Breville Juice Fountain Compact BJE200XL

Reviewers say that the Breville Juice Fountain Compact BJE200XL is a good basic juicer and a great value for the money. You can find cheaper all-purpose juicers -- but few that are as powerful or as durable at near the same price.

The bottom line

Owners say the small, light-duty Breville Juice Fountain Compact BJE200XL is a good value, particularly for softer fruits and vegetables. Its nearest competitor, the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro 67650 (*Est. $70), offers similar, but less-consistent performance, and receives a lower rating for durability. If you juice more than once a day or want a more robust model, reviewers recommend the Breville Ikon Variable-Speed Juice Extractor BJE510XL (*Est. $200), which receives the best feedback of all the juicers we evaluated, but costs considerably more.

Performance

The Breville BJE200XL is powerful, but things can get messy on occasion. Reviewers say that the Breville BJE200XL isn't at its best when juicing kale and spinach, which produce wet pulp. (The wetness indicates juice that wasn't extracted, and is a common complaint with many juicers when tackling soft greens.) However, they say it's powerful enough to handle just about anything else, and it yields a good juice output and dry pulp, despite occasionally spitting a chunk of harder produce into the juice receptacle.

We did find fairly regular complaints about food spattering back at you, no matter what you put down the chute. "When as much juice ends up around the outside of the juicer as in the juice catcher, the cleanup problems far outweigh any positives," says one owner in an ABT.com review. However, those echoing the same complaint are still generally happy with their purchase. One helpful review on Amazon.com says, "it really doesn't splash around like everyone says, just hold the plunger above the hole at all times even when inserting food."

Reviewers do point out the BJE200XL's noise level as a con, and say it could be too much if someone is asleep or on the phone. However, those that compare it to other juicers say it's actually pretty quiet (relatively speaking). Having to pause and empty the pulp catcher during high-volume juicing is annoying, but not a deal-breaker.

Ease of use

The large feed chute makes for fast, easy operation. Reviewers love how the Breville BJE200XL's 3-inch-wide feed chute minimizes the pre-chopping required before you juice. "The only thing I had to pre-cut was a large apple, but smaller apples slide through easily," writes one owner on BestBuy.com.

Reviews about the BJE200XL's cleanup process are mixed, but most say it's quick and easy, with just a couple of parts to be removed and rinsed or washed off. They say the brush that's included for cleaning the filter screen doesn't yield "instant" results, but works well.

The contemporary look and relatively small countertop footprint are also pluses, but some reviewers say the Breville BJE200XL is still too big and bulky. "It takes up a lot of space although it's supposed to be a smaller [model]. Can't imagine how big the others are," writes one reviewer on ABT.com. Others -- perhaps with more exposure to different juicers -- compliment the BJE200XL for being "small enough to tuck away."

Durability

The Breville BJE200XL is one of the most durable juicers in its price range. "This juicer is hands-down the best we've ever had," writes a happy reviewer at BestBuy.com, who's been using the BJE200XL five days a week for several years. An Amazon.com user, who juices carrots by the 25-pound bag, reports back three and a half years later that the juicer is still going strong.

Another BestBuy.com reviewer, who uses the Breville BJE200XL to juice once a day, says that it juiced "VERY well" at first, but that the pulp is no longer quite as dry as it used to be (he doesn't say how long he's had it). However, he still describes the BJE200XL as an excellent choice for the price range, as long as you don't juice multiple times daily. We only found a few scattered complaints of glitches with this machine -- a cracked pulp basket, in one case -- but it's backed by a one-year warranty, and most owners say it's solidly built and should last for years of use.