We all know that vitamins are essential for our normal health and development. They are vital to life and everybody needs them. It’s also no secret that vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements are part of a very lucrative, billion dollar industry. In fact, it is reported by some sources that Americans spend almost $2 billion on various vitamin and mineral supplements annually.

We keep hearing compelling arguments trying to convince us to take vitamins, minerals and other supplements:

“Vitamins, supplements, herbs and other natural remedies can cure you as well as or better than many prescription drugs…without the negative side effects.”

“If everyone took a few supplements every day, they could significantly lower their risk of a multitude of serious diseases.”

However does that mean we have to run to the nearest Vitamin Shoppe or order them online from Vitamins Direct or some other cheap vitamins supplier?

Whenever you feel an urge to buy the latest and greatest multi vitamin suplement, consider this:

- How do you know which vitamins to take?  How can you be sure you are selecting the right nutritional supplements to take? Having the proper balance of vitamins and minerals is essential for health. Excess of isolated vitamins or minerals can have similar symptoms as vitamn and mineral deficiencies. Vitamins and minerals can work in synergy or can block the absorbtion or effect of each other. Supplement manufacturers spend millions trying to persuade us that their products are the best on the market. What can you believe and to whom can you go to for advice? Your doctor? Most medical schools do not provide sufficient education in nutrition.

- How do you know how much to take? In large doses, some vitamins have documented side effects that tend to be more severe with a larger dosage. The likelihood of consuming too much of any vitamin from food is remote, but overdosing from vitamin supplementation does occur. At high enough dosages some vitamins cause side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

When side effects emerge, recovery is often accomplished by reducing the dosage. The concentrations of vitamins an individual can tolerate vary widely, and appear to be related to age and state of health. In the United States, overdose exposure to all formulations of vitamins was reported by 62,562 individuals in 2004 (nearly 80% of these exposures were in children under the age of 6), leading to 53 “major” life-threatening outcomes and 3 deaths;a small number in comparison to the 19,250 people who died of unintentional poisoning of all kinds in the U.S. in the same year (2004). Source: Wikipedia.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, are told to use extreme caution when adding supplements to your diet for a reason. 

- Buyer Beware. In choosing nutritional supplements it is truly a caveat emptor—and let the buyer beware. Remember that vitamins, minerals and other supplements aren’t regulated in the same way as prescription drugs. You need to read the ingredients listed as being contained in any product and investigate possible benefits as well as potential side effects than can occur.  Because of the lack of regulations in the vitamin industry and there are many unscrupulous sellers that may try to get your money. 

- How do you know which brand to trust?  Some vitamins and supplements can be hazardous to your health.  Many vitamins, including some of the highly advertised name brands, are processed at high temperatures, contain petroleum derived chemical solvents, such as ethyl cellulose and are coated with methylene chloride, a carcinogenic material. Even though the majority of people will have no serious side effects from ingesting small amounts of toxins found in some vitamin supplements, the long term consequences of continuous, daily intakes are potentially dangerous, and a small percentage people of displays sensitivity to these chemicals. Allergic reactions may include fatigue, memory loss, depression and insomnia.

- How natural are “natural” vitamins and supplements? Some of the “natural” vitamins are also produced under less than optimal conditions. The potency, dosage - and sometimes even the ingredients - are often difficult to determine from the label. Natural does not always mean a seal of approval. 

How to get the optimal nutrition with all the Vitamins and Minerals that your body needs?

We are often been told that we can get all the vitamins and minerals we need if we eat a normal “balanced” diet. The problem is that 90% of adults don’t consume the recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables (which are pathetically low, by the way). For example in a study done in U. S. Department of Agriculture of 50,000 persons, not one person was getting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of the 10 essential vitamins. And in many cases even the RDA is insufficient for optimum health.

The logical conclusions seems to recommend that all of us take our daily vitamin and mineral supplements, right?

WRONG!!!

It’s true, our bodies do need vitamins and minerals for optimum health. It’s also true that most of us do not consume enough vegetables and fruits to supply the needed amount.

However, the solution is not to take more pills, but to drastically improve your diet, and this can be done only by adding LOADS of FRESH, RAW FRUITS, VEGETABLES and LEAFY GREENS to your diet EVERY DAY!

All of us know the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away“.

I’m going to be brutally honest here, but one apple isn’t going to do you any good if other things that you eat are highly processed, high-fat “Standard American diet” cr@p!

So save yourself some money and time and do something radical, something that is truly going to have a tremendous positive result on your health and well-being.

I know it’s not easy to do. But there are two simple ways that can help you get more vitamins and minerals into your diet in their NATURAL, WHOLE state. These are fresh vegetable juices and green smoothies. 

Get yourself a good juice extractor and smoothie maker (you’ll be saving lots of money by not buying the supplements), read my green juice recipe and how to make a green smoothie, and start drinking TODAY and EVERY DAY.

