cillisa A pineapple mint spritzer sounds really good right now :)

midmodfan Your juicer looks impressive. Is it easy to clean? That is my major demand, apart from doing its job well of course. We gave our juicer away because cleaning it was just plain awful.

I use a simple $4 Chefmate glass juicer and appease my appetite for fresh vegetable juices at a nearby shopping center. I can sit and watch them make my juice, drink, and walk away. :-)

jamcallahan I have the same juicer and it's very easy to clean. Love it.

morgana44 This is the juicer I have been researhing for the last few weeks the comments on Amazon say it is easy to clean - but - many complain about size of chute and the fact that things don't go through easily. Comments?

jamcallahan I too researched juicers and chose this one ultimately because of how much Mercola recommended it (the white one is cheaper and looks nice). I have not owned any other juicers for comparison. However, being a masticating juicer, you do have to chop some things up more than others to avoid a jam. I haven't found it to be a problem. Juicing is a labor of love anyway and I'd have to say this is a great juicer. HOWEVER, I always struggle with what to do with the leftover fiber. I hate to throw it away but that's what happens because I don't get around to putting it in soups and sauces. I hope to get a compost bin for the yard this spring so I can ditch it there and not feel guilty. If you are looking for a quick and easy way to get your "juice", I find myself making kale smoothies in my Vitamix DAILY. I purchased the smaller/fatter 48oz canister with mine and it's soooooo easy to pour and clean! I'm on a tight budget and I saved for this purchase. THE EXTRA MONEY FOR THE VITAMIX IS WELL WORTH IT! I actually now wish I hadn't even messed around with a masticating juicer (sounds obscene, I know). Because, in the end, if you get tired of the work involved, you won't use it regularly. Get the Vitamix (and don't be tempted by the taller canister) if your main purpose is to get more fruits and veggies into your diet. Easy, easy, easy! Good luck!

scarbowcow I love, love, LOVE my Omega juicer! I got it in white - I read that the silver coating tends to chip or flake or something. Besides, I like white. It's a breeze to clean! Just make your juice, immediately put everything in water and use the 'toothbrush' thing to scrub the parts that have small holes. If you clean it or at least soak it right after juicing (before drinking your juice ), you will never have a problem.

As for the small feed tube, if you've never had the other kind of juicer - the ones that take a whole apple - you'll never notice the 'extra' work. If you have had the other kind of juicer, you'll love how quiet this one is. The other kind SCREAMS. The masticating kind is so quiet you could have a baby sleeping next to it and the baby wouldn't wake up while you use it.

Making juice with the Omega always feels kind of meditative. I calm down and feel healthier before I even drink the juice because of the quiet work of preparing the vegetables, the gentle way the juicer extracts the juice so quietly... It just feels good to use this machine.

If you want to know why juice from a masticating juicer is better than from a centrifugal juicer, find the comparison videos made by eujuicers.com. They will show you how quickly juice from a centrifugal juicer oxidizes, for example, and how much more juice you get from a masticating juicer. I think I spent most of a day or two watching videos and reading reviews before deciding on the Omega. I could not be happier with it, even though it's not great on making juices from soft fruits (I want green juices and carrot juice mostly anyway; you learn how to alternate a hard food with a soft one in order to get juice from softer fruits or greens).

I compost the leftover roughage, because it really doesn't have much flavor and the nutrition has been pretty well squeezed out of it. But if you have a dog, you might look into recipes for home-made/vegetarian dog food. Dogs seem to like - and to thrive on - vegetables. So cooking the leftovers with some rice or something like that might work as dog food. There are websites that give recipes for home-made and vegetarian dog food, where you could see if your particular left-overs would work for that.

