Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor
Customer Review: An Honest Review of the Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite
Summary: 5 Stars
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First of all I did not buy my Juicer from Amazon, But I had to review this excellent product. Also I have read some of the negetive reivews. Honestly, this is a great product, so don't let a few negetive reivews influence you.
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PROS
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This is by far one of the world's GREATEST juicers. I can say this with all honesty because I have been into health and fitness all my life. I know the value of fresh, raw vegetables and the power of health and vitality the provide. I also know quality products when I see them.
THE DESIGN: The Breville 800JEXL is one of the best, sleekest, coolest looking kitchen appliances. It's very modern looking and looks like a work of art. You can tell the manufacturer not only put time into the mechanics, but also the design. The AC plug has an innovative round hole which allows you to put your finger through to unplug with ease! If you have a modern kitchen with the new stainless appliances and such, this will look awesome sitting on your counter. Well, any kitchen for that matter.
EASY TO ASSEMBLE: The Breville 800JEXL is easy to assemble. Just 3 pieces (no screws required) A stainless steel base that fits over the motor first, then the screen/blade, then the top, then the pulp catcher. That's it!
NO CHOPPING: It has a 3" opening which allows me to put in whole (smaller) apples without cutting them. Almost all my vegetables and fruits I can put in without cutting them. Saves time and less mess.
FAST & POWERFUL: It has 2 speeds. Fast and mega-fast! This juicer has the speed and power to handle any juicing that you may do. Especially the hard vegetables and fruits - Carrots, Beets, Pineapples, Potatoes, and such. Never slows down. Never makes a grinding noise like it's trying to work. NO. This juicer just zips right through everything.
GREAT QUALITY JUICE: The quality and quantity of juice is fantastic! The pulp is very dry, which means it is extracting the nutrients out. Unlike some of the other reviews on here, IT DOES make fantastic green juice. I have juiced spinach, watercress, no problem. Wheat grass can be juiced too, just roll it up in a few lettuce leaves first then put it through.
EASY TO CLEAN: Clean up is really easy, and I'm not just saying that. You just take out the few pieces put them in your dish washer and thats it! If you don't have a dishwasher you can just rinse them off in the sink with a little soap and water and that's it! - HINT: Wash the juicer immediately after you juice don't let it sit and dry.
GREAT CUSTOMER SUPPORT: It has a 3 year warrantee, and the company is excellent in taking care of their customers (at least for me they did)! VERY satisfied customer.
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CONS - NONE
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At first I thought the juicer had a flaw, but after reading the reviews on here, it was MY falt!
I had the juicer for about a year and I used it every day. It started to leak just a bit along the rim where the catcher bin attaches to the clear plastic lid.
I called Breville and they sent me a postage-free return slip, I packed it into a box and within a couple weeks I had a BRAND NEW JUICER! :-) Not a reconditioned one. No questions asked! Now THAT'S awesome customer service.
Like I said before, after reading one of the reviews here, the problem was my fault. Not keeping the screen clean. If you don't keep it clean, some of the juice will flow into the pulp catching bin. All you have to do is just make sure the screen is very clean after each use.
So really it was not a design flaw of the juicer, but my own mistake.
I have not had that problem since. I now take extra care in making sure that I clean the screen properly.
CONCLUSION
If you are serious about your health. If you want to take CHARGE of your life and the quality of your life. GET A JUICER!
Yes true, we need to eat proteins, carbohydrates and good fats, but the vitamins and minerals from fresh, raw vegetables and fruits is the MAIN thing; and in my personal oppinion, really the ONLY thing that will give you the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in their natural, absorbable state that your body requires to stay healthy and avoid disease.
Juicing allows you to eat a LARGER QUANTITY of raw vegetables and fruits that you would otherwise not be able to consume because of the fiber.
BUT WE ARE WASTING THE FIBER, RIGHT? - No, not really. Remember your body can NOT digest fiber. Your own body internally will extract the nutrients from the vegetables and fruits and eliminate the fiber. The only difference about a juicer is that it does it before you consume it.
Just remember juicing is in ADDITION TO your normal diet including whole grains, salads and other fiber rich foods. If you are eating a well-balanced healthy diet, the fiber you my miss from the juice is not a big deal. You will be getting plenty of fiber from the rest of your meals.
