain of them breaking down all the time. 18 years is a pretty good track record, I guess I'll just live with the cleanup time.

    My juicer works as well as it did the day I got it, however it has become quite stained from all the juicing over the years. The auger has yellowed somewhat. I've never replaced any of the parts.

    On the downside I still wish it would do citrus without foaming so heavily but I guess that's just the way it is.

    I'm not certain if the newer models use the same motors, this thing weighs easily 20 to 30 pounds, maybe it's more like the commercial type models they have now. Anyway, I thought since I had it so long I should mention that here for anyone who needs this info.

      
    "Good Juicer - worth the money" 2006-09-02
    By Susan K. Schoonover (Boulder, CO)
    This is a good juicer that is easy to use and quite easy to clean. I use mine just for making fruit and vegetable juices so I can't speak to how effective it is in making other items.

    I've found it to be well worth it's rather hefty cost.

      
    "Classic juicer is highly reccomended." 2006-03-24
    By L. Haley (Bemidji, Minnesota)
    A classic tool which is highly reccommended. I have owned mine for 15+ years and have loved it. This tool is legendary and for good reason. This is the one to buy for life since it may never have to be replaced or repaired. I agree with the positive comments made by others. I use mine for juicing carrots. This machine is heavy and powerful. I buy the big juicing carrots in 25lb bags and this machine is almost impossible to stall even when jamming the giant juicers through it non-stop. This is the type of machine used in juice bars. You can use it continuosly without cleaning which is a unique feature.

      
    "Works as Advertised!" 2005-09-25
    By Mark (Poland Spring)
    This little machine is a brute - obviously a refined design, improved over time. It does one thing very well - extracts the juice from vegetables and fruits. It is not under-powered; and the pulp by-product is quite dry, meaning that most of the juice is extracted. The motor portion is quite heavy and the juicer parts go together with some effort. A slightly built person with weaker hands may have trouble assembling and disassembing the juicer parts. I am pleased with the machine and its performance. If you are going to get into "juicing", this is a great machine.

    Monday, October 18, 2010

    DeLonghi KS500 34-Ounce-Capacity Electric Citrus Juicer


    DeLonghi KS500 34-Ounce-Capacity Electric Citrus Juicer
    Product By Delonghi      (13 customers reviews)
    Lowest Price : $19.95 

    Technical Details

    • 30-watt electric juicer with 2-way rotation for efficient juicing
    • 1-touch operation; 34-ounce transparent container with drip-free spout
    • Double cone juicer accommodates different size fruits
    • Dishwasher-safe parts; cord storage; dust cover included
    • Measures approximately 6-1/4 by 6-1/4 by 9 inches

    Product Description

    The Delonghi KS500 Electric Citrus Juicer makes orange, lemon, lime and other juices simple. Container holds 34-ounces, which will hold all the extra juice that comes from a motor with two-way rotation. One-touch operation makes this device a no-brainer. Double cone accomodates all sizes of fruits. Other features include transparent dust cover to protect internals, easy-to-clean detachable parts, and cord storage to keep power cord out of harms way. Get the most out of your citrus with this Delonghi Electric Citrus Juicer.

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    Customer Reviews

      
    "Stopped working during first use!" 2010-08-08
    By Lisa (FL, USA)
    This juicer is made of cheap, flimsy material. I was using it to juice limes and was being very careful not to be rough with the machine because while assembling it I realized that the "hard" plastic material was anything but. I had not been at it for more than 2 minutes when it stopped rotating and the motor just started making a whirring sound! How inconvenient! Save your money for a sturdier model made by a more reputable manufacturer!

      
    "Noisy & not dishwasher safe" 2010-04-17
    By M. Van Lookeren Campagne (North Carolina, USA)
    We trashed the juicer after less than a month of use. The machine makes an unbelievable racket, and the recepticle deformed when placed in the dishwasher. I know it says it is not dishwasher safe, but in 2010 one should be able to assume that kitched equipment is microwave and dishwasher safe.

