Got Snow?

Just wanted to let you know the temperatures in the Southwest Desert:
Predicted high temperature for today is over 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  The wild desert flowers are in bloom.  Tomorrow the temperature is expected to be lower, but still pleasant.  I spoke to someone in Maine last Friday.  It was snowing there. 

Scroll down to yesterday's post if you want to know what to look for, and look out for, before buying a vertical juicer.

Having a wonderful time,
Wish you were here,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c) 2012

Before You Buy an Omega VRT 350 HD Vertical Juicer

Thinking of buying a new juicer?  Looking at the vertical juicers?  Trying to decide which juicer will meet your needs?  Here are some things to consider:

Looking down into the juice collection container after pouring the juice into a jar:  You can see some of the foam the Omega VRT 350HD produced still clinging to the sides, and at the bottom you can see little chunks of carrot!  Scroll down to previous posts as far back as September 2011 to see other examples of strings, etc. found in the Omega VRT350HD juice.

1.  Size of the juicer - Will it fit under your cabinets, on your counter space, and allow enough vertical and horizontal space for comfortable juicing.  Don't forget that you need to allow horizontal space for the juice and pulp collection bins or jars.  This could be several inches of additional horizontal space on either side of the base of the juicer.  Some online sources do not list the actual dimensions.  If you have the dimensions of the juicer you are interested in, be sure the juice and pulp collection vessels are included.
     You also need to consider additional vertical space to comfortably input produce.  If there are shelves or cabinets above the place you plan to put your juicer, is there enough space above the juicer to add produce?
     I found that the cabinets above and behind the Omega VRT350HD got carrot juice drops splattered on them.  I am not sure how the drops of carrot juice shot up from the produce input chute, but I had to clean the cabinet door after almost every juicing.

2.  Weight of juicer -  The Omega VRT350HD juicer I had weighed over 18 pounds in the shipping box.  The actual juicer, without packing material, weighed a bit less, but it was heavier than I had expected.  It was somewhat cumbersome and awkward to move the unit as it had not grips or handle.  I had to move the juicer out from under the cabinets daily because the bottom of the cabinet above the counter was so close to the top of the juicer.  Then, as described above, the cabinet door got splatters of juice from the juicing.
    Back to the weight of the juicer:  If you buy online at one of the many online merchants, be sure you get free shipping.  And, that brings us to topic 3...

3.  Can you return the juicer?  Online merchants may not allow you to return the juicer.  In the case of the Omega VRT350HD,  there is a manufacturer's warranty on parts, but if you do not like the amount of pulp, etc,. if you do not like the strings in the juice, if you do not like the amount of foam, if there is anything you do not like that cannot be remedied by replacement parts or replacement juicer, you may be stuck with an expensive piece of equipment that does not meet your expectations.  The online merchant I purchased from had a no returns policy.  Getting replacement parts from Omega takes time and may not remedy the problem(s) one is experiencing.  Returning the juicer to Omega for replacement took me over 2 weeks of transit time.  That was time without the juicer.
     If you have to pay to return a juicer, insure it, etc. it could cost more or less $30 depending on how far you have to ship the juicer and whether you have retained the box and packing materials. If you have to purchase boxes and have it packed at the shipping store, the price could rapidly escalate.

4.  You can return whatever you want, but whether you will get your money refunded is another issue.  I suspect most consumers have neither the time, nor the tenacity to deal with online merchants with attitude.  I received what I can only describe as a nasty, threatening, over-reactive voice mail from the online merchant I purchased my Omega VRT350HD juicer from.  It was extremely worrisome and unsettling.  I have retained that recording.  I hope none of you have to go through that sort of drama. You may need to be highly persistent to get the outcome you desire with some online merchants.  Hint:  contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in their geographic area.  If there is a BBB online complaint form, your job may be easier. 

5.  Your first juicer?  If this is your first juicer, you may want to start cheaper and work your way up.  You may find that you do not like to juice your own juice.  You may not have the time to juice often.  You may not like to wash the juicer parts.  It may not be for you, so why plunk down the better part of $400.  Maybe you should just go to a big discount warehouse like the one I lovingly call "Costlo" and get a name brand juicer for under $100.  Costlo, and the others of its ilk, have easy return policies, so if you do not like the juicer, the juice, the process of juicing, you only want to juice once a month, or the juicer just doesn't "feel" right, you can return it for a hassle-free refund.
     Got friends with juicers?  Watch them juice and wash the juicer.  Taste the juice.  If you have never had any experience with a juicer, you may want a juicer that has better instructions than the Omega VRT350HD.  The Omega VRT350HD I purchased came with minimal instructions.  Even after decades of juicing, I wished for more info with the vertical juicer.  Additional information from the dealer and the company sources tended to conflict.
   