If you really are concerned about the whole wasting the pulp issue then here are some good suggestions:
Use the fiber for making muffins.
Spread the fiber on a cookie sheet and bake it slowly until it is dry. Or use a food dehydrator. After it's dry, crush it up into a fine powder and put it into a shaker container and use it as a natural, salt-free seasoning. Or use in soups.
Give back to nature what it gave to you. Recycle it! Take the fiber and spread it around your garden or flower bed. Mix it into the soil real good. Since it's all organic it would make the best, natural fertilizer and your plants will love it!
Just do it! Don't even think about it another second. I am telling you honestly you will be happy with this juicer. Shop around for the best price and then buy this juicer NOW! Your body will thank you for it!
If you enjoyed this review you might enjoy other reviews from me. Please click on the top of this review on the link "See all my reviews". I have more than one page of reviews and additional pages can be accessed by clicking on the page number on the bottom right corner of my total reviews page.
Customer Review: Quick and easy to use!
Summary: 4 Stars
UPDATED July 2009: The juicer stopped working. However, WS replaced it with no problem.
UPDATED 2008: I now own a dishwasher that will allow me to load the juicer parts on the top shelf.
I've used this juicer for about 5 months and I don't regret it. I juice every morning. Usually it is a combination of Granny Smith apples, Pink Lady or Fuji Apples, and Fresh Ginger root. I have juiced carrots & cabbage juice on occasion.
Due to the 1 year warranty, we purchased it from William-Sonoma because they told me that they back everything they sell, even beyond the warranty. I moved on from the Juiceman of which I went through 3 in the span of 5 years, and the Omega 1000 which I used for 8 years but which was frequently out of balance and painfully loud!
GOOD
- The parts will fit in the top shelf of specific dishwashers. Unfortunately, mine is not one of them.
- Easy to assemble & dissassemble.
- Never gets out of balance. Trust me. You want this feature!
- If you purchase the right sized fruits & veggies, you can juice 32 ozs in about 10 seconds (apple & ginger juice, for example). The 3" round chute easily accomodates small apples & pears without having to cut them. This is nearly impossible with the juiceman & omega 1000 due to the fact that cutting must be done.
- You can purchase lg carrots to save scrubbing time & no cutting is necessary. Smaller apples & pears are often cheaper, thus saving you money.
- You don't need earplugs! It sounds like a cool, calm jet engine (The testosterone bearer in the house really loves this feature). But neither of us consider it noisy. And my ears test that of a cat's in the high frequencies. Suffice it to say, I have very sensitive ears.
- Great taste!
- Cleanup time is not too bad once you know what to do.
- Lovely to look at!
- Makes nice composting material.
- I don't get chunks of un-juiced fruits & veggies like I did with the Omega 1000.
- This juicer does not move from its place, unlike both the Omega 1000 & Juiceman
BAD
- Probably oxidizes juice more than most centrifugal juicers due to high rpms. Drink this juice quickly!
- Creates a lot more foam than the juiceman & omega 1000. You have to wait for the juice to settle from the foam.
- Pulp is not quite as dry as Juiceman nor Omega 1000, so I what I am saving on time I am probably spending a little more in produce. But not much more. It made no difference whether I feed the juicer fast or slow. Neither did it make a difference whether I used high or low speed. Not a good thing when produce prices have doubled and tripled, but is worth it to me in terms of time savings.
- Filter basket replacements are expensive. $60 or $70, I think. Omega replacements were $30 or less.
UGLY
- Only the basket fits in to top rack of the dishwasher - I have a Whirlpool DU915DWKT0.
- Juicer cover does NOT fit on top rack of dishwasher as advertised.
- Juicer cover is designed in an unhygenic matter. Can't really be sure if/when water is drained out of it. I would soak it in bleach water at least once a week, if not more often
- Filter basket cannot be sanitized in bleach water. I don't like this at all, especially since the track portion is hard to clean.
- You will need to clean the bottom track of the filter basket with a Q-Tip bcz the brush won't reach it.
- Juice Jug does NOT fit on top rack of dishwasher as advertised.