      
    "Great ideas, terrible execution" 2010-02-03
    By Roger H. Bohl (San Francisco)
    Features: Large capacity, adjustable filtration, multiple heads, easily cleaned. HOWEVER, the gears are plastic, and if overloaded the gears skip and wear rather than the motor stalling. After 6 mos. of use, the gears wore to the point that normal juicing was impossible. The first clue was very noisy operation right out of the box. The Braun Citromatic is far superior in quality, but has less capacity and lacks the De Longhi features.

      
    "Yum!" 2009-10-01
    By bbl
    Easy to use, clean . . . and fresh lemon juice for recipes and fresh orange juice to drink can't be beat!


    "Great little juicer!" 2009-08-22
    By Gwendolyn (South Florida)
    I LOVE this juicer! I got this last week and have been juicing limes and lemons ever since. I really like that it gives you the option of straining out the pulp if you want. And I like the fact that the cone rotates in both directions. And that there are 2 sizes of cones - one for lemons/limes, another for oranges/grapefruit. This juicer really gets ALL the juice out of the lemons and limes. It's very stable and doesn't wobble or "walk" while it's operating. It's easy to use and doesn't take up much room in my cabinet. My only wish is that the detachable parts were dishwasher safe . . . the manual says to hand wash them. I still give it five stars because it works so well! Now if they could just come up with an electric citrus zester . . .

    Sunday, October 17, 2010

    Waring PCJ201 Citrus Juicer, Quite White


    Waring PCJ201 Citrus Juicer, Quite White
    Product By Waring      (54 customers reviews)
    Lowest Price : $83.99 

    Technical Details

    • Juices all citrus fruits, from limes to grapefruit
    • Heavy-duty metal base provides stability while juicing
    • Vibration-absorbing rubber feet keep juicer from slipping
    • Dishwasher-safe reamer and juice bowl disassemble for easy cleaning
    • Five-year limited motor warranty; one-year limited appliance warranty

    Product Description

    Includes Cuisinart Citrus Juicer Instruction/Recipe Book.

    Amazon.com Review

    If you're looking for a heavy-duty juicer to whip up your morning glass of tangerine-grapefruit juice, look no further. This is a solidly built juicer that you'll want to leave on the counter all the time--and it's heavy enough that you'll want to give it a permanent, accessible spot. Slower than some juicers, it's consistent and powerful, squeezing every last drop of juice from even a large grapefruit. The majority of the pulp collects in the reamer basket--add as much as you like! The spout pours directly into most tumblers up to 12 ounces, and by adjusting the reamer, you can make the operating switch convenient for left- or right-handed users. --Jill Lightner

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    Customer Reviews

      
    "The only juicer that lasts" 2010-09-23
    By George
    This juicer is simple and it works. It has a switch on the side, so the push down to turn on type switch in the other ones that always breaks isn't there. It's really just a motor with a reamer on it - simple and effective. The motor is powerful - it never bogs down. The white finish is probably easier to keep clean, nut the stainless looks pretty sharp.

      
    "juicer" 2010-05-13
    By Duane Ziemer (Arizona)
    It works well. More expensive than I expected but if it lasts for 10 or more citrus seasons, then it will have been worth it. I have 4 orange trees, 2 grapefruit trees, 2 tangelo trees and a lemon tree, so I do a lot of juicing. So far thus season, it has done well.

      
    "Juicer review" 2010-02-11
    By Lynn Ostheimer
    We have a small citrus orchard plus friends share their oranges with us. Since we can't possibly eat them all we juice them and store them in the freezer. Our old juicer gave out last season so we needed one that was heavy duty and could handle the job. We froze 23 gallons of orange and grapefruit juice this year. Needless to say it worked great without even a strain. So far so good.

