Ok, I need a vote on either of these two CHEAP juicers

[RawnieColeman]

My fiancee and me are registered at target and amazon.com for wedding stuff and I want to put a juicer on the list, but it needs to be less than 120 bucks if we want any hope of someone actually buying it.

What's the best bang on a budget. The target store has these two juicers available:

http://www.target.com/p/Jack-LaLanne-Juicer/-/A-654521

and this:

http://www.target.com/p/Juiceman-1-1-HP-2-Speed-All-in-One-Automatic-Juice-Extractor-and-Citrus-Juicer/-/A-13192825

I think the Juiceman was the same one that dude with the massively bushy white eyebrows used to sell?

I wanted to make sure that neither of these use heat in the juicing process (I've read of a few that do, in which case they destroy some of the enzymes)

Any info or experience with either of these brands, or something cheap but serviceable we can snag on amazon would be mucho appreciado. Danke.

[awesomefunn]

The best bang for the buck would depend on what you plan to juice. Both of those choices are centrifugal juicers. That means a spinning blade at high speed cuts the food and the centrifugal force pushes the bits against a strainer. These are not going to use heat to juice, but because of the high speed action they produce more heat than a slower process would. Walmart sells a Black and Decker Juicer centrifugal juicer for $30 if you are on a tighter budget.

If you want a lower speed juicer that will juice your food much more efficiently get a masticating juicer such as the Omega 8003-8006 line. They start in the low $230 but I feel like every juicer I tried before this one was a waste of my money.

[R'Mila]

I wouldn't be afraid to put a much needed item of a higher cost on your registry, especially if your guests are familiar with your lifestyle. In my experience, people like to 'go in together' to purchase a more expensive gift, if they know you will truly appreciate it. If you still feel uncomfortable registering for a masticating juicer like omega, you can always consider listing one of the cheaper ones, and if someone buys it, you can return it later and add gift card or personal money with it. I feel more comfortable with option A (I love it when I see people using things I've given them). I've seen registry lists with flat screens, expensive stainless steel pots and pans, dyson vacuum cleaners, etc., so I don't really think a quality juicer is excessive.

[streetsurfer]

For Around $120 I would get neither of those, but instead the L'Equip 360150 or 360175, or model 215 if you can catch it on sale. That doesn't fit your target registry, but imo it is a far superior juicer, having suffered through a Lalane juicer prior to the lequip. The B&D juicer at $30 is not something you want to consider either. My experience with it has been worse than expected. I did save twenty dollars over the next price point juicer, though, lol. Looking back it was $30 wasted.

I wouldn't concern yourself with the heat or nutrients lost. It is so miniscule as to not make enough of a difference. Juicing with a centrifugal was still very healing for myself. I feel the stress of worrying about the heat concern probably causes more internal bodily oxidation than the juicer's heat created causes to the food.

For now start with something in the price range you are searching out and upgrade if and when you decide it is a lifestyle change you will implement regularly and stick with for long term. I've not juiced as much as I used too, once I discovered green smoothies. You may prefer to invest the big money into a high quality blender instead.

If you need a masticating juicer based on what you will be juicing, add it later. I bet you will then still resort to using the centrifugal occassionally.

Congratulations and best wishes on your new life together with your sweetheart.

(this of course is just my opinion)

[Mary Kay]

...But folks, the problem is that 99% of the people attending the wedding would only go to Target, and Target only sells the two the OP has listed. I own a Jack laLanne, my sister has the Sproutman, and I also own an OmegaVRT, a Samson....Point is, I've tried a lot of them. The Jack LaLanne is a workhouse....Doesn't do greens very well though, but will sort of do them with a good amount of waste though. It will power through apples, cukes, carrots though. Even though I have better juicers, I haven't let mine go because of having kids over to do massive apple-juicing parties.

If you don't have a Vita-Mix, you could also put one of the small blenders that Target has that's like the Magic Bullet. I think they carry a TriBest brand. They're toys compared to a Vita-Mix, but you absolutely CAN juice your greens in it, combined with a liquid, then quickly strained through a nutmilk bag. If you cut up wheatgrass, you can even make wheatgrass juice in one of them.