I guarantee you that you will be getting enough of the vitamins, enzymes and other nutrients that our modern science has identified as necessary for optimum health (including the ones listed below), in perfect doses and proportions, plus many substances we have no idea that exist.

If you need advice buying a juicer, read about ”Buying a Juice Extractor: Which Juicer Machine Should You Buy?” and explanation of juicer types Centrifugal, Masticating, Triturating, and Wheatgrass Juicers overview.  If you are looking for an affordable compact juicer, then you may want to look at Breville Juice Fountain Compact Juicer or a more expensive, bigger model, Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite. You may also want learn How to Juice With a Blender?.

Manual juicers, such as Z Star Manual juicer or Hurricane juicing machine, require you to actually do some work when extracting your juice, unlike the electric juicers that do most of the job for you. However, they can be a handy appliance to own. You can use them anywhere, any time, as no electricity is required to make them work - so you can even take them on your camping trips wherever you go. They are also usually very sturdy - stainless steel, with no motor to break, and fairly easy to clean.

Manual juicers can juice a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and green leaves. Some of most often used manual juicers today are citrus juicers. The press style juicer squeezes the juice out of the produce by pressure, such as the Hamilton Beach 932 Commercial Citrus Juicer.

Manual Juicer Review: Z Star Power Juicer

Z Star Manual Juicer (about $100 on Amazon)

In addition to wheat grass, this manual masticating juicer will juice a variety of fresh fruits and veggies. Keep in mind that most fruits and veggies, such as carrots and apples etc., do require need preparation that would not be needed with a centrifugal extractor with a wide feeding chute. It can also be used for making baby foods, making nut butters, pie crusts, pates from nuts and vegetables. It is lightweight, portable, and versatile, so you can enjoy fresh juice wherever you go!

Manual juicer can extract higher yields of juice from fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and herbs than most of centrifugal juicers. It can extract about the same amount of juice from wheatgrass as the wheatgrass-only type of juicers. Compared to centrifugal juicers such as the Breville Elite Juicer or Jack Lalanne’s Power Juicer Pro, it ensures maximum retention of nutrients. The oxidation is also kept to a minimum, which allows you to store the juice longer without losing its nutritional benefits.

Z Star disassembles and reassembles quickly and easily. It is also completely noiseless - a big advantage over centrifugal juicers, some which are obnoxiously loud.

The downside of a manual machine is that it takes more time to juice with a manual juicer than with a centrifugal juicer. You’ll need more strenght too, as you have to push the produce down the chute with some force. 

So, should you buy a hand juicer?

Manual juicer is certainly an excellent choice if you have the extra time juicing. If you are just starting out and don’t want to make a big investment in a juicer, if you need a dedicated juicer for wheatgrass and greens, or if you a portable juicer to use it when traveling instead of the larger and heavier electric model – then a manual juicer may be a great option. 

However, if you don’t have time or patience, consider getting a different juicer for your every day juicing needs, and using manual juicer for back-up and trips. If you are someone that needs to juice and get out the door, you may want to think about a centrifugal juicer like the Breville Juice Fountain Elite or more compact Breville Juice Fountain. Both do well on greens and are some of the most efficient and solid centrifugal juicers on the market today. 

Read more about buying a juicer in “Buying a Juice Extractor: Which Juicer Machine Should You Buy?” and explanation of juicer types “Buying a Juice Extractor: Centrifugal, Masticating, Triturating, and Wheatgrass Juicers Review.” If you are looking for an affordable compact juicer, then you may want to look at Breville Juice Fountain Compact Juicer or a more expensive, bigger model, Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite. You may also want learn How to Juice With a Blender?.

The Green Star Power Juicer is a popular juicer among health enthusiasts, and for a good reason - it produces the most juice and give you some of the highest quality juice of all juicers.

Green Power belongs to twin gear juicers category that have two closely aligned, interlocking gears. As the produce is fed into the gears, it is crushed and pressed to release all the delicious, nutritious juices from the cells. This action is slightly different from the shredding and cutting of the single gear machines.

Compared to centrifugal juicers such as the Breville Elite Juicer or Jack Lalanne’s Power Juicer Pro, twin gear juicers operate at a much lower speed, which ensures maximum retention of nutrients. The oxidation is also kept to a minimum, which allows you to store the juice longer without losing its nutritional benefits. Just think of an apple turning brown after peeling, and this will give you a good idea of the damage caused by oxidation.

Green Power Juicer can extract higher yields of juice from fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, wheatgrass, and herbs than most of centrifugal juicers. It can extract about the same amount of juice from wheatgrass as the wheatgrass-only type of juicers.

Green Star 3000 Deluxe Juicer $459 on Amazon

This machine crushes the food then presses it into a dry pulp squeezing nearly every drop of juice out of almost anything. No sharp blades, no hidden nooks and crannies. It dis-assembles and re-assembles quickly and easily. It also has an advangage of being quiet - a big benefit if you (or someone in your household) are sensitive to noise.

