Review of the Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer

Today it is 100 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the shade and bound to get hotter as the afternoon progresses.  Enough small talk.  The news is,  I got a new juicer!   If you have been following my blog you remember I got an Omega VRT350HD juicer.  It had several problems.  I got replacement parts.  The problems persisted.  The company sent me a second juicer.  The problems persisted and got worse. It was problematic to get a refund, but I persisted and finally got my money back and returned the juicer.

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?

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
C. (c)2012                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.

VRT 350 HD String of the Day in the Desert

The Southwest Desert nights have been chilly.  The mercury is down into the 30s (F.).  The days warm up into the 60s or 70s.  The weather is good for working outdoors, hiking, snowbird sports like golf and tennis, or just sitting in the sun.

I will give you the Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer "string of the day" report:  today the inch of ginger root I added produced a really tough string in my carrot, baby spinach, cucumber, and apple juice.  It was nearly as long as the strings I photographed from yesterday's juice.  See first photo:  spinach strings.
1/20/12

Strings from baby spinach in yesterday's juice!  A few pieces of pulp got into the lower portion of the photo.

Lower strings (green) are the dried strings from yesterday's juice, 1/20/12, as in the first photo. Upper string in this photo is the ginger from today's juice, 1/21/12.  The measure is in inches.

  

I apologize for the poor quality of the photos, but it gives you the idea of what my juicer produces when juicing what I think of as string-free produce, and/or produce cut in small pieces.  The problem is exacerbated when I juice celery or other stringy vegetables.  I assume there are strings that I unknowingly swallow, thus never photograph.  I only pull out the strings that are bothersome in my throat or mouth.  I never experienced a juicer that produces a juice with strings like this.  Have you?

The price of celery has gone up over the past few weeks, so I switched to cucumbers as an addition to my daily mixed vegetable juice.  I have been getting good quality non-organic cucumbers and peeling them prior to use.  I try to avoid cucumbers with oil on their skins.  What is that about?  --keep their skin moist?  --keep them from drying out?  --add weight to the produce?  And what exactly is that oil-like material on the cucumbers?  And what about the wax on the apples?

I have found a thin, wax-like material on organic apple skins.  Sometimes you can scrape it off with a knife, but it does not wash off with reasonable effort, so if I have time, I will return the wax coated apples to the store.  I expect organic to be free of artificial coatings like wax. Apparently this is not always the case.  Is the wax "organic"?

Next week we will have a waxing moon.  Let us not have waxed apples.

Tip: try soaking a spoonful or two of shelled pumpkin seeds for 2-4 hours.  It makes them tender, wetter, and a good snack. 

Be well,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012  P.S.  Support this blog by using discount code WAL660 for $5 off your 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, 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.  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 -- check it out.  Thanks.

Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer - Replacement Juicer Update

As you remember, I am using the replacement Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer the company sent me.  I just juiced and feel the need to brush and floss because there is so much pulp in my mouth after drinking a pint of juice.  I want to show you how the juicer is juicing by way of the pulp produced via the pulp ejection port, i.e., the waste product of juicing. See photo.

Notice the whole skin of a wedge of apple on the right.  There are also 2 other pieces of undigested apple skin.  The largest in the photo is the full size of the piece of apple put into the juicer: 3 inches long x 1 inch at the widest part.  The white seeds are un-masticated cucumber seeds in the very wet cucumber pulp!  Of course, the orange material is carrot pulp.  Again today the Omega VRT350HD jammed because of a carrot that was a mere 1 inch in diameter.  I tried calling the customer service phone line, but they are too busy at this time.  They are experiencing "high call volume."  This has happened before.  I held for over 2 minutes and seem to have been disconnected.
I just wanted to give them an opportunity to explain why their juicer is not masticating produce fully and produces a wet cucumber pulp.  Actually, the carrots did not produce a particularly dry pulp either.
I am now on hold with Omega again.
Wait!  They answered the phone and told me all my problems are just normal for this juicer.  It gets less yield than a centrifugal juicer for carrots and other fruits and vegetables and only excels when juicing greens.  This is not what I was told prior to purchasing the Omega vert.  Yes, it will jam from a one inch diameter carrot, it may not masticate apple peel, difficult to remove the bowl from the base, etc. -- all normal!  They know all the issues and accept it.  If you get one, just be sure you can return it if it is not for you.

