Top positive review
28 people found this helpful
Impressive Juicer
By Colonel Panic on Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2012
I have been using one of the Breville Juice Fountains for a few years now, off and on [mostly off], but for reasons related to health, I decided to get back into juicing. I dutifully began buying more fresh fruits and veggies at our regular store and at our weekly farmer's market here in the village area I live in here in the Bay Area. I also combined the fresh juices with other fruits [pluots, apricots, strawberries, bananas, etc., along with some All One vitamin/protein and Royal Greens superfood powders to make smoothies in my destroys-all Vitamix]. This actually became a daily ritual. The Breville is actually a pretty nice unit, and depending on how one views such things, the roar of a jet engine in your kitchen in the morning will even help wake teenagers up. The Breville was able to consume just about anything, and while its parts were somewhat bulky to clean, like anything, if you get into a ritual, it was fine. I even got my kids to enjoy the fresh juice. But as I read more, I came to realize that a slow-speed juicer has significant advantages, especially on the enzyme/vitamin preservation side, which was the entire reason for my juicing. So, I did a lot of reading, and decided to take the plunge on the Omega 350. Glad I did. Not only can I hear myself thinking over my tinnitus in the morning, even with the juicer running, it is almost as fast as the Breville. While I have not done a direct side-by-side extraction efficiency comparison, the dry quality of the Omega pulp suggests I am extracting more liquid. If one accepts that the slow speed, mastication style of the Omega does in fact produce more healthful juice, there is actually in my view little comparison to be made, but if one sets that aside for the moment, and simply compares the two units on a variety of feature sets, here is my punch list: 1. Size: Omega wins. Slightly more compact on the countertop, but not by much, though neither is huge; however, when disassembled, the Breville's large pieces take up a lot more room in a dryer rack, or--if you use the dishwasher--the upper rack; 2. Cleaning: this is a draw, as each as its disadvantages. The Omega has what my kids call the Playdoh® pooper chute, that is a little more difficult to clean out, but Omega supplies a perfectly-sized tool for cleaning it. That rubbery plastic at the mouth of the chute worries me a bit for its unknown longevity, but we'll see. The Breville's screen is somewhat harder to clean than the Omega's strainer, but again, Breville gives you the right tool for the job. I have found with such devices, whether it is mixers, juicers, blenders, etc., that you get into a cleaning routine and pretty much it just becomes part of the ritual. As I said, I see this as a draw. 3. Ease of assembly: slight edge to the Breville, only because that little red dot on the lip of the clear yellow strainer on the Omega can be difficult to see in low light, there is no corresponding red dot on the auto cleaning brush [doesn't need one], and the arrow on the bowl is very difficult to see. The Omega fits together more precisely, but the Breville is easier. 4. Prep work: the Breville has a monster hopper, and so can accept large quantities and sizes of fruits and veggies. But, that high speed mangler inside means you cannot just gently drop your stuff in one by one. You need to fill up the hopper, and then keep pushing material into it, or you have to stop that jet engine, let it wind down and then re-load. For both machines, I cut up everything in advance. The difference is that I cut up everything for the Omega 2x so that it is easier to drop into the chute. Keeping the Omega running also does not require ear plugs or muffs. So, prep time a few seconds more for the Omega. 5. Feeding: Edge to Omega because while its chute is not as big, feeding involves no force whatsoever. As long as one preps material properly, it just chomps it on down. 6. Stability: edge to the Omega. Although I keep the rubber feet on the Breville clean, that first switch on really makes her dance. High speed will do that. No such problem on the Omega. 7. Pulp collection: a toss-up. The Breville's high-speed necessitates an enclosed collection cup, and so long as you have it assembled correctly, it works just fine. If you don't, not so fine. Conversely, the Omega collection cup is open, allowing one to watch the aforementioned pooper chute. Kids love it. 8. Juice collection: Negative for both here for two different reasons. The Breville has a collection cup with a U-shaped cutout to accommodate the outlet spout, but in a stroke of middling intelligence, it comes with a cap that makes it easier to store the juice, bit not shakeable. The Omega has a nice collection cup with no cap. Yeah, of course, we are supposed to drink it quickly, but Omega specifically features a juice longevity of up to 72 hours, so why no cap for the collection cup? If the assumption is you will pour it out, then why the ever-loving'-heck doesn't the cup have a pour spout somewhere on it? Cap, spout, or both would be nice on a near-$400 machine. 9. The juice itself: Haven't done a double-blind test, but I can attest to one noticeable difference, that I think speaks in favor of the Omega, though perhaps somewhat counter-intuitively. If one juices a cut, but unpeeled orange, the juice in the Omega is noticeably more bitter, suggesting it is extracting more from the orange rind than the Breville. Both do fine, but the Omega pulp is drier. Also, on carrots, I noticed that the more-pulp strainer on the Omega was more likely over time to clog with carrot pulp, whereas the less-pulp [clear] strainer had no such issue. 10. Warranty: big win for the Omega here: 10 years, versus the Breville 1 year. Not even close, unless I am missing something. Having said that, i will say my Breville is chugging along just fine after 4+ years of use. And on this note, I should mention that as I was waiting for my Omega to arrive, I came across the Hurom juicer, featured over at Chef's Catalog here: [...] . I thought to myself: "Oh no, here is everything I could possibly want in the Omega, plus it has a freakin' cool handle to grasp." So, I did some research on the Hurom, and came across this specific comparison: [...] . Granted, some of it may be self-serving, but a warranty difference of 10 years on the Omega and 1 year on the Hurom speaks volumes, even coming out of the same factory, handle or not. For now, I am keeping both juicers for another week or so, but it's not hard to see this is headed in the Omega's favor. Either my ex or a good friend will be happy to take the Breville off my hands, and I would like to see it have a good home. It's a fine machine, just not as good when you factor in the quality of the juice, which is what this is all about. 20120803 Update: I have just about 4 weeks juicing with the Omega, and it's been great. I have added wheat grass and several veggies to my regular juicing, and while the first shriek of the wheat grass never fails to startle the cat, the results are excellent. Veggies (like carrots, as well ) seem to clog up a little faster than fruits, but not to the point of stopping juice production. I haven't tried the recommended trick yet of running a little water through, but will. Also, to the observation that the pulp chute can clog up, it's true that it can get filled and some pulp seems to eject more smoothly than others. Omega supplies a cleaning tool that work well to clear the chute.
