What To Look For In A Juicer

Are you considering juicing? The health benefits far exceed any diet fad, diet pill, or cleansing treatment out there! Be sure to take a moment to read my Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead Review & Challenge! Looking for the right juicer can be overwhelming. I wanted to share with you the juicer I currently use, and the reasons why I love it. Juicers can range from $50 (GE brand at Wal-Mart) to several hundred dollars. The more expensive it is, the stringer the motor, which typically extracts more juice from the fruit. There are also many types of juicers that extract the juice differently. I chose the Breville Juice Fountain Plus (retails online for $150 at Bed, Bath & Beyond, as pictured above). I wanted a juicer that extracted the most juice from my fruits and vegetables as possible, without the unnecessary bells and whistles. I also wanted quality, so I wasn't replacing it in a short period. A juicer is not the same as a blender-- blenders simply puree the fruit and vegetables, with pulp, leaving it thick like a smoothie, whereas juicers extract the actual juice and discard the pulp, leaving you with 100% liquid. Drinking the pure liquid allows for faster absorption of the nutrients in your body. Here are some things to consider, when shopping for a juicer:

Easy to Clean- You can juice all your items without having to stop and clean it half way through. It has parts that easily separate, making it convenient and quick to clean. Tip: place a plastic shopping bag in the pulp catcher, for an even easier clean-up!

Two-Speeds- You can set it to low speed for softer fruits and vegetables such as oranges, kiwi, spinach, and kale. The high speed is ideal for harder items such as apples, carrots, and beets. This gives you the most juice possible.

No Prep- There is no need to chop or cut your fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces. You can simply place your halved apple into the juicer, core and skin still on, and it will separate it for you. No need to peel the carrots either. You do however want to remove touch skin from oranges and lemons.

Juice Pitcher Perks- Juice pitcher that have a froth separator, for those who don't want that foaminess in their juice.

Dishwasher Safe- All parts, except the motor, are dishwasher safe, although it only takes a minute to wash by hand too!

Pulp Control- Mine doesn't have this feature, but some allow you to control the amount of pulp that goes into your juice.

Usage: You simply place your fruit and/or vegetables in the top clear chute. You lightly push the items down, using the Food Pusher, until the food reaches the spinning filter basket. The basket has little sharp blades on it, and as it spins against the food it shoots the pulp out into the Pulp Container, while pure juice flows through the Juice Collector and into the Pitcher. Quick and easy!