Customer Reviews

Healthy Juicer - Manual Hand Powered Wheatgrass Juicer - Wheat grass juicer

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

Pros:
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1. Very compact: It takes less counter/table space than a small plate. Most of the electrics (except the L'Equip mini and the Waring JEX 328) are major space hogs.

2. Very efficient: Masticating juicers extract more juice than the centrifugal models. Perhaps more importantly, they do a better job of crushing tough plant cell walls and releasing enzymes - think minced garlic versus chopped garlic. (Whether or how much added health benefits this results in, depends on what you juice. It's hard to get good info on this, but plant enzymes typically help in breakdown and better absorption of nutrients.)

3. Cheap (Check out their Ebay listing - it's $10 cheaper over there.) If you don't want to drop upwards of $250 on an electric masticating juicer, or aren't sure whether you'll stick to it, this one's worth a try.

4. Easy to clean

Cons:
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1. The hopper's a bit small, which means you'll be reloading frequently. This seems to be the trouble with masticating juicers in general (including the electrics), but the Z-star manual juicer (also available on amazon, though at twice the cost) has a somewhat bigger hopper.
UPDATE: see effort section below.

2. As I haven't used this long enough, I can't say how durable it is, though it seems very tough and well-made. (The auger tip and the surface it crushes against are both stainless steel, and all the rest is polycarbonate.)

Juicing effort:
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Turning the handle: Effortless for leafy veggies, very little effort for carrots and firm veggies, provided you cut them into smaller pieces first. Don't expect to be able to throw a whole carrot or radish in. The reviewer that claims that you need to be a weightlifter to turn this thing was funny, but wildly off the mark.
UPDATE: Curiously enough, on trying red cabbage, the juicer groans, esp. with largish pieces. I noticed that the juicing effort is quite sensitive to the size of the pieces - with smallish pieces, not only is less turning effort required, but the produce doesn't need pushing either. This lets you feed and crank the handle at the same time, making the process faster.
All in all, though, this idiosyncracy counts as a negative point, and I'm lowering my rating to 4 stars.
UPDATE 2: When juicing cabbage, drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the chopped cabbage - this completely eliminates the groaning (which happens due to friction between the rubbery leaves and the juicer body).

Cleaning: better than the electrics in this department because of fewer parts and simpler design. Cleanup is a major part of juicing effort, so I count this as a pro.

Cutting: For firm veggies, you'll have to cut them into smaller parts (no perfect julienne required; just a quick, sloppy chop would do.) Even so, this adds a little bit to the effort, so if you primarily want to juice firm veggies, you should look at an electric.

Setup: Very easy (again, from the simpler design).

I just bought one of these and have to say that my expectations were pretty low. This is the second manual juicer I have bought and the first one was useless.

A few things I really like about this juicer:
1. It's manual, which alot of people seem to be saying is a "con" of the juicer, but I think it's awsome. You use no electricity, you can take it anywhere, and you even get a little arm excersize while using it. SO to those whimps who are complaining about the hand crank I say to you go out and spend your $250 on an electric one and quit bashing this great little unit! I mean seriously, it's not like the company advertized that the juicer would crank ITSELF.
2. The juicer came with several extra parts. I was pleased to see that the juicer came with extra of the items most likely to wear out or break, such as bushings etc. I am an auto mechanic, so I don't guess I am really qualified to say that it was "easy" to put together, but I had not trouble at all. There are instructions, as well as a dvd that DEMONSTRATES exactly how to put the thing together (not that I needed to use either of those). Pause it...slow motion...whatever you have to do to get this thing put together because I assure you it will be worth it.
3. Juice yield. I have to say that I just recently bought a hydraulic press juicer, which is supposed to have the highest yield of any juicer type, and when compared to this little unit I can guarantee I will be using my "healthyjuicer" more than I will that juice press. The amount of juice that this little thing extracts is amazing to me...my mom has one of the green power TWIN GEAR juicers, which are supposed to be the best all around electric juicer you can buy and I think that this little manual one has dryer pulp than what comes out of her $350+ juicer! I was also afraid that it would ONLY be good for wheatgrass and lettuce and stuff, but the first thing I did when I got it was run some carrots through there and it did great! Most other juicers are either good at leafy vegetables and not so good at harder vegetables or vice versa...this one seems to excel at both!

I just can't say enough about this little juicer...the price, the weight, the ease of use and ease of cleaning are enough to offset ANY drawback that anyone has listed in these reviews. My motive for writing this review: I want LOTS of people to go out and buy these things so that the company continues to make them so that down the road when mine finally DOES wear out I will be able to get another one.

I use this juicer for juicing leafy greens and wheatgrass, and it performs outstandingly well. Assembly, cleaning, etc., are straightforward and quick. The product is very effectively designed and produces high quality green juices that are not exposed to heat and oxidation that can occur with high-speed, electric masticating juicers. I have a (pricy) Champion juicer that I use for juicing carrots, beets, etc., but for greens and grasses, this inexpensive little machine is definitely the way to go.