Top critical review
9 people found this helpful
Good Idea/Poor Pulp Ejection/Get The 8004
By Straight Up on Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2012
I ordered The VRT350 after a lot of online research. I looked at Hurom (the manufacturer of the VRT) and Kuvings. The guy from Discount Juicers does some great comparison videos on YouTube and they are helpful. I was debating between the Omega 8004 and the VRT350. It was close. The 8004 is $120 cheaper, it has a 15 year warranty (5 years longer than the VRT), and it's a little easier to clean, but it takes more effort to use since the feed tube is smaller. I didn't want to spend the extra money, but the apparent ease of juicing along with the yield and quality of juice convinced me to buy the VRT. It just looked easier to use. I went with Omega because they have long warranties and a very good reputation. First impressions: The VRT350 arrived well packaged in good condition. It was easy to unbox and set up, so much so, I didn't need to read the owners manual to assemble it. There are several parts, but once you take a good look at them you can see how they fit together. I was impressed by the fit and finish of the juicer, a lot of engineering went into this design. The "Ultem" screen looks pretty rugged. The second "coarse" screen they provide appears to be regular plastic, but I will normally use the fine screen and it's all covered by the 10 year warranty anyway. I did read the short book prior to actually running the machine. Good thing as you're not supposed to run it without any juicing material in the chute. I didn't have much in the house to juice except for a bunch of heirloom tomatoes. A juicer is like a toy that you can't wait to use, so I didn't. I plugged it in and went right to juicing. Amazing is all I can say. The tomatoes I had are rather ripe and I was worried they were too soft to juice effectively. I guess it's the opposite. I was surprised how little pulp came out the ejector chute, and how nice it was to fill up the four cup container with Brandywine juice. I added a little salt and sat there sipping on it until it was gone. I can't wait to get some other veggies and make my own V8. From past experience with juicers, I immediately rinsed all the parts after using it. Clean it right away and it's 10x easier. The screen was absolutely clean, no scrubbing necessary. Everything just rinsed clean. They do provide cleaning brush which I imagine is for the fibrous fruits and veggies. The VRT350 is at the top of the heap when it comes to vertical lo-speed juicers. The amateur videos I've seen pretty much convinced me of that (and the 10 year warranty). $380 is a lot of money for a juicer, but as long as I get lasting performance from it, it will be worth it. I highly recommend buying this juicer from Amazon as the seller. If you have a problem and need return it, Amazon will take care of it with no hassle. I don't expect to have to return anything, the machine seems quite solid and I love it. --- Update 9/14/12 It's a disaster. I decided to embark on a juicing fast today and the VRT350 is not the answer. I have to admit that I am extremely disappointed in the VRT350. I've tried every prep suggestion there is. I've cut my produce down to very small pieces. I alternate between something like zucchini or apples and then leafy greens, back and forth. Even when the pulp is extruding properly the juice is very pulpy and has to be strained. (Yes, I'm using the fine screen) Straining is a waste of product and a heck of a messy proposition considering the cleanup, but you lose a ton juice in that pulpy foam. The very vegetables I read this machine was good at clog it like crazy. Leafy greens cause the pulp port to clog almost immediately and you get sea foam for juice. Don't even consider juicing kale, swiss chard, celery, or any other stringy vegetable, even if you cut them in to 1" pieces, it will get stuck and your drink will be s&@t!!! Trying to make a healthy green drink with this machine is ridiculous. I get more foam with this machine than any juicer I've used. The people in love with this machine are not doing a lot of green veggies through it, I just don't see it. I may have to go back to high rpm models. My next internet search is "best machine to juice kale with". I'm not sure there is such a machine, but I do know it isn't the VRT350. I had such high hopes. I just hope I didn't throw the box away yet. This machine is a complete fail for me and I had such high hopes. My advice is do not buy. --- Update 10/3/12 Amazon took the VRT350 back without hassle. Kudos to them as always. I received the Omega 8004 and I'm very happy, it's a keeper. I've been juicing for several days, the pulp hasn't jammed once, and it juices with very low foam. If you're unsure of which to buy, I've used both and I highly recommend the 8004. Even the Juice guy on YouTube admits he personally uses 8004 over the VRTs, yet he praises the VRTs. In any case, the cheaper 8004 is better.
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Impressive Juicer
By Colonel Panic - Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2012
Verified Amazon Purchase
I have been using one of the Breville Juice Fountains for a few years now, off and on [mostly off], but for reasons related to health, I decided to get back into juicing. I dutifully began buying more fresh fruits and veggies at our regular store and at our weekly farmer's market here in the village area I live in here in the Bay Area. I also combined the fresh juices with other fruits [pluots, apricots, strawberries, bananas, etc., along with some All One vitamin/protein and Royal Greens superfood powders to make smoothies in my destroys-all Vitamix]. This actually became a daily ritual. The Breville is actually a pretty nice unit, and depending on how one views such things, the roar of a jet engine in your kitchen in the morning will even help wake teenagers up. The Breville was able to consume just about anything, and while its parts were somewhat bulky to clean, like anything, if you get into a ritual, it was fine. I even got my kids to enjoy the fresh juice. But as I read more, I came to realize that a slow-speed juicer has significant advantages, especially on the enzyme/vitamin preservation side, which was the entire reason for my juicing. So, I did a lot of reading, and decided to take the plunge on the Omega 350. Glad I did. Not only can I hear myself thinking over my tinnitus in the morning, even with the juicer running, it is almost as fast as the Breville. While I have not done a direct side-by-side extraction efficiency comparison, the dry quality of the Omega pulp suggests I am extracting more liquid. If one accepts that the slow speed, mastication style of the Omega does in fact produce more healthful juice, there is actually in my view little comparison to be made, but if one sets that aside for the moment, and simply compares the two units on a variety of feature sets, here is my punch list: 1. Size: Omega wins. Slightly more compact on the countertop, but not by much, though neither is huge; however, when disassembled, the Breville's large pieces take up a lot more room in a dryer rack, or--if you use the dishwasher--the upper rack; 2. Cleaning: this is a draw, as each as its disadvantages. The Omega has what my kids call the Playdoh® pooper chute, that is a little more difficult to clean out, but Omega supplies a perfectly-sized tool for cleaning it. That rubbery plastic at the mouth of the chute worries me a bit for its unknown longevity, but we'll see. The Breville's screen is somewhat harder to clean than the Omega's strainer, but again, Breville gives you the right tool for the job. I have found with such devices, whether it is mixers, juicers, blenders, etc., that you get into a cleaning routine and pretty much it just becomes part of the ritual. As I said, I see this as a draw. 3. Ease of assembly: slight edge to the Breville, only because that little red dot on the lip of the clear yellow strainer on the Omega can be difficult to see in low light, there is no corresponding red dot on the auto cleaning brush [doesn't need one], and the arrow on the bowl is very difficult to see. The Omega fits together more precisely, but the Breville is easier. 