Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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392 of 396 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
not perfect, but an excellent value (plus regular vs deluxe), March 22, 2005
Overall I think it's a great juicer, particularly for the budget conscious novice; the price is appealing and the quality is good. There is no need to buy disposable filters and the main source of labor lies in washing which is initially something to get used to. The amount of juice it extracts is good as far as I can tell, though the pulp is not perfectly dry*, but the juice is thick and not clear, so if you want very clear juice perhaps this juicer isn't for you.
*Now for my explanation on the pulp. Apples for example, frequently result in very thin slices being discarded into the pulp collector. That doesn't thrill me. Also in general, despite the pulp being dry, I discover on dismantling the juicer there's a good amount of wet juicy pulp that's stuck to the inside (think: apple sauce). The TV demonstration's somewhat misleading on their claim of this juicer's superiority in extracting juice completely from fruits and vegies.
As mentioned by others, the parts are plastic, so take care in washing well. For me the green side (scour pad) of the sponge will remove a great deal of the staining, especially if you clean it right after using, but be gentle, because you don't want to scratch it up and create more crevices for stains to seep.
By the way, you do still need to cut the fruit, like large apples and oranges which cannot be fed into the chute. But of course, the preparation process is lessened as peeling and de-seeding is an optional step. Be careful when you use this juicer on harder veggies like beets, though. The way I get around this is by cutting them down and alternating with another type of veg/fruit. Fortunately I haven't had any problems by following the suggestions outlined by the LaLannes, but I can definitely sense there's a limit.
REGULAR or DELUXE?
Soon after purchasing my regular model I found the deluxe at the local wharehouse store for the same price. I bought that one, too, and compared. I discovered there is absolutely no difference in the machine itself. The deluxe simply comes with extras, which boils down to figuring out whether you find the price difference (if there is any) worth paying for the following:
- an extra blade
- a brush (very useful in cleaning the strainer, but a very generic kitchen tool)
- large measurement cup (again, useful, but generic and superfluous if you juice directly into your glass)
- juicer platform and overflow platform (these would be better if they latched onto each other so there's some stability and utility)
- an extra blade-remover
- a bonus book entitled TOTAL JUICING
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108 of 110 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Why we juice, May 26, 2008
It seems like a lot of these reviews are written by beginners who are reviewing the practice of juicing itself, rather than reviewing the machine for which this page is all about.
To new juicers who haven't ever juiced before: Yes, there is clean-up involved. Yes, there will be organic particulate matter in the juice-machine made juice (this is actually a good thing), much more so than heavily strained 'store bought' juices. If you're looking for a magic machine where you can throw fruits and veggies into a chute and out pops a bottle of Welches, sorry. That's Star Trek, not juicing... and even if that's what the juicer accomplished, if that's what you want, then why buy a juicer in the first place?
The reason we juice is because we want our juices to be totally natural, without additives and preservatives, and with all of the nutrients inherent to the fruit or veggie left intact. You do not get this when you buy a bottle of crystal clear juice at the supermarket. The sacrifice we make for the superior juice is effort and higher cost. The reward is juice that is hugely superior to anything you can buy in a bottle.
Anyway, on to the machine.
This is an exceptional entry level machine. If you buy one and find yourself so enamored by juicing that you want to totally incorporate it into your life, you can eventually consider moving on to a Greenstar or a Breville. For everyone else, this machine is a great starting point and for most of us, is the ending point as well.
I own 4 juicers, running the spectrum of quality from $19.95 to $300. The Lalanne has become the workhorse of the lot. In comparing the LaLanne Classic to the other juicers, it's very apparent that it seriously outperforms the lower quality juicers in the way of juice extraction, and is actually comparable to the higher end units- the difference certainly isn't more than their respective differences in cost. On certain online discussion forums, "Juicer Snobs" often laugh at the Lalanne, but I would wager that these people haven't ever compared one to their $400 unit. If they had, they might be regretting their pricier purchase.
The feed chute is nice and large, and the powerful motor is strong enough to really wring out the fluids. No, the pulp doesn't come out 'completely dry' (as they suggest on TV) but the machine does a very good job in separating and anyone who is used to a cheapie juicer will be very impressed.
Clean up isn't that bad on the Lalanne. One thing any long time juicer will tell you is that clean-up should always be done right away. The moment you are finished juicing your F&V's, toss the components into the dish washer and clean your blade immediately. Trust me on this- it will save you a lot of time and headache. What takes two minutes to rinse and scrub off immediately after juicing can become a 1/2 hour chore if it's left to dry and stick.
The machine has a lifetime warranty on the motor (which is the only part you really have to be concerned about) but bear in mind that the warranty is for the original purchaser only, so if you get one as a gift, you will definitely need the receipt. If you get one second hand, you're pretty much out the warranty (I've never had to use the warrant service, but reports have it that they're pretty good and relatively quick). The "return postage fee" for motor service is $29.95 plus another $20 that it will cost you to send it in, so I would suggest that if it ever does break, keep an eye out for a new-used one, rather than having the old one rebuilt. You can get Lalanne juicers that were very lightly (if ever) used for $50-$60 on Amazon, Craigslst and other sites... Juicers suffer from "Exciting Kitchen Appliance Syndrome" where a lot of people buy them, use them once then stick them under the counter and forget about them. This is good for second hand buyers.
Anyway, that's all. Overall, four stars of five. It's not a $400 juicer, but it's very close and of course, it doesn't cost $400 either.
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65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
SCREWED AGAIN!, April 4, 2008
Several years ago, after watching the famed strongman sell his product on an infomercial I decided to make an investment in my health & I purchased "The Power Juicer." Initially, I was impressed. All claims seemed to be confirmed, quiet, powerful, and I wasn't naive to the amount of cleaning that would be required & quickly adapted a routine that made the cleanup fairly painless. About 2 months after my purchase, I noticed the plastic screw that the blade connects to, was cracked. I talked to the Power Juice people & they sent me a new one after returning mine to them. I recall being quite pleased with the way this was handled.
Fast forward to about 2 weeks ago. I hadn't used The Power Juicer for some time & when I started assembling it I heard a crack when I started screwing the blade in - you guessed it, that very same screw had completely cracked off.
After considering the effort in contacting the Power Juice people, packing up & mailing said juicer along w/ $30.00 for the return, I made a bold move. I went online & purchased a used juicer for $10.50 + 15.00 shipping. The pictures looked good & it was missing the pulp basket. WHAT A BARGAIN! When the juicer arrived I unpacked it & immediately inspected this screw. It was cracked.
I have to say I was more angry at "The Power Juice company then the person I purchaed this juicer from. I've seen this in other products as well & it absolutely drives me bonkers. Think about this, the very powerful motor- which it is, and that they guarantee for life, is transferring its energy to the blade that pulverizes any fruit or veggie its way, is depending on a plastic screw to hold up under not only the incredible downward force of the food being jammed into it, but also the constant screwing & unscrewing of the blade. THEY EVEN GIVE YOU A SPECIAL TOOL TO TIGHTEN THE BLADE DOWN ONTO THIS FLIMSY PLASTIC SCREW!!
I've heard the defense before that "it's to keep costs down" or "it's the only way to make the product affordable." Well, The Power Juice people have come out with their new & improved stainless steal models. I haven't inspected the inards of these models but I bet they still have that poorly concieved, mis-engineered, flimsy plastic screw just waiting to fail for anyone willing to plunk down $150.00.
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