The Path to Purer Juice?

Omega Juicer
PHOTO: OMEGA

Product Reviewed:
Omega 8006 Juicer

While I enjoy an occasional carrot-ginger-orange juice from my local health food store, I’ve never tried making my own. Smoothies? Yes. But cold-pressed, pulp-free, fresh vegetable or fruit juice? Not once, and for a good reason: My New York City kitchen has no space for another appliance. Plus, with the relatively high cost of juicers, I’m very selective about which appliances come in the door.

There are two main types of juicer: centrifugal and masticating. A centrifugal juicer works by spinning foods at super-high speed to create a pulpy liquid, while a masticating juicer such as the Omega 8006 slowly squeezes and mashes foods to extract juices. Because they work at low speeds, masticating juicers have two distinct advantages over centrifugal juicers. First, they’re much quieter (you can use the Omega 8006 and not wake a sleeping baby or puppy). Second, they don’t heat up. Therefore, they create what many people find is a purer-tasting and more delicious juice.

If you’re interested in juicing greens such as kale, a low-speed masticating juicer is your best bet, as it extracts more liquid from the vegetables. Keep in mind, however, that you need a lot of raw material to create just a little juice with a masticating juicer. I used a big bunch of kale, six large carrots and a cup of pineapple wedges — all of which yielded less than six ounces of juice. That said, in my opinion, with juicing, less is more. Since juice is so concentrated, you don’t need a 64-ounce growler of it. Savor a small portion instead.

In addition to people who simply enjoy the taste of juices, this product would be a blessing for those who have difficulty chewing or manipulating hard, solid foods. Conditions such as tooth loss, thrush, mucositis and jaw pain can make it difficult — if not impossible — to manage whole raw vegetables and fruits. Sipping juice may be more doable and provide similar refreshment and nourishment as eating the whole foods. The Omega 8006 also can be used to puree certain foods, but seemed to work less well for this function than its primary purpose. If you want to make hummus, pasta or soup, I’d suggest sticking with a regular food processor.

Cara Anselmo on Twitter
Cara Anselmo

Cara Anselmo, MS, RDN, is a nutritionist and certified yoga instructor in New York City. Follow Cara on Twitter.