      
    "Good Juicer" 2010-02-02
    By M. Hartman (West Jefferson, OH)
    This is the second juicer I tried and it works well. It doesn't walk across my counter and juices pretty efficiently. I guess the only negative thing about it is the build-up of pulp after processing several fruits, which doesn't release a lot of juice and I have to take something to scrape it.

      
    "Works ok" 2010-01-30
    By Janette (Tucson,AZ USA)
    I replaced a cheap Black & Decker model with auto-reverse, because the grinding noise would get on my nerves. Having said that, the cheap Black & Decker WAS as efficient as this one. So, if I were you I would check out the cheaper model before buying this one.

    Saturday, October 16, 2010

    Omega O2 1/3-Horsepower Continuous Pulp-Ejection Juicer

    Omega O2 1/3-Horsepower Continuous Pulp-Ejection Juicer
    Product By Omega Juicers     (12 customers reviews)
    Lowest Price : $99.00 

    Technical Details

    • Continuous pulp-ejection-style juicer in a compact, portable size
    • 1/3-horsepower motor for 6200 RPMs; stainless-steel blade and basket
    • Large feed chute; juice dispenses directly into glass or container
    • Receptacle bin catches refuse for easy disposal and cleanup
    • Measures 15 by 9 by 12-1/2 inches; 5-year warranty

    Product Description

    Omega O2 is a continuous, pulp-ejection style juicer, with receptacle bins in the back to catch fruit and vegetable refuse for easy clean up and quick disposal. Built with the style and engineering knowledge we perfected with our centrifugal juicers, this model rivals their efficiency and ease of cleaning while outperforming other pulp ejectors. Model number O2110.

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    Customer Reviews

      
    "Please Dont Chance It !!!" 2010-07-22
    By S. Rolling (atlanta)
    Purchased this juicer 2 weeks ago. The First day it worked great.
    Second day the motor would slow down and speed up no matter what I was juicing (90% of the time it was cucumbers and celery). The motor would speed up and slow down even when I stopped feeding it. On the
    10th day after 2 carrotts and three stalks of celery it begain to make a very loud noise. I stopped it , cleaned it, checked everything as for as proper assembly, but alas no change. It is going back to amazon.

    I will never buy another product from Omega. A juicer is a simple product

    there is no excuse for such slip shod manufacturing. I bought this product so I could have fresh juice not so I could develope a relationship with customer service. If you chance it (when it worked it worked good) SAVE THE BOXES you

    will probably need them.

      
    "Great product, great performance. I love it :)" 2010-06-26
    By Japanese girl
    This is a great juicer. I had two previous juicers...This Omega O2 is the best one so far that I have used.
    Easy to clean, not too heavy, simple to assemble and it does not take too much counter space.
    I enjoy Omega O2 very much.
    I live in Southern State, weather is hot, diet around here is heavy. I'm a happy customer for getting this product. :)

      
    "Great compact juicer" 2010-06-12
    By Edward E. Kikendall Jr.
    I have searched thru hundreds of reviews on a dozen different juicers, and after purchasing the Omega 02 I felt it deserved a little boost to its overall grade.

    I have now owned 5 different juicers under the $135 price tag: a department store model; a highly rated 700 watt stainless model available almost everywhere under many names; a OK/nice LeQuip model: the Jack LaLanne model, and now this Omega 02. What a difference it is too.

    To begin with, it is by far the best packaged item of all five of them (LeQuip was good). It looks clean and has nice body lines, and works smooth. In comparison, the cheapy is what it is...not much. The all stainless model was not all that well made for the price and jumped all over the place...It did have a similar basket similar to the Omega, but it had a plastic mounting ring and a lightweight blade. The LeQuip is similar to this Omega, but more money and a couple little issues that make it number two on my list. And finally, the Jack LaLanne...it worked OK at first, but with a cheap plastic basket/blade assembly and only a 60 day full warranty it is not worth it at any price. The Jack L is so over-hyped that I would recommend most anything over that device!

