appliances for healthy lifestyles

With summer just around the corner most of us are turning our thoughts to getting healthy and shedding those extra pounds so we can fit into last years bathing suit. One of the healthier alternatives is juicing, which means an increase of juicer sales. Working with retailers for over fifteen years, I am often asked the same questions about juicers. So I offer this abbreviated guide to juicer buying that will help make the sale less painful by being better informed and in the long term keep your customer happy.

What kinds of juicers are there? Juicers generally fall into three categories: masticating, centrifugal and triturating. These have to do with the method of extracting and separating the juice from the pulp. The Masticating machine operates at a slower speed. It chews the fibers and breaks up the cells of vegetables and fruits. This gives you more fiber, enzymes, vitamins and trace minerals. The Champion is a masticating juicer. It also is more versatile because in addition to extracting juices, the unit homogenizes making baby foods, sauces, nut butters, and sorbets. An optional grain mill attachment is available for grinding grains into flour.

The Centrifugal machine first grinds the fruit and vegetables then pushes them through the strainer by spinning at a very high rpm (similar to your washing machine on the spin cycle). This method usually yields a little more volume of juice. The Omega, Acme, Juiceman II, Ultramatic and L’Equipe are centrifugal machines. (Most juicers sold on the market are centrifugal). Optional citrus attachments are available for the Omega 1000 and Acme juicers that allow juicing of citrus fruits without peeling.

The Triturating machine, which turns at a slower rpm, has a two step process. The first step crushes the fruits and vegetables, while the second step wrings or presses the juice. This process gives you more fiber, enzymes, vitamins and trace minerals. The Greenpower and Greenlife are triturating juices. The Greenpower and Greenlife machines do more than just juice, they homogenize and make pasta, and are good for people on raw food diets. These juicers also have magnetic and bio-ceramic technology that slows down the oxidation process, which is good if you want to make and store your juice.

What happens with the pulp? Juicers can be sub-categorized into two categories, pulp-ejection and non-pulp ejection. With pulp ejection machines the pulp is ejected into a separate container allowing continuous juicing. This is more advantageous when juicing large quantities of juice. The Champion, Greenpower, Greenlife, Juiceman II, Ultramatic and Omega 4000 are pulp-ejecting machines.

With non-pulp ejecting machines the pulp collects inside the basket and one must stop and clean it after juicing about one quart of juice. Using the paper filters make cleaning a much simpler process and yields a finely strained juice. The Omega 1000 and Acme are non-pulp-ejecting machines.

What about green juice? Wheatgrass and green juices have become more popular and but unfortunately most juicers do wheatgrass and leafy greens in a limited capacity. If the customer wants to juice wheatgrass, celery, spinach, sprouts, or other greens it will be more effective if they cut or bunch these items and juice along with carrots or other vegetables. If they want green juice only…buy a wheatgrass juicer!

What kind of warranty do the machines have? The above mentioned juicers have an average warranty of between one to ten years. Please refer to warranty card for specific manufacturers terms of guarantee.

What about cleaning the machine? Though machines vary in style and assembly, most machines have an average of four to seven cleaning parts, and may be cleaned in warm soapy water. Most manufacturers advise against putting parts in dishwasher as the hot water may damage parts and effect the operation of the machine.

How much will my juicer cost? The juicers I have mentioned in this article are higher quality juicers from manufacturers that in some cases have been making juicers for over thirty years. Prices vary depending on different functions the machine has. The manufacturers suggested retail start at $199.00 for the Juiceman II up to $600.00 for the Greenpower, the average ranging from $250.00 to $350.00. Though one can buy a juicer for fewer than one hundred dollars, these have small capacity motors and may not be that efficient for someone who wants to do regular or heavier juicing.

Asking your customer some key questions such as: what kinds of things they will be juicing, what kinds of features they want, do they want to do raw foods, grind grains or lots of citrus, and how much they want to spend, you will be able to steer them in the right direction. The bottom line; if they like it they’ll use it, if not it’ll just collect dust in the graveyard of kitchen appliances.

All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by your own physician or health care provider. You should not use any information contained in our site to self-diagnose or personally treat any medical condition or disease or prescribe any medication. If you have or suspect you have a medical condition you are urged to contact your personal health care provider immediately. All health supplements or products purchased in this site contain clearly labeled product packaging, which must be read to ensure proper use. All information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.