Juicer

[freeazabird]

Hi. I'm in need of high quality juicer that's easy to clean. I already have a Vitamix blender that I treasure, and am looking for a similar caliber juicer. Thanks!

[Jeremy E.]

Hi. I'm in need of high quality juicer that's easy to clean. I already have a Vitamix blender that I treasure, and am looking for a similar caliber juicer. Thanks!

Just use the vitamix, you don't need a juicer, juice is all sugar, smoothies have fiber and sugar, smoothies are much healthier and assuming you use your vitamix a decent amount there will be no need for juice

[freeazabird]

I plan to continue dining smoothies, but also want to add juices. If anyone has a juicer they like, I'd love to hear about it.

[Thinkum]

I have a Breville that I bought and like a lot, problem is I do not use it enough. Pretty expensive, but it's nice to have when you want some fresh juice without all the pulp of a Vitamix. When we make juice, we try to add more veggies than fruits. However, sometimes, you just want some fresh carrot or apple juice.

[Jeremy E.]

Having a Vitamix that you spent a TON of money on to make smoothies to help get more fruits and veggies in, and then to spend even more money on another factory made thing just to add sugar to your diet seems unmustachian to me. I feel like the 3 main pillars of mustachianism are financial health, nutritional/physical health and environmental health and this negatively impacts all 3

[Thinkum]

Mustachianism, from what Pete propagates, is first and foremost about happiness. Also, how do you know how much anyone here spent on their Vitamix, juicer, etc? You do know that there are tons of items for sale on CL that are WAY below the MSRP....right?

As for adding sugar to ones diet, it is really all about balance and not overdoing it.

[Altons Bobs]

I believe in the benefits of juicing, not juicing fruits, but green vegetables, so there is very little sugar, not like most here who believe juicing means all sugary juices with empty calories.  The juicer I like is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Omega-VRT350-Dual-Stage-Vertical-Single/dp/B00434JINO

[DenverDad]

I won't comment on whether its mustachian or not. I've been lurking the forums for less than a year and finally decided to make an account, so I'm not really qualified to comment on that aspect.

If you go with a centrifugal juicer, the Breville Fountain Plus comes highly recommended. The cleanup isn't going to be as easy as a masticating juicer, but you make up time since the rest of the process is quicker.  http://www.amazon.com/Breville-JE98XL-Fountain-850-Watt-Extractor/dp/B003R28HWQ

If you go with a masticating juicer, the Omega J8004 is highly recommended. I personally have this one, and it works great and is very durable. Its easy to clean, but the whole juicing process takes longer since you have to cut everything up smaller, and the auger moves through the veggies slower than a centrifrugal blade. http://www.amazon.com/Omega-J8004-Nutrition-Commercial-Masticating/dp/B001RLYOEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456300907&sr=8-1&keywords=omega+8004.

The biggest difference between both of these juicers is that masticating juicers handle green leafy veggies much better than centrifugal juicers. If you plan to do a lot of green veggies, or if you are really into wheat grass, go with a masticating juicer.

I will say that I mostly regret buying a juicer, because I found out after several uses that juicing is a time intensive process. If you are using a lot of different veggies, it can take 20-30 minutes from start to finish, which includes clean up time. It mostly sits in my cabinet unused nowadays. 

If you decide to go the new juicer route, the cheapest way I found of getting one was to sign up to get junk mail from Bed, Bath and Beyond, which also means you get a 20% off coupon every month.

I had read a lot of people found Breville juicers at their local thrift stores, but I checked all the ones in my area more than once and never found one.

[Erica]

We use a Champion Juicer about 3 times a week to drink various vegetables. I wouldn't say it is easy to clean but it's a quality juicer. We love it

[Eowyn_MI]

If you are looking for high quality, I recommend a Norwalk juicer.  Warning: a brand new Norwalk juicer is insanely expensive.  However, my family bought a used Norwalk over ten years ago and it is a great machine.  We use it once per week to make juice from carrots, celery, beets and dark leafy greens.  Infrequently, we also use it to grind flour or make applesauce or banana "ice cream."  It is really easy to clean; everything comes apart quickly.  We had a Champion juicer before we got the Norwalk and the Norwalk is better in every parameter that I can think of.  Norwalk juicers are the Vitamix of juicers.