6.  Who can you trust?  When merchants steer you toward purchasing one juicer over another, is it because they make a greater profit on that item?  Do they genuinely like that juicer over another because of the potential profits?
     I wanted the juicer with the non-toxic plastic and was repeatedly told to get the Omega because of the warranty.  Every day I thought about that plastic.  Every day I disliked the Omega VRT350HD pulp and strings.  The juicer with the non-toxic plastic doesn't have a long warranty, but what is the use of a long warranty if you just don't like the juicer and the quality of the juice it produces? 

Strings and other matter in the Omega VRT 350 HD juice.

  After drinking most of the quart (liter) some of the pink foam remains at the bottom of the jar, above the red veg juice.  Measure in inches.

Sorry guys, I am over the buy a new juicer thing.  I am happily juicing with my 16 year old juicer and I purchased another used juicer of the same model as a back-up in the secondary (i.e., used) market, for significantly less than one-tenth the price of a discount Omega VRT350HD. 
     If you love your VRT, extol it's virtues on your own blog.  The above observations and opinions are based on my frustrating experience during months of juicing and efforts with the Omega vrt 350hd. 
I'm not here to sell you a juicer.

Hope you get what's best for you,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012 
P.S.  I do not insert ads or ads with cookies on this site as so many bloggers do.  If you'd like to support this blog, check the health food and supplements, including raw and organics at www.iherb.com/info/benefits  or just copy and paste www.iherb.com and use discount code WAL660.  The iherb site also has super foods, vitamins, green powders (Hawaiian Spirulina, and others), homeopathics, organics, raw food http://www.iherb.com/Search?kw=raw+organic
and supplements such as raw chia seed, raw hemp seed, raw cacao, coconut oil, kelp noodles, healthy pet food, Dr. Bronners, organic shampoos and skin products, tea, loose herbs, sports supplements, essential oils, protein powders, all at discounts. There are helpful product reviews and quick shipping. The WAL660 code will get you $5 off a first time order and there is free shipping for US orders of $20 (there may be weight restrictions) or $40 or more (no US weight restrictions).  Just enter the code WAL660 in the shopping cart before final check-out.  Remember to add a "freebies" free product to your order.
iherb ships to over 180 countries.  Thanks for helping support this blog, and saving yourself some money by using the WAL660 discount code at iherb.com .

Omega Vertical Juicer VRT 350 HD String of the Day Post #2

I could do the string of the day daily, but thought it too trite.  However, today I juiced 3 carrots, 3 sweet potatoes, one peeled cucumber, a couple of handfuls of tender baby salad greens, and several handfuls of baby spinach.  FYI all were organic except for the cucumber.  And now Southwest Desert Blogger presents . . . the Omega VRT 350HD string of the day photo:

The ruler measures inches.  What is this material I found in my Omega VRT 350 HD juice?

  One picture = 1000 words.

Omega Vertical Juicer VRT 350 HD Strainer Question

Try not to strain yourself:

Solid yellow strainer photo 1.  Notice the red dot on the right side of the strainer rim.  It is used to position the strainer in the bowl correctly.  However, it wears out over time.  After a few months of regular use, it is barely visible in my "clear yellow" everyday strainer that Omega refers to as the "-less pulp" (?!) strainer.  See photo 2.

Got an Omega VRT 350HD juicer?  If you do, please tell me what you do with this second strainer (solid yellow).  Folks at Omega have told me not to bother with it.  If that is the case, why does it come with the Omega VRT 350HD?

This is photo 2 of the solid yellow strainer.  In the Omega VRT350 Instruction Manual it is simply noted as "Strainer (solid yellow) -more pulp" as opposed to the "clear yellow" strainer which is "-less pulp" --  Is that clear?  As I have stated in previous posts, I get too much pulp for my taste using the "less pulp" strainer.  I certainly do not want more pulp.     

 Southwest Desert Blogger                

 C. (c)2012    P.S.  Support this blog and get healthy products using discount

code WAL660 for $5 off first 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 soap, shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, soaps such as Dr. Bronner's, raw cacao, organic chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Orders of $20 or more ship free in US.  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. 

  All you cowboys, cowgirls, city slickers, surfers, skiers, board-riders, bus riders, hikers, bikers, and coffee house posers -- I AM waiting fer yer answers.
 As ever, 
your Southwest Desert Blogger  
C. (c)2012

Omega Vertical Juicer VRT 350 HD -- Post #9!

I have reviewed the Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer in 8 previous posts starting September 25, 2011.  The problems persist even though I have cut celery as small as one inch lengths -- then the carrot may jam the juicer and cause it to stop.  I suspect these stops and starts add to the pulp in the juice.  Even without the stops and restarts, the juice is still pulpy -- too pulpy for my taste.  And the pulp consists of strings, tiny chunks, and some very thin skin-like stuff.

One or the strings and other material found in the Omega VRT 350HD juice!

