Review #1 of the Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer

After weeks of intensive research I finally purchased a new juicer.  My 16 year old centrifugal juicer worked pretty well but was very loud and the pulp was a bit juicy.  With the price of organic produce I had hoped for a drier pulp and better yield, especially when juicing leafy greens, as well as a quiet juicer that does a good job juicing both fruits and vegetables.

A few years ago the Huron vertical juicer was the new rage.  It is quiet, has the new style vertical (tall) design, and is a "slow" juicer.  The slow juicers generally use an old style auger design like your grandmother's old clamp-to-the-counter, metal, meat grinder.  This style meat grinder is still for sale in gourmet and cook's supply sites and shops.  They are generally reasonably priced and some folks have used them as a cheap wheatgrass juicer.

Back to the Huron:  It was the rage among those who had about $400 (USD) or more to spend on a newfangled juicer.  As time passed, the new guys on the block came out with their new and improved vertical juicers.  There was the Omega VRT330, 330HD and 350HD among others.  The newest versions generally have harder materials in critical parts such as the screen and auger.  This addresses rumors that there were screen problems with earlier vertical juicers.  There is even another brand that boasts their plastic doesn't leach a certain chemical.  That is very seductive when trying to select among very similar juicers.  Two juicer dealers do not recommend that non-leaching brand but prefer the Omega Vert Juicer.  Consequently, I purchased an Omega VRT 350 HD vertical juicer.  Shop around as prices vary a bit.   If you buy online, you should get free shipping. 

This is not a cheap purchase.  One hopes it will give a decade or more of service, but be sure your dealer has a favorable return policy.  The juicer could weigh over 18 pounds boxed, and if you have to pay return shipping, it could get costly -- that is if you are allowed to return it!

The juicer arrived in good condition.  The instruction manual is minimal.  Too minimal.  The base unit, the motor, is heavier than I expected.  In my opinion it is awkward to move the juicer as it has a sleek smooth base and no grips.  In my opinion, it is difficult to disassemble, after juicing, to clean it.  But, I get ahead of myself.

The instructions give basic safety tips, show you how to put the parts together and take it apart for cleaning, and give some trouble shooting tips.  That's all folks.  The problem is, this is not your old centrifugal juicer or Champion style juicer.  It is a persnickety machine.  It is self-feeding for the most part, but you need to cut the produce into small pieces (opinions vary here) and add the pieces slowly to keep the unit from jamming, flooding, backing up, or getting tangled in fiber.  Yes, it is sometimes called a "slow juicer" but that's only part of the story.  It is a picky eater.  Even after partially de-stringing celery, and cutting the celery into 1 inch pieces, cutting the chard into 2 inch pieces and the chard stems into 1 inch pieces, strings got tangled in the pulp ejection spout area.  This is the hardest part to clean.  The pulp gets mashed into a near solid mass and I have to use the special cleaning tool to wedge and push it out after pulling at the strings as best I can.  This can be frustrating.

The juice is VERY pulpy.  Is the V in VRT for very pulpy?  Think of the pulpiest orange juice you can get commercially and then add some more pulp.  I was warned of this and tried straining the juice.  I filled a 2.5 inch diameter x 1 inch deep metal mesh strainer to the brim with thick pulp after juicing one cup of carrot, chard, celery, beet, ginger juice.  This is the blend I have been making daily for years.  With my old centrifugal juicer, the juice is a cleaner, much lower pulp, juice.  In the old juicer I do not have to cut the chard stems or leaves -- I just roll it up like a cigar and push it in;  I cut the celery once so that the length is 5 inches.  I only use a small piece of ginger -- one inch at most.  So, the prep time is greater for the Omega VRT because all stringy produce must be cut into small pieces that will not jam the machine.  Worst of all, I have gotten pieces of celery string, up to 3/4 inch, in the VRT juice! in addition to the thick pulp.  [see future posts for longer strings! and photos of the "string of the day"]

Overall, the cleanup is nearly the same as my previous centrifugal juicer -- that is if there are no plugged ports or spillovers to clean.  My old juicer had less parts to clean, so it is quicker and easier for me to clean.  The actual juicing time is longer than a centrifugal juicer.  The yield does not appear to be significantly greater even though the ejected pulp seems a bit drier.  The Omega VRT350 HD waste pulp is generally heavier that the waste from my 16 year old juicer for the same amount of juice produced by each.  One wishes the pulp  extracted into the juice of the VRT350HD was sifted and ejected into the trash by the juicer.  Note that I am using the fine strainer that comes with the juicer, and all reported results in this post are using the fine strainer!  [See strainer post in 2012] This pulpy juice is a real turn off for me.  As a seasoned juicer, I judge the juice unpleasantly pulpy.