Going to brush and floss the Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer juice "pulp" out of my mouth,
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.

If you want to learn more about the 10 day juice fast (also see my September 2011 posts), the 7 day raw food challenge (see my July 2011 posts), or just want a free eBook with vegan juice and smoothie recipes and informative blog /videos link to:http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344
Be happy!

Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer Update #4 - The Replacement Arrived

The replacement Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer finally arrived.  It has been over 2 weeks since I shipped the original juicer back to the company.  The replacement unit is better than the one I returned; however, it has a couple of features that trouble me.

First, the bowl that attaches to the base of the juicer is very difficult to remove for cleaning.  It is a major effort to rotate it and thus unhinge it from the base.  This is physically difficult to do as the base is smooth and has no grips.  The bowl fits too tightly.  The amount of effort needed to disassemble is unacceptable.

Second, the pulp produced after extracting the juice is, on average, one ounce heavier per 16 ounces of juice produced than my old juicer.  The old juicer, as you recall from previous posts, is 16 years old.  One of the reasons I purchased a new juicer with supposedly "dry" pulp was to get greater efficiency in juicing, i.e., extract more juice from the produce.  I am concerned about the consistently higher weight of the waste pulp as compared to my old juicer.  On average, the weight of the Omega VRT350HD pulp is over 6% more than that of my old juicer, and that does not include any pulp in the actual juice produced by the Omega.  My old juicer produced a juice that was virtually pulp-free.
Six percent may not seem like a lot, but over time, it adds up.  I had hoped the new juicer would be more efficient, not less efficient.  If you try this sort of comparison at home, be sure to include the pulp that remains around the auger and in the pulp ejection port, a very narrow rectangular space 2 inches x 1.25 inches x 1/2 inch.  The pulp tends to get stuck in this narrow space and is a challenge to clean.  The cleaning tool included with the juicer is like a toothbrush with a narrower part on the handle end.  However, the bristle head is too wide to fit into the pulp ejection port so it can only be rinsed with water, not brushed out.  The narrow handle end is not the right size for effective cleaning.  I may have to use a chop stick.

Additionally, there are several parts that are difficult or impossible to clean due to their trapping bits of pulp or becoming stained with juice pigment after each juicing.  The main exit port for the juice, the juice spout, is like a cylindrical pipe.  Normally, one could clean a cylinder large enough for a finger, sponge, or wash cloth.  But, this cylinder has a hard plastic wall dividing the cylinder like a radius dropping down from the top of the cylinder.  This little radius-like wall within the cylinder makes thorough cleaning difficult and cleaning the little "wall" is almost impossible as it is acts as a pigment and particle magnet over time and the diameter of the pipe is not large enough to use the cleaning tool bristles.  It is impossible to easily and effectively clean the narrow space around this small, yet hard to access "wall" using any tool or technique I have tried.  Bad design.  [See post dated 2/8/12]

If the function of the bad design wall is to break down the foam the juicer produces, it is not working in my opinion.  If the bad design wall has any other function, I cannot figure out what it is.  Bottom line:  it is impossible to quickly or effectively clean the juice exit port because of this bad design wall, thus there will be additional particle and pigment build up.  Is this healthy?

