by Mike on April 12, 2011
Wheatgrass juicer is somewhat different from the usual juicer. Most wheatgrass juicers specializes in wheat grass only, so if you want to juice fruits as well, you’ll have to find a single gear masticating juicer that does fruits, vegetables and wheatgrass. But hurray for the wheatgrass juice fans, a good wheatgrass juicer can be found at a much cheaper price if you don’t need it to do anything else except juice wheatgrass.
Manual or electric?
Wheatgrass juicers can be manual or electric, but from what I’ve observed, the best wheat grass juicers in the market are manual ones. Not to say that the electric ones won’t work well, but they are so expensive that you might as well spend the money on a single gear masticating juicer that is versatile. The manual ones are also more portable and easy to store away due to their compactness.
Metal or Plastic?
You’re paying a lot for your juicer, so you’ll want to know whether it will last. The general idea is that the more metal parts, and the less electronic parts it has, the longer it will last. There are wheatgrass juicers that consists fully of stainless steel or cast iron parts, while some are plastic with a stainless steel auger. But I don’t advise getting a cast iron juicer because they need a lot of maintenance to keep them from rusting over time.
Ease of Use
Read the reviews to see whether users find it easy to use. You don’t want a juicer that needs a lot of effort on your part to set it up, make it juice, and then take it all apart to clean it. Remember that the easier it is to use, the more you will use it, and that means getting your money’s worth.
Okay, hope you’ll find the best wheatgrass juicer out there. Remember to check out my wheatgrass juicer reviews here: Wheatgrass Juicer Reviews.
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Vegetable juicers, namely the single gear and twin gear masticating juicers, are heavier and more substantial machines compared to your regular juicer. If you’re sure about getting one of these, go ahead and find out how to choose one.
Large Chute
Definitely get a vegetable juicer that features a large chute so that you save preparation time not having to cut the vegetables into small pieces first.
Low Speed
Find out whether the juicer creates a lot of foam when juicing. A good single gear or twin gear masticating juicer should operate at low speed so that there is little or no foam. Also, when the juicer works at low speed, it will not heat up easily, and the nutrients will be retained in the juice.
Easy to Assemble and Clean up
I still haven’t found a single gear or twin gear juicer that is easier to clean up than my Breville, but any juicer should not be so difficult to assemble or clean up that you have to spend more time at it than preparing the juice.
Dry Pulp
A good vegetable juicer should make the most of the veggies or fruits. There shouldn’t be juice left in the pulp.
Able to Make Other Food Stuff
Since you’ve invested so much in the juicer, it might as well be able to perform well in other tasks that it claims to do, such as making nut butters, pasta and so on.
Wheatgrass Juicing
Some of the single gear or twin gear juicers can juice wheatgrass too, but not all are efficient. If you like to drink wheatgrass as well, I recommend the Omega J8005.
Find out more about what vegetable juicers can do for you here:
I have also recommended several good models of masticating juicers, hope you’ll find the best vegetable juicer for your diet! 
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by Mike on April 11, 2011
Here are a few things to think about when buying a citrus juicer:
Manual or electric?
Citrus juicers are either manual or electric. Manual ones are cheap, lightweight, easier to clean and store away than electric ones, and will probably never break, but are not suitable for elderly people or people who lack arm power to squeeze out the juice. Weighing the odds, it’s probably better to buy an electric one if you’re juicing regularly. Though beware that even a powerful electric juicer will overheat if you’re trying to juice a whole garden at once.
Is it easy to use?
You operate a citrus juicer by pressing the cut half of the fruit against the reamer cone, and either squeeze it by hand or let the motor do the work. Find out whether too much or too little pressure will stop the motor or make things difficult. In other words, you should check the sensitivity and power of the juicer.
Can it juice many kinds of citrus fruits?
New citrus juicers often include different sizes of reamer cones for you to juice fruits from small limes to large grapefruits. If you like variety in your juice diet, you should check whether your juicer gives you this versatility.
What about the pulp?
Some of us like pulp in the juice, some of us don’t. Not to worry, there is usually a strainer that collects the pulp and the seeds while the juice goes down to the container, so you can always add the pulp afterward if you like. Some citrus juicers even allow you to remove the strainer and let the pulp go down together with the juice, and this is great for pulp lovers because that means one less thing to clean up.
