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...r/-/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.