One of my favorite smoothie recipes is blending bananas with some berries and water. The bananas make up the bulk of the calories and the berries help to add extra flavor and sweetness.

It’s so easy to make. The “recipe” you should follow comes down to how thick vs how thin you like your smoothies. I’d say I like mine “medium” – in other words, a thick drink. Not so thick I need a spoon, nor too liquidy that it’s like water!

A fruity breakfast is super fun. I start off with 500-700 ml of water. Add my frozed blueberries (fresh if I can get them) and blend them on high power for about 15 seconds. Then I add in about 10 small to medium sized bananas. Blend it all up together at a lower speed (level 5 on my Vitamix) for around 30 seconds. This makes a great tasting, energy packed breakfast.

Because these fruits are all soft, you don’t even need a high powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec. Then again, a blender with a bigger jug definitely helps – if you want to make a meal of it!

Even if you’ve narrowed your options down this far, when it comes to choosing between these two models, it can still be really difficult to decide which one to buy. In my case, I picked up my Omega J8006 before the vertical style of juicer was available. Then when the vertical model was released, I bought that one too. These are both top quality juicers but they do offer different features. In addition, the horizontal model is about $100 cheaper. This in itself may well be an important factor for you.

Just to be clear with, I own both of these juicers. For me, it’s worth having both a vertical and horizontal style masticating juicer simply because of the different ways I can use them.

What We can Make with a Vertical Masticating Juicer

These are the less versatile of the two. They’re great for making juices and they can juice anything from wheatgrass to watermelons. Another neat use is making nut milks. That’s about it. Or at least, that’s the only things I make with my Omega VRT350HD.

The main benefit of this type of juicer is that, even though it rotates at the same slow 80 RPM as the horizontal juicer, you can juice more in a shorter space of time. If you’re wondering how this is possible, it’s simply that the auger is larger and the feed chute is wider.

What We can Make with a Horizontal Masticating Juicer

Horizontal masticating juicers can make all kinds of different drinks and foods. The Omega J8006 is the most versatile juicer I own. It does all kinds of things, you can homogenize your food (crush it up), e.g. baby food, salsa, etc.; make frozen desserts; make homemade pasta; grind up coffee beans; make nut butters; and of course make juices.

This juicer is costs round about $100 less than it’s vertical brother. On top of that, you can do more with it. The drawback is that it simply takes longer to use.

How to Choose

When it comes to juicing, I perfer to use my horizontal masticating juicer if I’m making a green juice. When no greens are involved, I go with the vertical unit.

What I see as the most important factors in picking one of these juicers is the choice between speed and versatility. Cost may play its part too. In all honesty, I’m very happy owning both of these juicers and I cannot imagine anyone not being satisfied with either model.

The only scenario where I can picture myself buying such an expensive juicer is if I married rich. It would be easy if I was spending someone else’s money. But, if I had no juicers and had $1,000 to spend (knowing what I know now) I still don’t think I would pick the Super Angel Juicer. Instead, I’d pick an Omega VRT350HD and a Vitamix blender, and I’d still have $100 in my pocket!

It’s when I put the Super Angel in this context that it seems so hard to justify the expenditure. Is it better than cheaper juicers? From the research that I’ve done, most people who own the Super Angel are very happy with it. I’m sure if I had one, I would be too. I’m certainly not suggesting that I have a problem with its quality. I don’t know exactly how good it is because no one I know has one. I guess my friends and I are just too frugal to take the plunge. I love writing juicer reviews of machines that I’ve had the chance to use myself but I doubt that will happen anytime soon with this particular model.

The good news is that there’s quite a few videos on Youtube for us to look at. It’s an attractive stainless steel juicer and it looks very easy to set up and use. As with many things in life, it is a question of money.

Vitamix Blender Review

I’m so happy that Cheryl gave me the chance to write this article. Since I got my Vitamix, I’ve been telling anyone who’ll listen how great it is. Now, I have to be honest and say that I can’t compare this blender to the Blendtec. I went for the Vitamix mainly because it’s endorsed by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and comes with an amazing recipe book.

So far I’ve mostly been making smoothies and soups. I have a citrus juicer because we like to have orange juice at the weekend but in all honesty, juicing isn’t a daily occurance in our house. That’s all changing though. Since I got the Vitamix, we’re definitely a healthier family! The kids love having the chance to make their own smoothies too. Breakfast time in our house is a noisy affair! It really is as simple as throwing in some fruits, a drop of water and some ice. Then all we do is blend on high speed for about 40 seconds and we’re done. A tasty, healthy smoothie for the whole family. Fortunately there’s lots of organic producers in our area so I’m able to choose the safest option. Local, organic produce that’s in season is hard to beat.

