Considering a masticating as first juicer

[kenmtb]

Hi (awesome forum!!)
I have been looking through a lot of great posts and there is too much info for this newbie to process!
Im considering juicing and it seems like masticating juicers produce the healthiest and longest lasting juice.
Some of the choices I have seen are Green star, Champion, Omega and Vitamix. :confused

What is the fastest and easiest to clean masticating juicer? I do not have much time on the weekdays to
fix meals and I would like to take juice to work if possible. It would be great if the juicer could handle whole fruit.

Last: are the centrifugal juicers really a bad choice? Is there something I could add to the produce to counteract
oxidation?
Thanks
Ken-trying to break a 30 year cheeseburger habit

[snoops]

The problem I had with the centrifuge ones was the taste. My omega was in for a repair and I bought a centrifuge one because they were cheaper and I did not want to be without a juicer for a couple weeks. The juice just wasn't sweet tasting like with my omega to the point of even being bitter. I gave away the centrifuge one and just waited for my omega. Yes you have to cut the fruit up because the opening is small but clean up is a snap and I love the tasty juices I get from it.

[Jewels]

I own a Greenstar and, though it certainly is not the fastest and easiest to clean, it makes the tastiest juice I've ever had.

My second choice would have been the Omega 8004 or 8006 (they have a stronger auger than the other Omega masticating models which were prone to chipping). You will have to cut the produce to smaller pieces to fit it, but the cleanup looks super fast with the Omega.

Jennifer Cornbleet has a video demonstrating the Greenstar. Regardless of the juicer you choose, she gives some good tips on how to fit juicing into a busy schedule. Hope that helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADCp1oVwy7Y&feature=channel_video_title

[DebB]

You can always go to www.discountjuicers.com and email John Kohler. You can tell him what you're looking for in a juicer and he'll make recommendations to you. I don't know of anyone that knows more about juicers than he does. He has dozens of juicer videos - explaining, comparing, etc. If you end up ordering from him, he's got a YouTube code to enter for an additional 5% off, you could ask him what that code is... *Ü*

[jevans]

It's really a double edged sword. First (As you probably know) Vitamix is a blender , not a juicer. You can juice with it by blending everything and then straining the juice but your question asked,"What is the fastest and easiest to clean masticating juicer?" The juicing process with Vitamix is longer but the Vitamix is the easiest to clean. But if your main thing is juicing then look to the juicers.
Greenstar has a double gear which is somewhat more efficient. I say "somewhat" since John Kohler has shown on his you tube videos that the Greenstar can be a little bothersome in making some juices. Here is video comparing the Greenstar to the Omega:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tf45nEWTdo

In my opinion, I like the Omega 8004 or 8006. They are extremely easy and fast to clean and do a great job with just about everything. BUT your question asked for "whole" foods and speed. The centrifugal juicers win there. The Breville Fountain or Ikon will accept whole fruits and do them faster than just about any other juicer. BUT some feel that these juicers oxidize the juice too much thereby rendering them inferior to the masticating juicers. I own both types and have done comparison videos on them. The Breville will do very juicy fruits better than the masticating, but the masticating does leafy greens MUCH better. The Breville has larger parts to clean although not difficult at all. As far as yield comparisons, I did some leafy greens, apples and carrots in both and got the exact same amount; however, the Omega juice had a richer look to it due to the better job with the leafy vegs. The Breville did better with the apples and had a paler look to it.
If you are looking for speed and convenience, then the Breville is the way to go. If your main concern is the leafy vegs, then the Omega/Greenstar. Again, the Breville will do leafy greens (you have to roll them up into a ball) but the masticating does them better.

[somedude79]

Ok, im going to try to make it easy

Masticating Juicer:
Great for-Leafy greens, wheat grass, hard vegetables
Not Great for-Soft fruits
Speed-Slow, both cutting the veggies into small pieces and the actual juicing time.

Centrifugal Juicer:
Great for hard vegetables, soft fruits, you can juice leafy greens, but masticating juicers do a better job
Not Great for-Wheat grass...don't do it!
Speed-Fast! Especially with juicer that have large feed tubes...a liter in a minute or two.

I think the point here is not about which one makes the 100% best juice, it's more about which will make you juice more often.

hope this helps.

[kenmtb]

Thanks for the replies!
I may have to start out with the centrifugal juicer. Some people noted that the taste is inferior. Is that due to oxidation?
Also is there something I can add to juice to slow down oxidation. I would like to make some juice in the morning and take it to work.
Thanks again!
Ken

[DebB]

I think a lot of us overthink this... What's the best juicer? The one you'll USE! (wink). Personally, I don't worry about oxidation and such - I will fill the jar up as far as I can to minimize air in there, if there's enough juice to do that. If not - I cap it and refrigerate. I simply do the best I can and know that it's SO MUCH better than not juicing and eating SAD. Enjoy your juice! *Ü*

[snoops]

I did not find the taste difference due to oxidation - I drank it right after I juiced it. The grapefruit juice was bitter compared to the masticating juicer juice. Very different. If it was only a bit I would have kept using it till my Omega was fixed.

[jevans]

Thanks for the replies!
I may have to start out with the centrifugal juicer. Some people noted that the taste is inferior. Is that due to oxidation?
Also is there something I can add to juice to slow down oxidation. I would like to make some juice in the morning and take it to work.
Thanks again!
Ken

As far as taste, it probably depends on what you are juicing. I use an Omega 8006 but just lent my Breville to a friend. Her first juice was carrots, apple, celery and kale. I think this recipe it tasted sweeter than my Omega since it did a better job with the apple.
Also DebB summed it up best about how to slow the oxidation. If you happen to have a vacumn sealer they sell a vacumn attachment (very cheap price) to seal mason jars. This is probably the best way for the oxidation problem.

[damandamn68]

Hey I have one of those colorful Kuvings masticating juicers and it works great and can juice wheatgrass its like 100 bucks cheaper than the omega and IMO it works better when I compared it to my friends omega j8004

[novamtnbkr]

I am having a huge problem with fiber from celery and softer fruits jamming up my Omega VRT does anyone have a solution

[Vegansara]

RE: The Vert jamming up, we just juice things sort of mixed up - instead of doing all of the celery at the same time, for example. We also cut them up into small pieces to make the fibers shorter.

I have the biggest problem with greens - the vert does not like chard at all and isn't fond of kale either.

[jevans]

I totally agree with "Oldone", the oxidation thing is blown way out of proportion. I also don't believe that the centrifugal juicers oxidize enough to warrant any concern. Try to figure out your style and then get juicing. Don;t over-think it too much.