    So, what is good about the Omega 02? It is compact and does not use a lot of counter space. But it does everything the 3" mouth model can do (in the form of juicing the way a good one should), except you have to cut apples and beets down into slices. And besides, if you juice a lot of apples it is wise not to eat all of those seeds over time(there is much mention of accumulating poison from some seeds)...and lets face it, if you have a big mouth juicer you are going to get lazy and just drop them in seeds and all. Also, other larger fruits that might have a large seed are going to wind up getting chopped and not juiced whole anyway...so cutting is not a really big deal.

    What else? It cleans up a LOT easier than the Jack L...largely due to the way the pulp is thrown out of the back and most of it goes straight into the catcher, the way it is supposed to do. **A note for any juicer, put a plastic bag in the catcher and tie it up over the top to make clean up easier and you can save the pulp for compost or meatloaf, etc.** Anyway, some of the tops on other machines get jammed with pulp or have corners that make them hard to clean out. If you can visually see the design of a cover you can more easily determine if it is a smooth arc or a sharply angled model...the smoother the better.

    How about power? This version of an Omega has a 1/3 hp, 6300 rpm motor. The Jack L and other cheapies have smaller 1/4 or less motors and some still crank the rpm's to compensate (not good). There is much discussion about rpm's and that lower is better (for reducing oxidation)...but, you cannot find a centrifugal pulp ejector model that is slow enough to compete with the masticator/auger types with reducing the oxidation. So, you need to choose one that can at least separate the juice from the pulp but not be too weak to break. This is why I chose the Omega 02...it is not the full 11,000 rpm 1/3 or 1/2 hp model but it is powerful enough to do the job and strong enough to last as well. Also, don't get caught up in wattage comparisons...watts do not translate directly into horsepower. To grind up tough fruit and veggies, you need horsepower.

    If I had to choose another model to replace this one (in the same price range) I would definitely choose this Omega 02 again.

    With that said, there are a couple small items to address. First of all, get the black version instead of the white. Or plan to buy the black plastic bowl ring later. This piece of plastic will get stained in short order from carrots and other similar veggies. But it is just a little stain ring around the inside where the basket rides, not bad like other brands. The black plastic will not show this and stay newer looking, longer. But, I will say that even stainless appliances will show wear over time, so use it and enjoy it anyway. Secondly, there is occasional juice that seeps out around the bottom lip of the bowl ring (mentioned above) and the stainless bowl, BUT I have come up with a quick fix: put a small amount of vaseline around the rim of the stainless bowl and then place the white (or black) plastic ring on top before setting the basket and blade into place. Juice will not seep out, and it will not come in contact with your juice either. It does not affect cleanup! When it is time to break the unit down, it merely washes off in hot water. FYI, the LeQuips have the plastic ring formed onto the stainless bowl...stops the seepage, but is a real pain to clean since it does not come off of the bowl.

    OK, hopefully that is enough to make it worth your time reading this whole thing and help in decision making.

    I would recommend the Omega 02 to anyone...I got it for $90 shipped and I would only consider a couple of other models over this one (maybe) but they will cost 2 to 21/2 times this price (Omega Big Mouth or 4000). And the only reason for considering them is a longer warranty (10 or 15 instead of 3) and larger machines for a little more processing power (but I didn't need more).

      
    "Love my small wonder Omega 02" 2010-03-31
    By Jane Leelachati (cypress, CA usa)
    This Omega 02 have oval shaped feeding chutes that are large enough for a half or at least a quarter of an apple.It's give a little splash when I juice the orange,but over all this little juicer is get the job done very well.I use it every day.

    And Thanks Amazon,I placed my order and within the same week I received my product. I would definitely order from Amazon again.

