Momma Mac, who loves her veggie juices, has had a Jack Lalanne's Ultimate Steel Power juicer in her home that she never used. Today, she asked us to make her a juice, but she wanted to try it in the juicer rather than the Vita-Mix. Of course, she wanted us to keep the juicer in our home. Another contender in the Battle of Counter Space.
The juicer was pretty easy to assemble. The juicing process was quick and easy. Then, the clean-up was a bit of a pain, having to disassemble and clean each part...before I found out that the many of the components can be put in the dishwasher!
Now, the juice. I made a beet-apple-carrot blend with some celery, cucumber and parsley to boot. A mix I've made many times in my Vita-Mix. However, this time with the juicer, there seemed to be more flavor, where I could taste everything, rather than the end result of a mix. Not to say that the Vita-Mix would have done a bad job...it does a great job. It just that juicing without the pulp seems to bring out more in each fruit and vegetable used.
Compare-Contrast Time:
Vita-Mix:
Pros: One system that doesn't require disassembly or a major effort to clean; Whole fruit juicing is easy. Great when making smoothies, especially with fruits like bananas and mango. Works well with smaller berries, like blueberries. The blade is super-powerful and doesn't require much effort to push fruits and veggies towards the blade. Doesn't take up much room on the counter.
Cons: If you don't like pulp, then it's not the way to go. May require adding water to get to a juice-like texture. Warms up if running too long.
Juicer:
Pros: Easy to put together. Juicing is pretty easy. Juices seem to have more flavor and you can taste each ingredient. Depending on your model, you can clean components in the dishwater.
Cons: Cleaning, if you don't have a dishwasher. Having to disassemble each time to clean. The leftover pulp. A bit cumbersome and clunky. Can take up a good amount of room on the counter.
I can't say I would pick one over the other for overall use. I think it comes down to the type of juice you're looking to make. If you want a smoothie, a fibrous, pulpy juice or one with mango or banana, then go with the Vita-Mix. If you're going with a straight up juice made from larger or more solid ingredients, then go with a juicer.
Having tried both today, I'll probably switch off or use both.
This evening, I tried something a little different. A Mango Salsa Juice with the following:
The juicer was pretty easy to assemble. The juicing process was quick and easy. Then, the clean-up was a bit of a pain, having to disassemble and clean each part...before I found out that the many of the components can be put in the dishwasher!
Now, the juice. I made a beet-apple-carrot blend with some celery, cucumber and parsley to boot. A mix I've made many times in my Vita-Mix. However, this time with the juicer, there seemed to be more flavor, where I could taste everything, rather than the end result of a mix. Not to say that the Vita-Mix would have done a bad job...it does a great job. It just that juicing without the pulp seems to bring out more in each fruit and vegetable used.
Compare-Contrast Time:
Vita-Mix:
Pros: One system that doesn't require disassembly or a major effort to clean; Whole fruit juicing is easy. Great when making smoothies, especially with fruits like bananas and mango. Works well with smaller berries, like blueberries. The blade is super-powerful and doesn't require much effort to push fruits and veggies towards the blade. Doesn't take up much room on the counter.
Cons: If you don't like pulp, then it's not the way to go. May require adding water to get to a juice-like texture. Warms up if running too long.
Juicer:
Pros: Easy to put together. Juicing is pretty easy. Juices seem to have more flavor and you can taste each ingredient. Depending on your model, you can clean components in the dishwater.
Cons: Cleaning, if you don't have a dishwasher. Having to disassemble each time to clean. The leftover pulp. A bit cumbersome and clunky. Can take up a good amount of room on the counter.
I can't say I would pick one over the other for overall use. I think it comes down to the type of juice you're looking to make. If you want a smoothie, a fibrous, pulpy juice or one with mango or banana, then go with the Vita-Mix. If you're going with a straight up juice made from larger or more solid ingredients, then go with a juicer.
Having tried both today, I'll probably switch off or use both.
This evening, I tried something a little different. A Mango Salsa Juice with the following:
- 1 Mango
- 1 Tomato
- 1/4 Cucumber
- 1/2 Large Bell Pepper
- Handful of Cilantro
- 2-3 Clove of Garlic
- Dash of Cayenne and Tabasco