4. Prep work: the Breville has a monster hopper, and so can accept large quantities and sizes of fruits and veggies. But, that high speed mangler inside means you cannot just gently drop your stuff in one by one. You need to fill up the hopper, and then keep pushing material into it, or you have to stop that jet engine, let it wind down and then re-load. For both machines, I cut up everything in advance. The difference is that I cut up everything for the Omega 2x so that it is easier to drop into the chute. Keeping the Omega running also does not require ear plugs or muffs. So, prep time a few seconds more for the Omega. 5. Feeding: Edge to Omega because while its chute is not as big, feeding involves no force whatsoever. As long as one preps material properly, it just chomps it on down. 6. Stability: edge to the Omega. Although I keep the rubber feet on the Breville clean, that first switch on really makes her dance. High speed will do that. No such problem on the Omega. 7. Pulp collection: a toss-up. The Breville's high-speed necessitates an enclosed collection cup, and so long as you have it assembled correctly, it works just fine. If you don't, not so fine. Conversely, the Omega collection cup is open, allowing one to watch the aforementioned pooper chute. Kids love it. 8. Juice collection: Negative for both here for two different reasons. The Breville has a collection cup with a U-shaped cutout to accommodate the outlet spout, but in a stroke of middling intelligence, it comes with a cap that makes it easier to store the juice, bit not shakeable. The Omega has a nice collection cup with no cap. Yeah, of course, we are supposed to drink it quickly, but Omega specifically features a juice longevity of up to 72 hours, so why no cap for the collection cup? If the assumption is you will pour it out, then why the ever-loving'-heck doesn't the cup have a pour spout somewhere on it? Cap, spout, or both would be nice on a near-$400 machine. 9. The juice itself: Haven't done a double-blind test, but I can attest to one noticeable difference, that I think speaks in favor of the Omega, though perhaps somewhat counter-intuitively. If one juices a cut, but unpeeled orange, the juice in the Omega is noticeably more bitter, suggesting it is extracting more from the orange rind than the Breville. Both do fine, but the Omega pulp is drier. Also, on carrots, I noticed that the more-pulp strainer on the Omega was more likely over time to clog with carrot pulp, whereas the less-pulp [clear] strainer had no such issue. 10. Warranty: big win for the Omega here: 10 years, versus the Breville 1 year. Not even close, unless I am missing something. Having said that, i will say my Breville is chugging along just fine after 4+ years of use. And on this note, I should mention that as I was waiting for my Omega to arrive, I came across the Hurom juicer, featured over at Chef's Catalog here: [...] . I thought to myself: "Oh no, here is everything I could possibly want in the Omega, plus it has a freakin' cool handle to grasp." So, I did some research on the Hurom, and came across this specific comparison: [...] . Granted, some of it may be self-serving, but a warranty difference of 10 years on the Omega and 1 year on the Hurom speaks volumes, even coming out of the same factory, handle or not. For now, I am keeping both juicers for another week or so, but it's not hard to see this is headed in the Omega's favor. Either my ex or a good friend will be happy to take the Breville off my hands, and I would like to see it have a good home. It's a fine machine, just not as good when you factor in the quality of the juice, which is what this is all about. 20120803 Update: I have just about 4 weeks juicing with the Omega, and it's been great. I have added wheat grass and several veggies to my regular juicing, and while the first shriek of the wheat grass never fails to startle the cat, the results are excellent. Veggies (like carrots, as well ) seem to clog up a little faster than fruits, but not to the point of stopping juice production. I haven't tried the recommended trick yet of running a little water through, but will. Also, to the observation that the pulp chute can clog up, it's true that it can get filled and some pulp seems to eject more smoothly than others. Omega supplies a cleaning tool that work well to clear the chute.
Slow goes it
By Grad Student - Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2013
Verified Amazon Purchase
So before I write my review of the product I'd like to include a few facts/qualifiers about myself. As the name suggests, I am a graduate student. I'm getting my PhD in a social science field, so when I say I've extensively researched it I mean that I have done much more than simply looked at a review or two. I have both a limited income for expensive purchases and an over abundance of experience and education in the researching of things. Additionally, this is my first juicer. I enjoy juices (fruit and green), and I've had many of them over the years, but haven't had the opportunity/will/desire to purchase a juicer before now. I have several friends with centrifugal juicers and have been able to see them in use and try juices from them, so I did have somewhat of a base of comparison before making my purchase. Ultimately I chose a masticating juicer, and this particular model, because I felt it was what best suited my lifestyle. I would strongly recommend that anyone considering purchasing a juicer as conduct their own thorough research in order to decide which one will be best for you or your family. So on to the Omega VRT 350: I decided on a masticating juicer because I knew that I wanted the ability to store juices for at least a day. One of the benefits of masticating juicers is that you can do just that due to the low oxidization of the juice. The longest I have stored a juice is about 48 hours. I tend to make large juices (I get very close to overflowing the container that comes with the juicer) and I will normally pour the juice into 1 or 2 glass bottles to store, then drink the rest. The juice is definitely best fresh. There is a bit of separation when the juices are stored overnight (from what I can tell this is the pulp and the juice separating, it is nothing like the separation you see with centrifugal juicers!), but a good shake and they takes almost exactly the same as they do fresh. The juicer comes with two filters, one coarse and one fine. The coarse filter definitely leaves a lot of pulp in the juice. So much that it seems more like it was blended rather than juiced. While it does make the drink a bit...chewier...it also makes for a much more substantial and filling juice. My goal is to transition myself to the coarse filter so that I can gain even more of the benefits from the produce I am juicing. The fine filter, on the other hand, strains most of the pulp from the juice. I would not say all of it, there are definitely still a few bits and pieces of pulp. This will not be a super smooth juice, like that concentrated "orange juice" garbage they sell at the grocery stores. If you absolutely cannot stand pulp in your juice, this may not be the machine for you. One option would be to further strain the juice with a sieve or cheesecloth, but I have not tried it. As far as