      
    "Very sturdy, fast and easy to clean" 2010-01-15
    By Noel K. Stadlman (Tacoma, WA United States)
    The only experience I have other than this Omega, is the Champion juicer. The Champion is enormous in size and requires a back brace to lift. The Omega juicer is much smaller and lighter, so moving it around is not a problem. The juice seems every bit as good as that from the Champion juicer I have used. I also think the Omega is easier to clean. I really don't have much complaints. For those that say that they have to turn it off to prevent it from kicking things back out - well I have only had this happen 2 times and I have been juicing every day with it for about 30 days now. When I put in smaller items I just cover the feeder hole with my hand or have a carrot to put in right after the little orange slice, the oranges are the only offenders - carrots, beets, ginger, apple all seem to stay in fine. Let me do a couple bullet lists of what I like and don't like:

    Pros:

    *very easy to assemble & disassemble
    *easy to clean
    *sturdy yet light
    *affordable
    *simple to use
    *provides great quality juice

    Cons (none are a problem for me, just trying to be objective):

    *food that is cut small may bounce out of feeder tube on very rare occasion (use of plunger or hand can easily prevent this)
    *the pulp is a bit more moist than some juicers
    *still trying to prevent splashing of juice as it comes out - not a big deal, but beets can stain.
    *You need to cut items into about 1" x 2" slices to fit into feeder tube.

    Overall for the price I am extremely happy with this juicer - it fits easily in our small kitchen and is very efficient and easy to use & clean. I would highly recommend this juicer unless you wanted to spend another $100 - $200. Again, my wife and I have been using this daily for the last 30 days now and have really enjoyed it.

    Friday, October 15, 2010

    Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer, Lemon


    Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer, Lemon
    Product By Chef'n      (6 customers reviews)
    Lowest Price : $19.95 

    Technical Details

    • Makes short, easy work of pressing juice from halved lemons and limes
    • Unlike other juicers, this has an extra gear mechanism increasing juicing power and minimizing hand strain
    • Easy-to-squeeze handle makes it comfortable to use; basket makes it easy to catch pulp and pits
    • The lemon-colored finish makes the tool easy to spot in drawers
    • Dishwasher safe for easy clean up; also available in lime color

    Product Description

    The FreshForce Citrus Juicer is perfect for pressing juice from halved lemons and limes. Use it for making margaritas, lemonade or adding that extra citrus zing to desserts and entrees. Unlike other juicers, the FreshForce Citrus Juicer has an extra gear mechanism that increases juicing power and minimizes hand strain. Easy to squeeze handle. Dishwasher safe. Lemon colored finish. By Chef'n. Chef'n began over twenty years ago based on the principle that kitchen products could be a lot smarter, easier and more fun. Right from day one, Chef'n found an audience hungry for its brand of tasteful ingenuity. Today that legacy lives on with the precision refinements to acclaimed inventions, new technologies, design techniques and entirely new products.

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    Customer Reviews

      
    "great idea, poor execution DO NOT BUY" 2010-10-06
    By juiceten
    Looks like a great idea: use compound leverage to increase the squeezing power/make squeezing easier.
    However, there are some SERIOUS problems.

    First,

    do to the compound leverage design, you do have to open the handles WAY up to fit a normal sized half lemon in. So for people with smaller or weak hands: you're going to have to use 2 hands starting off because the handles will be so far apart.

    However, the real problem comes with the materials used in the design. A few pieces are made of glitzy looking polished metal, but the rest is made of very soft and weak plastic. The handles bend and flex and bottom out / touch each other before the fruit is even fully squeezed.

    After a few weeks of use the handles where starting to flex even more and seemed to be deformed.

    After about a month of use the plastic near the hindge cracked and the unit literally fell apart. Thanks to Williams Sonoma and there awesome customer service for letting me take this back and put the money towards a better made tool.

    If this thing where made out of 100% metal or even use a glass reinforced plastic or carbon fiber in place of the crappy plastic, I would gladly pay 2 to 3x the price. But with the current design, it's totally worthless.

    DO NOT BUY

      
    "Weak design" 2010-04-21
    By John Lilley (Boulder CO)
    The plastic handles are a bit flabby, so I had to "choke up" on the handles, and then a weak part of the gear mechanism snapped. Avoid this.