Is the Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer worth the money?  This is a highly subjective question.  Personally, I expect better design and function for the price.  After all, it is just plastic parts with a motor.  Also, there are other parts that are difficult to efficiently clean due to particles getting caught in poorly engineered fittings such as the auto cleaning brush fitting.  The auto cleaning "brushes" are just rubber-like windshield wipers that wipe the pulp strainer baskets.  Good idea, but the wiper material stains after the first use juicing pigmented vegetables such as carrot, and will stain after each such use. Juice material including pulp gets lodged in the crevices where the "brushes" are attached to the plastic.  This organic juice matter builds up over time and the cleaning tool does not dislodge it effectively.  There are no instructions for use of a special cleaning product except "Do not use metal sponge . . ." and "Do not use dishwasher to clean."  I use a biodegradable liquid soap.  It does not remove all the pigment stains but does lessen the pigment deposits on the juice bowl.  Note I said reduce, not totally remove the pigment stains.  Thus, they will build up over time and form a patina.  There are too many little places that produce material gets lodged and stuck, and no tool can clean.

The replacement Omega VRT350HD juicer produces less pulp in the juice than the Omega VRT350HD I returned.  It produces a juice that is like the most pulpy orange juice, but with some, how to describe it, chunkier style pulp -- little chunks of carrot, etc.  Today I got a string of celery in my juice that was nearly an inch long.  This was not pleasing.  And as I have described in previous posts, the strings of celery or wheatgrass tend to get packed into the pulp ejection port area and can be time consuming to dislodge.  Note that I cut my celery into lengths half as long as Omega recommended to me (although their suggestions have varied from person to person), put all produce into the juicer slowly, and almost never use the pusher.  I have been using the smallest carrots I can find.  Although they are not baby carrots, the largest carrot diameter, at its widest, is 1/2 inch.  Nevertheless, the Omega 350HD jammed and had to be put into reverse to clear the jam.  Come on Omega, a one-half inch diameter carrot!  What's the problem with your product?

Am I totally satisfied with the Omega VRT350HD juicer?  In a word, no.

Added Dec. 17, 2011:  photos of sample of strings, etc. from today's baby spinach and carrot juice.  I have had strings as long as 2 inches in the Omega VRT350HD juice since the original post!  Not pleasant to fish a 2 inch string out of one's throat! 

This gives you the size of the strings in inches.  The photo on the left has added material from the juice.  This is just a small sample and does not include the chunks of "pulp" which are ever present in Omega VRT350HD juice.  There are several other reviews of this juicer in my blog.

Thinking of a way to grow and juice enough wheatgrass to make the Omega VRT350HD worth it,  but juicing the wheatgrass just produces too much foam!
I AM
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011   P.S. Support this blog by 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 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.  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.
 Also: a free eBook with vegan juice and smoothie recipes and informative blog /videos (recommended by Southwest Desert Blogger) at this link:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer Update #2

My father had a saying: "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all."  If I were to adhere to his advice, this would be a mighty short post.

As you may have read in previous posts, I am displeased with my new Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer.  I have seen dozens of videos of happy people using their VRTs on youTube.  Rarely does one jam or overflow.  Rarely does anyone mention the pulp content.  I have even seen folks juice several whole stalks of celery, whole bunches of kale, bunches of chard, parsley, medium size carrots, and wheatgrass.  I, on the other hand, have been cutting my celery into bite size pieces, slimming my carrots so as not to jam the machine, and cut my leafy greens into 2 inch lengths.  If the juicer jams, and I put it into reverse to clear the jam, huge amounts of pulp come out of the juice port.  I finally tried placing a metal strainer over the juice collection container and the strainer clogged because the "juice" was so thick!  I finally resorted to taking the smallest strainer I had, about 2 inches diameter, and repeatedly skimmed the juice for pulp.  Then I mashed the pulp in the strainer to extract all the juice I could, and although this system is far from perfect, I extracted a few ounces of pulp this way, and the juice was still pulpy.  There were strings of celery, up to 2.5 inches in length in the juice!  Unacceptable.