I've had the L'equip 509 Visor Juicer for around 6 months, and it did all right until I started juicing wheat grass. Now the machine's auger is bent and the end keeps popping off. I was going to buy a Sampson Kyoto, but I thought I'd try this little manual juicer. I figured I could always use it as a back up.

This little gem is giving more juice yield than the Visor, doesn't seem to take any longer to juice, much easier to clean (the Visor cleans very easy), no foam, turns even slower than the electric models, and it is so quiet. I seem to have developed a nice little rhythm that is so peaceful, and I get to drink cool juice with no foam. Now, with higher yield, I can grow less grass, and save electricity. I know that it is not much, but...

I'm going to buy another one of these Healthy Juicer - Wheatgrass and Vegetable Juicer, and now they've knocked another 10 bucks of it, so it is indeed a deal.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002LY8PA/qid=1110700317/br=1-18/ref=br_lf_k_18//104-6138410-5731926?v=glance&s=kitchen&n=289928

I have had this juicer for over 1 year. It does wheatgrass,
greens, and fruits and vegetables. Instead of having two
juicers one for wheatgrass and one for fruits and veggies
this works great and is affordable. Certain people who are
mechanically challenged should get the DVD or go online to
assemble it, but it comes partially assembled. Very easy to
assemble, disassemble and clean. Works even without electricity
on a picnic table or travel with it. I have used it in a hotel,
and on the road. It is very light weight where most other juicers are 15-25 pounds in weight. This is an incredible buy
and good for one or two persons juicing. If you are looking at
a house full of people it takes time to juice, but the low RPM
no heat gives you the freshest juice while not distroying fragile
enzymes like a high power juicer. Kids even like to make their
own drinks -- and naming them, this is without all that added sugar to hype them up. Every household should have one and now
everyone can afford to juice!!! No need for that $200 -$1,500
expensive heavy juicer NO NO. One downside, the handles do
crack if you load it up with carrots or overstuff with wheatgrass
but they are easily replaceable call the Company. Also they
have a website if you need help or ideas.

So, from what I gather, you've pretty much got two kinds of juicers: centrifugal, and macerating; with centrifugal juicers being generally of the high-rpm electric grating/spinning variety, and macerating juicers being generally of the low-rpm auger (think drill-bit)/press variety.

The important thing here (again, from what I gather), is that, due to the friction/heat inherent in how they operate, centrifugal juicers tend to destroy the beneficial enzymes normally found in fresh produce; whereas macerating juicers, due to their low rotational speed/temperatures, do not. Additionally, macerating juicers are not only more efficient than their centrifugal counterparts (thus, using less produce/producing more juice), but also extract juice from the nutrient-rich peel of your produce, yielding a 'healthier' juice overall.


With that, it's obvious that macerating juicers are totally sweet and awesome, while centrifugal juicers are pretty lame. Or at least, macerating juicers are totally sweet and awesome, if you're ready to drop ~$250+ on one.

This, of course, is where the 'Healthy Juicer' comes in. At less than 1/4 of the cost of most electrical macerating juicers, it certainly seems like a steal... but is it all just too good to be true?

As for that: I'm happy to say, while not 'a steal', per se, the 'Healthy Juicer' is certainly a good deal. There is some prep-work involved insofar as chopping your produce into the smaller pieces that this juicer can handle, but I've run thorough apples, carrots, beets, cucumbers, grapes, celery, lemons, oranges, and leafy greens; and the unit has worked wonderfully: the pulp comes out dry, the juice is delicious, and clean-up is quick and easy.

That said, my only complaints about the 'Healthy Juicer' are that it could stand to be a bit larger (allowing for larger bits of produce), and made of less plastic/more metal. All-and-all, this juicer deserves a solid 4-stars for being a great deal, and for working 100% as-advertized.

The end.

Please don't pay any attention to the negative reviews on here. I've read through them all, and my conclusion is that they are all a little bit...slow. I mean, one lady gave it 1 star because she couldn't figure out how to assemble it! What? People, if you can't figure out how to put this thing together, you have problems. Several other brainiacs gave it 1 star because they can't seem to put the catch cup in the right place. Once guy said he kept hitting it with the crank. I don't understand. There is only 1 possible place to put the catch cup. If you're hitting it with the crank, it's not in the right place. Move the cup. Another 1 star person was angry that it took too long to juice 12oz of carrot juice. Sigh. This is a single auger juicer. It's specifically designed for grass and leafy greens. Why would you buy a wheatgrass juicer to juice carrots? If you want lots of carrot juice, buy a centrifugal style juicer. The spinning shredder disk on those is designed to chew through bunches of carrots in no time.

That being said, you CAN juice carrots with the healthy juicer. I juice them every day. Usually just 1 or two to go along with my collards, kale, parsley, and celery. You have to cut them in thin strips first. Not julienne or anything that tiny, but you don't want a huge chunk of carrot stopping up your auger. Cutting a carrot takes approximately 20 seconds though some of the 1 stars would tell you what a humongous hassle it is.