      
    "Plastic gear broke" 2010-04-17
    By Sam (Royal Oak, MI)
    The gear mechanism advertised to increase force is made of plastic. The second time I used this juicer the last tooth of the plastic gear broke. The first time I used it was on small limes, so the thinner skin probably didn't stress it as much. Such a high stress part really should have been made of something much stronger (perhaps stainless steel).

      
    "citrus juicer that won't quit" 2010-04-06
    By Jill E. Provan (tucson, arizona)
    This is a strong, well-made product that is perfect for squeezing the maximum amount of juice from limes, lemons, and all smaller citrus. Easy to use and clean.

      
    "100% More Lime Juice Extracted!" 2010-02-21
    By Amanda (Portland, OR)
    I made key lime pie and with this juicer I was able to make the whole pie with the juice from just 1 and a half limes instead of 3! I was amazed!

    This is a high quality kitchen implement made with heavy duty plastic. I was able to juice the limes with minimal pressure since the juicer's construction does most of the work.

    I don't understand how the previous reviewer had a problem with this product. I was really impressed and thought it was an excellent way to spend $20. (Purchased it from a kitchen store, not Amazon.) I intend to put it to frequent use.

    Thursday, October 14, 2010

    L'Equip Model 110.5 Mini Pulp Ejection Juicer, Grey


    L'Equip Model 110.5 Mini Pulp Ejection Juicer, Grey
    Product By Kitchen Resource/Bosch     (4 customers reviews)
    Lowest Price : $99.95 

    Technical Details

    • Model No.: 306150
    • Dimensions: 9x14x12-in.
    • Weight: 10-lb.
    • Volts/Watts: Rated Voltage: 120V 3,540 RPM
    • Origin: Korea

    Product Description

    Designed by people who juice for people who juice, the Model 110.5 L'Equip Mini Juicer/Pulp Ejector will give you the results you expect from a top quality juicer at a much more affordable price. Forget containers full of foam, this is one appliance that's designed for quantity and quality, with results that are virtually free from foam, as pulp is ejected through the rear of the juicer. A computer-controlled motor monitors the speed of the cutter blade, automatically sending out more or less power as needed. The pulp receptacle is ample and a large feeder tube accommodates more veggies and fruit than most juicers. A unique bag clamping system holds any plastic bag in place for ejected pulp. User friendly with no clogging and no foam, it's compact in size (only 11.5-in. high) so it fits perfectly on most kitchen countertops. It's the juicer that provides the most power and highest efficiency (600 watts and 10,000 RPMs) than any other juicer in its class. Comes with a 6-year guarantee.

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    Customer Reviews

      
    "Love my new juicer" 2010-04-15
    By Heather Sweeney (Portland Or)
    I love my new juicer! Its wonderful for a starter I may move on to something more heavy duty as my juicing skills grow but its a great start up machine. Pretty easy to clean as well.

      
    "L'Equip 110.5 Mini Juicer" 2009-05-31
    By Robert Wannberg (Las Vegas, Nv)
    An excellent juicer, has more power than any I could find in this price range. The motor does not wind down, all the pulp is ejected into the back container providing clean juice! I compared 6 juicers to this one and none could compare to its power. No problems with this at all since I purchased it and I use it every day. I like the stainless steel top where the extractor fits over, most other Juicers have plastic. This juicer is fast, fairly quiet, and in quality and power, it compares to juicers in the $300+ range. It is very easy to clean and operate. You can't go wrong with this at its price!

      
    "I love my mini" 2008-09-15
    By I am Samantha....... (MICHIGAN)
    I use to own one of those relic juicers but it was just too big and bulky and too much trouble to clean. Plus it wasted more juice then it produced. I found this while searching for a replacement extractor about four years ago. It still works and all the pulp is dry that comes from it. It only takes minutes to clean it by hand. I love juicing carrots in it along with oranges, apples, pineapples, and cucumbers. I would recommend cutting the larger pieces in half or lengthwise to make them fit in the chute.