The downside of a twin gear nmachine is that it takes more time to juice with a twin gear juicer than a centrifugal juicer. You’ll need more strenght too, as you have to push the produce down the chute with some force. Another disadvantage is the fact that the Green Star Juicer is one of the most difficult juicers to clean. So, if you don’t mind some extra time to spend juicing and caring for your juicer, then the Green Power Juicer may be a great choice for you.

Green Power Juicer Models

There are several models of Green Star Power Juicer, Green Star 1000, 2000 and 3000, which are basically the same juicers - only the accessories and prices are different (you will have to pay about 400-530$ depending on the model).  For example, the Green Star GS-1000 Basic Juicer and Food Processor has all the basic juicing and food processing equipment. Some accessories which are not frequently used have been excluded so it costs less (about $400 on Amazon).

The newest model is the Green Star Elite Model GSE-5000, which is said to feature new jumbo twin gears, higher yields, new safety systems, a sleek design, a lighter weight, easier cleanup and increased versatility. The new Green Star Elite incorporates a new three-stage juicing process that surpasses other juicers in juice yield and versatility, allowing juice quality to be preserved for 72 hours in storage.

Should you buy a Green Juicer?

Green Power Juicer is certainly an excellent choice if you have the extra time juicing. However, if you don’t have time or patience, consider getting a different juicer. If you are someone that needs to juice and get out the door, you may want to think about a centrifugal juicer like the Breville Juice Fountain Elite or more compact Breville Juice Fountain. Both do well on greens and are some of the most efficient and solid centrifugal juicers on the market today. Read an extensive comparison of Green Star juicer versus Breville in customer comments section on Amazon.

Green Juicer Demos

This is a good video showing all the components of this machine, so you will know what you are getting into ;-).

Here is a video demonstration for you of juicing with Green Power juicer. The guy doing the demo adds some “super food” to the juice at the end - I don’t know why you would want to do that - but other than that it’s a good video to see if you are still on the fence whether to get a Green juicer or not.

Read more about buying a juicer in “Choosing a Juice Extractor: Which Juicer Machine Should You Buy?” and explanation of juicer types “Buying a Juice Extractor: Centrifugal, Masticating, Triturating, and Wheatgrass Juicers Review.” You may also want to read my review of Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite and learn How to Make Juice With a Blender?.

If you are looking for an affordable compact juicer, then you may want to look at Breville Juice Fountain Compact Juicer or a more expensive, bigger model, Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite.

If you are looking for a power juicer, then you may have come across infomercials for Jack Lalanne’s power juicer and may be wondering whether it’s a good choice of juicing machine.

Jack Power Juicer Elite and Power Juicer Pro are popular choices thanks to Jack Lalanne’s popularity. Jack LaLanne is a great man and an inspiration to many people around the world. He was preaching the benefits of eating natural foods and lifting weights long before it was accepted by the mainstream. He inspires people to change their unhealthy habits, start exercising, and JUICING!

When I was shopping for a juicer, I considered Jack Lalanne Power Juicer as a possible candidate for my juicing machine. You may be thinking about it too - perhaps you have seen one of the infomercials for Power Juicer on TV, or you admire Jack Lalanne’s work and want to buy one of his creations.

Power juicer pros include quiet operation, beautiful design, powerful 3,600 RPM motor, stainless steel construction, dishwasher-safe parts for quick cleanup, super-sized detachable pulp collector, and lifetime warranty on the motor that offers peace of mind, even with daily juicing. It’s also affordable at about $150 for the Power Juicer Pro and $99 for Power Juicer Elite on Amazon.

Jack Lalanne PJP Power Juicer Pro Stainless-Steel Electric Juicer

However, after reading mixed reviews of Jack’s juicers on Amazon, I decided to choose a different juicer (Breville 800jexl Elite - it costs more money, but in my opinion it’s worth it).

I’m not saying that you should not buy the Jack Lalanne’s juicer, because there are many customers who are happy with their power juicer’s performance. For some people it seems that Power Juicer Elite and Power Juicer Pro are a welcome addition their kitchen. They say this electric juicer produces fresh fruit-and-vegetable juice quickly and easily, it’s easy to clean, and relatively quiet. However, there are also many negative reviews, that you should go to Amazon and read them before you make your purchase.

Even the Jack Lalanne’s latest juicer edition that has been redesigned with a new, sleek stainless steel finish and some great new features, such as a non-drip spout and stainless steel mesh filter, has very mixed customer reviews. Although in the product description you can read claims that it produces up to 30-percent more juice than other juicers, there are customers that complain that the remaining pulp is quite damp which means the juicer is not extracting all of the juice, and that it does not do a good job juicing leafy greens - and may leave you with whole leaves in the pulp container. It also makes a lot of foam.

The cheaper model, Jack Lalanne’s Power Juicer Deluxe Electric Juicer, is said to have some serious drawbacks, too, including chute hole that is too small.

