Customer Reviews

Breville JE95XL Two-Speed Juice Fountain Plus

5 star:		(136)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

I have tried the Jack LaLanne Power juicer, the Breville JE900 (previous model) and this model. By far this one is the best one! First of all, the Jack LaLanne Power juicer had less power than the Breville series, and also the metal mesh screen had bigger holes. So a lot of the times, the juice produced wasn't really smooth. Because it was white it stained easily if you make a lot of carrot juice. Also, cleanup was more work because you have to unscrew the juicing blade every time for a cleanup.

Now onto the Breville series. Quick and easy cleanup, fine mesh screen so the juice is much more smoother, and more power! What makes the JE95XL better than the JE900 is mainly the two speed control. With the JE900, it was so powerful and fast all the time that when I juiced soft fruits like grapes and strawberries, the fruit wouldn't be juiced all the way. Sometimes, I find half-juiced grapes in the pulp container. So I got a lot less juice with the softer fruits. Also, once you turn it on, it goes full blast! So the juicer would move around on my counter.

With the JE95XL, the speed control allows me to use lower speeds for the softer fruits, and also they changed the motor so that once you turn it on, it starts slow than ramps up. This way the juicer doesn't move around when you turn it on. Also, the pitcher has a better lid, that allows you to keep the lid on while you're juicing. By far, this unit is the best juicer I've used.

OK I got this juicer just as soon as it came out. I read all the reviews of all the juicers I could find, and it was clear that Breville was the best way to go. And the raves were all about the previous model which had less power and only one speed. I love the juicer but I guess I was expecting a divine product by the review I read. I'll just say it is good quality without drooling all over about it...

PRO'S:
~Great Power
~easy to clean, (do it sooner rather than let stuff dry on)

~smartly designed electrical plug
~motor cannot run if parts are not locked together (for safety reasons)
~product has few angles and many curves, which makes cleaning easier since pulp/juice can be hard to reach where there are corners
~two speeds: fast for power, slow for soft items
~it really can make 8oz juice in 5 seconds!
~huge food chute can accomodate an entire apple... you save time not needing to cut many things pre-juicing.

CON'S:
~tomatoes - even on slow setting, the juicer doesn't effeciently grab all the juice of a tomato. perhaps do tomatoes first, then recycle the 'pulp' back through juicer to get more juice
~even though the plastic is durable and dark colored (to distract against discoloration) carrots do tend to stain it immediately.

The con's are really quite trivial but I thought I should mention them since I was expecting pure perfection based on the reviews I read. I love the product and I would not swap it for anything. Besides, it is extremely affordable for what you get out of it!

I had the Breville JE95XL juicer for a few months and was quite pleased with it. When my daughter visited from college she loved it and so, it went back to school with her.

After a couple of weeks, she called to say that the unit simply stopped working. (Recently she visited again and brought the unit to me.)

The first thing I did was a web search to see if there might be some helpful hints posted somewhere. I found nothing.

So, I read a number of the low ratings on Amazon for this make and model and found many stories that matched my daughter's experience.

Breville does not make it easy to service this, but it is servicable with a little bit of effort... here's how.

Poor Design, Inexcusable.
For an appliance like a juicer, a manufacturer should expect that users might overtax the motor from time to time. So, the solution they should have employed is a simple "reset" button on the bottom of the unit that will reset the circuit breaker, just like you might have in a garbage disposal.

But no, Breville decides to solder a fuse (the circuit breaker) onto the main board... so, once that fuse is overtaxed and is "blown," the unit, for most owners is useless, and having read some of the reviews here on Amazon, it also seems that Breville's customer service is virtually non-existent.

If you are moderately handy, you can do what I did:

Cut out the old fuse from the circuit board, and onto the wire leads of the old fuse, simply solder the wire leads to a fuse holder.

After that is done, when, and if, the fuse blows again, you can simply open the fuse holder, and replace the fuse after simply removing the bottom of the unit. It's not as good as a "reset" switch on the bottom of the unit, but it works just fine.

All this trouble and customer disappointment for a 35¢ part.