Cheryl might argue that this isn’t technically juice [Ed. she's right], but I don’t care. It’s healthy. The difference for me between Vitamix smoothies and juice is that the smoothies fill us up. I’d never send my kids to school on just a glass of juice but our smoothies are much more of a meal.

Best Price Vitamix Blender

The model I have is the Vitamix 1363 CIA Professional series blender. My understanding is that this is the same blender as the Vitamix 5200 sold on the Vitamix website. I got mine through Amazon. I’ve got a special “Culinary Institue of America” mark on the front of my blender. The former is the one that includes the Culinary Institute of America extras. Although for the bonus materials, it will cost you a little bit more. If you just want to get blending then you can save a bit of money by going direct to the Vitamix website. The reason that I didn’t do that is because, after weighing up my options, I thought that the Create recipe book was worth that little bit extra (sold separately it costs $59.00 on Amazon). It just meant that I could start following the recipes and I knew anything I made would taste great!

It’s fun looking through the book as a family and discussing (sometimes nearly arguing) about what we’re going to make. There’s never a lack of options.

I can’t say enough good things about my Vitamix. We use it every day. The novelty factor hasn’t worn off yet but even when it does, it’s such a convenient appliance to use. It saves us time AND it helps us to pick healthy options. As an investment in our family’s health, it’s the best thing we’ve bought this year!

I’d like to thank Karen for sharing her review with us. After seeing some of what the Vitamix can do, I know it won’t be long until I get one for myself.

For more information and to compare prices go to:

• http://www.vitamix.com
• http://www.amazon.com

Take a look at this video to see how easy it is to make a juice smoothie in a Vitamix blender. You can also get some ideas from Cheryl’s blender recipes page.

Omega VRT350HD Review

You can tell by the two spouts on this juicer that it is not a typical centrifugal unit. In actual fact, the larger spout is where the juice comes out and the pulp is ejected from the smaller one. Due to having a larger auger than the horizontal style units, it juices at a faster speed. However a longer cleaning time results in the overall speed of actually making a juice being about the same.

This is what the manufacturer has to say about this machine:

The Omega Vert VRT350 Juicer is a revolutionary product that features the high efficiency of a masticating style juicer in a vertical design. The Vert is designed to be compact, contemporary and productive. Most juicers process at a speed of 1,650 to 16,000 RPM, destroying many healthy enzymes and causing juice to degrade shortly after being extracted. The Vert VRT350 Low Speed Juicing System processes at 80 RPM, preventing oxidation and allowing juice to be stored for up to 72 hours without degradation. With the Vert form and function combine to give you the highest degree of extraction and the healthiest possible juice. The Vert VRT350 also features an innovative auto cleaning system that keeps the screen clear during juicing and increases its efficiency. The contemporary design is complemented by a virtually indestructible ULTEM juicing screen that will withstand heavy duty juicing. Ideal for fast pace commercial environments, this juicer combines a contemporary styling with the technology to cater to health conscious clientele.

Taken from the Omega website VRT350HD product specification page: (http://www.omegajuicers.com/juicers/vert350-juicer.html)

Omega VRT350HD Features

• Innovative design squeezes out juice rather than grinding
• Preserves nutrients and natural taste and color of juice
• Exclusive blade cleaning system keeps the screen clean during use
• Efficient design ensures maximum juice extraction producing a very dry pulp
• Straight forward assembly and disassembly
• Auger is extremely hard and durable (made from GE Ultem)
• 80 RPM for maximum efficiency
• Fine and coarse juicing screens to make juices the way you like
• Capable of extracting a high juice yield from wheatgrass
• 80 RPM Operation for Optimal Efficiency
• 10 year warranty

Check out the actual Omega VRT350HD brochure (http://www.omegajuicers.com/skin/frontend/default/omega/images/spec_sheets/juicer_vrt350.pdf)

There are some more juicer reviews on this website. All of the machines featured here are top quality products. Which one makes the best juicer for you will depend upon the sorts of fruits and vegetables that you want to juice. While the Omega VRT350HD can juice wheat grass, the J8006 is more effective. If you want to really get into drinking green juices then the J8006 might be the best option. On the other hand, the VRT350HD, while rotating at the same speed, is much faster at actually making drinks simply due to the larger auger. In other words, this unit can simply process more produce in a given time frame.

My advice when it comes to purchasing one of these products is to think about how you want to use it. The types of juice recipes that we want to make is really the most important factor (along with whether we can actually afford a specific device).

As you may have read on the front page of my site, this is my favorite juicer. What I love about this particular model is that it makes a really high quality juice, similar to other masticating juicers, but it does so very quickly. I like a pulpy juice and if you pick this machine, you’ll find that it does actually let a reasonable amount of pulp through into the juice. It’s also really cool how it’s a self feeding juicer. Very rarely do I actually have to use the plunger that came with it.