Although none of the two models I looked at is a bad choice, and either one is definitely better than having no juicer at all; in my opinion there are better juicer choices out there.

If you are looking for an affordable compact juicer, then you may want to look at Breville Juice Fountain Compact Juicer or a more expensive, bigger model, Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite.

Read more about buying a juicer in “Choosing a Juice Extractor: Which Juicer Machine Should You Buy?” and explanation of juicer types “Buying a Juice Extractor: Centrifugal, Masticating, Triturating, and Wheatgrass Juicers Review.” You may also want to read my review of Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite and learn How to Make Juice With a Blender?.

The important thing to keep in mind when choosing a juice extractor is that - while there are several types of juicers and hundreds of different brands and models of juice machines available on the market today - there is no “perfect” juicer that will perform every juicing operation with equal quality. When buying a juicer, you should ask yourself, what considerations are important to you, when making your choice. For example, you may want to consider:

Ease of Use and Speed.  The best juicer of all is the juicer that you will actually use. That is why the ease of cleaning and speed of juicing can be the most important factors for many people. It does not matter what quality of juice you can produce with a juicing machine and what other virtues it touts if it keeps collecting dust in your kitchen cabinet.

Types of produce you will be juicing. Different types of juicers are better suited for juicing certain kinds of produce than others: leafy greens, soft fruits, vegetables. There is no “perfect” juicer that will perform every juicing task with equal quality. While a centrifugal juicer may be able to juice the rind of a pineapple more efficiently, in most situations, the low speed action of a masticating juicer allows you to juice more vegetables with greater efficiency. A masticating juicer is especially good at juicing the green leafy vegetables such as wheatgrass, spinach, parsley, cilantro, kale, Swiss Chard, etc. While a centrifugal juicer can do a decent job juicing leafy greens, the centrifugal juicer is certainly not as efficient as a masticating juicer in this regard.

Type of juicing machine. Read my post explaining all the different types of juice extractors Buying a Juice Extractor: Centrifugal, Masticating, Triturating, and Wheatgrass Juicers Review for detailed explanation information.

Size of opening. Some juicers have wide feeding chute allowing you to put whole fruits and vegetables without the need to cut them. With other machines, you will need to cut every piece of produce before being fed. The larger the opening, the less preparation is required.

Quality of Juice. If you are juicing for health, should you purchase a centrifugal or a mastication type juicer? There are some claims that mastication juicers are superior because centrifugal juicers leave most of the nutrients in the pulp, which then gets thrown away, while the mastication-type juicer leaves very few nutrients in the pulp. Also, it’s possible that the heat produced by high speed action of a centrifugal juicer can be damaging to the enzymes in the juice. While I cannot confirm or deny these statements, one thing is for sure, a masticating juicer definitely does not create the friction that a centrifugal juicer will produce. So, I’d say, if you are juicing to help recover from some serious medical condition – then perhaps you should do more research on this subject. For the majority of people – especially those who seem to be always pressed for time – I’d say the quality convenience of use is probably the most important factor.

Oxidation. The twin-screw juicers use lower speed and therefore incorporate less air in the juice. However, because it takes so long to make the juice, by the time you are finished, the first part of the batch may be 20 minutes old. So, if you are planning to drink most of your juices immediately after extraction, then a centrifugal juicers is still a good choice, in my opinion. If you want to store your juices to be consumed hours or days after extraction, then you may want to consider a single gear or twin-screw juicing machine. Keep in mind that it is usually recommended that vegetable juices be consumed within 15 minutes of their preparation, since enzyme activity in juice 30 minutes old is one-half that of freshly made juice.

Yield.  How much juice is extracted versus how much juice is still left in the pulp after juicing. The goal is to extract the most juice from the fruit or vegetable as possible. In general, centrifugal juicers that eject the pulp outside the machine yield less juice than juicers that keep the pulp in the basket. However, with continual ejection, a larger quantity of juice may be made without stopping to clean out the basket.

Noise Level.  Masticating and triturating juicers are more quiet that centrifugal juicers, but manual juicers are the sure winners in this category.

Versatility. If you want to use your juicer for more than juicing, then masticating juicers masticating and triturating juicers can be used to make baby food, pasta, grind meat and to make nut butter. You may also consider getting a blender. A powerful blender such as Vitamix or Blendtec can be used for making juices and perform various other blending and grinding functions.

Durability and Reliability.  Most cetrifugal juicers come with the limited warranty period (1-3 years), but many higher end juicers provide warranty periods which go as long as 15 years. Look for companies that supply replacement parts at reasonable cost.

Price. The most expensive juice extractor isn’t necessarily the best juicer for you. If you are still wondering whether juicing will fit into your family’s diet and nutrition program, an inexpensive $90 juicer may suffice. If you are still not sure how often you will use your juicer, don’t spend more than you absolutely have to. The main factors to consider when buying an inexpensive juicer is the power of motor - many lower cost juicers have really weak motor that will not last for someone that is serious about juicing; warranty - many cheap juicers may only have a 90 day year warranty. It’s best to buy a juicer with at least 3 year warranty; and the quality of the juicer - many of the lower priced juicers are made of mostly plastic (it will tend to stain over time), versus stainless steel construction of the more expensive machines. Most of the low cost juicers available in department stores are centrifugal ejection juicers.