My opinion:  I would rate this juicer disappointing.  There is a lot of online and video hype which makes me wonder whether this juicer gives a big mark-up to the on-line sales people.  In my opinion, the Omega VRT 350HD is a heavy, awkward to move, awkward to completely disassemble and clean, product that delivers an unpleasantly pulpy juice.  It sometimes makes a loud squeaking sound when juicing green leafy produce.  It does not handle stringy produce well.  It requires more prep time and more juicing time than my old centrifugal juicer.  It weighs more than my old juicer.  It does not deliver noticeably more juice although the juice contains, after draining the hand strainer of liquid, about two solid tablespoons of pulp per 8 ounce cup of vegetable juice.  This is unacceptable in my opinion.  I feel like I have to brush and floss after drinking this juice.  After I put a pint of the mixed vegetable juice in a clear glass pint jar in the refrigerator for 2.5 hours, there are 3 distinct layers:  a 1 inch pulp layer on the bottom, a 1 inch particle and foam layer on the top, and the 2 inches of good-looking juice in the middle of the mason jar. 

Furthermore, the instruction manual gives no guidance on how to prep the produce for juicing except "rinse everything thoroughly" and "cut or split any hard materials such as carrots into thin slices..."; minimal instruction on how best to clean the parts, no guidance on how to avoid or remove vegetable juice stains on parts, etc.  And there will be carrot and greens stains after just one juicing.  The parts are not to be washed in a dishwasher.  Did someone forget to tell them this is the twenty-first century?  Help me out here Omega! 

Quote from the Instruction Manual VRT350.  "Troubleshooting ...  The machine shakes.  This shaking is perfectly normal.  It is a sign of the motor working properly."  What?!

I will phone the company on Monday.  They are closed today.  Why do people love this machine?  Why all the hype?  Someone, please tell me.

Perplexed and pulpy,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011  P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements (Garden of Life), raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, organic soaps, raw organic cacao, organic raw chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com .  Thanks.

Last Day of Fast

It is Day 10 of the 10 Day Juice Fast.  I am ready for it to end because I have been tired though not hungry.  I could continue, but this has been a good 10 days, and before I eat sold food (fruit) I will have completed nearly 11 days of fruit and vegetable juice fasting.

Still feeling a pleasant bliss, yet not motivated to engage in worldly business.  I have completed the tasks that needed to be completed today.  Luckily they were not too hard or time consuming.  The tiredness, both physical and mental, is a reason to return to a more broad and inclusive diet, i.e., one including good fat content, a bit higher protein, and more fiber.

Other than that my health has been good.  I sleep well at night, albeit less hours than I had been used to pre-fast.  Could that be why I am tired?  My nails are growing more quickly than usual.  Small cuts heal quickly.  I am calm and relaxed.  I feel a greater sense of compassion than usual.

For me, a fast once in a while is a good way to cleanse the system and return to food with more respect and enjoyment.  I do not expect to do a fast again this year.  Personally, I think it is nice to do this sort of thing when you are not under stress or working every day.  Others may be of differing opinion.

Tomorrow I will have some melon for lunch.  Watermelon or cantaloupe -- I have not yet decided.  Perhaps more melon for dinner.  If not, then a mixed vegetable juice which includes some leafy greens.  Post-fast day 2 and 3 I will have mixed vegetable juice for breakfast,  melon for lunch, and salad, with a little raw oil or avocado for dinner.  Day 4 the same, but 2 salads, instead of 1 throughout the day, plus gradually adding some nuts and seeds daily.  As you can see, this is a diet of predominately vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.  The food is raw, as is the oil.  It is is simple and does not require much preparation or cleanup.  Cleaning the vegetables and juicer is often the most time consuming part of the meal.