- The Pulp container does NOT fit on top rack of dishwasher as advertised
CUSTOMER SERVICE -- THE VERY VERY UGLY - Feb. 2009
Trying to reach customer service by phone is a NIGHTMARE!!!! I tried to order a replacement jug and the website ordering portion was non-functional. Therefore, I had to call the company to place the order. I had been on the phone on hold for 2 hours as I was trying to get a replacement jug. After the two hours, I finally gave up and punched in my phone number for a return call from Breville. I had to call again yesterday because they sent the wrong jug and I am still waiting to hear back from them. You may have better luck e-mailing them.
TIPS
- Try to purchase round fruit with a diameter 3" or less. Small apples & pears fit this bill perfectly.
- Pick the largest carrots that you can find. It will be easier to scrub them and feed them in the chute this way.
- The filter portion of the filter basket is quick & easy to clean if you purchase a 3"x 1" rectangular veggie scrubber. Clean the juicer parts as soon as you have finished juicing. Unlike another reviewer, I would not recommend soaking the basket in water over time. Not hygenic.
- Using liners in the Pulp container make pulp clean up a breeze. No need to purchase these. Just use grocery or produce bags.
- Buy Q-Tip to clean the track portion of the juicer basket.
- Place the juicer on paper towels. That way, if you get some leakage from the spout, cleanup will be easier.
- I wait for 3 pound bags of Granny Smith apples to go on sale at my local Food Town grocery store - anywhere from .99 cents a bag to $1.39 a bag. I stock practically the whole refrigerator and we can have good, cheap juice for a month. If the apples are fresh, they will store well for that long.
- If you buy lots of bagged apples on sale, wash them and sort them before placing them in the fridge. I use the bruised ones first. You may have to nip the bruises off with a knife, but it is still quick and easy.
- Let parts dry completely before you reassemble
In conclusion, I would definitely buy this juicer again.
Customer Review: Here's the deal....
Summary: 5 Stars
Scenario ---- had a juicer for years, Juiceman Pro; chute small so lots of cutting required which resulted in looking for new large chute juicer to save prep time. Bought a Kuvings GMPD931U Centrifugal Juicer from Amazon. It was TERRIBLE (read my review on that one). Returned it --- and Amazon made it easy and emailed acknowledgement of refund VERY quickly --- NICE!!! Thanks! In the meantime, read reviews all over the place and decided on this juicer. Just gave it a good workout, and...
Results --- it made outstanding juice --- far better yield and dryer pulp (is that the right word?) than any other juicer. The juice was more liquidy, and better tasting because of the fineness of the juice (no gritiness). Very impressive juice! Cleanup, took about the same amount of time as any juicer --- except the Kuvings which was much longer --- lots of crevices. This Breville has smooth edges and the stainless comes clean much quicker and easier than the plastic on the other two juicers I've used. Very pleased with the cleaning experience. And no juice got to the 'turner' under the screen thing and its holder. Also, NO JUICE OR PULP got outside the juice holder nor the pulp holder --- which kept the machine itself clean as well as the countertop. So in retrospect and compared to the other juicers I'll up my cleaning grade to "I don't see how it could be better" (which is my top score).
Other factors --- This juicer is super-well built. The design is fantastic, heavy duty, built for the long haul. Especially impressive is the expelled pulp bin, which fits tight and doesn't allow any of it to be flung outside the container and onto the machine or countertop. Also, the juice holder is extremely well designed and keeps the juice from flinging outside a glass or other capture container. Another great thing about it is the size of the juice container. Because this machine is big, the spout sits higher than my other juicers; allowing a larger container (which comes with this unit and is extremely well-designed for this purpose. This saves time over others in keeping things clean (no splatters outside the supplied container --- WELL designed!!!) as well as eliminating the need to stop to empty a small container into a larger container as with the other juicers. I can juice a LARGE glassful of juice without stopping. One more thing is the quality of the overall unit and motor. The noise was not an issue at all, even though I was a bit concerned after reading some reviews. The motor is so powerful and smooth that any noise is pleasant. The low speed is quiet and I'd rate the high speed as 'medium' --- but not annoying at all because it is a smooth quality sound. And the juicing of the fruits and veggies is very fast and smooth. I even got cocky and put three large carrots in at once --- great results. The stainless build and the heavy metal bar/clamp that holds down the 'head' assembly is better than the plastic clamps on each side of the exterior like the other units I used. It is secure and is sleek. The overall look of the unit is fantastic. Best looking appliance in the kitchen. It's actually a little too tall to fit on the counter under the wall cabinets --- but I told my wife that since it's the best looking appliance in the kitchen we should just keep it in the middle of the kitchen table (she didn't say anything). So that means --- GREEN LIGHT!!! She loves it tooooo!!!!
