Got Search Terms?

Here is a partial list of the search terms that got you to my site during the past week:

omega vrt bowl is stuck

omega vrt350 banana

omega vrt350 problems

too pulpy omega 350

omega vrt350hd parts

omega vrt350 which strainer should i use to juice carrots To the person with the stuck bowl, I had that problem, too.  It was so hard to twist the bowl off the base unit.  It was one of the frustrating, daily issues with the Omega VRT350HD. To the person with "problems", just scroll back in time on this blog and see all the posts detailing my Omega VRT350HD problems.  This started back in September of 2011. See September posts and 1/14/12, etc. To the person with "too pulpy Omega 350", I have photos of the pulp I strained out of the juice, photos of the pulp and strings clinging to the jar, photos of the strings I pulled out of the juice and measured ... you get the idea.  For a while I posted the Omega Vrt350HD String of the Day! Was my Omega VRT350HD juice too pulpy?  You bet!  I had to brush and floss after drinking that juice.  Not pleasant juice in my opinion.  See 11/1/11 post, etc. To the "Omega VRT350HD parts" person, I tried replacement parts.  The problems persisted.  Good luck amigo.  See post 10/29/11, et al. To the "Omega VRT350HD banana" person, don't bother juicing bananas.  Just make smoothies.  See my smoothie recipe posts.  Just scroll down to the end of this blog and see the Southwest Desert slide show and click "bananas" or "smoothie" on the list of Labels.  It will take you to the posts.

To the "Omega VRT350HD which strainer should i use to juice carrots" person, see my strainer post, 2/2/2012.  Don't strain yourself.  It has a photo of the "more pulp" strainer.  Want more pulp?  Just scoop it out of the pulp ejection port and stir it into your juice.  Seems to me we want less pulp.  So, I finally returned my Omega VRT350HD, and it wasn't easy, and bought a Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer for under $100.  See 6/8/12 post.  The juice is pulp-free, the replacement parts, should I need any, cost under $10 each (including shipping!), and none of the parts stick to each other.  Bonus:  The Jack LaLanne juicer, screen, and other parts are so much easier to clean than the pricey OmegaVRT350HD. That's my opinion, Southwest Desert Blogger C. (c) 2012

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.

Got Comments?

This week Southwest Desert Blogger had readers from USA, Russia, Spain, Germany, and Latvia.  This month the blog had visitors from Canada, Australia, Brazil and the Netherlands in addition to the previously mentioned visitors this week.  A couple of days ago this blog's first reader comment, from JB, was received in response to the Dec. 3, 2011 post about the Omega Vert/ VRT350 HD juicer.  Thanks JB and congrat's on being the first comment ever received.  You can read JB's comment at the end of the Dec. 3 post.  JB, may you continue to provide feedback and be an inspiration to others.

I also want to send a sincere Southwest Desert "Howdy" to the reader who found this blog using search terms "Omega sucks" -- nice economy of words.  Couldn't have said it more succinctly myself.  Thanks for bringing a smile to the Southwest Desert. 

I will respond to the reader who searched using the question about whether one can juice apple and orange seeds with the Omega VRT350HD.  I am not sure of the official Omega line regarding apple and orange seeds, but I have juiced them with no problem.  I have seen lemon seeds, albeit a bit crushed sometimes, in the exit port pulp.  I usually remove apple and citrus seeds if they are visible.  Naturally, some escape my notice.  Other times I just do not care if some apple seeds get through as they are smaller than citrus seeds.  There is debate in the health community as to whether it is best to remove seeds.  Some may contain toxins.  Do your research and decide for yourself.  The amount of seeded fruit you juice might also figure into your decision.  I imagine the commercial juice producers do not de-seed their produce before juicing, but that is mere speculation, not to be construed as fact.

There was also a search for Omega 350 "too much foam".  I agree.  Your beer should have a head on it, not your juice.  