Tribest, the company who makes the Green Star juicers, claim that the juice produced in their juicers is the healthiest possible. This is not without justification. On their website they write:

At the core of each rotating gear is a series of in-line magnets that produce a focused magnetic field of 2600 gauss through which the juice flows during the juicing process. As it flows through the focused field, large clusters of water molecules in the juice are broken up into smaller clusters of water molecules. The smaller clusters are able to latch onto more minerals such as calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium than the larger clusters — meaning you get more nutrition from each drop of juice in a suspended coloidal form that the body can use for a longer length of time.

As you can see, the gears are interlocking. So when grasses and stalks are fed into the machine, they get caught between the gears and pulled into the juicer. When you feed in harder vegetables, such as carrots, you have to apply pressure to force then between the gears. This video shows more of the features of this juicer.

If you are hoping to find a cheap Green Star GS-1000 then you may be out of luck. This is a serious juicer that carries a serious price tag. Not only that, it does take longer than many other types of juicer to clean up. A rival to this unit that has many of the same features is the Omega range of horizontal masticating juicers. Even the top of the range Omega only costs about 2/3 of the price of this one.

It has to be said that for anyone following a raw food diet, then if it is affordable, the Green Star GS-1000 does make a great choice. Rather than get too carried away though, I suggest that you check out lots of different juicer reviews so that you know more about how the various styles work. Reading reviews, looking at pictures, watching Youtube videos and actually going to stores so you can see the devices for yourself are all worth while.

Features of the Breville 800JEXL

• Patented extra wide feed chute (3″ diameter)
• Large pulp container with integrated handle
• Two-speed electronic control (6,500 RPM or 13,000 RPM)
• Safetly locking arm; Juicer cover; Stainless steel micro mesh filter basket; 1 liter juice jug (all dishwasher safe)
• Food pusher; Cleaning brush; Froth separator

Breville 800JEXL Review

Breville are well known for their top quality kitchen appliances. Compared to many other brands I feel that they offer juicers with better design features, more sturdy components and simply provide a better juicing experience. There are more expensive units that you can pick than this one but in my opinion, this juicer is good value for money. The best price Breville 800JEXL will set you back around about $300.

Centrifugal juicers are very effective at juicing hard produce. This includes things like celery, cucumber, carrots, apples, etc. Where they are weaker is with leafy green vegetables. You can read more about the different types of juicers available in the how to choose a juicer section. Suffice to say that for people who value speed and simplicity then centrifugal juicers might be the best option.

It is well worth comparing this model with a cheap Breville BJE510XL which costs roughly $100 less. It might not have the same sort of imposing presence, but with this lower cost juicer (which is actually newer) you actually get five different speed settings instead of just two. The BJE510XL to me looks more futuristic while the 800JEXL is a more classic design. You can see both these models pictured above.

From the Manufacturer

Commercial performance. Home kitchen convenience. 1000 watts power up to 13,000 RPM for up to 30% more juice than traditional juicers. Over 40,000 filtering pores ensure smooth and delicious refreshment. Easy-to-clean components allow you more time for enjoyment. The extra-large 3″-wide (7.6 cm) feed-tube maximizes efficiency and cuts down your prep time.

Reference: http://www.brevilleusa.com/juicing/die-cast-juice-fountain-elite.html

Resources

Breville 800JEXL Product Manual: http://www.brevilleusa.com/media/mediaappearance/4510/800JEXL.pdf

Omega J8006 Features

• Continuous juicing with automatic pulp ejection
• GE Ultem™ auger (8 times stronger than other augers, e.g. J8003, J8005)
• Quiet, reliable 2HP equivalent induction motor for years of hassle-free juicing
• 15 year manufacturers warranty
• Heavy duty commercial construction
• Separate juicing screens for soft & hard ingredients
• High juice yield. Juicer produces very dry pulp
• Low rotation speed of 80 RPM for healthier, more stable juice
• Very little heat transfer to juice – produces jealthier, longer lasting juice
• Attractive, polished chrome finish looks great in any kitchen
• Intuitive assembly and simple cleanup
• Nutrition Centre attachments include mincer, homogeniser and pasta maker

This is what Omega themselves have to say about this particular model:

The Omega Model 8006 Nutrition Center is a single gear masticating juice extractor. Using a low speed of 80 RPMs results in minimal heat build up and oxidation promoting healthy enzymes and longer lasting juices. Designed and engineered for health-conscious individuals who want a greater variety in their daily juicing routine, this 8006 has the ability to also juice everything from wheat grass and leafy greens to fruits and vegetables. Not just for juicing, the Nutrition Center turns nuts into nut butters, extrudes pasta, grind coffee and spices, mince herbs and garlic, make baby food and frozen desserts, and extrude soy milk. The 15 Year Warranty the longest in the Industry – guarantees you’ve purchased “the last juicer you will ever need to own.”