And for my next large outlay of money, it will be a Vitamix, definitely. Or the European version of the Vitamix, since I don't think we have Vitamix over here.

artzi We have a Breville Juice & Blend. You don't have to cut up most veggies or fruits first. It is easy to clean & operate. Also easy to switch blender to base. I admit it is an expensive machine, but we replaced our worn out Vitamix we'd had since the '70s and expect it to be as reliable.
Love the juice glasses with the little bird!

astraea I'd like that "White Ceramic Juicer" (3rd from last photo), if it didn't kind of look like a bedpan! (LOL)

morgana44 Juicing is part of my ongoing get healthy for life plan. But I have to admit I have spent more time researching this product than I did for my big Ktchen Aid mixer and the Kitchen Aid food processor and they cost way more money. But they are 15 years old and (knock on wood) have both been dream no fuss appliances.

And that's what I want from the juicer. I don't care about the noise it creates (except for my toaster every appliance makes noise). But I do care about the ease of use (I don't mind chopping veggies because I make soups several times a week) and cleaning.

So I keep reading and hoping to make a decision in 2013 about Omegaj8006 vs Vitamix.

Sandra Have been juicing since the 70's. Had 2 centrifugal type juicers and decided to get the Omega auger style. I am able to juice more greens with the auger style and , according to what I have read, the juice retains more of its nutrients for longer due to less friction. Juicing is fabulous whichever juicer you get.

airfun I have a cetrifugal type juicer and while I can juice larger chunks, I have to roll up kale and sandwich it with celery, then ball up the pulp and put it back through the juicer again, then there is the cleaning....I ordered a Kuvings masticating juicer that was on sale, should be here Tuesday - I can't wait! I am loving the juice, but not the hassle part. I missed the Amazon sales on the Omega, and just couldn't spend $250-300 right now for one, so hopefully I will like the Kuvings.

I've found the pulp to make excellent cookies, sprinkle a wee bit of stevia, cinnamon, coconut flour and grated coconut oil, mix it up, roll it out on a cookie sheet, cook for 20 min at 350 - yum! I was going to feed the pulp to the dogs, or compost it, but this is surprisingly good!

astraea To the posters who like juicers, this is a question, not a judgement. When I asked my holistic doctor about getting a juicer, he said it was much healthier to eat fruit & vegetables as they came, not to bother just getting the juice out of them. Your thoughts?

I do think that it takes a lot of produce to make a much smaller amount of juice, and no one would normally eat that much, by way of whole fruits & veggies.

Sandra astraea, many people view veggie (some fruit) juicing as a healing art. It gives concentrated nutrition in an easily assimilated product. As a retired RN(over 40 yrs), I have seen many a treatment mode and juicing is at the top of the list
. One does not have to juice fast , just adding a 12 oz veggie juice to one's daily regimen can increase your vitamin, mineral, and enzyme intake greatly.

There is much to be said on the subject, but I'd hate to bore you to death (I have a tendency to go on and on). As a point of curiosity, you might consider watching the film by Joe Cross "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". It may answer some of your questions. You might, also, consider reading some of the articles on Mercola.com.

astraea Thanks Twinkle24!

arteshouse Thanks for this article on juicing. I got into juicing in a serious way a few years ago and saved for a champion juicer. I love it, it is a work horse and an added bonus is that it is still made in a small manufacturing shop in California. I completed a 7 day juice fast at least 3-4 times a year to stay healthy. I continue to add green juices to my daily routine and it amazes me how much energy you get from pure green juice. I also purchased a Vitamix that I use to make smoothies, and prepare fruits for fruit leather, etc. Cheers and to your health.