I still own a $2,000.00 Norwalk Press (juicer) and have owned two $150 and under juicers. After getting married, my 60 pound Norwalk never made it to the countertop. I actually stopped using the Norwalk about a year before because of all the prep and cleaning that went into using that juicer. The desire to drop about 15 pounds and to just eat healthier put me on a "buy a new juicer" qwest. I drove myself crazy reading every review of every $75 to $250 juicer I could find. I eventually narrowed my search down to three juicers.

I wanted little to no food prep time; and I wanted the machine to be as easy as possible to clean. Thirdly, I wanted a machine that was built well enough to at least last several years with daily use. I settled on this machine because Breville has won several design awards with their various products; and this juicer has a 3" round opening to feed the fruits and vegetables through (larger carrots are close to 2 inches in diameter). I was disappointed that this juicer only has a one year warranty; but I figured that was long enough for it to break through daily use if it was going to break. (Heck, I broke a Jack LaLane juicer in under a month.) I was expecting to just "like" this juicer and figured I would probably want something better in a year or two.

Well, Amazon got this to me in just three days during the holiday season. I immediately unpacked the unit and gave the four parts that touch the juice a quick wash. I lined the pulp catcher with a 4-gallon trash bag and I was ready to go. As I went to plug this juicer in I received my first pleasant surprise. My electrical outlets in the kitchen are so tight they are a pain to use and are the reason I never unplug anything if I can help it. This unit has an award winning electrical plug that your finger fits through and that allowed me to use the outlets in my kitchen without any hassle. Next I powered the unit on, and it starts out slow. Even at the higher speed, this unit is much quieter than the Jack LaLanne Power juicer I previously owned. The slower setting still juices carrots, apples, and celery just fine and is quiet enough to juice even after my young children have gone to bed. I have read about many juicers which "walk" across your counter when turned on; but this unit does not do that at all. Within seconds I had enough juice for all four of us in my family.

After drinking my juice, I decided to immediately clean the juicer (probably about 5 minutes after juicing). I popped the unit apart, and let the blade/basket set under running water while I quickly washed the other parts. When I got to the basket it was fairly clean just from the running water. This basket does not have a plastic upper rim like most of the other juicers I have seen; and so it cleans up quickly with the nylon brush that comes with the machine. I'd say within two minutes all was cleaned up and I was off to another task.

This juicer is well made, handles the pre-bagged apples I buy at my supercenter without any cutting, runs quieter than I expected, and is easier to clean up than I really expected. I am VERY happy with my purchase of this Breville juicer. My wife and kids like it so much, that by the end of day two it had a permanent place on our kitchen counter.

If you look at the earliest reviews (from 2002) concerning this juicer, a couple of units arrived DOA; but since then all the reviews have been great. I am told this is the best selling juicer currently here on Amazon, and if true it does not surprise me. I do not plan to juice lettuce or other leafy greens. No juicer like this will do that well. If you want a juicer that is easy to use, easy to clean, and is well made you will love this Breville JE95XL. It does not surprise me that Breville has won several design awards for thei products.

I just wanted to briefly add my personal endorsement for this product because I have enjoyed it so much. I won't try to recreate all the wonderful things already said about this juicer by other people here, but I will tell you that they are ALL TRUE. I also looked at the LaLane juicer at my local wholesale club for $99.00 and the Breville makes it look like a poorly designed, cheap toy, and for not much more money. The design of this machine makes it do its job extremely well, easy to clean, and a pleasure to use. I have experienced NONE of the few negative things posted here, which brings me to the apples. If you buy the ultra engineered, non organic, super apples at the grocery store then of course they won't fit in without cutting BUT if you buy a bag of organic apples, like you should be because thats why we are juicing is to improve our health and get rid of nasty things like pesticides, waxes, chemicals etc. then they will fit. You will probably want to cut your apples anyway because the seeds of apples contain very small quantities of cyanide and you are supposed to remove them before juicing anyway. I recommend 2 books to go with this machine, "The Juicing Bible" by Pat Crocker and "The Complete Book Of Juicing" by Michael T. Murray N.D. Get these 3 items and you will have all you need to make one of the most positive health changes in your life.