One last thing -- I didn't know that Seamonkey is a browser -- available in 24 languages.  How do you like Seamonkey?   I thought Sea Monkeys were little creatures that grew in water . . . What do you expect from a Southwest Desert dweller?

Awaiting your comments,
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.

More Omega VRT 350 HD Complaints

I made a vegetable juice today that was so pulpy I had to drink it through a straw.  I do not like the pulpy juice the Omega VRT 350HD juicer produces.  After sucking down the juice, I realized something was in my throat.  I pulled out a vegetable string that was over 2 inches long.  This never happened with my old juicer.  The amount of strings in my Omega VRT 350 HD juice is unacceptable and becoming a potential health hazard.  The strings also get jammed into the pulp exit port and are very hard to clean.  I have to try to dislodge a wad of strings and pulp from a very narrow space.  Nearly every other day the juice overflows onto the motor housing.  I suspect it is leaking into the motor housing because I can fit the corner of a paper towel into the places the rubber-like area meets the hard plastic.

Maybe I will add more to this post later.  There are more problems with the way the plastic parts are machined.  It is sloppy.  Enough pulp for now.

Get info on a 10 Day Juice Fast (feast) and a 7 Day Raw Food Challenge and a FREE eBook with juice and smoothie recipes at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344  Scroll down to check around the site. It is full of informative "blog" videos, recipes, etc.   I have done both the Juice Fast and Raw Food Challenge and recommend both.  The 7 Day Raw Food Challenge was my favorite.  See Southwest Desert Blogger posts from mid July 2011 and September 2011 for my notes on the Raw Food Challenge and the Juice Fast.

Another juicy blog by
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 .

Got Javalina?

"What in the heck is a Javalina?" you may be thinking.  It is a critter that looks like a feral pig or wild boar with coarse black, gray, and brown hair and a faint white collar in the winter coat, a pink snout, and hooves.  Take a look at this photo on the right.  I had wanted to get photos of Javalina for you, but they are predominately nocturnal creatures.  However, they do sometimes come out during the day, especially if the weather is cool.
Today the temperatures dropped into the mid 40s (Fahrenheit) and it rained this morning.  It is mighty cool -- the desert dwellers might even say it is downright cold.  When the sun came out after the rain, I looked out the window, and there were the Javalina.
They like to eat plants.  Prickly pear is said to be one of their favorites. This herd of Javalina was feeding on the yellow fruit of a barrel cactus.  See the next photos.

There are 5 Javalina in this photo, including the baby. Can you spot them all?

See that pink snout! 

The Javalina blend in with the background environment perfectly.  

                                           

An adult Javalina can weigh up to 60 pounds and stands 19 inches tall.  They can be aggressive and have been known to bite humans.  They will defend their territory, especially if they are eating or have young Javalina with them.

Years ago I saw a herd of Javalina eating some fancy flowers at night.  Their eyes glowed red in the headlights of my vehicle.  They would not leave those tender, store bought, hand watered flowers until they had their fill.

I have also seen Javalina eat bird seed blocks and knock over trash cans to feast on vegetable pulp from the juicer!  The only time they bothered to knock over my can to get the pulp was when I juiced some garlic in my vegetable juice.  They ate all the pulp, then left, but they would not leave until they had finished every morsel of pulp.  I could not get into my gate until they left.  The largest one defended the area in front of the gate while the others finished eating.  There were young ones, so I dared not cross until they left.

Javalina have a strong, musty smell.  Sometimes you can smell them after they have been in an area.  It is said they identify members of their herd by smell.  Their eyesight is poor.  Loud noise will startle them.  Here are two more photos:

This was the first of the herd to spot the yellow cactus fruit.

 I've got to get out and get some chores done now while there is still some sun.  The weather folks say it could get near freezing tonight. You Southwest Desert Blogger blog readers up in Russia and Latvia stayin' warm?

I AM stayin' warm as I can,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c) 2011