Deb Smith Great article! I've been juicing seriously for just over a year now after a diagnosis of Stage III breast cancer. I decided to go the natural route and chose the Gerson Therapy as my vehicle for healing. When nutrition is your therapy, your juicer has got to be a real work horse, reliable and able to get all the possible nutrients available from your fruits and vegetable. My juicer is a Norwalk 275. It's not cheap, but is built to last (12-year warranty). It has the masticating ability as well as a separate hydraulic press. There's really no nutritional value remaining in the pulp once the juice has been made. I go through about seven or eight pounds of carrots a day - and that's not counting the green juices. I love my Norwalk, I "couldn't live without it"! ;)

airfun Hi Astraea, I think your holistic doctor would be concerned about not getting the fibre, and drastically upping the sugar a person consumes. That was why I haven't had a juicer for years, and I limit carb/sugar, so wasn't sure if it would work for me. I think it has, I eat a lot of veggies and a little fruit, and a lot of veggies that are good for me, I either don't eat, or don't eat raw. So the way I use it is to juice lots of greens, with some other colourful veggies and maybe a slice of pineapple or apple. I've been finding about 6 oz of juice is a meal, I don't feel the sugar hits me too fast, and the fibre I eat just at a different time. The main thing is - there is no way, despite my best intentions I would chew to release all those goodies as effectively as juicing does :)

callisondesigner A few months ago I purchased an Omega Sunbeam in white (smaller version of what is shown). I use half the amount of produce to obtain twice the juice of my old centrifugal. After watching Joe Cross and Reboot, I hit the veggies harder. I've lost weight and cravings for unhealthy foods. I chose to juice since I can't consume the daily recommended amount of vegetables and fruits. But, it is best to consume the juice within a few minutes of juicing to obtain the enzymes and nutrients.
As for the carrot pulp, add chopped onions and celery, raisins or craisins, almonds or walnuts, blend with mayo based dressing and enjoy! Or, add the pulp to chili (you don't even know it is in there), or a creamy based soup such as butternut squash. I make relish from the cuke pulp. I can remove the screen on my juicer to process foods for relish. Fresh ground cranberries with an orange and apple, and adding a small amount of stevia is a wonderful accompliment to many dishes.

astraea @airfun - You're exactly correct! He also said that there's a big problem with the "raw food movement", because our stomachs aren't the same as the animals who've always been eating everything raw. He said we're not designed to get the full nutritional value, by eating some things raw.

arteshouse Ultimately eating and drinking well is healthier than eating the Standard American Diet (SAD). There is so much information out there on how to get healthy and stay healthy. The key is to stay informed and be open to new trends or information. I'm also on a healthy path and experimenting with vegan, raw, vegetarian cooking. I will likely never become a vegan but I know that adding healthier choices will make me and my family healthier overall. My quest for health has resulted in my adding new equipment to my kitchen: dehydrator, Vitamix blender, champion juicer, fermentation pot, yoghurt maker. A total of 5 new appliances in what was an already a fully equipped kitchen. Space in the kitchen has become an issue, bummer considering I have a new kitchen. My kitchen needs a complete rethink. Most of these new appliances are heavy, bulking and not easily moved so they are all sitting on my counter. Any ideas on how to deal with these new items in the kitchen would be appreciated.

morgana44 Having made the decision to lower my cholesterol I increased my high fiber vegetable intake and was rewarded, in less than six months, with normal cholesterol. Mind you this was after years and years of high cholesterol.

I know I couldn't eat all the veggies I need on a daily basis but I can get those nutrients by juicing. I think that's a win/win. And that's why I'm on this research mission regarding the best juicer for me.

tlehigh I have this juicer.. It is amazing! You do have to cut your fruits/vegetables to fit the, down the shoot, but it's easy to clean and easily juices everything! I've even seen someone's post who made ice cream using frozen fruit in this juicer. That's my next thing to try.. It's amazing though. We really love it, I would highly recommend it!

Elizabeth Smogurzewski twinkle ....love Dr Mercola

Trish Bought this juicer and can't stand it. Super slow and everything has to be chopped tiny to get into the chute. Would go for a bigmouth next time. As soon as this one sells on Craigslist. I use it mostly for making ice cream from frozen bananas.

alysia514 Juicing is such a great way to be healthy but if you don't want to go to the trouble you can use services like JusCleanse that make and deliver. I used it, and it's definitely the way to go if you live in Montreal, Canada!