      
    "Minimal" 2008-08-21
    By J Keistler (Lake Jackson, Texas USA)
    I'll preface this review by stating that I have 30 years' experience in juicing. I've had a pile of juicers of which this was one purchase.

    I manage 6 states for my employer so I travel at least one week per month. As my travel takes me ordinarily to non-metropolitan and semi-rural areas, true juice bars are very few and even farther between. I decided to take my juicing on the road.

    I have a big Acme Juicerator from the 80's (now sold as the Waring Commercial and quite similar to the Omega 9000) that I enjoy for the less-green juices. Unfortunately, Acme's are built like Sherman tanks and are nearly as heavy. I needed something that wouldn't give me a hernia hauling in and out of hotel rooms.

    Around the time I decided to do this, L'Equip introduced this mini version of their full-sized juicer. I wasn't familiar with L'Equip but had read some enthusiastic reviews--and the design was quite distinctive. Therefore, I ordered one. I certainly didn't expect it to keep up with my Acme or my Champion, but for travel one has to make compromises.

    I still think that, based on design parameters, it is quite distinctive in appearance. One doesn't mistake a L'Equip for any other brand. I don't play with fruit in a juicer, so I have no idea what this machine will do with fruit. Frankly, I don't see the merit in trying to juice such as grapes anyway. The main produce that I used this juicer for included carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, with some dark leafy greens thrown in on the side (parsley, spinach, collards). For its size the juicer did fairly well. Of course, no centrifugal juicer is going to do greens like a masticator, but some decent return on greens was found. Parsley and cilantro tended to just chop up and fly out the basket but it was still acceptable.

    I learned that, for my taste, there are some compromises in handling to accommodate the distinctive design. Mind you, I've done a lot of juicers of different types but this was one of the pickiest with assembly and teardown. Compared to my Acme this juicer is quite a bit slower. That bulging basket reservoir can be a bear to get seated properly on the base--not that it takes ten minutes to do, but it is particular. I never mastered doing it one-handed at all. The cutting basket was initially quite firmly attached to the motor base but over time loosened up--but it was still a matter of using both sets of fingers to pull up from both sides at once. I get no thrill out of watching pulp fly out of the basket so the smoked lid meant nothing, except that it was fiddly getting seated on top of the stainless basket reservoir. And, of course, being a pulp ejector the container had to be placed just so to catch pulp. This was my first pulp ejector centrifugal, but I've worked with newer ones and most are more intuitive. Was it hard? In totality, no, but perhaps a little more attention to ergonomics and a little less to high-fashion industrial design would improve the machine.

    I found the noise level to be average. No, the pulp coming out was not nearly as dry as either my Champion or my Acme, but that's not a fair comparison. The basket on this machine is absolutely tiny compared to the Acme or an Omega. The feed chute isn't one of those horse-sized things so popular to infomercial buyers, but so what? I keep a good knife handy and none of the juicers had this for most of my juicing experience. How the newbies like dropping whole apples in! I found those little plastic bags supplied in many hotel rooms for the ice receptacle made a great pulp container liner.

    To sum up, this juicer and I never really got on good terms. I found it a constant irritation when I was on the road, the fiddly parts which of course just rattled around in my luggage. After a year, I gave it away to a newbie who still uses it a couple of times a month and admires it on her counter the rest of the time.

    I have no experience with the full-sized L'Equip but I'd expect the same ergonomic issues would arise. I love beautiful kitchen products--I have a collection of 25-30 blenders--but function should always be foremost in an appliance. It isn't with this juicer. I purchased a $30 Black and Decker juicer from Wal-Mart that has been traveling with me in recent months and I'm actuall happier with it. Its limitations are much easier for me to live with on the road--see my review of that machine separately. I recently ordered an Omega O2 for travel and will review it when we've shared some road time together.