Several others complain about how it doesn't juice apples or oranges. Well, it can. Just not by themselves. Again, this is an example of using the wrong tool for the job. If you want straight orange juice, get a citrus squeezer. Plain Apple juice? Centrifugal juicer. Although it's not specifically designed to juice oranges and apples, it will still juice them as long as you have something substantial to run through it after the oranges. Like a carrot. Or a couple stalks of celery. Or some collards. I encountered this problem when I first got the juicer and I then blogged about it. http://mentalbiscuits.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/im-juicy/ It IS possible to successfully juice soft fruits like oranges, tomatoes, and cucumber. You just have to remember to juice them first and then run a carrot or something through to help press out all of the pulp.

A list of things I've successfully juiced so far:
celery
carrots
green cabbage
red cabbage
bok choy
parsley
cilantro
collards
kale
mustard greens
turnip greens
watercress
spinach
beets
beet greens
swiss chard
bell peppers
onions
garlic
apples
pears
oranges
grapes
cantaloupe
honeydew
lemons
limes
blueberries
raspberries
strawberries
cucumber
tomatoes
zucchini
sweet potato

Strangely, I've never used my wheatgrass juicer for wheatgrass, so I can't speak to that functionality except to say that you should expect to use a lot of grass to make a couple ounces of juice. That's just the nature of the beast. There's just not that much juice in wheatgrass.

As far as pulp goes, I've NEVER had an issue with wet pulp. My pulp is always super dry compared to the pulp from a centrifugal juicer. If you've got wet pulp, you're doing something wrong. Watch the how-to video on the Lexen website if you're having trouble. Personally, I always use the little white wheatgrass cap regardless of what I'm juicing. Seems to extract more juice that way. I love my juicer. If it ever breaks, I'm buying a new one.

For the money, the healthy Juicer works great!! This is the perfect item to get if you are just getting into the idea of juicing. There is no sense in spending hundreds of dollars only to have the juicer sit on your shelf or get sold at a garage sale for pennies on the dollar. The Healthy Juicer is easy to use and clean, and can crank out a decent amount of juice with a little bit of work. I like it best for wheatgrass. It extracts the liquid well without waste. If you are interested in just working with wheat grass, then this is an item you definitely want to purchase!!

This machine puts out the juice. I was pessimistic at first based on the all mostly plastic parts, but this machine is solid! My only complaint is using it for wheatgrass. It takes
quite a bit of those box types of wheatgrass you buy at the store. I think the juicer would be perfect for the leafy type greens and wheatgrass if the tube that processes it were of a smaller scale. It was excellent at crushing tomatoes and celery. Definitely would recommend this product to anyone wanting to make their own juice. Customer service is by far the best I have encountered on-line.

Please don't buy this if you think you are going to be juicing carrots and apples and other hard vegetables. Because it is manual, it would take anyone forever to get a 12 oz. glass of carrot juice. I can get a glass of carrot juice in less than 1 minute with my centrifugal juicer which is a Juiceman pro. But, a centrifugal juicer can't do what this little juicer can do, juice grass and leafy greens.

I have mixed feelings about this little juicer. First the pros. This juicer does a fine job of juicing wheatgrass. The pulp is dry and it is not hard to crank. Cleanup is fairly easy. It is portable. It is cheap. You get a slick dvd and extra parts. In an emergency this juicer would be an ideal survivor tool.

Now the cons. The so called indestructible plastic auger cracked after the first two weeks of juicing wheatgrass. I have to send it back for a replacement. Sometimes the crank hits the clamp or the edge of the counter. That means I have to readjust the clamp to make sure it is on correctly. Not a big problem but something you have to be careful about. If the lip on your kitchen counter does not protrude out far enough, the clamp might not attach properly. We actually have to open the dishwasher in order to have enough clearance for the clamp to attach under the kitchen counter. I ended up juicing in my backyard attaching the unit to the side table of my grill because of the clamp, the clearances and the drippy mess.

Next, the designers decided it would be best to reverse the threads of the end cap. That means in order to tighten it, you turn it counter clockwise. This is the opposite of every standard thread on the planet. It's confusing. In order to take off the end cap after juicing, you have to use the wrench supplied and use a moderate amount of force. I don't like it.

Also, the hopper body is hard to slide off the locking base. Sometimes I really have to push it. Next, the juice cup is very close to the handle crank. You have to be careful not to knock over the juice cup as you are cranking. Not a huge deal but again, something you have to put up with. Lastly, when you slide off the hopper, there are some drips. Because you must attach the locking base close to the edge of a counter, that means some drips on the kitchen floor. It can get messy.

I bought an Omega 8005 electric juicer three weeks after buying this healthy juicer. The omega is terrific and has none of the problems I have with the healthy juicer.

//(One year later.......)//

After growing and juicing wheatgrass for over a year now, I can't imagine using a manual juicer. If you know you are going to be juicing grass as a way of life, I would save my money and buy an electric juicer such as the Omega.