Customer Reviews

Omega 4000 Stainless-Steel 1/3-HP Continuous Pulp-Ejection Juicer

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

My experience is limited to the Omega 1000 and 4000. Both are very good machines, but one of them has some distinct advantages.

As the other reviewers have noted, this machine is very solidly built & should easily outlast the 15 year warranty. However, I think the model 1000 will probably last even longer.

Why? Because the 4000 is so much more pleasant to use that you will use it more, because the operating principle is a little different.

Both machines have a chute that you feed fruits & vegatables into. At the bottom of the chute is a stainless steel disc/blade that grinds up the food into a pulp.

On the 1000 model, the pulp is thrown out by centrifugal force into a drum that is just like a washing machine drum - it is perforated stainless that traps the pulp on the inside and allows the juice to strain out. Just like on a washing machine spin cycle, it is possible to get the contents out of balance so that the whole machine shakes & makes a real racket! This is very easy to do on the 1000 if you load apples or other foods with skins, because the skin will often stay intact so it has to go on one spot on the drum, throwing it out of balance like a pair of jeans. There are some "tricks" that help in this case, such as saving some carrots for this emergency. Many times feeding a carrot will stop the shaking.

Another consequence of the "spin-cycle" approach is that after you have feed a few pieces of fruit, the pulp in the drum can clog, trapping all the juice inside. This happens especially when you try to juice bananas, pineapple or strawberries.

The model 4000 works differently because the spinning drum is cone-shaped, which forces the pulp to ride up the sides of the drum for a brief period & then it flies out into a pulp ejector chute. This means the 4000 never gets the shakes like the 1000, and also the drum stays much cleaner, which allows you to keep juicing much longer. For example, this morning I juiced apples, carrots, celery and grapes in that order on both the 4000 and 1000. Although in both cases I got exactly 12.5 ounces of juice, the juice from the 1000 had no grape color and less grape flavor.

The other advantage of the 4000 is that it when you turn it off, it stops in just a few seconds. On the 1000, it continues to spin for much longer because of the heavy food in the drum, dribbling all the while and sometimes walking across your countertop!

So I give 5 stars to the 4000, and only 4 stars to the 1000. The 1000 does have an optional citrus juicing attachment that is rather nice. If you can't stand pulp, the 1000 also accepts some very inexpensive coffe-filter-like filters that virtually eliminate pulp from the apple-carrot-celery etc. types of juices. You really can't use it with tomatoes, strawberries, etc., because it will clog instantly.

Cleanup is pretty easy on both, once you get the hang of it. The only tricky part is getting the pulp out of the strainer. I use a stainless scrubby pad gently on both sides, which seems to work well on both models.

The 4000 gets the nod because it doesn't have any vices.

I got this juicer about a month ago, and I have been enjoying a fresh-squeezed juice ever since.

Having read all the great reviews here, I was a little disappointed with the fact that the pulp that comes out of it is far from being dry. In fact, it makes sense to throw that pulp back in to get some more juice out of it. For a "professional grade machine", I expected better performance in this area.

The chute for throwing in the fruits/veggies is a little small. If you think about throwing in a whole apple, forget about it. It has to be split at least in 4 to get in.

I found that the juicer's ejection tunnel gets clogged up with pulp fairly easily, so you often have to stop and clean it in up in order to continue to juice efficiently.

Important note about 15-year warranty. It's only for motor. All other parts carry 1-year warranty.

The machine is fairly loud, but that's what you expect of most juice extractors.

Cleaning is easy except for the strainer. It takes a bit more work and it is recommended to leave it for a while in soapy water before cleaning.

I like the fact that it's made in U.S.A., in fact it is "Made in U.S.A with pride". :)

* Update Nov 5, 2004*

Someone noted that my statement about warranty is incorrect. Here's an exerpt from the product manual:

"...The Basket and Blade assembly is warranted for one (1) year. Plastic parts warped due to high heat will not be covered under the warranty. This warranty does not cover breakage of any part in shipment or damage cause by misuse.
A service charge of $10.00 must accompany any unit over one (1) year old..."

If you remove "The Basket and Blade assembly" from the product, the only remaining part is the motor assembly. Hence, this is the only part that is warranted for fifteen (15) years.

When I worked at a health food store, we sold more of these juicers than any other kind. They come with an incredible warranty, and they seem to last forever. It wouldn't be uncommon to see someone come in and ask if we carried parts- some people would say, "I've had this juicer for 10 years, and I need a gasket..." Definitely would recommend it!