Can you see the fiber mass stuck in the exit port?  This is very hard to pull out -- I tried.  The cleaning tool that comes with the juicer does not fit or assist in this area.  Also notice the cylinder at the bottom of the photo is the juice exit port.  The red line in the middle is a piece of hard plastic hanging half-way down the exit port.  This is impossible to clean with the cleaning tool provided or any other dish cleaning tool I have and thus is not hygienic.  There is a very narrow area on all sides of the rectangle.  I cannot imagine the purpose of this hard plastic rectangle in the juice exit port. Earlier versions of the Omega VRT may not have it.

Another view of the fibrous mass.  See the fibers hanging down the exit port and up the inside of the juice bowl.  The bright orange is carrot pulp.

There was also a wad of wet fiber strings in the bottom center of the juice bowl.

The strings and fibers lodge in the exit port even when I juice only one stick of celery, cut into 2 or three inch lengths. I suspect the wheatgrass may be doing the same.  Anything fibrous seems to cause issues.

The fiber I tugged out of the exit port.

That same fiber pulled apart a bit.  Some of these strings end up in my juice!

This strainer is 3 inches in diameter and 1.25 inches deep.  It is sitting on the lid of a wide mouth pint mason jar.  The strainer is filled with pulp strained out of one pint (16 ounces, about 1/2 liter) of vegetable juice (carrot, beet, greens and a bit of apple) from my Omega VRT 350 HD juicer.

The Omega VRT350 is not the juicer to use for efficiency juicing carrots and root vegetables.  Overall it does not produce more yield for me, despite it's reputation of producing a dry pulp.  You have to remember that the juice has so much pulp, that when you strain it, you may get another ounce or two of pulp per pint of juice.  And this juicer produces quite a head of foam, especially when juicing greens.

The company has offered to send me yet another replacement juicer; however, this requires over two weeks of transit time from the time I ship the juicer to them until I receive the replacement.  I have also received several replacement parts to try to remedy issues.  Honestly, one should not have to get replacement parts for a new product!  The parts are mostly plastic and in my opinion poorly molded.  Some of the edges are sloppy, irregular, and thus difficult to clean.  If this were a cheap juicer, i.e., under $100, I would understand the sloppy molding, etc.  But, this is a machine that sells for nearly $400! (USD).  Is it possible that I have gotten 2 defective juicers from Omega?  How many VRT350HD juicers do I have to try to get one that is perfect? How many times do I have to sit on hold while trying to contact Omega?  There is no way I can get that time back.  Is this just as good as it gets with the VRT350 HD?

Before you purchase and Omega vertical juicer, I suggest you read my other 8 posts reviewing the 350HD.  Do I regret this purchase?  Yes.  This is the desert and money doesn't grow on trees.
Your Southwest Desert Blogger,
C. (c)2012
Thanks for reading Southwest Desert Blogger. If you want to learn more about the 10 day juice fast or the 7 day raw food challenge I did (previous posts), 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
  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, 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, raw cacao, organic chia seed, white chia, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, seaweed noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free (US) 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.   www.iherb.com -- check it out.

Russians Reading Southwest Desert Blogger?

Who do so many Russians read Southwest Desert Blogger?  Is there a Russian fascination with the Southwest Desert or something else? 

As of the 2002 Russian Census over 142 million respondents claimed to be Russian citizens.  Dual citizenship was claimed by about 44,000 respondents.  Over a million respondents claimed to be foreign citizens and 400,000 claimed to be "stateless" persons.

Of a recorded resident population of over 145 million, there are nearly 10 million more women than men.  Seventy-three percent of the population is urban.  So, who is on the internet and why?

There are nearly 7 million English speakers in Russia.  They may also read and write English, but the level of competence is unknown.  Children are presumed to speak a language if their parents speak it, so that 7 million likely includes some kids.  Incidentally, 98.3 percent of Russian citizens claim to be competent in Russian.

The most recent Census in the United States of America was the 2010 Census.  The 2010 Census was our twenty-third US Census.  As mandated in our Constitution, we conduct a Census every 10 years.  The first US Census was in 1790.

As of National Census Day, April 1, 2010 (no joke), the population of the US was counted as 308,745,538.  The most populous state is California.  The city with the greatest population is New York City.

So why all the Southwest Desert Blogger readers from Russia?  Let me know.  Is it your interest in my Omega vertical VRT 350 juicer foibles? (see previous blogs) Is it a fascination with the wild west?  Is this blog featured on some site you frequent?  Where did you discover Southwest Desert Blogger?
(http://yandex.ru/yandsearch?text=southwestdesertblogger.blogspot.com , or domar.ru ) Are you messing with the system?  Trying to figure out whether my cookies are edible or not?  Trying to figure out whether driving out here is a hard drive?  Do we have to have a medical degree to have an operating system?  Are we wired or wireless?  Do I have a mouse or a rat's nest?  Do we speak Russian?  Da?  Niet?  You've got to figure we habla (hablamos) some Espanol because we are in the Southwest Desert.

Looking for answers without any clues,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011