functionality, ease of use, cleaning, etc. the Omega VRT has it's pros and cons. Overall I would say that most of the parts seem to be very well made and are holding up quite well after several weeks of juicing. I have noticed some wear on the plastic parts of the sieve that I am keeping an eye on for now. I also found that the juicing basket (for lack of a better word - I'm referring to the main part of the machine that houses the auger) is very difficult to remove from the base. A small amount of coconut oil rubbed on the black locking mechanisms has made this problem non-existent. The filters can also be a bit difficult to clean. I find that tiny particles of produce easily clog them and these components easily take the longest out of everything for me to wash after a juice. Even still, I do not find clean up to be terribly difficult. I have tried the "self-cleaning" trick of running water through the running juicer, but I found this just made a mess and the juicer still had to be hand washed afterwards. When I make a juice I usually clean the juicer immediately, taking apart the machine and cleaning each piece right away so nothing gets dried on. I would say the whole process from start (taking veggies out of the fridge, cleaning & prepping) to finish (cleaning all components, wiping the counters, etc.) takes me about 30 minutes. Again, I am making at least 3-4 juices at a time, so this averages to 10 minutes or less per juice. I'm also slow and methodical, so this process could probably be shorted for people in a hurry. I feel like I had a lot to say about this juicer, and I'm sure I'm missing some points that I wanted to make. Overall, it is definitely a product that I would buy again. But like I mentioned earlier, this is because I feel this particular style of juicers suits my needs best. There are some basic issues: celery doesn't juice particularly well (this is true for anything stringy, it will clog the port where the pulp comes out), it can be time consuming to prep everything (you need to cut things like carrots/beets/apples into small chunks to get them through the opening), and there is still pulp in the juice even with the finest filter. However, none of these issues concern me terribly. I simply don't juice large amount of celery (no more than 2 or 3 stalks in a juice) and make sure to cut it into small piece, alternating it with harder items like carrots or beets. The extra prep time doesn't bother me. Something about cleaning, chopping, and preparing a giant bowl of veggies, some fruit, and the odd herb or chunk of ginger is relaxing and exciting. I never juice from a recipe, so I have no idea how they will turn out (answer: so far so good!) so it's always a bit of an adventure. The pulp doesn't bother me as I've always liked my OJ with lots of pulp, so having a bit of something in my juice doesn't seem weird or gross to me. Overall, I think that the Omega VRT is a great masticating juicer. I like it for its compact size and ease of use. You can also supposedly make nut milks with it, a feature I have yet to try. I hope that this review has been helpful for someone who is considering purchasing a juicer. Researching what you want is very important (unless you just have money to throw away on $300+ appliances). I have one friend with a centrifugal juicer who loves it because it is exactly what he wanted, and another with the same juicer who regrets not having done more research and spending the extra money on the masticating juicer she later realized was what she really wanted. On that note..happy juicing!
Not perfect but close!
By HDTX - Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2012
Verified Amazon Purchase
If you follow my reviews, here is what you already know: I tried the $99 Breville & couldn't send it back fast enough. Very wet pulp, very loud, not easy to clean. I upgraded to the Omega J8006. It produced much drier pulp but produce got backed up inside. I couldn't even juice one whole apple without having to clean it out, even alternating with hard produce like beets or carrots. It was quiet and easy to clean though. I sent it back and upgraded even further to this one. What have I found? PROS: -Fits better on counter space -Quiet -DRY DRY pulp. Very dry. Even more than the J8006. squeeze it in your hand, eat some, you won't find hardly a drop of extra juice. I can juice about 8 ozs before I notice it gets a bit clogged. Not bad, mind you, but somewhat clogged. CONS - -Clean up not quite as easy as the J8006 but not too bad. I am a stay at home mom so clean up is nothing new to me. What I want is a product that works well. So, not too big of a deal -I noticed that it is leaking a bit at the base but only a few drops of juice. Will keep my eye on it & report back here after some use -MUCH more (fine) pulp in juice than J8006. This is why I sent the J8006 back. That pulp would back up in the J8006 around the auger and prevent it from juicing correctly. Here, the pulp does not back up because it comes out in the juice. Now I do not mind some pulp but my kids do! I put my own strained over the juice catcher, strains it fine. But WHY didn't Omega have the sense to provide a fitted strainer for their juice catcher like they do for the J8006? Doesn't make sense! -Bit frothy. Not bad, I do not mind some froth, but some people do. A good fitted strainer would help with that, OMEGA! I hope they read these reviews -When you hit REVERSE it kinds of jumps a bit and makes a startling noise if a hard veggie is caught up in there. It's a bit worrisome. Again, will keep an eye on it & report back. Though if I hold on to the juicing barrel when I reverse, it won't do it. My husband and I agree this is a better product than the J80006. More juice. No problem so far with greens. With all the research I did on juicers (on YouTube, on here, everywhere online - it's a lot of $$ to spend on JUICE!) here is what I know...to save you some footwork yourself: There is almost no such thing as the perfect juicer. (Not having gone up to the $500 - $1000 lines, maybe there is). You have to know what you want from your juicer - fast? More enzymes? Easy clean up? Bargain? There is something to fit every need. Be prepared to try things out & not be afraid to return them. We did not find that it splatter out juice from the ejection spout. No issues there - for us. I compost so there is no waste with the pulp. I have seen some on YouTube that save the pulp, make them into veggie patties & fry them up in olive oil & salt. Not a bad idea. My needs were - the most juice/enzymes from my produce. Not sounding like a train in my kitchen. Juicing more than 4 ozs without clogging. Juicing greens. My husband and I were shocked at how delicious fresh juice can be. Any green juice can be flavored in the best way by throwing in a crisp granny smith apple. And make sure to try some ginger or fresh mint! SO yummy!! We go through a few heads of kale a week now. We never would have eaten that much before. Instead of an afternoon coffee break we have a juice break. I will update this review after a few weeks use. Happy juicing! *UPDATE* Sept 27, 2012 I am still loving this juicer. It works quite well. All juicers are going to produce some pulp, just put a strainer on top of the juice container under the juice dispenser and you will be fine. (If you have a baby, listen up! The resulting pulp caught in the strainer after juicing fruits & veggies produces the finest, smoothest baby-food you will ever encounter. For example, when I juice apples, I get an 'applesauce' in the strainer that is so smooth I wish I knew someone with a baby I could give it to. Same when I juice carrots. Just so you know!) It is apple season here in New England and I am just loving the fresh crisp juice I am creating these days.