Taken from the Omega website J8006 product specification page: (http://www.omegajuicers.com/skin/frontend/default/omega/images/spec_sheets/juicer_8006.pdf)

Omega J8006 Review

For me, the 15 year warranty just shows that this is a class act. It is a hard wearing juicer that can be expected to last for a very long time. Having said that, a cheap Omega J8006 is still going to set you back about $300. Another potential downside to the Omega range of masticating juicers is that the feed tube is about half the size of centrifugal units like the Breville 800JEXL. This just means that the prep time is increased because ingredients have to be chopped up into thinner strips. Despite this, I would say that this is the best juicer for making homemade green juices. On top of this, the additional food processing uses make it a pretty versatile juicer. Not only that, it is about $100 cheaper than one of my other favorites, the Omega VRT350HD.

This video shows how to set up this appliance.

Even though it takes a bit longer to prepare the produce for juicing and the actual juicing takes more time than using a centrifugal juicer, the quality of the juice produced by the J8006 is first rate. Then when it comes to cleaning the unit, it is actually much quicker than you might imagine. Washing the various parts straight after making a juice is the best idea. This helps to ensure that carotenoids and chlorophyll don’t stain the equipment. Not only that, it’s much easier/quicker to clean a juicer where the pulp hasn’t dried on to the various parts.

The J8006 from Omega is their best quality (most expensive) horizontal juicer. The J8004 is the same product but instead of the chrome and black design, it is all white. Since these two models are only slightly more expensive than the J8005 and J8003, respectively, I would always say that going for the models with the GM Ultem auger and longer warranty (15 years instead of 10 years) is the best idea.

Reasons to consider the Breville BJE200XL:

1. low cost
2. high speed
3. easy to clean
4. wide feed chute
5. includes a cleaning brush
6. 800ml juice jug with built in froth separator

The Compact Juice Fountain from Breville should cost you no more than $100. Amazon is a great place to look for the best price on this juicer. Its high speed means that you’ll be able to make drinks very quickly. All the parts are dishwasher safe. To be quite honest though, all you really have to do is make sure you wash up soon after making your juices. This is the most important point regarding cleaning. Otherwise you may find that certain parts of the juicer get stained. Carrot juice is notorious for this. The wide feed chute is a great feature, this is actually common to all Breville juicers such as the Breville BJE510XL and the Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite. In order to help you to get the filter basket 100% clean, the juicer comes with a Nylon bristle brush. The removable froth separator on the juice jug is handy. Centrifugal juicers are known to produce a bit of froth during the juicing process. This makes it really easy to avoid drinking it. Of course, if you want a frothier juice, all you have to do is take the top part of the juice jug as you pour your drink into a glass. Is this the best juicer for you?

If you go to the Breville homepage you may notice an interesting typo:

Delivers all the power and performance you’d expect from a Breville juicer. The 700 watt motor spins the filter basket at 14,000 RPM to extract 8 oz (250 ml) of juice in a mere 5 seconds.

1 speed - 13,000 RPM

Despite the fact that Breville themselves are not too sure about the actual speed of this juicer, whether it spins at 13,000 or 14,000 RPM is not all that important. What we can tell straight away is that the filter basket spins very quickly. As you would expect, this means that you’ll be able to make juices really quickly.

The instruction manual that comes with the juicer is actually a bit of a mini-recipe book. There are juice recipes, smoothie recipes, recipes that make use of the pulp as well as alcoholic juices. Bloody Mary, anyone? Click here to download the product manual for the Breville BJE200XL juicer.

1. reasonable price
2. variable juicing speeds
3. separate pulp collection container
4. easy to clean
5. wide feed chute
6. includes a cleaning brush
7. 1000ml juice jug with built in froth separator

You should be able to find the Ikon from Breville for under $200. It is pretty much double the price of the Compact Juice Fountain. Both are good quality juicers. As far as looks go, I personally prefer the more mature and stylish look of the BJE510XL. All the buttons and knobs have a high quality feel to them. When it comes to user friendliness, Breville juicers are very nice. Every part of this model, except the base unit, can safely go inside the dishwasher. The cleaning brush is really only needed for the filter basket where bits of pulp can get trapped in the tiny holes.

Since many of the parts are made of stainless steel, there is much less of an issue with staining than other plastic juicers. This should help with the longevity of the product. Even though it only comes with a one year warranty, the build quality of Breville juicers is excellent.

The point behind the variable speed is to help extract the maximum quantity of juice regardless of the type of produce that you use. In its price range, I would say that this is the best juicer for the money. In this video you can see just how easy it is to use this juicing appliance.

For a full technical specification run down, you can go to the Breville website.