  Think about a juicer as an investment in your health, and as any investment – it should last.

Read my post explaining all the different types of juice extractors Buying a Juice Extractor: Centrifugal, Masticating, Triturating, and Wheatgrass Juicers Review. Read more articles on this Juicer Recipes blog. Some of my favorite recipes include Fresh V8 Juice Recipe, Watermelon-Grape Delight and Apricot-Mango Ambrosia. If you still don’t have a juicer and are considering getting one, read my review of my favorite juicing machine: Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor and read How to Make Juice Without a Juicer Using a Blender?

Shopping for a juice extractor and deciding which juicer to buy can be confusing. When you read the descriptions and you are not familiar with all the mysteriously sounding terms – RPM, masticating, triturating, and centrifugal – you may be left wondering which juicer is best for your needs and lifestyle.

A juicer or juice extractor is a machine that mechanically separates juice from the solid part (pulp) of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and herbs. The pulp is usually discarded, but can also be used in other recipes (for instance in soups or baking) or composting. A juicer differs from a blender: a juicer separates the juice from the pulp, while the blender blends everything together, producing what some people describe as “whole food juice”.

Keep in mind is that while there are several types of juicers and hundreds of different models and brands available on the market today, there is no “perfect” juicer that will perform every juicing operation with equal quality. That is why, when shopping for a juice machine, you should first ask yourself, what factors are important to you, considering your needs and lifestyle. (Read more about this in my post Choosing a Juice Extractor: Which Juicer Machine Should You Buy?)

Types of Juice Extractors

Manual Versus Electic Juicers

Manual Juice Extractors. Manual juicers require you to do most of the extracting work, but they can be a handy appliance to have in the kitchen, as they don’t need electricity to work and are usually easy to clean.

Z Star Manual Juicer

Manual juicers can juice a surprisingly large variety of fruits and vegetables. Commonly used manual juicers today are citrus juicers. The press style juicer squeezes the juice out of the produce by pressure, such as the Hamilton Beach 932 Commercial Citrus Juicer.

Many people use manual juicers to squeeze wheatgrass. Most reviewers seem to recommend Z-Star Manual Juicer by Tribest as the best juicer for its price. With Z Star juicer you can not only juice wheatgrass. The Z Star Manual Juicer can also extract great-tasting and nutritious juice from a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens. It is lightweight, portable, and versatile, so you can enjoy fresh juice wherever you go! Another great choice is the Hurricane Juicer.

If you are just starting out and don’t want to make a big investment in a juicer, if you need a dedicated juicer for wheatgrass and greens, or if you a portable juicer to use it when traveling instead of the larger and heavier electric model – then a manual juicer may be a great choice for you.

Electric Juicers. Most of the juice extractors used today in homes and restaurants are electric, which means they require much less effort to produce juice than their manual counterparts. There are three main types of electric juicers: centrifugal juicers, masticating juicers – also known as single gear juicers or single auger juicers, and triturating juicers – or twin gear juicers.

Centrifugal, Masticating and Triturating Juicers

Centrifugal Juicers are electric juicers that use blades and a sieve to separate juice from pulp. They first grate the produce into a pulp, and then the centrifugal force is used to force the pulp through a strainer screen by spinning it at a very high RPM speed. Centrifugal ejection juicers produce juice by first shredding the produce that is placed into the juicer, next the small shreds and juice that is released is centrifuged into a screen where the juice passes through the screen, and the pulp is “ejected” into a pulp collection bin.

Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite

Centrifugal juicers are the most popular and inexpensive type of juicers. The vast majority of juicers you will find in department stores are centrifugal juicing machines. They have many advantages: they produce juice quickly and easily, and on average take much less time to clean than other types of juicers. Their feeding chutes are wide enough that little or no chopping of fruits and vegetables is required as preparation to juicing – making the process even faster.

Although centrifugal juice extractors can juice almost any type of fruit and vegetable; they are not the top choice for leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, parsley or wheat grass. Although you can certainly produce juice from greens with centrifugal juice machines, the amount of juice you will get will be much than if you used a single or twin gear juicer.

Also, the pulp expelled by most centrifugal juicers is still relatively wet, which means that some juice is wasted.

Another important consideration for some people may be the shelf life of the juice made by a centrifugal juicer – especially if you would like to keep some of your juice for later use. Because of the high speed required to extract juice, a considerable amount of oxygen is dissolved into the juice. The oxygen bubbles in the juice cause the juice to oxidize (spoil) rapidly. So, the juice made with a centrifugal juice extractor should be consumed immediately and cannot be effectively stored for any length of time without loss of nutritional value. If you plan to store juice, consider a lower speed juicer like a single or twin gear juicer.