I learned a lot from the people participating in the fast.  We communicated online daily.  Questions were asked and answered.  Comments and observations were posted by those who wished to do so.  If you have been following my blog, you know I quit coffee 2 months ago.  Within 4 days of quitting coffee I quit tea, and have been caffeine-free since then.   At that time I also ate raw food for 7 days straight.  I had been consuming about 80% raw food prior to that, but never went 100% raw for more than a few days at a time.  The 7 Day Raw Food Challenge program I followed gave me the info I needed to be more satisfied with raw food and clarified the quantities that one could eat -- probably more than you think!  If you want to check out the 7 Day Raw Food Challenge or 10 Day Juice Fast I participated in, get info on raw vegan food, other health topics, of just download a FREE Juice and Smoothie Recipe eBook, link to this site.  There are also hundreds of short videos on a variety of raw food and health topics on the site:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

Be well and happy,
Southwest Desert Blogger  
C. (c) 2011                           P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements (Garden of Life), raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, organic soaps, raw organic cacao, organic raw chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com .  Thanks.

Juice Fast: One More Day

Today is the 9th day of the 10 Day Juice Fast.  Honestly, I like the raw food better than the juice fast although, of course, the juice fast is raw because the juices are made with my juicer.  My mental energy is not as focused as I would like it to be.  I realize there are fasting groups doing 30 and 92 day fasts.  I cannot imagine functioning in the work-a-day world on a fast that long.  Perhaps the body and mind adjusts to the fast in the long run.

Physically I feel fine.  But, mentally I am in a relaxed zone that is not very grounded.  I get things done, but would not want to have a challenging day.  It is pleasant though.  Maybe this is how people operated before there were highways, deadlines, and the general stresses we live with these days.

I would also like to comment on the number of amateur faster videos online.  Clearly, many of them are first timers who aren't even using their juicers properly.  They apparently have not read the instructions that come with the juicer.  While it is admirable that someone is trying the discipline if a fast, some of them are hardly qualified to give advice, let alone run a juicer and camera at the same time.  Some of the online video advice contradicts other video advice.  Just do your research and do not take any one source for gospel.

Perhaps my favorite video of someone using his juicer is not a faster, but the proud owner of one of the new, state of the art juicers. Almost all you can see is his back, which is facing the camera as he feeds the juicer.  You cannot see the juicer, his hands, or the produce he is feeding into the juicer.  Why did he post this?  Then, he also posted a video where he apologizes for the first video and makes another marginal, irritating video of juicing.  Don't discount all juicer videos.  Some are excellent and instructive.
Some are amusing.  Some are junk.

Then there are the before and after videos of fasters.  I am told some of the before and after photos are photo shopped.  It is a reasonable assumption.  Who knows?   I don't have before and after photos for you.  I did not take any.  I do not lose much weight on a fast.  I have been told about 10 percent of fasters do not lose weight.  I do, however, feel lighter -- and not just lightheaded.  Obviously, there is less food in the digestive tract, thus the lightness.  The pants feel a bit looser.  The ring I usually wear feels loser.  I went for a hike the other day and my shoes felt looser!  That surprised me.

For me it will be back to the high raw diet after the fast; i.e., mostly raw food and raw juices.  If you want to learn more about the 10 day juice fast, the 7 day raw food challenge, or just want a free eBook with vegan juice and smoothie recipes and informative blog /videos (recommended by Southwest Desert Blogger) link to:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

Fast approaching the end of the fast,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Juice Fast Day 7

It is a very pleasant night in the Desert Southwest.  Temperature is a delightful 70 degrees (F) and there is a gentle rain.  This is the seventh day of the Juice Fast and it is going well.  I experienced some tiredness over the weekend so I took it easy.  My energy was variable this morning but leveled off nicely as the day wore on.  Still, I have been taking it easy.