[leftcoastenvy]

I have a Hurom HU-100 Masticating Slow Juicer. I use it about once per week to make green juices or beet juice. I have had it for 3 years and it still works great. Make sure to get a slow juicer since they retain more nutrients and produce more juice. Also, I am not sure any juicer is "easy" to clean, but as long as your don't let it sit and have the pulp dry up on it then this juicer is not too bad to clean.

This is the one I have:  http://amzn.to/1OuKUYS

[GreenSheep]

If you go with a masticating juicer, the Omega J8004 is highly recommended. I personally have this one, and it works great and is very durable. Its easy to clean, but the whole juicing process takes longer since you have to cut everything up smaller, and the auger moves through the veggies slower than a centrifrugal blade. http://www.amazon.com/Omega-J8004-Nutrition-Commercial-Masticating/dp/B001RLYOEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456300907&sr=8-1&keywords=omega+8004.

I have this exact juicer, and I love it. Amazon tells me I ordered it in July 2014. I do mostly green juices (vegetables with just a hint of fruit to make the flavor tolerable), so I don't think sugar is an issue (and that wasn't what you asked about anyway!). I don't find the size of the hole cumbersome, and I can make a double batch of juice in 15 minutes, from opening the fridge to get out the veggies to sipping from my glass straw -- and that includes cleaning the juicer! It's a breeze to clean. They key is to do it immediately, before it starts drying. Most parts just need rinsing, and there's a little screen that just needs a quick scrub with the brush that comes with the juicer.

I also have a Vitamix, which is my #1 favorite kitchen appliance, but my juicer is not far behind. Aside from making juices to drink, it's also really nice to make your own juice when a recipe calls for juice.

[GuitarStv]

Two clean boards and a couple C-clamps?  Very easy to clean, very inexpensive.

[golden1]

I don't understand juicing.  Those nutrients and sugars are locked up in fruits and vegetables for a reason - fiber.  Just eat the food and drink water.  Effective and much cheaper.   

[GuitarStv]

But what if you want to pay for a machine that will give you less benefit from fruit that you've paid for, while simultaneously spiking your blood sugar?

[GreenSheep]

I agree that it's not appropriate for every day, all day use. However, it's not possible to eat 16 kale leaves, 8 celery stalks, an entire English cucumber, 2" of ginger, 4 apples, and a lemon all in one sitting (at least not for me). You can get all of their nutrients, though, from the juice. Also, there are two types of fiber -- soluble and insoluble. You're still getting soluble fiber in juice.

I enjoy the taste of the juices I make, and I use them not as a replacement for solid food, but as an addition to my usual solid-food diet. It's refreshing on a hot day, and we have plenty of those here in Phoenix. It's a lot healthier than just about any packaged juice, soda, etc. (Packaged juice bought at a store is an entirely different thing.) And on the scale of things that are good for you versus not, mostly-vegetable juices are pretty far on the "good for you" side of the scale. I'm very, very particular about my diet, trying to keep it as whole-food-plant-based as possible, but no one is perfect, and if the place where you "slip" and treat yourself is with vegetable juice, then I'd say you're doing pretty well.

[GuitarStv]

Why do you think it's necessary to get the nutrients of 16 kale leaves, 8 celery stalks, an entire English cucumber, 2" of ginger, 4 apples, and a lemon all in one sitting though?  Are you looking for a solution to a problem that doesn't exist?

