Can Someone Please Recommend a Good Juicer?

[mjaclyn]

I just finished watching the 'Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead' documentary on Netflix and DH and I want to try the 10 day juice fast. Ideally, I'd like to incorporate fresh veggie and fruit juices into our daily diet (after the fast) for our entire family. I have not used a juicer before, so I'd love any feedback on what kind to purchase. I looked on Amazon and saw that they range in price from $60 to over $1000. I'd like something that will hold up well making juice on a daily basis and get as much juice as possible out of the fruits/veggies. I'm sure the super expensive ones are probably among the best, but are WAY out of my price range. I'm probably not looking to spend more than $200 or $300 at the most. What do you guys think? Thank you so much!

 

[pjlla]

I'll try to pop on later to talk more about this, but I bought the Jack Lalane juicer at Costco for $80 and have been using it pretty regularly for about a month or so. I have used other juicers in the past and this is definitely comparable, even though it wasn't a particularly expensive juicer.........P

 

[pjlla]

I've got a minute now, so I will just make a few comments.

I saw that movie/documentary myself a few months ago and found it very interesting. And the weight loss results were so dramatic, it certainly sounded appealing. And while I don't really have any weight to lose, I am always looking for ways to be healthier.

Here is what I have found.....

his juices (from the movie) were mostly veg... very little fruit. And while that is far healthier and would promote faster weight loss (due to less sugar) most "all veggie" juices that I have made are only marginally palatable. I find that I must add at least 1 apple and a handful of carrots to most juice combos to make them tasty.

No matter how much juice I drink, my body still needs some protein in the form of lean meat, cheese, hummus, or beans. Otherwise I feel sick.

Don't start this juice fast at a time when you won't have easy bathroom access. The first 24-48 hours has quite a laxative effect..... good for cleaning out the system, but bad when you can't get to a bathroom!

If I were doing this for my kids, I would definitely lean toward a Vitamix rather than a juicer to be sure that they were getting a bigger mix of fruits and veggies and getting more SOLID type foods, rather than just juices. For example, you can't do bananas in a juicer. Or at least make the juices and blend them with other things to make more like a smoothie. I've done that for my DS. I made apple/orange/carrot juice and blended it with a banana and some organic greek yogurt. It made a great smoothie.

If you are doing this for weight loss, you need to be LEARNING about healthy eating and portion control WHILE you are doing the juice fast.....otherwise there is VIRTUALLY NO HOPE of you keeping the weight off. A juice fast is no different from Slimfast or diet pills.... it isn't teaching you about how to eat healthy for a LIFETIME.

Anyhow, that is just a few thoughts about the juice fast itself. I'd be happy to talk more about it if you want...............P

 

[junebugTN]

That movie really inspired my juicing interest as well. Another good one is Crazy, Sexy Cancer, which you might want to check out for additional motivation.

One of my main considerations for a juicer was that it was easy to clean. Based on other high recommendations, I bought the Breville BJE200XL 700 Watt Compact Juice Fountain from Amazon, and I have been 100% pleased with it. It is very powerful and easy to use -- and clean! It is currently selling for $99 there.

I know there are fancier juicers out there, and ones that will do wheatgrass, but I personally wouldn't recommend spending in the $200-$300 range until you're sure this is a long term thing for you. Something like the Breville or Jack LaLane is going to give you most of the health benefits without the huge hit to the wallet. Hope this helps a little, and I hope the juicing turns out to bring you the health benefits you're hoping for -- I think it will!

June

 

[Pumbaa80]

We use a Breville that we got at Williams Sonoma and are very happy with it. I do agree with the previous poster who mentioned the VitaMix. My mom purchased one and absolutely loves it! There is just so much she can do with it - from making your own peanut butter to soup. And, although I love the juicer, I do think having the ability to liquify the fruites and veggies while keeping the pulp is a huge plus for nutrients and fiber.