Finding a juicer that will work in Australia

December 15, 2004 11:02 PM

My very organic wife wants a juicer for Christmas - She likes the style, but it seems quite expensive. Any suggestions? - Also I am in Australia, so if possible, someone who ships international and supplies a 240 volt version
posted by Dag Maggot to food & drink (15 comments total)

switch her for an inorganic wife.
posted by joelf at 12:24 AM on December 16, 2004

but if she likes art pieces, I'd recommend the Philip Stark juice squeezer.

posted by joelf at 12:31 AM on December 16, 2004

Not sure if by style you mean look but if you do, that's the wrong reason to get that juicer. That type of juicer is more expensive because it can juice wheatgrass and other similar plants. Other juicers, such as a L'Equip, which is what I have, can't handle wheatgrass but are pretty good with most anything else (all fruits (except bananas) and vegetables). If she doesn't plan on wheatgrass, I'd say that the Champion (which is a kickass juicer) is not worth the expense.

If she will consider a centrifugal juicer, I highly recommend L'Equip. The juice is excellent and the company kicks ass. I busted mine (my own fault), two years after I bought it, and they FedExed me the broken part at no charge even though I couldn't produce a receipt. Then, six months later, my roommate broke it (human error, not a manufacturer problem) and L'Equip again replaced it.

They also make a handsome citrus juicer but I haven't tried it yet.
posted by dobbs at 2:20 AM on December 16, 2004

Oh, and if you're commited to the Champion, I see them often on eBay.
posted by dobbs at 2:22 AM on December 16, 2004

I just can't shut up. I just realized that L'Equip has a European office (Europe's 240 as well, no?) and that they also make a masticating juicer like the Champion.
posted by dobbs at 2:29 AM on December 16, 2004

Go with the Champion. We love ours. You will not be disappointed. The motor is incredible, never had any problems. Only downside is that it can be a pain to clean. In the long run you'll be saving money. By the time you need to replace the Champion you would have gone through five other machines.
posted by anathema at 3:16 AM on December 16, 2004

When I lived in Australia, I bought a Breville Juice Fountain at Grace Bros or somewhere like that. It sounds like a Cessna, but it works beautifully, still, 4 years later. I recommend it.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:25 AM on December 16, 2004

One thing to consider is whether the juicer you buy spits out the pulp versus those that collect it. I have an Omega Juicer (I've used the same model 1000 for 10 years, including every day for the last year), and it rocks WAY hard. My one complaint with it, though, is if the pulp gets collected off-center, the thing shakes violently and will actually move across the counter-top if I don't hold it still. It's a bit of a pain in the ass. This problem only began within the last year or so, so maybe it's got something to do with age. The juice still kicks ass, though.

Don't be deterred by what people say about clean-up - yes, it takes more of a commitment than simply opening a carton of OJ and pouring a glass, but it's eminently worth it.
posted by fingers_of_fire at 8:01 AM on December 16, 2004

Upon further research, this is what I'd recommend. A bit pricey, but built to last! Enjoy!
posted by fingers_of_fire at 8:03 AM on December 16, 2004

I have an omega juicer, too, and recommend it without reservation. It is solid, super fast, and guaranteed for 10 years. And clean up's not that bad as long as you use filters.
posted by mdn at 8:07 AM on December 16, 2004

I have a VERY powerful Breville juicer, and I like it a lot.

It's substantially cheaper than the other ones I looked at, and it does a great job, though it sounds like a jet engine. Cleanup is pretty easy (pulp doesn't get caught in the screen - it ejects out the back).
posted by Caviar at 10:41 AM on December 16, 2004

I've purchased two juicers.

1st: Omega 1000 :-(

2nd: Greenstar :-)

I purchased the Greenstar on the recommendation from an avid juicer (nutritional healing professional). Her comment: "I've tried them all (including Champion) and Greenstar beats them all."

Here's why I think I love the Greenstar...

1) Clean up is easy.

2) Clean up is fast.

3) Clean up easy.

4) It's a "pulp-ejecting" juicer, unlike the circular pulp-trapping/clogging (like my Omega 1000.)

5) Clean up falls below my unconscious threshold of "too inconvenient to actually make a habit of".

Assorted comments...

--) All the Greenstar products are identical -- it's only the "accessories package" that differs.

--) It juices grasses and lettuce.

--) If you get a circular pulp-trapping juicer (I don't think you should, though), you MUST get the paper liners, else clean up is even worse.

--) It's quiet. Yet aggressive.
posted by Moistener at 1:57 PM on December 16, 2004

Thanks all - I meant to say that she likes the Champion style. Cold pressing and all that.
posted by Dag Maggot at 3:22 PM on December 16, 2004

Oh yeah, I just remembered - this is basically the definitive juicer comparison chart (2 pages). This was very helpful in making my deicision.
posted by Caviar at 5:59 PM on December 16, 2004

Another vote for Omega. My 9000 is a few years old and gets used almost daily. It's incredibly simple and solid. It won't do grass (at least not well) so if you're into wheatgrass or the like it isn't for you, although it handles the overgrown stuff from the garden that's too coarse to eat that I throw into it all summer. Also, it may not be the best choice for huge quantities of juice, although I can do as much as a quart or more at a time without trouble. More than that and you'll need to stop to remove pulp. I don't use filters but find the clean up is so fast that it isn't necessary.

A girlfriend had a juicer with auto-pulp-ejection that sucked. I don't remember what brand. The ejected pulp still had tons of juice in it so we'd feed it through again, which was a pain. The clean up was harder - more parts to clean and those extra parts were harder to clean (long tube-like thing, e.g.)

Everyone that I've met that bought a Vitamix ended up selling it. It's presented as some kind of miracle machine put really it's a blender. An extremely expensive blender.
posted by TimeFactor at 6:50 PM on December 16, 2004