I have been consuming an average of 14 cups of fresh juice per day, plus more than a liter of water.  Sounds like a lot, but it is about the right amount to maintain consistent energy throughout the day.
I juiced some perfectly sweet watermelon and cantaloupe with hearts of celery.  I juiced all sorts of vegetables including carrots, cucumbers, beets, spinach, chard, bok choy, cabbage, and sweet red bell pepper.  I harvested and juiced local prickly pear fruit (see previous blogs). I added an orange to my vegetable juice mix and it was quite good (or perhaps I am just hungry).  One evening I added a garlic clove and basil leaf to my vegetable juice.  I have been giving my 16 year old juicer quite a workout.

I notice fleeting periods of relaxed bliss.  My sense of sight seems heightened.  I nails are growing more quickly than usual.  I choose to remain somewhat detached from the cares of the world.

Yesterday I started thinking about food.  I thought of some nori sushi I made a while ago with cucumber, carrot, and avocado filling and ginger soy sauce.  Was I craving the minerals in the seaweed?  The fat in the avocado?  The salt in the soy sauce?  The thought passed as did the thought of fresh bread and butter.  More time has been spent thinking I need a new juicer.  Technology has advanced in the past 16 years.  I want a quieter machine with better yield, drier pulp, yet easy to clean.  I have been trying to figure out the payback time based on the price of the new juicer and the amount of money I will save on fresh produce if the juicer gets better yield.  Does this remind you of a school math problem where X = the amount of money saved per pound of greens, y = the amount of money saved per pound of carrots, and Z = the amount of money saved per pound of celery juiced in the new juicer?  The problem is X, Y, and Z are unknown numbers.

I almost forgot to tell you, I also had the juice of two baby coconuts -- a rare treat.  It was ambrosia.
If you would like to get a FREE Juice and Smoothie Recipes e-Book go to http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344.

Ending one full week of the 10 Day Juice Fast,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c) 2011                     P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements (Garden of Life), raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, organic soaps, raw organic cacao, organic raw chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com .  Thanks.

Prickly Pear Fruit and Juice Pictures

 I made another batch of prickly pear juice.  The pix came out this time.  The story in pictures:

A sample of the harvest with one fruit cut in half.  Notice the seeds.  The spots on the fruit are clusters of tiny, very fine needles.  I got a few in my fingers, but overall I was graceful.




I cut the fruit in half carefully using a small knife to stabilize the fruit while cutting with another knife.




Then I scooped the flesh out with a teaspoon.  It was the consistency of raspberry jam.  Please scroll down to see the fruit after the red flesh has been removed. 

This is the fruit of the prickly pear in a bowl, lined with a nylon mesh paint strainer bag.  I grabbed the bag and squeezed out the juice.

It was like milking a cow except that nearly a cup of hard, pinhead size seeds remained in the bag.

Prickly pear juice with camera flash that created the purple corona.

  You've seen the juice in the previous blog, but here it is again.  And it was just as good the second time!
On day 3 of the juice fast* and feeling fine,
your Southwest Desert Blogger
*Get a FREE e-book of juice and smoothie recipes, and 10 day juice fast info at this link:  
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344
Also, scroll down and see my slide show. 

C. (c)2011

Prickly Pear Juice

I finally went out and harvested about 2 dozen prickly pear fruit.  They are sometimes called "tuna" -- think chicken of the desert.  They were from several prickly pear cacti.  Some were large and plump; some were smaller and less juicy.  I documented the event, from the harvest fruit, the cutting and removing the seedy pulp, to straining it in a paint strainer, to the juice.  The photos did not come out.  Did I have the memory stick in backwards or what? 

My prickly pear fruit varied in size from about an inch to an inch and a quarter in length.  They have very fine, tiny needles on the surface.  I think the commercially available varieties are larger and do not have the needles.  I harvested them with a pliers, yet still got some needles in my finger tips.  I rinsed them with water and found the best way to handle them was to stab each one with a paring knife, put it on the cutting board covered with wax paper, cut it in half, and scoop out the ruby red pulp with a spoon while using the knife to stabilize the fruit.  I had already covered a bowl with a paint strainer bag.  You could use a strainer or nut milk bag.  The wild prickly pear fruit are dense with seeds the size of a pinhead.  Squeezing the juicy red seedy pulp through a paint strainer bag worked very well.

