Omega 8004 Juicer
Masticated juicing perfected
A few months ago a friend recommended that I watch two movies, Forks Over Knives and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Consequently, I have significantly modified my diet, and part of that has been drinking a lot of fresh juice. Before purchasing a juicer I extensively researched what was available and ultimately purchased the Omega Juicer 8004.
I have been using the Omega juicer twice daily for the past few months. There are two major types of juicers, centrifugal and masticating. The Omega 8004 is the later. Centrifugal juicers have higher juice yields for some times of fruits and vegetables and are a bit faster than masticating juicers, but masticating juicers are better for a litany of reasons.
First, they’re quiet. The Omega juicer operates at about 80 RPM and operate at a tolerable decibel level. Centrifugal juicer are LOUD. I have not experienced in person, but there are several videos on YouTube where the presenter has to yell over the noise generated by centrifugal juicers. They also work better with leafy greens like kale, swiss chard, spinach, etc. They also can be used for a variety of tasks. Masticating juicers are multifunctional in that they can be put to use making pasta, nut butters and milks, and baby food.
One of the biggest reasons the Omega 8004 is superior is because it is easy to clean. It disassembles quickly and the parts can be cleaned in just a minute or two. The construction is also quite solid. The Omega 8004 and its slightly more expensive counterpart the Omega 8006 are the only juicers on the market that have a 15 year warranty. And the only difference between the 8004 and the 8006 is the finish: the 8004 is white plastic and the 8006 has a black and chrome finish.
On the downside it is ugly, but in my opinion all juicers are ugly and in this case it is a question of function over form. It also has a large footprint compared to other juicers, and this is an issue for people who have small kitchens. I live in New York, but am fortunate enough to have a decent sized kitchen
One other small (sic) issue is the size of the feed tube, which is rather narrow (about an inch and a half in diameter), which makes it necessary to cut up fruits and vegetables a bit more than some other juicers on the market.
Omega has another line of masticating juicer which are “vertical” taking up less counter space, have larger feed tubes, and are highly recommended by people who seem to know what they are talking about on the Internet. However, they are a lot more expensive.
I chose the 8004 over the Omega vertical models, because the 8004/8006 seemed mechanically simpler and has a 15 year vs. 10 year warranty. Overall, I have found the Omega 8004 easy to use and actually fun. The variety of juice you can make is amazing. I will let others discuss the health benefits of juicing, but unscientifically after using it I have lost some weight and feel really great.
06/27/12(Brian Lam over at The Wirecutter has an extensive (and I mean extensive) review of the Omega 8003 Juicer (a slightly cheaper variation of the 8004). I highly recommend taking a look at his long form review.--OH — editors)
Omega 8004 Masticating Juicer $256