[GreenSheep]

I'm not saying it's necessary, but the purpose of eating is to nourish the body, so if you happen to enjoy something that's loaded with nutrients, what's wrong with that? Particularly for people whose diet might not be perfect for the rest of the day (ahem, 99% of us), it's a good way to pack in a lot of healthy stuff. It's not the ONLY way, but it's one way, and of all the edible things to attack, I see no reason to attack this one.

[Jeremy E.]

I'm not saying it's necessary, but the purpose of eating is to nourish the body, so if you happen to enjoy something that's loaded with nutrients, what's wrong with that? Particularly for people whose diet might not be perfect for the rest of the day (ahem, 99% of us), it's a good way to pack in a lot of healthy stuff. It's not the ONLY way, but it's one way, and of all the edible things to attack, I see no reason to attack this one.

16 kale leaves, 8 celery stalks, an entire English cucumber, 2" of ginger, 4 apples, and a lemon is probably like $4, a mustachian guideline is about $1 per meal

[golden1]

Exactly, we don't need that many nutrients in one sitting, and my guess is, we are probably not optimized to absorb that many in one 30 minute stretch of the day.  Probably, just like with a multivitamin, most of those nutrients just end up in the toilet. 

[GreenSheep]

That may be true, but it's still better than eating a Twinkie. If it's something one enjoys, I don't see how it's such a sin. (And if one truly loves Twinkies, well, okay, have a Twinkie once in a while.)

Regarding the cost, you're assuming whoever is making the juice doesn't have a garden. Also, I'm sure no Mustachian has ever splurged on a more-than-$1 meal in order to have something they enjoy... If I were solely focused on the cost of my food, I'd be eating oatmeal or beans and rice for every meal. I do eat those things at times, but there has to be some balance, at least for me. I choose to spend more on delicious and healthy food. Maybe not every Mustachian does. Everyone has their own priorities.

[GreenSheep]

I'm not saying everyone should run out and buy a juicer. I'm simply saying that for those who enjoy juice, can afford a juicer, and feel that it would add value to their life (in whatever way), I don't see anything wrong with it. There are certainly much worse things to do with your time and money. To each his own. Don't buy one if you don't see any value in it.

[GuitarStv]

Juicers are a very faddish device that make food less healthy for you.  Near as I can figure, you always come out ahead nutritionally by just eating the unjuiced stuff.  Don't get me wrong, fresh juice is very tasty!  It's similar to any other type of soft drink.  I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but there's a lot of mystic mumbo jumbo about the health benefits of using a juicer that ate too often accepted as fact.

[Erica]

When juicing, you place the rest in the refrigerator to drink later. It doesn't need to be downed in one sitting.

There is no way I would sit down and eat 2 celery stalks, 2 carrotts and 2 leaves of kale. Sometimes I add in other things too but I don't enjoy eating vegetables so eat the real thing every other day. Juice the rest of the time. Jucing fills you up pretty quickly too, it's quick and easy. I clean our juicer every other day. Juice and eat 1/3- to 1/2 cup oatmeal and you have great nutrition prior to a long bike ride.

Kale is a pain reliever for my eyes. Works so much better than pills

[BarkyardBQ]

I'm not going to get into any debates, cause well... unless you've tried it, it's not worth debating the benefits.

I will say that we have used the pulp to create vegetable stock, soups, and breads, which are amazing, reducing waste.

[GreenSheep]

Juicers are a very faddish device that make food less healthy for you.  Near as I can figure, you always come out ahead nutritionally by just eating the unjuiced stuff.  Don't get me wrong, fresh juice is very tasty!  It's similar to any other type of soft drink.  I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but there's a lot of mystic mumbo jumbo about the health benefits of using a juicer that ate too often accepted as fact.

FRESH juice is not at all the same as a soft drink. Grocery store juice in a bottle or carton definitely is; the pasteurization that most of it undergoes (plus the time from juicing to drinking) destroys a lot of the enzymes and nutrients in it. And using all or mostly fruit is not a good idea.

