I went back to using my old centrifugal juicer. It is over 16 years old and has been through several juice fasts and years of constant service. It is getting old. I will save it as a back up juicer now that I have a new Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer. From Omega VRT to Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer . . . who'd have thought?
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| Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer, photo of the box |
I bought my Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer at that BIG BOX store I lovingly call Costlo, because you can get name brand items and produce at low prices. It is a members only shopping venue with money back guarantee on everything they sell. So, no risk. If you don't like it, return it for a refund. Can you do that with your Omega VRT350HD juicer? I hope so. Unfortunately, the online merchant I purchased my VRT350HD from did not see it that way. I had to really push hard to get my money back. But back to the Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer.
My new Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer is Model E-1188. It is a centrifugal juicer. My final cost, including sales tax, was under $100 (US). Great price with a money back guarantee. It comes with a 190 page Fresh Recipe Collection and detailed instruction book with color photos. The instructions are great for beginning juicers and seasoned juicing veterans may pick up a few tips, too. The recipes include smoothies, recipes using the juicer pulp, cooked and raw recipes, soups, salads, dips, dressings, salsas, baked goods, frozen treats, smoothies and juices. There are aver 100 pages of juice recipes with beautiful color photos.
The instruction section includes General Guidelines for Juicing, a Produce Chart indicating which fruits and vegetables are ideal for juicing, and which are challenging. There is a nice "Juice and Pulp Yield Per Produce" chart which indicates, for example, how much juice and pulp you can expect to get from 5 large carrots, 4 celery stalks, 1 large cucumber, etc.
The Power of Pulp section in the Introductory Notes says that nothing need be wasted because there are "pulp friendly" recipes in the recipe section. And, if you like pulp in your juice, just take some from the pulp collector and add it back to your pulp-free juice, stir it, and enjoy (if you like pulpy juice). I like a pulp free vegetable juice, and that is what this juicer produces. It is my dream come true.
It is quiet. There is a hum from the motor, but certainly acceptable. For my trial run, I juiced carrots, 2 at a time, a full, fat, stalk and a half of celery including the dense core, and pineapple, including the core (no skin). The juicer did fine for more than a quart of juice and then there was some overflow from the fibrous pineapple. But, had I read the description of Pineapples under Guidelines for Juicing, I would have been forewarned that very ripe pineapple can be stringy and sometimes cause blockages of the spout. That is what happened. But remember, I juiced all that celery also, and only cut some of the stalks in half.
Considering all the stringy celery and very ripe pineapple, I think the Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer passed the test. It produced over a quart of juice before any blockage. Under normal conditions, juicing a combination of carrot, celery, spinach, romain, beet, apple, ginger, cucumber, and a bit of very ripe pineapple, I have enjoyed smooth, pulp-free, string-free, juice with no spills, no overflows, no blockages, no strings, no pulp, no problems. I just cut celery stalks in half, and gently push through all produce. I put a handful or two of baby spinach into the chute and then push it down with a carrot or two. I most often juice 2 carrots at a time. Sometimes they almost juice themselves with only the weight of the pusher tool. I let the bulk of the juice exit the exit port before juicing more produce as a common sense precaution to prevent overflow. Depending on how stringy my choice of produce is, I may unplug the juicer after juicing a pint, open it, clean any fiber or pulp off the screen, replace the cover, lock it, and continue juicing.
Cleaning the juicer is surprisingly easy. The juicer came with a cleaning brush that I hardly ever need to use. Most of the cleaning can be done with a sponge and soapy water. Even the juicer screen, typically the hardest part to clean, can be cleaned almost entirely with a kitchen sponge. The grating wheel is easily cleaned with any kitchen brush and running water. All other parts rinse clean with sponge, soap, and water or a bit of brushing if needed.
The grating wheel is tightened and unscrewed with a "key" they call the crescent tool. It allows the grating wheel (they call "blade") to be separated from the screen for easy, efficient cleaning. The key must not be lost. In older models of the Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer I worried about losing the key. This new model has a magnetic key, so it will magnetically stick to the juicer. I stick it on my stove. This magnetic key is an improved feature. I feel confident it will not get lost. Overall, this juicer is easier to efficiently clean than the Omega VRT350HD. There are not the several small areas that I had difficulty cleaning on the VRT350.
For ease of use, the Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer has a large, wide feed chute. I can juice a small apple, whole. For ease of cleaning, I give it a 9.5 out of 10. The Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer also comes with an instructional DVD which covers these topics: Getting Started, Tips & Tricks, Cleaning, Troubleshooting. I have not watched the DVD. The 22 page Operating Manual is so complete (read the Q & A section, too), plus the Quick Start Guide, and Fresh Recipe Collection Book that comes with the Costlo (aka Costco) Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer that I have all the info I need. I would recommend this for a beginner or any other person wanting a reasonably priced, decently made, reasonably quiet, easy to clean and use juicer with good information and instructions included. All this for under $100.
The last page of the Operating Manual has an order form for replacement parts. The Lid with Pulp Guard, Pulp Collector, Filter, Replacement Blade, Crescent Tool, and Pusher cost under (US) $10 each, including shipping and handling, to replace. Much more economical than the Omega VRT350HD parts as I recall.
If you are not sure you will love juicing, you will stick to juicing after your juice fast, you have the patience to clean the juicer after each use, and if you are on a budget or just can't see spending the better part of $400 (US) for a vertical juicer, consider the Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer available at the big box store I lovingly call Costlo. If your Omega VRT350HD juicer is delivering too much pulp, squeaking, jamming, overflowing, too hard to effectively clean, or just generally frustrating you, consider switching.
I Am glad I did.
Enjoying the Juice,
Southwest Desert Blogger
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