And now, answering your questions,
By J. Heller - Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2011
Verified Amazon Purchase
I had them too, I wondered never juicing before if I should spend as much as Omega requires romstepminto the Vrt. Would it serve my juicing needs? I did all the hours of research most modern consumers do, and narrowed it down to the VRT 350, the 8006, and the Green Power Kempo. What I wanted was a great juicer with longevity that I could throw a variety of produce at. I don't care for making my own nut butters or sorbets, I just wanted incredible juice. I plan on doing about 60% greens and veggies, and the rest fruit. Does the VRT deliver? A resounding YES! Better than you would believe, there hasn't been a produce item yet that it hasn't squeezed the life out of into tasty juice. We've been running the juice gauntlet ever since it arrived a few days ago, spinach, carrots, celery, cucumber, pineapple, oranges, apples, ginger, and garlic are just some of what our Vrt has chewed on. It has handled all of it from the soft fruits to the leafy spinach it works like a champ. I'm sure there are a variety of juicers out there that would do the same, but I know I picked the right one for our household. Overall I'm very pleased, and had a friend come over who has a juice fountain centrifugal design and was amazed. Y the quietness, the yield, and the quality. The Omega puts out the best tasting juice you've ever had. Here's some questions I had in the beginning, I'm not sure they are yours but they would've helped me being a new juicer, they are curiosities I didn't see the answer to during my search for juice. 1. Is there a ton of pulp? I saw mixed reviews on this and wasn't sure what to expect, I'm not a huge pulp fan, but I don't hate it unless it overpowers the texture of the entire glass. The VRT comes with a large and small strainer and I've never used anything but the small/fine screen. If you've ever ordered fresh squeezed OJ at a restaurant and know what it's like you can expect less pulp than that. If you bought a store bought juice the VRT produced it would probably say "some pulp." it's not pulp free but it doesn't get in the way either. I've been pouring my juices over ice and I don't even notice the pulp. It lead me to believe that some people want a lack of pulp on the level of something packaged that isn't even juice, like a vitamin water or Gatorade. I was taken aback by the first glass, as it was so smooth I can't figure out what people are complaining about. If you must have a pulp free juice a cone masticating juicer like the 8006 or centrifugal juicer is probably better. personally I think the vrt outs out a rich flavor and a glass that's easy to drink. In short no one I've handed a glass to has mentioned the pulp. 2. Preparation and cleaning time, is it a hassle? Again I say, these can't e serious complaints. I'm a person in a rush like many of us are and taking the minimal time to prepare juice has been beyond easy, let's take cucumber, carrot, celery and spinach. That's one I like, basically I chop the cuke and celery in under a minute, lop off the tops of the carrots, and start stuffing spinach in the thing. There are some great tips on juicing out there, especially by John over at discountjuicers.com --- nothing has ever gotten stuck on me and while I don't feed everything I possibly can into the thing at full speed it chomps through produce very quickly. I simply listen to it chew up the previous item as I toss the next one in, it's really fast though, and I find myself lagging behind the juicer frequently. Cleanup is a snap, see my forest sentence here, there is no complaint, it takes no time at all. One caver is if you are utterly lazy, the parts on the Omega say they cannot be thrown into the dishwasher or it will be damaged. I'm not going to do that anyway with an appliance this pricey. I'll time myself in the future but right now prep and cleanup has to be under 5 minutes it's quicker than making a cup of coffee. 3. Is it worth the admission? That friend I told yo about with the breville, well we had a juice off last night and the difference in quality and yield was astounding, not to mention that we were all laughing at the lawnmower like sound the juice fountain produced. In contrast I was running the vrt on the counter next to our barstools with music playing from an iPhone and conversation going. Then I heard "what are you doing, you can't juice spinach" as I lumped a handful together. The quality of the juice, and what it can juice is simply amazing. It's so consistent in the glass it's like you bought something off the shelf or went to a juice bar, except that it's even better! I do a lot of exercise and meditation and I like to think I know my body, and like most Americans i have too much fat, refined flour, and processed food in my diet. I'm an organic consumer, go to farmers markets, but I don't kid myself, I know what my modern diet is doing to me. The first glass of carrot and spinach changed me into a complete believer, I instantly felt a prolonged sense of energy throughout the day. Already I find myself craving a glass of juice in the middle of the day. If you are struggling with the finance, maybe do what I did and tell your friends you would like an amazon card to put toward better health. This was our Christmas present to my wife and I this year, and for the price of good health it can't be beat. 4. Is juicing expensive? It looks that way, especially if you watch the videos of the vrt where John is using 3 pounds of carrots :) in truth you can build a glass or two for yourself with as little as, 3 carrots, 2 apples, one celery stalk. I was ale to find 3 pound bags of organic apples for $3 at a regular store, carrots for a $1 per pound, and the yield with the VRT is so high you don't need a ton of reduce. The first couple times I actually made far too much following juice recipes online. Besides those bacon and eggs I like so much are equally expensive if not more so. It's only been a few days but I feel like we made the best choice going down the path of slow juicing. I'll try to check back in a fe months and report my progress. Right now I feel the choice should have been a no brainer with a lot less deliberation, but hindsight is always 20/20. It may not be the right juicer for you, but I feel like any juicer in this range is going to be a boon to your health. For me, that is the VRT 350, and I'm utterly pleased I watched all those comparisons on the web and pulled the trigger. Best of luck to you and your juice!
First Time Juicer
By DET - Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2011
Verified Amazon Purchase
The wife and discussed juicing for about two months and finally decided to do it. After doing a fair amount of reading and watching various videos on the Internet I decided on the VERT 330 HD and ordered it through Amazon. No tax and free shipping was a plus. With free shipping I fully expected to wait a week or more for delivery and was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in two days via UPS. I think the juicer itself is all it is supposed to be, heavy duty and multipurpose. Right off the bat we had to give it a test drive. There were about 20 baby carrots and an apple handy in no time at all they were converted into about 8 ounces of juice. The juicer comes with two screens, a fine and a course depending on how much pulp you may like or dislike in your juice. This first try we tried the fine screen. The juice tasted great and I looked forward to shopping for "judicable's." The next day, after a trip to the local grocery, I gave the juicer another try. This time I used a couple of full size carrots, and apple, and 5-6 collard leaves to see how green juice would be. I had read where long green leaves like collards could stop up the juicer and it would be better to break/tear them up into pieces. The apple was wedged into about 6 pieces and the larger end of the carrots halved. The collard leaves didn't feed quite as well and required a bit of coaxing by using the carrot pieces as a plunger. The combination of the tough/fibrous collard leaves and the hard (and somewhat large) carrot halves required me to reverse the juicer a few times to get it all to feed. This really wasn't an issue and now I know that I need to feed smaller bits of heavy/dense items. The good news is that despite my overloading the juicer, the reverse is a great feature and allowed me to back up and go again with little issue. I would also mention that this time I decided to use the filter screen with larger holes for more pulp. To be frank with you, I did not like the amount of pulp that resulted in the juice. It was just too thick. I ended up pulling out strainer and running the juice through it to remove quite a bit of pulp. The juice itself was fine. Now again, this is a matter of taste and I'm not real sure I like the taste of "raw" collards that much. The carrot to me Is kind of a neutral flavor where the apple adds a bit of sweetness. This helped cut the collard flavor. You just have to get over the dark green color of the juice. I keep telling myself that this is healthy and it's a "good thing." Anyway, no reflection on the juicer, just my first impressions of juicing. I am sure that with some experience I will find some combinations of fruits and vegetables I like more than others. The unit assembles and disassembles pretty easy. Clean up is a bit of a chore. I don't have any other juicers to compare clean up to but it does take a few minutes. Most of the pulp goes into its own catch container and you simply dump it in the trash. However the inner workings, there are 6-7 pieces, can still hold a fair amount of pulp that has to be cleaned out. Once you have collected your juice and both the pulp and juice containers are in place it may help to cycle a cup or two of water through the juicer to help flush out excess pulp. Otherwise you may find the strainer in your sink full of pulp rinsed off the various pieces. You will probably end up with pulp scattered around regardless. A sink with a spray nozzle helps. The most difficult item to clean was the screen. The juicer comes with a "toothbrush" to facilitate cleaning. I had to go over the screen with it 3-4 times, shake the water out, look closely, and go over it some more to ensure pulp was not clogging the fine mesh. This may be "easy clean" compared to some juicers, I can't say. I'm not really complaining here, cleaning up in the kitchen is part of the job no matter what you do. This is just more of a reality check to let you know that cleaning this juicer after use will take a few minutes. As most everyone knows, colored juice, weather its green, or orange or whatever will stain. After two uses I'm seeing some of the plastic components of the juicer starting to discolor. Again, probably par for the course but it's more of a reminder to be cautious of clothes, counter tops, dish towels, or whatever juice may come in contact with. It's probably my inexperience, but I tended to be a bit messy on this second juice outing that included straining the juice to reduce the pulp content. I'm thinking my technique for juicing and cleaning up will get better with a few more uses and I will not doubt use the fine mesh screen. I look forward to trying more recipes and trying more fruits like orange and grapefruit as well as flavors like ginseng, beets, and even a bit of garlic or hot pepper in some juices. I really look forward to health benefits. Though it might come off I'm been negative about this juicer I don't mean it to be. From my limited experience I think it is a great product. A ten year warranty pretty much speaks for itself. I really wanted to convey my experiences as a first time juicer while evaluating the VERT 330 HD while providing a reality check as it were for others that are thinking about juicing.