So yes, the more expensive juicers are better, but you could get the Sproutman and the Magic Bullet type one for around $100 total for both, I'm guessing. Then someday, get a good/more expensive one....hehehe then you'll be like me with all kinds of juicers.....

OR not get any and take the cash and get a good one! Not much help, am I?

HTH,

Mary Kay

[RawnieColeman]

Some good advice! Thanks everyone.

I think I'm gonna go ahead and set my sights high on a champion juicer and see what I get. I'd rather half the coast of a quality machine that will last me a long time, between the gift certificates, then end up with a product that I may not be happy with.

[michigan roman]

i'll say this rc . i bought the best commercial champion two years ago , and did not like it . yes it has the most bad ass heavy duty motor in the business and it will last 25 years ide bet . but problem is the grinding head spins VERY FAST and airiates the heck out of the juice , plus warms it . it makes tomatos or pineapples an airiated frothy mess that taste bad to me . plus the grinding head you put on the motor base leaks . greatest motor going but the grinding head designs archaic . john kohler whom runs all the juicers CONSTANTLY and whom i see as totally honest with his opinions on youtube likes the omega 8006 style , and the new omega vert . i just watched video , he likes both but says vert better for soft fruits . the verts at bedbathbeyond at 380 before you use 20 % off coupon so 300 with a like 7 year warranty . also ive not checked out your links but two things , and ive read about juicers 100's of hours plus checked out at stores for past 6 years since going raw , MANY people like the jack lalanes , yes they spin fast but still do decent job with good power its said . and theres also i just saw at bedbathbeyond a around 100 breville and breville has GREAT reputation . ps - ide go to youtube and search ' champion juicer ' and watch alot of videos , youll see it turns very fast and froths stuff up . me personally am having a hard time paying companies 300 for a juicer or 100 for fast spinners which froth juice . so i cut and mash stuff up in pot then strain through paint filter bag or fine metal mesh kitchen strainer . and am thinking about buying the 100 kitchen aid food processor at bbb to slice up produce that i then use hand potato masher to crush - then add water crush some more then paint filter bag . a bit more work but i get a excellent food processor for other stuff and my juice isnt frothed / heated . and i keep asking people in the raw universe to make a HEAVY DUTY manual hand cranked juicer so itll only cost around 100 PLUS wont froth / heat the juice . in closing ive seen 100s raw foodist say they bought all the toys to start and only end up using blender , and ALL love vitamix . and vitamix is 380 at bbb so with coupon 300

[michigan roman]

ps - yes i got off topic from original question but just wanted to present you my state of the small appiances report because ive been into it several years

[RawnieColeman]

Ok, well what about a hand job (heh heh) like this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002LY8PA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3T9U6F3CBS77R

I realize it may not be perfect for every vegetable ... but I do like that it's manual so there's none of that heating and frothing action goin on, and it's cheap and portable!

It's also worth noting we are getting a free top of the line blendtec blender from the owner of the company. So whatever the juicer doesn't cover that will assist in getting my daily fruit and veg fix.

[MysticTree]

Ok, well what about a hand job (heh heh) like this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002LY8PA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3T9U6F3CBS77R

I realize it may not be perfect for every vegetable ... but I do like that it's manual so there's none of that heating and frothing action goin on, and it's cheap and portable!

It's also worth noting we are getting a free top of the line blendtec blender from the owner of the company. So whatever the juicer doesn't cover that will assist in getting my daily fruit and veg fix.

Good for wheatgrass but not sure it would stand up very well to tougher things like carrots.

[Mary Kay]

The manual juicers will do carrots, apples, cukes, etc and they DO work. However, it's a little pulpy, which doesn't bother me because you can always run it through a nutmilk bag, but they're oh so tedious.

Yep, I've got a manual one too...LOL, I told you, I've got'em all.

I don't consider Champion to be one of the top-of-the line juicers either.

I have the Omega VERT and the Samson (similar to the Omega 8006) The Omega Vert POWERS through stuff, but it's a PITA because if you do anything that's stringy (think celery, stalks of kale etc), then the small pulp ejection port often gets plugged. The Omega is prob a little better quality --motorwise, wiring etc, but you get the most bang for your buck with the Samson, IMO. It'll even make flax oil, if you get a special attachment. (Thanks DebB, for turning me on to that!)

Good luck!

Mary Kay