Smart Shopper
Health experts recommend getting at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and many busy people do that by "juicing." If drinking your produce ap-"peels" to you, here are the juicy details on juicers.
BUYER’S TIPS
The type of juice you want will dictate the type of juicer to choose. If you plan to use only citrus fruits, a citrus juicer is the way to go. But for carrot or vegetable juice, consider an extractor or an appliance that combines more than one function.
Citrus Juicers
With this device, you press the cut halves of fruit onto a motorized reamer that extracts the juice. A trough around the reamer may strain the juice as it flows into a container.
Centrifugal Juicer/Centrifugal Ejection Juicers
Centrifugal juicers chop up the fruit or vegetable with a flat cutting blade, and spin the produce at a high speed to separate the juice from the pulp; the juice then passes through a strainer basket. A centrifugal juicer is inexpensive and may be good for a beginner. Generally, it can make one to two quarts before it must be stopped and the pulp removed.
In a centrifugal ejection juicer, the sides of the basket are slanted. This allows it to be self-cleaning, so there is no need to stop the juicer and empty it out.
Juice Extractors or Masticating Juicers
Ideal if you want to juice mainly vege-tables, these tear open the produce’s cell membranes to release nutrients and enzymes. This results in a juice richer in nu-trients and minerals than you’d get from a citrus juicer. The lower speed also eliminates oxidation to the juices. Unlike centrifugal juicers, these can handle soft and leafy vegetables including wheatgrass, spinach, kale or alfalfa sprouts and herbs.
BUDGET
Delonghi Electric Citrus Juicer
Features a 30-watt motor with two-way rotation and double cone for extraction from any sized fruit. Regulator allows you to control the pulp-to-juice ratio; trans-parent container shows measurements. Detachable parts are dishwasher-safe.
Suggested Retail Price: $19.95
Advanced Features:
* 33-ounce (4-cup) capacity
* Complete control with one-touch operation
* Protects internal components with a transparent dust cover
* Convenient cord storage
Cuisinart Citrus Juicer
Brushed-stainless-steel finish. Auto-reversing reamer squeezes more juice from small fruits, and Fast-Spin feature extracts even more juice from pulp. Dishwasher-safe parts.
Suggested Retail Price: $29.95
Advanced Features:
* Snap-up spout prevents dripping
* Cord wrap
* Limited three-year warranty
MEDIUM
Juiceman JM 300 Electric Juicer
Two speeds — low for softer produce such as berries and high for harder produce such as rind-on pineapple — with 700 watts of power. Wide-mouth feed chute reduces need for pre-cutting. Powerful stainless-steel blade system, dual safety interlock system.
Suggested Retail Price: $59.99
Advanced Features:
* Digital controls with backlit display
* Dishwasher-safe parts
* Extra-large pulp basket
* Custom-fit juice pitcher
* Stainless steel mesh filter
Jack LaLanne Power Juicer Express
Sleek, compact design fits in limited space. No need to precut
ingredients; extra-large, round chute accommodates most
fruits and vegetables. Includes non-drip spout and the
best-selling extraction technology.
Suggested Retail Price: $99.99 (shipping and handling extra)
Advanced Features:
* Surgical-quality stainless steel blade
* High-performance 3,600 RPM induction motor with a
lifetime warranty
* Whisper-quiet operation
* Patented extraction technology delivers up to 30 percent
more juice than most other juicers
* Super-sized detachable pulp collector
* Dishwasher safe
* Built-in safety features
PREMIUM
Omega Vertical Juicer
Juices items as firm as carrots and as fine as wheatgrass. All the performance of a masticating juicer in less space than most centrifuge-style juicers.
Suggested Retail Price: $349.99
Advanced Features:
* 10-year warranty
* Auto-cleaning system
* Brushless motor
* Commercial condenser motor
Breville Die-Cast Juice Fountain Elite
Commercial performance with home-kitchen convenience. Pineapple can be juiced in large chunks with rind on and hard fruits and vegetables can be juiced at high speed. Low speed is optimal for softer fruits and leafy green vegetables. More than 40,000 filtering pores. Extra-large, three-inch-wide (7.6 cm) feed-tube cuts prep time.
Suggested Retail Price: $299.99
Advanced Features:
* 1000 watts power — up to 13,000 RPM
* Produces up to 30 percent more juice than traditional juicers
* Easy-to-assemble parts, except the electrical base, are
dishwasher-safe (top-shelf)
* The dual speed motor can extract an eight-ounce glass of juice in five seconds
"There are several styles of juicers available on the market today. Some are better suited for juicing certain kinds of produce than others. There is no ‘perfect’ juicer that will perform every juicing operation with equal quality."
— Kim Teresi, senior buyer and advertising director, Chef Central, Paramus (www.chefcentral.com)
— R.N. RAJAN
Portions contributed by www.ConsumerReports.org and Kim Teresi of Chef Central, paramus |