I've had this juicer for over a month now. I find it works extremely well. I find that I can get 16 oz. of juice from 2 medium apples, one carrot and one average-size orange. The pulp that comes out is fairly dry, and I am satisfied that this machine juices efficiently.

Unlike some of the more popular, less expensive juicers that you see on infomercials, you do have to cut your fruit and vegetables into pieces that fit in the chute. However, some of the juicers featuring extra-wide chutes really weren't designed to have those wide chutes. The manufacturers have just adapted earlier models by adding the wide chutes without changing the overall design to effectively juice whole fruits and vegetables.

This machine is made well enough to last many years. The plastic is very rugged and stain resistant. The steel is surgical stainless steel and will not rust.

Some reviewers mention problems with plastic parts cracking. I called the manufacturer and they told me this is a rare problem that is due to using a dishwasher to clean the unit. This is the same explanation I have read elsewhere on the web. (Although the instructions warn you not to use a dishwasher, the Omega rep I spoke with said they have replaced units damaged in this way.)

At least one review here states that the 15 year warranty is only for the motor. That is wrong. The 15 year warranty covers everything except the stainless steel blade. I called the company to confirm this before ordering. I could not find another juicer with a better or even comparable warranty.

The Omega 4000 is the best juicer I have owned. This is my 4th juicer. I started out with the cheap'o's (one was a juiceman jr). I mainly juice carrots with apples. They did not last long because the motors would burn up. I later spent the money and purchased an ACME brand juicer (spent over $300). The Acme juicer was powerful. It's drawback was that it had to be cleaned out if I wanted to make more than one glass of carrot juice. I really did not enjoy juicing with my big Acme, so it was eventually given away.

I purchase the Omega 4000 about (5)months ago. What I like most about this juicer is that it has a place for the pulp to go. I can juice without worrying about cleaning out the cutter basket. The pulp 'can' makes cleanup easy. The motor does not have any problem cutting the carrots I throw in.

I give this juicer 4 stars because it will vibrate and rattle on the counter at any given time--that is, sometimes it will vibrate and sometimes not. When the juicer does vibrate I have to apply pressure to the top of the juicer to stop the vibration. This isn't bad, but does hamper getting the carrots and apples into the machine. Putting the fruit and veggies into the machinge becomes a one-handed operation. I do not know what the problem is and have tried to shim the basket, but that did not help.

The manufacturer does carry a 15 yr warrenty on this machine, so if it does vibrate out of control or has some defect, I am confident that Omega will stand behind their warrenty.

I was a serious cyclist about six years ago and used a "Juiceman Junior" three times a day five days a week. I was initially impressed with the unit, especially for the price. Around a year later the bearings in the Juiceman gave up. About this same time, I was married and life took over. Now, seven years later I am looking to get back into cycling and juicing. I have looked at the Omega 4000 several times and compared it with others. I decided on this unit over others based on other reviews and the warranty. I used this unit as soon as it came in. I am happy to say that it performs beautifully. Rather quiet compared to the Juiceman, if I recall correctly. The pulp ejection worked fine and was much dryer compared to that (I feed product in rather slow) ejected from the juiceman. Clean up is no different from what I remember. In my opinion clean up is still too time consuming. Other than making the unit entirely out of stainless, I don't know how it could be easier to clean. If your as picky as me about "clean" a toothbrush works well for the mesh basket. One shot of seven carrots stained the plastic parts as I expected. I am sure by following the provided cleaning tips this can be removed. Plastic parts are; however, far more sturdy than the Juiceman. The juice produced from the Omega 4000 is fantastic, very light on "texture" or pulp. I have been rather hesitant on spending money on another juicer, but hopefully I have made the right choice. Others have commented on good customer support from Omega, that is encouraging. Out of the starting gate I am impressed with the performance of the Omega 4000. We will see what happens in the future, I intend to give this unit a workout! Don't get me wrong the Juiceman is a fair juicer for occasional use, especially for the price. If you are a serious juicer look elsewhere, possibly the Omega 4000.

My husband and I did our research before we bought this juicer. This one has a 15 year warranty! If you've never had juice from a juicer your in for a treat! It is so sweet (without the sugar) and delicious that you won't ever buy bottled juice again. The best part is that your not getting any sugar like the ones you buy in the store.

I had been reading about the benefits that you get from juicing and it seems to be good for whatever ailment you may have. I have all good intentions when I buy my fruit and veggies, but much of the time it goes bad before I can eat it all. This is a great way to get your daily intake of vitamins and minerals without having to overeat. Don't worry about it going bad, it will be gone before you know it.