When buying an inexpensive centrifugal juicer, check the length of the warranty period and avoid machines with warranties shorter than 1 year.

Read my reviews of some great centrifugal juicers: Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor and Breville Juice Fountain Compact Juicer

Masticating Juicers – also known as single gear juicers or single auger juicers - are juicers that “chew” fruit to a pulp before squeezing out the juice.

Masticating Juicers use a single gear or auger that literally chews and crushes fruit and vegetable matter pushing it against a static screen allowing juice to flow through the screen while pulp is expelled through a separate outlet. Masticating juicers are generally more efficient than centrifugal juicers because they can extract more juice from the same amount of food (i.e. the pulp comes out drier).

Masticating juicers are very capable at juicing virtually any fruit and vegetable, and single gear juicers will also extract juice from leaves and grasses, like wheatgrass, spinach, lettuce, parsley, and other leafy greens and herbs. (Champion Juicers are the exception as they do not juice wheatgrass or greens very well).

Masticating juicing machines operate at slower RPM speeds than centrifugal juicers, producing less foam and heat, which results in less oxygen and more nutrition in your juice. The low speed also prolongs the shelf life of the juice so you can usually keep your juice for a few days.

Masticating juice extractors are more versatile than centrifugal juicers because they can also juice wheatgrass, and, in addition to juicing, these juicers also homogenize foods to make baby foods, sauces, nut butters, ice creams and fruit sorbets. Some of these machines may even make pasta, bread sticks and rice cakes.

Triturating Juicers – twin gear or triturating juicers – are juicers with twin gears that first crush fruits and vegetables and then press them.

Green Power Juicer

Twin gear triturating machines are usually the most expensive juicers offering the best juice yield (one of the most expensive juicers Norwalk juicer Model 275 costs about $2,400). Twin gear juicers turn at even slower speeds (RPMs) than masticating juicers, resulting in even less oxidation from foam and less destruction of nutrients from heat. Low temperatures and rpm minimize oxidation so juice lasts a long time, meaning you can refrigerate and keep your juice for a few days.

Twin gear juicers operate by pressing food between two interlocking roller gears. This juicing process yields a larger volume of juice. The high pressure squeezing force of the twin gears breaks open tough cell walls and releases more enzymes, vitamins and trace minerals.

Twin gear juicers are the most efficient type of juicer available and can extract higher yields of juice from fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, wheatgrass, and herbs. The pulp that comes out of twin gear juicers is the driest of all the types of juicers. These juicers extract as much juice from wheatgrass as the wheatgrass-only type of juicers.

A downside to twin-screw type juicers like the Green Power is that it takes quite a bit of force to push items like carrots into the juicer, because there is no cutting blade action, just the gripping/squeezing action of the twin screws.

Just like masticating juicers, triturating juicers do more than just extract juice. They do a great job homogenizing baby foods, nut butters, ice creams, fruit sorbets and many have optional or included attachments for making pasta, bread sticks, and rice cakes.

Wheatgrass Juicers are juice extractors used solely for making juice from wheatgrass and other leafy greens, as well as some soft fruits like grapes. Wheatgrass juicers are not suitable for extracting juice from vegetables and most fruits. Wheatgrass juicers are available in both electric and manual models.

Read more about buying a juicer in Choosing a Juice Extractor: Which Juicer Machine Should You Buy?.

Read more articles on my Juicer Recipes and Juice Extractor Reviewsblog. Some of my favorite recipes include V8 Juice Recipe, Watermelon-Grape Delight and Apricot-Mango Ambrosia. If you still don’t have a juicer and are considering getting one, read my review of a great juicing machine Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite and learn How to Make Juice With a Blender?.

If you are shopping for a compact juicer, then Breville juice fountain compact juicer BJE200XL may be a perfect choice for you. Breville is an excellent brand, well known and respected in the juicing world, and this little juicer is no exception.

You can enjoy an 8-ounce cup of juice in just five seconds - faster than any other juice extractor - thanks to the unique cyclonic system of this full-function juice fountain. Its powerful 700-watt motor operates at 14,000 RPM for maximum extraction and fast results. The juicer is beautifully designed, with saving your precious kitchen counter space in mind: the compact juice fountain measures only 9-1/2 by 8-3/4 by 16 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

Breville BJE200XL is easy to use and clean. All removable parts wash up quickly by hand or in the dishwasher, and a custom cleaning brush is included. Plus, the unit’s internal pulp container assembles in seconds and juices 1-1/2 quarts of apple juice before it needs to be emptied.

The filter and cutter system are so powerful that pineapple can be juiced with the rind on!  The juice machine’s extra-large 3-inch feed tube makes it easy to juice whole fruits and vegetables - no need to waste time on cutting them into pieces.

This juicing machine really makes it easy to add juices to your diet every day!

Read some testimonials from people who purchased this Breville compact juicer

WOW - Way better than expected!

I juice at least once a day as I primarily eat raw foods.