Hope this honest, straightforward review is helpful. It would have been to me because I really was hesitant to spend $275 for a juicer and I looked for any negative in juicer reviews I read to eliminate juicers from making my cut. Even though there were some negative comments I took a chance on this one because of all the positives I read. I'm very glad I did and feel that I'll juice more because of buying this one; which ultimately is the goal. The extra $s were well spent for me. Oh, one more thing. I was tempted to go with a remanufactured one to save $s but persuaded myself not to (increased risk --- something was wrong with it once and was it REALLY fixed??). I found a few other sites where I could have saved a couple of $$$s on the same juicer new (including shipping), but Amazon made return of the other juicer (Kuvings) so easy and hassle free I decided to spend a couple of extra $s to buy it from them --- just in case I didn't like this one either. Nice going Amazon. It's a pleasure doing business with you, you giant corporation! Overall, if you can squeeze enough nickels and pennies together to get this one because you want the quickest and best quality juicing experience you can get, buy this one from Amazon --- it's really worth it.
Customer Review: Step aside Juiceman!
Summary: 5 Stars
PRIOR JUICING EXPERIENCE
My first juicer was a used JUICEMAN PRO 211. Within three months of daily carrot juicing, the narrow plastic feed chute cracked. Apparently the force of the carrots twisting against the blades was too much for it. The chute was so small, pre-processing was time consuming. Carrots had to be cut once lengthwise and then in half.
SHOPPING FOR A REPLACEMENT
The next candidate was the BREVILLE JE900 (plastic external housing). With its extra wide feed tube and 600-watt motor, specs indicate it is twice as powerful as most consumer centrifugal juicers. However, prior experience put me in the market for a model with a metal chute.
The tall stainless steel chute of the BREVILLE 800JEXL with 1000-watt motor edged out all competitors. I posted a picture of the 800JEXL beside the JUICEMAN. The BREVILLE literally towers over the latter. The BREVILLE food pusher alone is nearly as tall as the JUICEMAN! In fact, the 800JEXL is so tall it doesn't fit beneath my kitchen cabinet on the countertop. This is the Big Daddy of juicers.
MAINTENANCE
Though the BREVILLE 800JEXL is mostly stainless steel, some parts are plastic -- namely the pulp container, juicer cover, two-piece juice jug, and food pusher. Add the stainless steel micro-mesh filter basket with its housing and that makes a total of seven parts to clean. It's dishwasher safe but washing with a faucet sprayer and the provided brush make cleanup nearly as brief as the juicing itself. This is especially so if a plastic liner is used in the pulp container. The micro-mesh filter has holes perhaps one quarter the size of the JUICEMAN to produce less pulp in your juice and more in the pulp container.
Carrots have a tendency to stain the clear tinted plastic parts. This was evident after two days of juicing. However, this is not unique to the BREVILLE and fortunately the selected model has little plastic. I found Oxy Clean with vigorous polishing can prevent build up.
The first time I cleaned my BREVILLE, I noticed moisture on the blades the next day. This theoretically could lead to mildew if it sets too long. (I anticipate daily usage though.) Just make certain all the parts dry out before inserting the nearly air-tight food pusher.
OUTPUT
Though still a consumer model, the BREVILLE 800JEXL makes impressive quantities of juice to complement its attractive appearance. Because the three-inch chute translates to less cutting and the fruit processing capacity is so large, the 800JEXL easily fills the one-liter juice jug (with handy froth separator) in no time. In fact, my only frustration is discovering I've run out of fruit or vegetables! Dare I say juicing is fun? Eight full-size carrot stalks and an apple make about half a liter of juice. So plan accordingly. Depending on the material, pulp may feel moist -- especially with juicy fruit like apples.
