One of my best friends went on a juice cleanse and lost 11 pounds in a week. Now, I’m not that ambitious but I decided that juicing would be a good way to get nutrients and vitamins and a daily serving of fruits and vegetables. I bought the Breville Compact Model Number JE200XL for about $110 with 700 watts.

In The Box

This juicer has several components. One component is the food pusher, where you will use this nifty piece to push the food into the blades. You will have to cut anything that doesn’t fit in the 3 inch diameter. Another piece is the dishwasher-safe stainless steel mesh filter basket. The juice needs to go somewhere so a plastic jug that holds 32 ounces of juice is also in the box. The jug is refrigerator and dishwasher safe. I have also put this in the freezer for 15 minutes to get my juice nice and cold. There is a metal safety lock arm that needs to be around the top of the juicer in order for it to work. A dishwasher safe pulp container is where the pulp is stored. It can hold up to 20 ounces of pulp. A dishwasher safe juice cover sits on top of the pulp container. A nylon bristle brush is included to clean the mesh filter. The machine weighs about 8 pounds and measures 9.5" x 8.75" x 16." Compared to other juicers, it is pretty small and lightweight. Breville also includes a manual and gives you a 1 year warranty.

Juicing

You can’t put anything in the juicer that has an inedible skin (think pineapple and mangoes). You also can’t put anything in the juicer that is bigger than the 3 inch diameter. Needless to say, you will be doing a lot of prep work before you even begin to juice. You have to make sure you have enough space on your countertop, and all of your fruits and vegetables washed, peeled, and cut to appropriate sized pieces. One you have your juicer assembled and food prepped, you are ready to juice.

The machine is 700 watts and has one mode; fast. You shouldn’t put things into the juicer without it being turned on; however, since the motor is so fast, when you put the items in, they will shoot back up at you! Some fruits/veggies (especially greens) have hit my ceiling! So, I break the rule and put stuff in with the machine turned off and then put the pusher in and turn it on so it doesn’t splatter all over.

I have juiced many things thus far. I have juiced kale, baby spinach, parsley, basil, apples, oranges, clementines, peaches, apples, nectarines, celery, cucumbers, carrots, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, pears, mangos and pineapple. It is incredible how you can create so many flavor combinations and different juices. I notice that every time I juice, there is a lot of foam that accumulates in the plastic jug. I kind of stir it around and let it dissipate over time, but I think that is a downfall to this juicer. However, the lid to the jug has a “foam catcher” type of thing, so when you pour it into your cup, all you will get it juice. The mesh filter is so thin, you do not get any pulp. It is my recommendation to start with mushier items first (think blueberries and kale) before harder items like carrots and apples. The harder items push the remaining mushier items through the mesh filter.

The clean-up is a tedious process (as it is for ALL juicers). You have to empty the pulp container (compost, anyone?) which seems a bit wet. I wonder if this machine could yield more juice. Then you have to scrub the mesh filter and run it through the dishwasher. Some pieces I have fit in my dishwasher did not come out very clean so I recommend hand washing and then running through the dishwasher to kill any remaining bacteria.

All in all, I really like this juicer. I have used it for a month now and my boyfriend and I are still enjoying our juice. We feel healthier and happier!

Thanks for the read,

Danielle

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 110