My Jack LaLane juicer finally wore out after 2.5 years of daily use. I was tempted to buy another - but I liked the way everything including the pulp catcher is all in one unit. So glad I got the Breville.

This thing is POWERFUL, especially compared to “Jack LaLanne”. It is so powerful I usually don’t even use the pusher except to cover the top so your ceiling doesn’t get covered with stuff. Other reviewers have mentioned that tendency. What wasn’t mentioned is that the reason it does that is because the motor is so beefy that stuff will shoot straight up.

When juicing soft stuff I immediately cover the top with my hand. The design of this thing is absolutely first rate. Even down to the plug, which has a moulded loop so that it is easy to unplug and plug in! No tool is required to remove the basket, as in most other juicers. Breville uses a combo of ingenious design and magnets to hold it in place!

Ease of use and fit and finish is perfect.

Clean up is really a 2 minute operation and I don’t even own a dishwasher.

It will stain eventually, as every juicer I have ever owned does. Carrot juice would make a great dye The pulp on this juicer is a bit wetter than the Jack LaLanne. The “Jack” had a much larger basket and a much slower rotation. I believe that may account for it. But it isn’t much wetter - just very slightly.

This juicer makes much smaller pieces of pulp though - and my experience so far has been that it gets just as much juice from a pound of carrots. Bottom line - I can’t imagine anyone not loving this unit.” By Ed Osworth “The Joy Professor” (Lowell, Oregon Forest)

Amazon.com: Breville BJE200XL 700-Watt Compact Juice Fountain: Kitchen & Dining

Read more articles on this Juicer Recipes and Juicing for Health blog. Some of my favorite recipes include Fresh V8 Juice Recipe, Watermelon-Grape Delight and Apricot-Mango Ambrosia. If you still don’t have a juicer and are considering getting one, read my review of my favorite juicing machine: Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor and read How to Make Juice Without a Juicer Using a Blender?

If you are juicing to achieve better health, you may still feel you need take various supplements to make sure you are getting all the nutrients that your body needs. They all claim to have amazing benefits for health and weight loss, while being 100% natural. Some of them have exotic-sounding names -acai berry drink, zola acai superfruit juice, goji juice, noni juice; and come from exotic locations.

Goji berries grow on an evergreen shrub found in temperate and subtropical regions in China, Mongolia and in the Himalayas in Tibet. Açaí (ah-sigh-ee) is the high-energy berry of a special Amazon palm tree. Noni is native to Southeast Asia but has been extensively spread throughout the Indian subcontinent, Pacific islands, French Polynesia, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and recently the Dominican Republic.

My question is do you really have to buy all those expensive drinks, pills, powders and extracts? Do they really deliver all the benefits they claim to provide? I wrote about it a while ago - read it, save yourself some money, and happy juicing!

You can save yourself a lot of money and still achieve amazing health benefits if you do not succumb to each and every big health craze, such as the recent Acai berries rage, and just stick to basics, i.e. eat lots of raw fresh fruits and vegetables and drink freshly prepared juices.

Many people have come to equate nutrition with pills, powders, and caplets, rather than whole foods coming from nature. We want it to be easy - and what can be easier than opening a bottle and taking a few pills?

I have no doubt that acai berries in their raw, ripe state are an excellent food choice, but so are blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and other fruits and veggies. No processed food - and all supplements have to be processed in one way or another - can equal raw, living food, such as fruits and vegetables. Companies all over are jumping on the acai supplement bandwagon, however many of these companies are just out for your money.

It’s a fact: fresh vegetable juice contains all the minerals, nutrients, building blocks, proteins, fats (omega 3) and enzymes that our body needs and can easily absorb. A glass of raw fruit or vegetable juice delivers all the necessary nutrients and healing components that we know about today, and much more, that have yet to be discovered by the science. And, fresh juice provides them in the living form that is easiest for our body to absorb.

No health supplement, no matter how many health benefits the producers claim they have, can compete with fresh fruits and vegetables and their juice. If you do some research on the Internet you’ll be able to read about literally tens of thousands of people who have healed themselves of just about every condition by consuming vegetable and fruit juices. Drinking lots of fresh raw juices is also one of the fastest ways to lose weight.

The truth is we have no need for supplements if we are eating an adequate plant-based raw diet, engaging in frequent vigorous physical activity, and otherwise living a healthy lifestyle. All the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body needs are amply supplied through the variety of fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens found in a healthful diet.

At least 70% or more of your nutrition should come from fresh fruits and vegetables eaten in their RAW state. Juicing is a great way to add more vegetables to your diet - especially green leafy vegetables that are essential to our well being.
Acai Berries and Other Supplements Versus Benefits of Juicing

Read more articles on this Juicer Recipes and Juicing for Health blog. Some of my favorite recipes include Fresh V8 Juice Recipe, Watermelon-Grape Delight and Apricot-Mango Ambrosia. If you still don’t have a juicer and are considering getting one, read my review of my favorite Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor and read How to Make Juice Without a Juicer Using a Blender?