Is it easy to assemble, dissemble and clean up?
You’ll want assembly to be as simple as possible for fast juicing, cleaning up and storing it away. Are the parts dishwasher safe? Find a juicer that has as few parts to wash as possible.
Is it loud?
If it’s manual you don’t have to worry about noise, but some electric citrus juicers may be loud. If noise is a problem for you, find out about this before you buy the juicer so that you don’t regret it!
I have a few recommendations for the best citrus juicers in the market, read my reviews here: Citrus Juicer Reviews.
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by Mike on November 2, 2010
There are actually quite a few types of juicers out there, so you have to know which kind you need to buy. When we were shopping for our Breville, we were so overcome by the fact that there were so many types of juicers that my girlfriend and I had to ask the sales person to repeat everything twice or thrice to ensure we got it all. Here’s a quick guide to help you get started!
Citrus Juicers
Citrus Juicer
These are the most basic juicers. Citrus juicers are also really cheap, especially the manual ones that require you to use good ol’ arm power to get your juice done. All you have to do is to ream the citrus fruit against the cone to squeeze out the juice. However, this type of juicer only works with citrus fruit like limes, lemons, oranges and grapefruit.
Buy this type if:
- You only want to juice citrus fruits.
- You have pretty good arm power, or you don’t mind wasting a bit of juice.
- You only want a really cheap and basic juicer.
I recommend: Black & Decker CJ525 CitrusMate Plus Citrus Juicer (Review)
Read more about Citrus Juicers here:
Centrifugal Juicers
Centrifugal Juicer
Centrifugal juicers are the most common and affordable type of juicer. They work by using blades to cut up fruit and vegetable into tiny pieces before spinning the bits against a fine mesh to strain juice out using…you guessed it, centrifugal force! They don’t work very well with leafy vegetables however because centrifugal force is just not enough to squeeze out what little moisture there is in leaves.
Get this type of juicer if:
- You want to juice other kinds of fruits besides citrus fruits.
- You want to juice veggies like carrots, cucumbers and celery.
- You want to juice without wasting much strength (just press button!)
- You don’t need to juice leafy veggies and wheatgrass.
I recommend: Acme Supreme Juicerator 5001 (Review)
Read more about Centrifugal Juicers here:
Single Gear Masticating Juicers
Single Gear Masticating Juicer
This kind of juicers are slightly more expensive but well worth it I think because their motors operate at really low speeds, which helps the fruit and veggies retain as many nutrients as possible during the juicing process. They crush the fruit and veggies into pulp before squeezing it for juice, so you can also make mushy foods like nut butters, sorbet, pasta and baby food with this kind of juicers.
This type of juicer is for you if:
- You want to juice different kinds of fruits and veggies including leafy veggies.
- You want more nutrients in your juice.
- You want less juice to be wasted.
- You also want to make mushy foods.
- You don’t mind paying more for these.
I recommend: Omega 8003/8005 Juicer (Review)
Read more about Single Gear Masticating Juicers here:
Twin Gear Triturating Juicers
Twin Gear Triturating Juicer
These are also quite expensive, because like single gear masticating juicers, they operate at very low speeds, producing less foam and retain more nutrients in the juice after the juicing. They have interlocking twin gears, which work in tandem to press out the juice without heating it to ensure that fewer enzymes and nutrients are killed in the process. Some of these can juice wheatgrass as well.
Or you can get this type if:
- You want to juice all kinds of fruits and veggies.
- You don’t want to waste any juice.
- You want your juice to be rich in enzymes and nutrients.
- You don’t mind paying more for these.
I recommend: Green Power Twin Gear Juicer KPE 1304 (Review)
Read more about Twin Gear Triturating Juicers here:
Wheatgrass Juicers
Wheatgrass Juicer
Wheatgrass juicers can be electrical or manual. Basically they are leaf juicers, and as such usually not used to juice anything other than herbs or leafy vegetables like wheatgrass.
You definitely should get this type if:
- You only want to juice wheatgrass or leafy veggies. But some wheatgrass juicers can juice fruits as well. (check reviews and descriptions before you buy!)