WOW, all I can say is WOW! :)
By CourtneyFreng - Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2013
Verified Amazon Purchase
I hate to be such a statistic, but what got me started on juicing was watching "Sick, Fat & Nearly Dead", as well as my best friend who does juicing/cleanses quite often, but what made up my mind was SF&ND. I put an 'ad' out with friends and acquaintences that I was interested in trying juicing out before I went out and even bought a juicer, and within half an hour I had a juicer. It was a Black & Decker, and for $50 (the original cost, I got it for free from a very generous friend) it wasn't bad, but I knew it wasn't that great either. I was planing on buying a Breville since that is what Joe used in his documentary, and his site is all about the Brevilles, and when I asked my best friend who regularly juices, she said all she can 'endorse' is the Omega VRT350hd. I googled it and saw the price tag and immediately shrunk a little deep down. Almost $400 for a juicer? "People are crazy for paying that much" is all I could think. Then, by some miracle, I was gifted an extra $360.00 as a late Christmas gift from my Husbands' very generous parents. My first instinct was to buy clothes, and then I remembered the Omega. I put another 'ad' (a Facebook status) about how I couldn't decide on clothes or an expensive juicer, and after much deliberation, I decided on the Omega. I committed to buying it, and after I purchased it on Amazon, I signed back into my FB page and saw a friend had sent me a message-she said she had a juicer for me and that I could have it. I thought it was probably another Black and Decker, or perhaps even a "Jack Lelane" but this friend is pretty well off so then I thought maybe I'd get lucky and it would be an Omega ;) It turned out it was not an Omega, but a Breville Juice Fountain, and a nice one at that! I was in love with the Breville, and after putting up with the Black and Decker for three weeks, the Breville seemed like it was 1,000 steps up. I was torn-do I keep the Breville and send back to Omega? My best friends said I should really try the Omega, because she swears it's amazing. Well, this morning was my first interaction with the Omega. It came yesterday, but I was too busy and I think still torn on whether or not I wanted to even try it. BOY I'm glad I did! The Omega is FANTASICALLY AWESOME! IN NO PARTICLULAR ORDER, HERE ARE THE REASONS WHY I LOVE THIS JUICER! 1.)The base is pretty heavy, but I'm glad it is, because it's so stable. 2.) It's a lot smaller (or should I say 'skinnier'?) and does not take up as much room as either the Black & Decker or the Breville, however, it is kinda tall. 3.) It's SO QUIET! I feel like I'm running a wood chipper when I turn on the B&D or the Breville. The Omega is so much quieter! 4.) The pulp-it is as dry as sawdust, and compared to the Breville, the mess factor is WAY LESS! No more cleaning out that top part that is full of wet pulp. 5.) The clean up-basically just washing out the auger and where the pulp comes out. So much easier than the Breville. 6.) The juice-I've never seen so much juice extracted! I juiced 3 carrots, 1 red bell pepper, 2 oranges, & 1 cuke (all I had on hand at work) and I got over 16 ounces of juice. I did the same thing yesterday with the Breville, and got a nice amount of juice, but not as much like I did from the Omega. 7.) There is no foam! None WHATSOEVER! I know the foam won't kill me, and it's still 1000 times more healthy than anything processed, but I still am not a fan of the foam. There is ABSOLUTELY NO FOAM with this juicer! 8.) It's just plain awesome. I'm excited to keep juicing. Juicing in and of itself is 'simple' but it doesn't necessarily mean it's 'easy'. There is a lot of organization needed, preperation of the veggies and fruit, and committing to it. This juicer has helped me take the plunge into committing to this lifestyle. And I'm so excited and happy it did :) So, as much as I didn't want to believe that a juicer could get better than a Breville, it does. This juicer is amazing, and I wanted so badly to not like it so I could just keep the Breville, get my $380.00 back and buy myself more clothes that will end up on my floor. This was a sound "HEALTH INVESTMENT" that I don't think I'll ever regret. Please do not think I am saying the Breville is a POS, the Breville was still pretty amazing, and for $150.00 bones, that is also worth every penny. I hope I helped! Thanks Amazon!