Having written about making juices and smoothies with a blender (read Juicer Recipe: How to Make Juice Without a Juicer Using Just a Blender?), I just have to write more about my favorite blender - VitaMix. 

I own a VitaMix Super 5200 (just got it recently for my birthday:)), and it is truly a SUPERB machine! OK, so it’s not cheap, but you know what they say - you get what you pay for - and it’s true!

So if you have been thinking about getting a new versatile kitchen appliance and your birthday or Christmas is coming … don’t look any further - get yourself a Vita Mix!

Vitamix Features and Benefits

Vitamix is a versatile and powerful appliance. Vitamix blender will help you simplify your kitchen by replacing your blender, food procesor, juicer, and mixer on your counter top. 

• Versatile Machine. Vitamix can blend, cream, mash, puree, liquify, juice, knead and even cook. You see, Vitamix motor comes with front and reverse action. While the front action will work like in any other blender (just much more powerful), putting it in reverse causes it to heat up and cook whatever is in it.  The Vitamix 5000 and 5200 models feature a dry blade that allows you to grind your own flour. Many people Vitamix as a juicer.
• Powerful motor. When switched to the highest speed, it will make a perfect smoothie, ice cream, puree, or flour (if you have a dry blade).
• Easy to clean. When you are done, just pour in some water, add a drop of dishwashing liquid, and turn it on for a few seconds. Vitamix will do the job itself.
• Long warranty. It comes with a warranty period of up to 5 or 7 years, depending on the model.
• Comes with a recipe book to jumpstart your creativity. Vitamix comes with a recipe book and information how to use the blender for optimal results. Based on that you can go on to produce your own delicious creations.

Which Vitamix Blender Should I Choose?

How is the VitaMix 5200 different from the Vitamix 4500?

I have been researching different models of Vitamix, trying to decide which one to get. Here is the information that I found:

—VitaMix TurboBlend 4500— is a high performance 2 speed blender with one wet blade and two-speed control (high and low). It carries a 5 year warranty.

—VitaMix 5200– is a food processor with 1 wet blade, variable speed and 7 year warranty.

—VitaMix Super 5200— This is the top of the line model, a powerful food processor with variable speed (for up to 35 food tasks), one wet blade, one dry blade, and 7 year warranty. The dry blade is used for chopping dry ingredients, grinding grain and kneading dough.

Excerpt from hubpage.com article about blenders

Read more articles on this Best Juicer Recipes and Juicing for Health Advice blog. Some of my favorite recipes include Fresh V8 Juice Recipe, Watermelon-Grape Delight and Apricot-Mango Ambrosia. If you still don’t have a juicer and are considering getting one, read my review of my favorite juicing machine: Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor and read Juicer Recipe: How to Make Juice Without a Juicer Using a Blender?

Here is an unconventional way to prepare juice - juicing without the juicer, or…

Juicing with a blender!

I just recently received my new Vita-mix (for my birthday - I will not say how old I am, but I sure hope that Vitamix - and the delicious, natural foods that I will prepare with it  - will help me look younger longer), and I decided to test it to prepare some juice. Juicing with a blender is certainly a good option that you can use if you don’t have a juicer - or even if you have one. Here are some instructions for you and a video. But first - before anybody asks, let’s briefly explain the difference between a juicer and a blender.

What is the difference between a juicer and a blender?

A juicer separates the liquid from the fiber. A blender is designed to liquefy food by chopping it up at high speeds. It doesn’t separate the juice from the pulp, so the result is a mushy liquid, that in some cases may not taste very good. A blender can be quite useful in tandem with a juicer. For example, bananas contain little juice, so juicing them would be hard, but they taste delicious when blended with many juices, for example pineapple juice, or green vegetable juice.

Making Juice With Vitamix Blender

Yes, you can make JUICE with your BLENDER! And although any blender might do the job, probably the best blender for making juices is Vitamix. That is because Vita Mix is a truly powerful blender that blends the fruits and veggies into super-tiny pieces. The Vita-Mix’s blades pulverize the skins, seeds and peels of whole foods to make them easily digestible. * Just put your fruits and vegetables in the blender, add a little bit of water (this is optional, but will make the blending faster) and turn it on. * Once the ingredients have been blended into a puree, you can drink it as is, or strain the puree with a cheese cloth or a cotton bag to separate the juice from the pulp. * The cleanup is much faster than with traditional juicer. * What is amazing, you may get more juice and less pulp than when using traditional juicer.

Juicer: How to Make Juice Without a Juicer Using a Blender?

Read more about benefits of juicing and health cleanse juicing recipes on this Best Juicer Recipes and Juicing for Health Advice blog. Some of my favorite recipes include Fresh V8 Juice Recipe, Watermelon Grape Juice and Apricot-Mango Ambrosia. If you still don’t have a juicer and are considering getting one, read my review of my favorite Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor .