What It’s Really Like To Use A Juicer

Have you seen the infomercials on television for juicers? The fruit goes in and the juice comes out just like magic! And then the infomercial is over. Here’s what they didn’t show you . . . .

juicer 1

I’ll begin by saying that I’ve been the proud owner of a Jack LaLane juicer for over four years and I really do like being able to make my own fresh juice that I know is only juice and not a lot of sugar or artificial ingredients. Drinking a glass of fresh homemade juice quickly delivers the nutrients to your body. It also allows you to get the benefit of the nutrients of a larger amount of fruit as it would take you a lot longer to eat two apples and an orange for example, then to simply drink the juice of that quantity of fruit. Using a juicer has also been a way to use up fruit that’s a little past its prime but still too good to throw out.

But – it’s not quite as simple as they make it look on television. Why?

Because of the clean up.

Oh yes, there’s lots of pulp hiding in those juicers when you’re done that has to be cleaned up. And it really makes the most sense to do it right away even before you drink your juice.

So I thought I would give you an up close look at what it’s really like to use a juicer. Let me emphasize again that I really do like drinking my fresh homemade juice. But it’s not quite as easy peasy as they make it look and using the juicer is not something I do unless I am home with some time on my hands. (I would never attempt it in the morning before going to work!)

Here’s the step by step process:

1. Prepare the Fruit
For the glass of juice I made for this blog post I used 1 apple, 9 strawberries and 26 grapes that were no longer at their peak of freshness. I find it works best to cut the larger fruit like apples into smaller pieces, even though they say you don’t have to.

 2. Prepare the Juicer
I line the pulp collector with a trash bag (I use an old plastic bag from the store). Put a glass under the spout. You will be using the Pusher to push the fruit down the chute.

juicer collage 2

3. Make the juice
Turn on the juicer and start pushing the fruit down the chute with the pusher. Watch the colorful juice come out the spout. This is the fun part and takes all of about 10 seconds. Wheee!

4. Turn off the juicer and begin clean up
Push down and release the locking bar so that you can begin taking apart the juicer.

5. Empty the Pulp Collector
Hey how come there’s hardly nothing in this pulp collector? Well empty it anyway.

6.  Remove and clean the Pulp Guard
Ooooh, so that’s where all the pulp is.  It’s on this here pulp guard thingy. I swipe my hands over it to gather up the pulp and toss it out. Then I wash it under running water.

7. Remove and clean the Blade and Filter Screen
My juicer has a tool to unscrew the blade and remove it. Once the blade is out, you can lift out the filter screen. Both those pieces need to be washed under running water.

juicer collage 3

8. Remove and clean the Spout
A little bit more pulp hiding in here too. Keep washing.

9. Dry off all the pieces and reassemble your juicer

10. Finally begin drinking juice
Your juice will have foamy stuff on the top. I usually scoop some of that off. Then I stir it up and sit down and enjoy.

juicer collage 4

So now you know what it’s *really* like to use a juicer. I find I go in streaks where I use the juicer a lot, and then I go through streaks where it just sits there abandoned for several months. But when I put forth the effort, I always enjoy the glass of juice that results from the process.

Coming up next I’ll share some of my favorite juice combinations and my favorite juicer recipe book too!

You might also like to read: My Two Favorite Juicer Blends

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4 Comments

  1. The most common use for the pulp is to make muffins or other quick breads. You can use it much like you would applesauce or mashed bananas in a quick bread recipe. I have not personally tried it because we don't eat too much bread at our house, but that is how the pulp is usually put to good use.I've read that you should really drink the juice right away after making it. The thought is that the juice begins to lose its vitamins the longer it sets and most people are juicing to get the health benefits. The juice also tends to separate a little bit the longer it sits too.It is probably safe to drink a day or two later but it does not look as good or have quite the same health benefits after setting for that amount of time.

  2. I was wondering what you could do with that pulp instead of just tossing it.. Also can you make a large batch of juice and keep it in the fridge in a pitcher? Do you think it would keep for a few days?