Good Idea/Poor Pulp Ejection/Get The 8004
By Straight Up - Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2012
Verified Amazon Purchase
I ordered The VRT350 after a lot of online research. I looked at Hurom (the manufacturer of the VRT) and Kuvings. The guy from Discount Juicers does some great comparison videos on YouTube and they are helpful. I was debating between the Omega 8004 and the VRT350. It was close. The 8004 is $120 cheaper, it has a 15 year warranty (5 years longer than the VRT), and it's a little easier to clean, but it takes more effort to use since the feed tube is smaller. I didn't want to spend the extra money, but the apparent ease of juicing along with the yield and quality of juice convinced me to buy the VRT. It just looked easier to use. I went with Omega because they have long warranties and a very good reputation. First impressions: The VRT350 arrived well packaged in good condition. It was easy to unbox and set up, so much so, I didn't need to read the owners manual to assemble it. There are several parts, but once you take a good look at them you can see how they fit together. I was impressed by the fit and finish of the juicer, a lot of engineering went into this design. The "Ultem" screen looks pretty rugged. The second "coarse" screen they provide appears to be regular plastic, but I will normally use the fine screen and it's all covered by the 10 year warranty anyway. I did read the short book prior to actually running the machine. Good thing as you're not supposed to run it without any juicing material in the chute. I didn't have much in the house to juice except for a bunch of heirloom tomatoes. A juicer is like a toy that you can't wait to use, so I didn't. I plugged it in and went right to juicing. Amazing is all I can say. The tomatoes I had are rather ripe and I was worried they were too soft to juice effectively. I guess it's the opposite. I was surprised how little pulp came out the ejector chute, and how nice it was to fill up the four cup container with Brandywine juice. I added a little salt and sat there sipping on it until it was gone. I can't wait to get some other veggies and make my own V8. From past experience with juicers, I immediately rinsed all the parts after using it. Clean it right away and it's 10x easier. The screen was absolutely clean, no scrubbing necessary. Everything just rinsed clean. They do provide cleaning brush which I imagine is for the fibrous fruits and veggies. The VRT350 is at the top of the heap when it comes to vertical lo-speed juicers. The amateur videos I've seen pretty much convinced me of that (and the 10 year warranty). $380 is a lot of money for a juicer, but as long as I get lasting performance from it, it will be worth it. I highly recommend buying this juicer from Amazon as the seller. If you have a problem and need return it, Amazon will take care of it with no hassle. I don't expect to have to return anything, the machine seems quite solid and I love it. --- Update 9/14/12 It's a disaster. I decided to embark on a juicing fast today and the VRT350 is not the answer. I have to admit that I am extremely disappointed in the VRT350. I've tried every prep suggestion there is. I've cut my produce down to very small pieces. I alternate between something like zucchini or apples and then leafy greens, back and forth. Even when the pulp is extruding properly the juice is very pulpy and has to be strained. (Yes, I'm using the fine screen) Straining is a waste of product and a heck of a messy proposition considering the cleanup, but you lose a ton juice in that pulpy foam. The very vegetables I read this machine was good at clog it like crazy. Leafy greens cause the pulp port to clog almost immediately and you get sea foam for juice. Don't even consider juicing kale, swiss chard, celery, or any other stringy vegetable, even if you cut them in to 1" pieces, it will get stuck and your drink will be s&@t!!! Trying to make a healthy green drink with this machine is ridiculous. I get more foam with this machine than any juicer I've used. The people in love with this machine are not doing a lot of green veggies through it, I just don't see it. I may have to go back to high rpm models. My next internet search is "best machine to juice kale with". I'm not sure there is such a machine, but I do know it isn't the VRT350. I had such high hopes. I just hope I didn't throw the box away yet. This machine is a complete fail for me and I had such high hopes. My advice is do not buy. --- Update 10/3/12 Amazon took the VRT350 back without hassle. Kudos to them as always. I received the Omega 8004 and I'm very happy, it's a keeper. I've been juicing for several days, the pulp hasn't jammed once, and it juices with very low foam. If you're unsure of which to buy, I've used both and I highly recommend the 8004. Even the Juice guy on YouTube admits he personally uses 8004 over the VRTs, yet he praises the VRTs. In any case, the cheaper 8004 is better.
Not as good as expected
By Andy Petranek - Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2012
Verified Amazon Purchase
If you didn't think I was a geek before, now you most certainly will. When I buy an appliance or product that is supposed to work in a very specific way, I always go to great lengths to ensure I got exactly what I want. That often includes ordering multiple versions or types and returning the ones that don't meet my standards. Many of you know that I did that with our robot vacuum cleaner at the gym testing both at great lengths before finally deciding that Roomba was the way to go (winning out over Neato). Now it's happened in the area of juicing. After my post last week about getting re-started juicing, I've got an update for you regarding the best juicer for the job. I wrote my last post after juicing two times with the new juicer, the Omega VRT-350hd. I remind you, this one is the latest technology, a vertically oriented, low RPM juicer that looks great, takes up minimal counter space and creates quality juice. Compared to the Breville, I was impressed, and could taste the quality difference in the juice it made. Over the next several days, as I added diversity to my juicing recipes, I found out a few things: 1. Carrots almost always result in a "jam" - the motor stops and you have to switch it to reverse to unjam it (not a problem, just a fact). 2. Celery, a staple of my juices, with it's long, stringy fibers that run the length of the stalk, clog up the pulp ejection port. This leads to other problems - veggies and fruits that go in after the celery tend to not juice completely resulting in a high moisture content pulp or in pulp remaining stuck in the auger/juicing chamber. Even when I cut the celery into small pieces, though better, it was still a problem. 3. I don't understand why, but beets are a problem. Don't get me wrong, they juice fine, but the final product contains small bits of beet pulp, just enough to be really annoying. They get stuck in your teeth and I found them to make the experience of drinking the juice slightly gross. 4. Apples. Really? Apples. Yes... a problem. Well actually, only a problem if you juice them after juicing high fiber vegetables like kale, chard, spinach or celery that start to get the ejection port clogged. When that happens, apples do not juice well - lots of remnants remain stuck in the auger and juicing chamber. Nor do they juice completely with the pulp coming out with a high moisture content. So... that being the situation, what's the solution you might ask? When I bought this juicer, I was agonizing over deciding between two juicers. I ordered the Omega VRT simply because it looked cooler and took up less space on the counter. From the reviews and videos I read and saw, it seemed equal to the other I was considering. I couldn't have been more wrong! Last Wednesday I ordered the Omega J8006 Commercial Masticating Juicer and put them to a head-to-head test. Here's what I found. 1. ALL the problems I was having with the VRT were solved with the 8006! Yes, ALL of them. No jamming. No issues with celery, kale or chard fibers clogging up the ejection port. I don't even have to chop up the celery into small pieces. No pulp in the juice - zero (even without the included additional strainer). And no problems with apples, regardless of the order I fed them in. 2. On top of it juicing fruits and vegetables, it also makes nut butters. I haven't tried this yet, and from what I've seen in videos, it's not the easiest thing to get right. 3. The VRT is easy to clean. The 8006 is even EASIER!! 4. The 8006 is $80 cheaper than the VRT! 5. The ONE drawback to the 8006 is the size of the feed chute. It's really small. I have to cut things up much smaller than I did with the VRT, which takes a bit more time and attention. Conclusion: For me it was simple. The Omega J8006 wins, hands down! After juicing only four times with my new 8006, I re-packaged the VRT, printed out the return labels, and took it off to UPS. No brainer. I wish the feed tube were the same size on the 8006. In my opinion, that would make it perfect. But for now, it will do. It makes fantastic, pulp-free, high quality juice, is easy to clean, operates at low RPM, is relatively inexpensive... what more could you ask for?