I also like that it's easy to assemble, easy to take apart and easy to clean.

It does take some preparation such as washing the vegetalbes and fruits and cutting them to fit the shoot, but it's well worth it. However, you don't have to core or peal an apple just cut it into pieces that will fit down the shoot.

You can also use the pulp in baking breads and cakes. I haven't tried that yet, but from what I hear it really gives it a nice flavor.

If you've got kids who drink a lot of fruit juice, this is so much better for them. I have a friend who's seven year old son can't wait to drink his juice in the morning, and not just the fruit juice. Now that's amazing !

I highly recommend this juicer.

A satisfied customer

Prior to owning the omega 4000, I owned a juiceman junior. The omega 4000 is a neat machine that is very well made. I love the design and the juice does not have as much pulp in it compared to when I was using the juiceman junior.

That being said I hate the design of the spout. I researched this model all over the internet to make sure I was making a good choice and I am surprised that no one mentioned the design of the spout. I am thinking I have a defective bowl and spout. I just bought this machine and am worried that I am going to have to return it. When I first took it out of the box, there was black stuff in the spout...I finally was able to get it out..which is not easy because you need a tiny brush to get inside of the spout to get it clean...Also the inside flap of the spout has a bunch of rust? or something on it...it looks disgusting and dirty. It seriously looks like it is rusting away. I called omega and they say that it is mineral deposits and that I should soak it in cascade dishwasher soap (after 2 uses to have such corrusive stuff on there is insane and I can't imagine if that is normal, what it will look like in a month)...I have done that and it did not take the rust colored stain away. I am disappointed. I have called a local store that sells omega products and they say that no one has ever complained about this issue and that they think I have a defective part. I am calling again to see if they will replace the bowl. So far I am unhappy with their customer service. It seems they do not want to send me a replacement bowl...I thought investing in a more expensive juicer would mean that it would be good quality and would last longer...so far I am not impressed. If the company will not send me a replacement bowl, I am returning this juicer. I am disappointed that they are not making a better effort to make sure their customers are satisfied.

I've tried just about every juicer there is for juicing Carrots.....I've even owned several very expensive models.....Norwalk Press, Nutrifaster N450, and the Ruby 2000. I've tried the Breville Juice Fountain, Samson 6 in 1, Omega 8003, etc., etc. The Omega 4000 has them all Beat....WY
P.S. The feed chute is now large enough to handle all but the very largest Carrots.

We need a replacement for our Juiceman Jr and after some research settled on the Omega 4000. Compared to the Juiceman, this thing is fabulous. The first one we received had some issues with one of the safety sensors on the lid latch, and the unit would not turn on until we opened and closed the latch several times. Amazon replaced the original promptly and we've been very happy with its performance.

It juices everything we've tried effortlessly, including carrots which gave our Juiceman a real workout, causing it to rumble, grind and sound like it was about to explode. We are impressed with the 4000's quiet efficiency.

The unit is reasonably easy to take apart to clean, though we are not thrilled with the screw assembly that holds the blade in place. It's too easy to lose and you have to be careful to make sure the blade is properly seated.

Some minor negatives. Make sure the blade has stopped moving before you attempt to remove the lid. If you do this while the blade is moving it can cause the plastic chute to come into contact with the blade and tear apart the plastic tube.

Also, the spout continues to drip well after you're finished juicing and if your juice cup is full, you are likely to wind up with juice on the counter while swapping cups. It also sputters sometimes, splattering juice around the counter.

Overall this as an excellent juicer with very minor flaws.

Update 2010: Still using this juicer. Recently one of the clamps that hold the lid/chute assembly on cracked. I e-mailed customer service and received no response. Called and kept getting voice mail. Left a message and did not receive a return call. Finally I got a live person who advised me to send in the broken part and they would send me a replacement. Did that and a month later nothing. Called again and the person I spoke with said there was no record of their receiving the part (their fault or USPS, who knows?). Anyway he promised to sent a replacement latch and 3 days later I received two latches in the mail, so now I have an extra. Customer service could have been more responsive, but in the end they came through.

Note that when I spoke with the Omega rep he mentioned that there are two different style bowl/lid/chute assemblys. I had to describe mine to him so he could send me the correct latch. Since I've never had the clogging and splattering issues that some others here have described, I suspect that they redesigned the bowl/lid/chute assembly to address those issues (notice that most of the complaints are much older).

We've also learned that if we tilt the unit forward when we are done juicing a little remaining juice in the bowl will come out, so doing this eliminates the dripping issue I mentioned earlier.

Still very happy with the Omega 4000.