Juicer Review

Sizing up juicer reviews

There are three types of juicers: citrus juicers, all-purpose juice extractors and wheatgrass juicers. Citrus juicers -- manual and electric -- are meant solely for citrus fruits like lemons, limes, grapefruit and oranges. Juice extractors can handle most fruits and vegetables, but they can't manage wheatgrass or tough fibrous or leafy vegetables like celery or kale.  For those, you need a single-gear (masticating) or twin-gear (triturating) juicer, most of which can also handle a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

Most of the reviews we found focus on only one of these three juicer types. Consumer Reports, for example, covers only juice extractors, and Cook's Illustrated and Bon Appétit magazines test only citrus juicers. Most of these reviews are several years old. Unlike other categories of kitchen electrics, manufacturers seem to update juicers less frequently, so many of the professionally recommended models are still available, though some have received minimal updates to help remedy noted problems. Interestingly, it appears that Australia's Choice and Britain's Which? Magazines -- both of which are similar to Consumer Reports in the U.S. -- have updated their juicer reports more recently  

Choice magazine rates 18 centrifugal juicers (the most common type of juice extractor) and seven non-centrifugal models (the kind suitable for wheatgrass and other leafy vegetables). Although most of the products in this review are not available in the U.S., several models have U.S. equivalents. Which? Magazine is also helpful. Editors test more than 21 models, nine of which are available or have US equivalents. Machines are thoroughly tested and editors discuss the positives and drawbacks of each model.

The Wall Street Journal offers a roundup review of manual and electric citrus juicers, but editors don't explain their testing process. Again, as with other publications, this review is slightly old -- published in 2009. An even older 2003 review offers a better explanation of results. In the earlier review, testers compare five juicers ranging in price from $100 to $400. Although a test of five juicers doesn't do justice to the dozens on the market, the five chosen are mainstream models also covered in reviews from other sources. Food & Wine magazine and the Good Housekeeping Research Institute recommend juicers without revealing how many juicers they tested or describing their methodology. The same is true of the consumer websites ConsumerGuide.com and 3Luxe.com.

We also found a roundup of juicers from Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. Of the five listed, one is discontinued and one has been updated with a newer version. Additionally, there is no explanation as to the testing methods. Lifestyle publication Real Simple also has an article on their top 20 kitchen tools, including one juicer. Additionally, the popular cooking and food blogs Chow.com and TheKitchn.com include a few reviews on editor-selected kitchen products. The focus on juicers is limited, but the ones featured have detailed and insightful information as to the performance of the machines.

We also read some helpful reviews at specialty retailers VitalityPlus1.com, 877MyJuicer.com and Juicing.com. VitalityPlus1.com tests eight juicers with several pounds of carrots and spinach each, and editors aren't afraid to downgrade juicers for excessive noise, vibration or poor juice output. It should be noted that the site also sells certain models and reviews tend to be more positive for those. Additionally, the "Extraction Test" which the site features is more than four years old. Editors at 877MyJuicer.com and Juicing.com discuss which types of juicers are best for specific needs and critique individual models. Less expensive juicers do not merit much mention on these sites, which is why we also consider review data from owners at Amazon.com, Cooking.com, Epinions.com, Buzzillions.com, Target.com and Viewpoints.com.

In fact, consumer reviews can provide the most helpful information as to the benefits or problems with a particular juicer. Though each user has varying expectations of the juicer, so sentiment or the feedback for one particular juicer can vary vastly from consumer to consumer. For example, the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer Deluxe (*Est. $125) earns far more positive reviews than any other juicer at Viewpoints.com. Users rave about the juice they have made and praise the product's wide feed tube and powerful motor, and its ease of use and cleanup. Yet numerous users at Amazon.com and Target.com are more lukewarm, with many reports of overheating and breakage. (Although the infomercial touts a lifetime guarantee, it applies only to the motor. The rest of the machine comes with only a 60-day money-back guarantee, and most other juice extractors have at least a one-year warranty.)

Users at these sites also say the juicer can be difficult to clean by hand, although most of its components are dishwasher-safe. This model also fares poorly in a professional test conducted by retailer VitalityPlus1.com. Reviewers declare this the least efficient of all the high-speed models they tested and one of the hardest to clean.  A fancier model, the Jack LaLanne PowerJuicer Pro E-1189 (*Est. $150) , finishes dead last in tests conducted by a leading consumer magazine. Although quiet, editors say it extracted only a moderate amount of juice and had a tendency to jam -- a problem not encountered with any other machine.