There is definitely a lot of mystic mumbo jumbo about the health benefits of juicing; I agree with you there. It's certainly not a cure-all. But it can be a reasonable complement to a healthy diet. It can also be a good bridge from a terrible diet to a healthy one (see rebootwithjoe.com or watch "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead."). There are people who have changed their lives thanks to juicing. Does that mean it's The Answer for everyone? Of course not. Each person's entry point into a healthy lifestyle is different. And yes, if you do it wrong, it can be loaded with sugar and a giant waste of money.

Nutrition is an area that is fraught with misunderstandings and proposed quick fixes. I think Michael Pollan got it right when he said, "Eat real food. Mostly plants. Not too much." If you do that, you don't have to count calories, grams of fat/protein/carbs, sugar, etc., and you'll get all the things your body needs.

[Jeremy E.]

Juicers are a very faddish device that make food less healthy for you.  Near as I can figure, you always come out ahead nutritionally by just eating the unjuiced stuff.  Don't get me wrong, fresh juice is very tasty!  It's similar to any other type of soft drink.  I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but there's a lot of mystic mumbo jumbo about the health benefits of using a juicer that ate too often accepted as fact.

FRESH juice is not at all the same as a soft drink. Grocery store juice in a bottle or carton definitely is; the pasteurization that most of it undergoes (plus the time from juicing to drinking) destroys a lot of the enzymes and nutrients in it. And using all or mostly fruit is not a good idea.

There is definitely a lot of mystic mumbo jumbo about the health benefits of juicing; I agree with you there. It's certainly not a cure-all. But it can be a reasonable complement to a healthy diet. It can also be a good bridge from a terrible diet to a healthy one (see rebootwithjoe.com or watch "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead."). There are people who have changed their lives thanks to juicing. Does that mean it's The Answer for everyone? Of course not. Each person's entry point into a healthy lifestyle is different. And yes, if you do it wrong, it can be loaded with sugar and a giant waste of money.

Nutrition is an area that is fraught with misunderstandings and proposed quick fixes. I think Michael Pollan got it right when he said, "Eat real food. Mostly plants. Not too much." If you do that, you don't have to count calories, grams of fat/protein/carbs, sugar, etc., and you'll get all the things your body needs.

Putting something in a juicer makes it less healthy, end of story. Notice Michael said nothing about drinking plants. If you want to juice go for it, but I would say accept it as one of the things your treating yourself too, rather than something healthy.

[BarkyardBQ]

Juicers are a very faddish device that make food less healthy for you.  Near as I can figure, you always come out ahead nutritionally by just eating the unjuiced stuff.  Don't get me wrong, fresh juice is very tasty!  It's similar to any other type of soft drink.  I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but there's a lot of mystic mumbo jumbo about the health benefits of using a juicer that ate too often accepted as fact.

FRESH juice is not at all the same as a soft drink. Grocery store juice in a bottle or carton definitely is; the pasteurization that most of it undergoes (plus the time from juicing to drinking) destroys a lot of the enzymes and nutrients in it. And using all or mostly fruit is not a good idea.

There is definitely a lot of mystic mumbo jumbo about the health benefits of juicing; I agree with you there. It's certainly not a cure-all. But it can be a reasonable complement to a healthy diet. It can also be a good bridge from a terrible diet to a healthy one (see rebootwithjoe.com or watch "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead."). There are people who have changed their lives thanks to juicing. Does that mean it's The Answer for everyone? Of course not. Each person's entry point into a healthy lifestyle is different. And yes, if you do it wrong, it can be loaded with sugar and a giant waste of money.

Nutrition is an area that is fraught with misunderstandings and proposed quick fixes. I think Michael Pollan got it right when he said, "Eat real food. Mostly plants. Not too much." If you do that, you don't have to count calories, grams of fat/protein/carbs, sugar, etc., and you'll get all the things your body needs.

Putting something in a juicer makes it less healthy, end of story. Notice Michael said nothing about drinking plants. If you want to juice go for it, but I would say accept it as one of the things your treating yourself too, rather than something healthy.