Excellent for anyone serious about improving their health
By HighPlainsDrifter - Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2012
Verified Amazon Purchase
My husband and I have been fully immersed in a healthier lifestyle for the last 2 1/2 years. We eat all organic, all whole foods, raw milk, etc, etc - the Weston Price way of living. We got interested in juicing after watching the Gerson Therapy documentary - not because either of us has cancer or any other chronic diseases, but because we want the best health possible . I've been researching juicers for the last year and finally settled on the Omega VRT 350. We looked at the Norwalk and Champion (both recommended by Gerson), the Omega 8000 series, the Green Star and Green Power series, as well as a plethora of others I can't remember. Centrifugal juicers were never in the running for us, as we want to actually preserve and utilize the nutrients in our juices - not just create something sweet to drink. We got our Omega VRT this week and I must say I am quite a fan and really really pleased I went with this juicer. Here are some reasons why I would recommend the VRT: 1) Extremely easy to use, clean, and store. a. The feeding shoot is much wider than I expected it to be, allowing much quicker loading of produce (although I always cut the produce into smaller pieces - that just seems prudent for any kind of machinery...why stress your motor?). b. The only time I have had to push the produce down with the feeder bar was when using leafy greens that don't have enough weight to fall on their own, otherwise I don't have to do a thing to get the produce masticated - it works very very efficiently without any extra effort on my part. c. Cleaning takes just a couple minutes and the juicer is designed to be able to get all nooks and crannies cleaned quite easily with a provided oversized toothbrush. d. It's about the size of a blender, making it much easier to store versus the size of the Omega 8000 series or the Green Star, etc. 2) Quality of the juice and dryness of the leftover compost "meat" of produce. a. With the low rpm, we are told that we are preserving the most nutrients and enzymes possible. This becomes fairly obvious when you actually taste the juice. Even my brother in law - the ultimate skeptic - commented on how rich, thick, and "full" the juice tastes. He even tried tasting the "meat" of the produce that is shot into another bucket after the juice is pressed out. When he tasted that fibrous compost, he was shocked to realize that there was zero flavor in it. The "meat" of the carrot now had no flavor, as all the nutrients, vitamins, and enzymes had been pressed into the juice we just drank (the juice he called "rich, thick and full"). b. Additionally, when you touch that leftover fibrous material (the remains of the vegetable or fruit in the compost bucket), it is dry, indicating that the juicer truly did "press" as much of the juice out of the produce item. 3) Initial health response. a. While it is really too soon to tell for sure, I will say that I have battled insomnia for most of my life. Although it's only been a week, I have consistently slept better in this past week than I have for years. We juice once in the evening after dinner, and each night has been a full night of sleep...five in a row, which is unheard of for me. Maybe there are other causations, but it is interesting to note that this started happening the day we started juicing. b. Additionally, I have always had a rash on my upper arms. Again, it is not gone entirely, but the bumps have reduced in size. Maybe it's the power of the mind, but I do think there is a link to getting such a potent shot of vitamins direct to the blood stream and organs. Overall, I would highly recommend this product to anyone who wants to keep improving their health. Don't waste your money on a centrifugal juicer, rather take a few more months to save the cash and buy a masticating or triturating juicer. You will be quite pleased with the results. I would also recommend you youtube this guy named John with discountjuicers.com. He has a number of youtube videos that really help explain what each juicer does and the pros and cons.
Happy, happy, happy.
By Al - Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2012
Verified Amazon Purchase
I bought this as a gift to my girlfriend who has the world's worst eating habits (she used to eat only once a day, ~1000cal/day). She was always on the go and never had time to prepare meals. Like many others, I saw the documentary about the fella who started juicing raw foods and the dramatic results on his health. I was a skeptic, but splurged and bought her this unit out of love and a healthy dose of concern for her well-being. Many months later, we're still juicing daily. I have quit drinking coffee entirely (I used to consume about 16oz of cuban coffee daily). My first meal in the morning is a tall glass of fresh green juice with some fruits added for my desired level of sweetness. I provides me a quick meal and gives me good energy through to lunch. As for my significant other... She's juicing daily. Consuming quality, nutrient dense raw foods and she has noticed the effects in her practice. She's a Yoga teacher, who practices and teaches almost daily in a heated room so she goes through a lot of mineral and electrolyte loss. The juices have help keep her slim, toned, hydrated and pumped with energy. As long as one has a good source for their produce, the cost isn't overbearing. I will not shop at my corner supermarket because the quality is inferior and far overpriced. However, I have a smaller, local store with better prices, organic selections and it does not break the bank. All my skepticism is gone. I do not replace all my meals with juice - I'm a foody and won't give certain things up. But I do replace one or sometimes two meals a day with a good, nutrient filled juice. I like it less pulpy so I use the finer strainer. My girl likes it with a little more pulp, so she'll "hand-select" the pulp she wants from the ejection chute and put it back into her drink. Tips we've used along the way that might benefit others: * Run some water through your juicer when you juice greens to get "every little bit of green goodness" into your glass. Yes, it will dilute your juice to some extent, but you don't have to run a lot of water through it and your overall yield will be greater. We found that sometimes greens and their juices get "backed up" in the filter and take a while to filter down into the cup. Adding a few ounces of water helps move things along. * Start small. We were a little overzealous in the beginning and added anywhere from 10-12 different items in our first attempts at juicing. Some were outright nasty. Start with 3-4 ingredients and add things slowly. Eventually, you'll find what works for you. There are lots of free recipes out there - the internet is a great resource. * Juice as a family. Yes, really. I started doing all the juicing alone in the beginning. Then, I had to work for a few days and my girl didn't know the first thing on how to juice. She went through the same trials and tribulations (and wasted food) that I did in the beginning. Save each other the trouble and expense and go through this process together. It can actually be fun. * Make more juice than you need. Cleanup is not difficult and does not take very long. However, I personally don't want to sit over the juicer every time I need juice. We make about 4-6 cups of juice at a time and bottle the rest in a mason jar to use over the next 24hrs. Juice quality is just as good as when you made it and you save yourself the trouble if you find yourself needing a snack throughout the day. Hope this helps someone and rest assured that the VRT350 is a phenomenal unit that will provide great results. I bought my mother a unit for her birthday and now she's using it daily too.
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