I finally phoned Omega and told them I needed a replacement juicer.  Cleaning the overflow juice off the motor cover, straining huge quantities of pulp, and drinking celery strings was not making me happy.  They agreed and sent UPS to pick up the juicer.  Luckily, I still had the shipping box.  I packed the juicer, instruction manual, and all, and it is on it's way to Omega.

I juice daily.  I weighed the pulp extracted from the Omega on my last day of juicing.  I generally juice 2 pints of mixed vegetable juice daily.  The pulp weighed, conservatively, 12 ounces.  Now, while my Omega is on it's way to headquarters, I am again using my trusty, 16 year old Juiceman Jr.  It is louder, but it does a good job.  I have figured out how to juice greens with it.  It juices much more quickly than the Omega.  I had hoped to get higher yield from the Omega.  The Omega boasts its pulp is dry.

I weighed the pulp from 2 pints of my old juicer's juice.  There was considerably less waste than the Omega; plus, 16 year old juicer porduces a smooth, pulp-free juice with no leaks, no drips, no jams, and no strings in the juice.  The old juicer has less parts to clean.  Clean up does not take any longer than the Omega VRT.  Assuming the Omega replacement juicer works well, with a tolerable amount of pulp in the juice, the only 2 reasons I can come up with to keep the Omega are: 1.  it is quieter, and 2.  supposedly the juice has more nutritional value because it is a slow juicer, thus less oxidation takes place.

Again, this is a pricey juicer and the fact that it performs worse, so far, than a 16 year old centrifugal juicer is disappointing.  I told Omega I want to be happy with this juicer.  Lots of folks are happy with it.  We are assuming my first Omega had a factory defect or two.  But honestly, I am enjoying the pulp free juice from my old juicer so much that I am not sure I want to spend big bucks for anything less than perfection from Omega.  Stay tuned for the arrival of the replacement Omega Vert.

Thanks for reading this post.   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.

You can also download a FREE Juice and Smoothie Recipe eBook, and view hundreds of short videos and other info' on a variety of raw food and health topics on this site:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

May all your juice be sweet,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011
P.S.  Howdy to the blog readers from Russia.  Do you juice?

Omega VRT350HD Vertical Juicer Update

After my last post I phoned the Omega company.  They were helpful.  I continued using the juicer and noticed huge amounts of pulp such that I have to brush and floss after drinking the vegetable juice.  The amount of pulp seemed to be increasing!  Also, carrots of a mere one inch diameter jam and stop the juicer.  I then put the juicer into reverse mode, and juicing can generally continue.

Finally I noticed that the little rubber-like flap that covers the pulp ejection spout becomes dislodged during juicing.  A huge amount of pulp and stringy material from celery and other vegetables ends up in the juice and clogs the pulp ejection port.  The pulp is really jammed into this area and difficult to clean because the area is very small -- to small to stick an adult finger into.  One has to try to pry out the impacted pulp with the special cleaning tool.  The tool is like a toothbrush with a narrower point at the end of the handle.  The pulp ejection port is a mere 1/2 inch high and 1.25 inches wide.  The tool is awkward to work with due to its dimensions.  I have to work the pulp out of this narrow chute by working from both ends.  It is difficult to clean and the tool's brush end will not fit into this area!  So Omega, what's the deal with the cleaning brush?

Omega said my overabundance of pulp is probably due to a defective flap.  They offered to send a replacement flap.  However, the flap is attached with a small phillips screw, and I may not have that size screwdriver.  Furthermore, I do not want to start disassembling a new juicer!  So, Omega will send the plastic part the flap is attached to -- ready to use.

I am packing the Omega in a box and using my old centrifugal juicer until the part arrives.

Sad and disappointed in this pricey juicer,
Southwest Desert Blogger
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.

You can also download a FREE Juice and Smoothie Recipe eBook, and view hundreds of short videos on a variety of raw food and health topics on the site:http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

C. (c)2011

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
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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
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C. (c)2011