***UPDATE 08/27/05***

I just wanted to add this update for Breville customer service. After dropping my filter bowl surround it cracked. Yes I dropped it . . it was my fault . . I called Breville customer service to buy another one. The rep that came on the phone was very friendly, intelligent and courteous. I told her how much I loved my juicer but I had dropped and cracked the filter bowl and needed to buy a new one and she said no problem and SHE SENT ME A NEW ONE FOR FREE!!!!! They didnt even charge me for shipping! I was totally blown away. I said are you sure? I'm the one that broke it, its not the products fault and she said that it was cool and they would send it out that day. Well they did and I got it a few days later and wow . . all I can say is I love this juicer and Breville customer service has exceeded my expectations. They have a customer for life.

At least 3 times a week, if not more!
MY PRE-BUYING CONCERNS: My concern with buying my first juicer was just that. Would I use it regularly or would it be relegated to my cabinet dedicated to dinosauric, dusty appliances? (Actually, this new toy has me considering moving my blender to that cabinet--although I may start using both in concert for some beautiful smoothies)

WHICH BREVILLE TO BUY:So once I decided the Breville was my choice, I had to decide between the top of the line Breville (that beautiful beast that is forged in one metal piece) or this more plasticine model. This one beat the other by at least 100 bucks and it still looks great on the counter-- so the choice was easy. The motor is still very strong, and I'm a clean freak so I wasn't worried about the plastic staining, etc. (I have had no staining in the four months of use)

CLEAN UP CONCERNS: My second concern, which relates to the first, is what kind of chore would the clean up be? I put my trust in all the other reviewers here that assured me it was a quick clean up. You were right! I have everything washed and in the drainer in under 5 minutes. The only exception is sometimes the filter takes a little bit longer. I use an old oscillating electric toothbrush on it to really clean it finely (but I'm super nit picky) If you want to drink your juice and can't wait for the quick clean up, have a bowl waiting with soapy water and put your filter in there until you can get to it. Just quickly rinse the pulp out of the other parts until you can get to them. I definitely recommend following the tip of other reviewers and lining the pulp bin with a produce bag or any plastic grocery bag.

ACCESSORIES: I bought the Juicing Bible that other reviewers have recommended. A great choice, and I now keep it next to the juicer at all times for quick looks ups, i.e., "I have some ginger, what can I do with it?" Flip open the Juicing Bible to Ginger and see what drinks are made with it. Voila! I also use those GREEN BAGS and they are invaluable at keeping my vegies/fruit fresh until I can juice them. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED They keep the vegies from off gassing some kind of chemical that makes them break down fast. Make sure vegies/fruit are thoroughly dry before putting them in the bags,squeeze the air out and use a twist tie, or better yet the twixit quick bag sealers sold on Amazon. I have kept lettuce for weeks that way.

WHAT I HAVE "FED" MY BREVILLE:
I have juiced Beets (my Breville chewed'em up quick as lightning as if were saying "Is that all you got?") Ginger, cukes, grapefruit, oranges, watermelon, small WHOLE Bosc pears, small WHOLE Granny Smith apples (although I do try to cut out the seeds now unless I'm in a big hurry), rolled up Collard Greens, parsley (rolled in Kale or some other big leaf) and of course, carrots by the half dozen! I do try to buy organic, but I also use Trader Joe's vegie wash. On shopping days the kitchen is full of colanders of vegies and fruit in the process of being washed or drying.

HELPFUL HINT: I make my dog's food in a crock pot and I now add my juice pulp to it. Gives fiber to the food and he likes it. I imagine if you feed your dog wet food you could easily stir it into that as well.

THE NOISE FACTOR: Speaking of my dog, he's old and doesn't like loud sounds, (he pees himself when I use my hand blender!) With the Breville he doesn't seem to hear it at all. I mention that because others have said it was loud. I don't find the Breville loud, (I have an open plan type house and use it regularly while guests are still sleeping with no problem)

THE PAY OFF: When I drink a glass of freshly squeezed juice I immediately feel good, can't explain it, but it's like my body is saying "thank you". I must say Pears and Grapefruit are gorgeous together. I juice the grapefruit first then grab a little of the grapefruit pulp out of the pulp bin and throw it in the juice pitcher before I process the pears. My husband, who is not a health nut of any kind, has loved everything so far except the beets (I think it was the color that put him off). Also we like the FOAM, I would recommend trying the pitcher without the foam guard first to see what you like. I hope anyone that is considering buying a juicer will enjoy the Breville in good health!