Prickly Pear Juice in a bowl (with flash reflection) -- the true color is the center red

I expected the juice to be tart because commercial prickly pear fruit products generally have sweetener added.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the juice very pleasing.  Not too sweet, yet easily drinkable.  The color is outstanding.  I went back to my bowl of juice to get a photo so you can see the color.  Then I finished the juice.  It tastes similar to watermelon juice.

A few notes regarding clean up:  I suspect this juice could stain so be careful.  I rinsed my utensils, cutting board, sink and counter area right after this project.  I covered the cutting board with waxed paper to prevent the cactus needles from lodging in the board or just going astray.  I did not put the remaining pulp in the paint strainer bag down the drain because it was almost 100 percent seeds.  The seeds are hard and there were about 3/4 cup of them -- hundreds of seeds!  I did not want them clogging the drain.  When you see the number of seeds in these fruits, you understand why the prickly pear is so prolific.

Close up of Prickly Pear Pads, flower, and unripe fruit (lower left).  The fruit will turn red but the spines (needles) remain.  The yellow dots on the fruit are clumps of tiny needles that make the fruit difficult to handle! 

If you try this at home, using wild prickly pear, I suggest protecting your hands and arms if you are not used to handling cactus.  This is not a beginner project for amateurs.  See the above photo of a wild Prickly Pear cactus.  In my area these plants average 4 feet tall and they are sharp!

Enjoying the local fruit,
Southwest Desert Blogger on Day 1 of the 10 Day Juice Fast
Get a FREE e-book of juices and smoothies, and 10 day juice fast info at this link:  
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344
C. (c)2011

Juice Fast

Three Pounds of Little Organic Apples

It is still hot and somewhat humid in the Southwest Desert.  It is just shy of 100 degrees (F.) and just over 50% humidity.  Everyone is getting tired of the summer heat and ready for it to cool.  I haven't felt like eating much so I decided to do a 10 day Juice Fast.  The juice fast or feast includes as much juice as one needs.  The average expected consumption is 12 to 16 cups of fruit and vegetable juices per day, as desired.  Sounds like a lot.  You can get the idea from the FREE e-book of juices and smoothies at   http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344 .  That site also has info about the 10 day juice fast.  I will keep you posted as I progress with the fast.

So far I have purchased a watermelon, a pound of mixed baby greens, 2 bok choy leaves (because I am not sure I like bok choy in juice), 3 bunches celery, 1 cucumber, 1 half head green cabbage, 5 pounds carrots, 1 very large beet, 3 pounds little red apples (the photos above), 2 oranges, 6 little kiwi, 1 lime and a bunch of little lemons.  Most of that is organic.  We will see how long that lasts.  I estimate 2 to 3 days.

If you follow my blog you know I grow basil.  It is still looking good.  I cover the plant that is in full afternoon southwest desert sun to prevent it from burning.  On shady days and at night I uncover it.  I am told I can add a leaf or 2 to a pint of vegetable juice.  It seems to lend itself to tomato based juice.  I am cautioned not to add too much basil.  Perhaps some garlic or onion with that tomato basil juice.  Almost a liquid pizza sans cheese.

I may get brave and add some kale to juice this week.  I don't like kale.  I don't understand the allure of kale.  I fear even one kale leaf will destroy a perfectly good juice.  But I also remember that I used to fear green smoothies and they are quite good.  I can even load more than the suggested amount of baby spinach into a smoothie and like it.  See some of my July posts for my green smoothie adventures and yesterday's blog post for my secret smoothie ingredients.  Also, do download the free e-book from the link in the earlier part of this post.

Finally, what juicer do I use?  It is a Juiceman Jr. that is over 16 years old and still going.  It is fussy with greens, but I have learned to do all I can with it.  I have looked at the new fangled juicers and may treat myself to one someday.  For now, the old tried and true Juiceman Jr. will be with me through the next 10 days of over 100 cups of juice. 

Off we go on a juicy adventure,
your Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011
 P.S.  Let me gift you a code for $5 off any purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements, raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, soaps such as Dr. Bronner's Castile, raw cacao, organic chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, seaweed noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order.  I think you will find iherb prices lower than your local store.  It is interesting to browse www.iherb.com so check it out.