- You have a flexible budget.
I recommend: Omega 8003/8005 Juicer (Review)
Read more about Wheatgrass Juicers here:
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by Mike on February 19, 2010
Have you ever heard of the Noni fruit? Or the Himalayan goji? How about the mangosteen (Tried this one before though!)? Well, neither have I. Until I was surfing online for juice recipe ideas, and found these fruit online. Apparently they have super nutritional benefits and are gaining popularity the world over.
This is Himalayan goji. They are small berries that grow in the Himalayas (duh!). Anyway, these berries are so prized because they are very high in antioxidants, which reverse the effects of saturated fats in our diet. You can find these in various forms in Asian supermarkets, as Asians have been aware of their health properties for quite some time. Add goji to your homemade juice for an antioxidant boost like no other!
Noni grows in tropical climates and can be found in Tahiti, Indonesia and other tropical countries. It’s also known as the cheese fruit and tastes bitter. However, it’s really high in vitamin C, and is really good for you. If you’re bored of normal juice, add Tahitian noni juice into your juice concoctions for that tropical twist.
My last strange fruit is the mangosteen. My girlfriend says it looks pretty cute, and I personally have tried it in Asia and it tastes really great. Very sweet and tangy. I haven’t been able to make juice out of them myself because you can’t just feed these into a juicer, but I have bought mangosteen juice before and mixed it into my normal juice mix. Reminds me of holidays under the sun!
So go ahead and try adding some strange fruit into your home made juicer juice. Nice.
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by Mike on February 18, 2010
Every day we’re bombarded by messages on how to keep ourselves healthy and fit. Every day we look at those messages; sometimes we heed them and sometimes we don’t. Often times, the ones we listen to are the ones that are the easiest for us to achieve. After all, lifestyles as busy as ours cannot be taken lightly. But you know that for you to keep up with all those activities that take up your day, you need energy. And what better way to get that boost of energy from a simple glass of delicious juice?
Juice bars are popping up everywhere now, it seems. But of course there’s nothing like the home made stuff. Made fresh in your own kitchen, with fruits and vegetables you handpicked at the market to ensure optimal nutrient content, freshness and taste. Not to mention all the funky flavors you can come up with in the comfort of your own home that you wouldn’t be able to request for at an ordinary juice bar.
What do I do?
Okay then. You’re ready to take the leap. To juice. Instead of not to juice. Your first step would be to look at juicer reviews and check out juicer models in stores. Maybe take them for a test-juice to see if you like the final product. After all, you’re a discerning customer with discerning taste. And why waste time trying to manually press an orange through a citrus juicer, when you can buy an electric power juicer, which will be a citrus juicer and a vegetable juicer all in one? You can’t juice celery manually.
Drink Up Baby!
Once you find something that you like and it fits your lifestyle, by all means make that purchase and take your new baby home. And of course, proceed to give it the juicing of its life! Why not come up with delicious concoctions of apple, orange, lemon and celery juice with some mango added in for that tropical zing? Or go au naturel if it pleases you and have good ol’ apple juice whenever you desire.
It’s really wonderful what the right juicer can do for your lifestyle. After drinking juice regularly, you’ll soon see the positive effects in the way your body responds. You won’t get sick as much, you’ll have more energy to spare and you’ll look better. So what are you waiting for? Juice!
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by Mike on February 17, 2010
My girlfriend always says that I totally juice like a man. And I’m inclined to agree. However, even as we were talking about how I always seem to push fruit down the chute too hard for its own good (in the long run, it spoils the juicer), I bet her 50 bucks that the inventor of the juicer was a man. Needless to say, we got onto Google pretty fast and I made some quick money.
Norman Walker was an Italian. A minister’s son, their entire family migrated to America when he was 24 to become a naturalized American citizen 8 years later in 1918. He was an astute businessman and one of the first founders of that art we now know as juicing.
Raw Food and Juice?
As a vegan, he recommends drinking raw fruit and vegetable juices as being beneficial to one’s health, particularly the colon. He’s credited with making the first juicer, called the Norwalk juicer, and was one of the first people in America to open a juice bar and offer a variety of different juices to cleanse, detoxify and provide nutrition.