I'd never heard of Breville but this is a nice appliance. Be careful when you align the lid with the pulp receptacle, if it's not aligned correctly you'll be hit by a thin but stinging stream of ejected pulp.

Overall it works QUITE well. The motor slowly ramping up is a nice feature. The industrial design is impressive. It's easy to clean. The taste of fresh juice is arresting, I can't believe I haven't tasted anything like it before, it's really great! I'm excited about being able to easily add vegetables I wouldn't otherwise prepare to my diet. I made some tomato-celery-carrot-spinach juice last night and it tasted fantastic! And it was filling!

The manual and cookbook that come with the juicer contains plenty of recipes -- you won't need a separate cookbook.

The price was excellent, but it was made in China. I'd be willing to pay more for a product manufactured in the USA. Good product, buy it, you'll be pleased.

Aug 06: I'm sorry to report that the motor in my juicer died all at once, too. I'm looking into getting it repaired.

I cannot compare the juicer to other brands since this one is my first (and only) juicer. I bought it here at amazon and used it regularly for about 10 months, then it died (more on that later). Here are some positive and negatives during the first 10 months:

+ easy to clean
+ durable blade, works as new after 10 mo.
+ pulp comes out clean (makes nice cakes)
+ package is complete with cleaning brush and recipe book
+ stable on the counter while juicing
+ noise level is acceptable

- chute could be less tall but a little wider
- foam filter could be better

I had two objectives in mind when I purchased it: fresh fruit juice as opposed to the stuff you get in bottles (the difference is like night and day!), decent price. I was willing to venture into other juicers if this one proved to be useless, but my budget for the initial attempt was around $100 (yes, it was on sale for $109).

After few months, I was glad to have read the reviews here and was very happy with the outcome. This was until the day that it stopped working. When it happened, I got a little disappointed and emailed the customer service for a warranty (3 years for the motor!) claim. Within 1 day I received a shipping label for the unit and a few days after it was replaced with a brand new one. It was a nice experience not to have a week-long run around to get something fixed. More importantly, Breville stood behind its product (hence, I have their panini press in the kitchen as well, indispensable for breakfasts!). All in all, excellent product and service. I would buy it again without hesitation.

This juicer was great until the motor went out 5 months after I got it. Breville won't process the warranty claim, despite the fact that they say it is covered. They are evasive, don't do what they say they will do, and the bottom line is that they haven't fixed or replaced it!

On the whole this is a very good juicer, especially for hard fruits and vegetables. It is terrific with apples. However, by nature of its type, it is not good at soft fruits.

The way this juicer works is that it shreds food quickly and relies on centrifugal force to separate the pulp from the juice. You are supposed to feed food in while it is running, and it goes very fast - so fast that there is no opportunity to put any squeezing action on by the plunger. Even on the slow speed, it's really too fast.

I have a large number of fruit trees and have tried a variety of foods in it. For stone fruits, you must remove the stone first. Through trial and error, I found that it worked better to just juice peaches in a blender instead. Grapes and berries did not work well at all - half of the juice went into the pulp. I do not use this juicer for them. Apples and pears work brilliantly. That pulp comes out very dry, and I usually make a tasty apple bread with it.

You can put whole (non-stone) fruit in, but if you have any worries that the fruit has bugs or decay you might want to take the time to cut them out and keep them out of your juice (or pulp). Similarly, if your food has a bitter skin or other bitter parts, take the time to cut it away before juicing.

It is very fast. I always spent more time washing and/or prepping fruit than juicing. It comes with a handy brush for cleaning. It is perfect for making one or two glasses at a time. You can feed assorted fruits in willy-nilly and end up with a tasty blend every time. My toddler loves the juice from the machine, and also begs for the popsicles I make from the leftovers.

If you want to make larger quantities (more than a small pitcher), or if you are working with soft fruit, you should investigate other types of juicers that use a pressing action. Look for a cider press or for another pressing type juicer intstead of one of these centrifugal types.