Data?

[Jeremy E.]

Juicers are a very faddish device that make food less healthy for you.  Near as I can figure, you always come out ahead nutritionally by just eating the unjuiced stuff.  Don't get me wrong, fresh juice is very tasty!  It's similar to any other type of soft drink.  I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but there's a lot of mystic mumbo jumbo about the health benefits of using a juicer that ate too often accepted as fact.

FRESH juice is not at all the same as a soft drink. Grocery store juice in a bottle or carton definitely is; the pasteurization that most of it undergoes (plus the time from juicing to drinking) destroys a lot of the enzymes and nutrients in it. And using all or mostly fruit is not a good idea.

There is definitely a lot of mystic mumbo jumbo about the health benefits of juicing; I agree with you there. It's certainly not a cure-all. But it can be a reasonable complement to a healthy diet. It can also be a good bridge from a terrible diet to a healthy one (see rebootwithjoe.com or watch "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead."). There are people who have changed their lives thanks to juicing. Does that mean it's The Answer for everyone? Of course not. Each person's entry point into a healthy lifestyle is different. And yes, if you do it wrong, it can be loaded with sugar and a giant waste of money.

Nutrition is an area that is fraught with misunderstandings and proposed quick fixes. I think Michael Pollan got it right when he said, "Eat real food. Mostly plants. Not too much." If you do that, you don't have to count calories, grams of fat/protein/carbs, sugar, etc., and you'll get all the things your body needs.

Putting something in a juicer makes it less healthy, end of story. Notice Michael said nothing about drinking plants. If you want to juice go for it, but I would say accept it as one of the things your treating yourself too, rather than something healthy.

Data?

You really need me to give you data for something that is common knowledge? Whole fruits and vegetables are healthier that fruit and vegetable juice because you get a lot more nutrition from skins, pulp, etc. This is not a debatable topic.
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=192

[vern]

freeazabird, I've got a Breville that's given me years of solid service.

Jeremy, maybe try decaf?

[Hotstreak]

Jeremy, maybe try decaf?

C'mon, that's not fair.

Juicing is less nutritious than eating vegetables.  It's a halfway measure towards a healthy, sustainable diet, and often is far more expensive than eating whole foods.  That's not to say it's bad for you, it's obviously better than dining on jam sandwiches and diet coke's all day, but folks get drawn in to this romantic idea that juicing is going to be the best thing for them when it likely is not.  Challenging that assumption and encouraging people to consider eating whole fruits and vegetables is a completely reasonable thing to do.

[Eowyn_MI]

Jeremy, maybe try decaf?

C'mon, that's not fair.

Juicing is less nutritious than eating vegetables.  It's a halfway measure towards a healthy, sustainable diet, and often is far more expensive than eating whole foods.  That's not to say it's bad for you, it's obviously better than dining on jam sandwiches and diet coke's all day, but folks get drawn in to this romantic idea that juicing is going to be the best thing for them when it likely is not.  Challenging that assumption and encouraging people to consider eating whole fruits and vegetables is a completely reasonable thing to do.

I agree that juicing is not a replacement for eating vegetables.  I agree that it is rather expensive and not necessary for good health.  But the OP asked for information about the best type of juicer; not a slam against the idea of juicing in general.  Also, Jeremy said

"...end of story."

This is not a good way to engage in a friendly discussion of any topic.  vern pointed that out pretty gently; good for him!

[Lnspilot]

high quality juicer that's easy to clean

I have a Super Angel juicer. It's such a good juicer, and it only takes a couple minutes under the faucet to get it clean.

I was lucky enough to try one out for many days before I bought one, so I understand if it would be hard to pull the trigger if you don't have that opportunity.

[clarkfan1979]

Many MMM are against juicers, but I like it in moderation. I don't really like to eat some vegetables, but I will juice it. Sure, it might be healthier to eat it raw, but I wouldn't do that in the first place.