He ate a raw food diet supplemented with lots of juice every day of his life and died peacefully at the age of 99, in Arizona. This bet was a bet I’m so glad I won, because now I know that if I keep up this healthy habit, and live a healthier lifestyle (still have to work on that though!), I could leave earth just like Norman Walker, peacefully, in my sleep, at a ripe old age!
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by Mike on February 16, 2010
I’ve been writing on and on about what juicing is and what kind of juicer to buy, and I completely forgot about giving out practical tips and tricks when actually juicing. Well, I’ll do so right now! These are tips that my girlfriend and I picked up in our time as avid juicers.
1. Don’t use sugar syrup to sweeten juice, use an apple instead. Fruit sugar, fructose is so much better for you and the nutritional content of an extra apple in your juice mix should be a welcome addition.
2. When juicing mushy fruit like nectarines, strawberries or raspberries in a centrifugal juicer, use a carrot or a beet or other fibrous, hard fruit or vegetables to push out the rest of the mushy fruit at the end. This will ensure less wastage and more yummy juice.
3. When you want clear or pulp-free juice, strain it through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to get rid of foam and extra pulp.
4. Never leave juice out and drink it immediately after juicing to fully benefit from all the nutrients in the juice.
5. Beets, spinach, parsley and watercress all make very strong-flavored juices (hated them the first time I tried them!) so you have to mix them with sweeter fruit or vegetables to make them more palatable.
6. The juice from mushy fruit like apricot, nectarines and strawberries is called nectar and should be blended with a more watery fruit like apples or oranges to dilute it.
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by Mike on February 15, 2010
As I have a busy lifestyle, I don’t have the time to deal with all the mess of a huge clean up when the time comes. After I finish juicing my morning juice, I drink up and then I’m out of the house faster than you can say Tropical Fruit Juice.
Manual juicing – A thing of the past
I think technology has come a long way from the days when my mom used to use a citrus press to make fresh orange juice in the morning. Not only a time-consuming chore while she was juicing, but messy to clean up after as well. And watching her as I used to, inevitably the clean up process went directly to me.
I vowed that when my turn came, I would buy an electronic juicer, one that was dishwasher safe so I would never have to waste time cleaning up after the juicing was done.
And I did.
Yes. So wonderful it is to have a juicer with compartments that are dishwasher safe. Saves me so much time. I’ve realized that even when looking for juicers that are easy to clean, there are good and then there are better ones. The better ones are the ones designed with ergonomics in mind, and ease of use. Those with easier to remove parts that don’t require much fiddling around to get loose.
So my advice is to get a juicer that is easy to clean, like a dishwasher-safe juicer, especially if its parts can be easily removed and the pulp quickly thrown away. After all, my girlfriend likes it that way too.
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by Mike on February 14, 2010
For a guy, I have a pretty sweet tooth. Also, even though I like vegetables in general, the first time my girlfriend tried to put celery in my morning juice, I balked. It tasted so weird!
Anyway, she tried to make it a more palatable experience for me. And I’m glad she did, and she persevered because I was like a little kid who literally wouldn’t drink his vegetables.
How do I start?
First things first. Make sure that your juicer is able to handle veg. Normal citrus juicers aren’t designed to handle juicing leaves, so investing in a good juicer is really important. A good veg juicer will likely use a grinding mechanism or centrifugal force to squeeze as much juice out of your veg as possible.
What veg?
Carrots, beets, celery, cucumber, ginger, dandelion leaves, kale, parsley, tomatoes, pumpkin, turnip and garlic are all used for juice. Take note that some combinations taste weirder than others. Trust me, I know. My girlfriend made me try them!
Only these veg can be used for making juice, as not all veg can be used, unlike fruits. Seriously, can you imagine drinking potato juice? Not good at all. So use common sense when buying veg for juicing.
It tastes really gross. How do I get it down?
You have to get used to the taste, and it really is an acquired one. I’d say you should start with carrot juice, and tomato juice and see if that grows on you. When drinking veg juice, always bear in mind that they’re veg so that your palate is ready for the surprising taste.
Work your way up, and soon you’ll be drinking celery, cucumber, beetroot concoctions in no time!
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