Centrifugal juicers are not optimum for herbs and leafy vegetables. The BREVILLE manual advises combining them with firmer fruits or vegetables. For best results press the power-off button, pack the chute with soft and hard vegetables together and press in the plunger before flipping the low speed switch. Depending on the leafy vegetable, you might consider using celery, cucumber, zucchini, carrot, or apple as a firm adjunct.
The manual has recipes for much more than the basic juice combinations. You'll find directions for preparing soups, sauces, Berry and White Chocolate Mousse, Carrot Cake (utilizing pulp), icy coolers and even spirited drinks like Peach and Mint Julep or Coconut Pineapple Colada. With proper planning, you can prepare a nutritious beverage, a meatloaf, soup, and dessert from one juicing session! (I downloaded the PDF version of the manual before purchasing.)
WARRANTY
For a unit built as well as the BREVILLE 800JEXL a one-year parts and labor with three-year motor seems quite conservative. So for about ten percent of the cost for the juicer I opted for the three-year warranty from Amazon. This extends the parts and labor to the same length as the motor. If you review the terms of the extended warranty it is apparent that it can be renewed if desired. Also, check your credit card policy. I used one (Advanta Platinum MC) that doubles the warranty of product purchases so mine actually has a six-year full warranty.
Customer Review: Step aside Juiceman!
Summary: 5 Stars
PRIOR JUICING EXPERIENCE
My first juicer was a used JUICEMAN PRO 211. Within three months of daily carrot juicing the narrow plastic feed chute cracked. Apparently the force of the carrots twisting against the blades was too much for it. The chute was so small, pre-processing was time consuming. Carrots had to be cut once lengthwise and then in half.
SHOPPING FOR A REPLACEMENT
The next candidate was the BREVILLE JE900 (plastic external housing). With its extra wide feed tube and 600-watt motor, specs indicate it is twice as powerful as most consumer centrifugal juicers. However, prior experience put me in the market for a model with a metal chute.
The tall stainless steel chute of the BREVILLE 800JEXL with 1000-watt motor edged out all competitors. I posted a picture of the 800JEXL beside the JUICEMAN. The BREVILLE literally towers over the latter. The BREVILLE food pusher alone is nearly as tall as the JUICEMAN! In fact, the 800JEXL is so tall it doesn't fit beneath my kitchen cabinet on the countertop. This is the Big Daddy of juicers.
MAINTENANCE
Though the BREVILLE 800JEXL is mostly stainless steel, some parts are plastic -- namely the pulp container, juicer cover, two-piece juice jug, and food pusher. Add the stainless steel micro-mesh filter basket with its housing and that makes a total of seven parts to clean. It's dishwasher safe but washing with a faucet sprayer and the provided brush make cleanup nearly as brief as the juicing itself. This is especially so if a plastic liner is used in the pulp container. The micro-mesh filter has holes perhaps one quarter the size of the JUICEMAN to produce less pulp in your juice and more in the pulp container.
Carrots have a tendency to stain the clear tinted plastic parts. This was evident after two days of juicing. However, this is not unique to the BREVILLE and fortunately the selected model has little plastic. I found Oxy Clean with vigorous polishing can prevent build up.
The first time I cleaned my BREVILLE I noticed moisture on the blades the next day. This theoretically could lead to mildew if it sets too long. (I anticipate daily usage though.) Just make certain all the parts dry out before inserting the nearly air-tight food pusher.
OUTPUT
Though still a consumer model, the BREVILLE 800JEXL makes impressive quantities of juice to complement its attractive appearance. Because the three-inch chute translates to less cutting and the fruit processing capacity is so large, the 800JEXL easily fills the one-liter juice jug (with handy froth separator) in no time. In fact, my only frustration is discovering I've run out of fruit or vegetables! Dare I say juicing is fun? Eight full-size carrot stalks and an apple make about half a liter of juice. So plan accordingly. Depending on the material, pulp may feel moist -- especially juicy fruit like apples.
Centrifugal juicers are not optimum for herbs and leafy vegetables. The BREVILLE manual advises combining them with firmer fruits or vegetables. For best results press the power-off button, pack the chute with soft and hard vegetables together and press in the plunger before flipping the low speed switch. Depending on the leafy vegetable, you might consider using celery, cucumber, zucchini, carrot, or apple as a firm adjunct.
The manual has recipes for much more than the basic juice combinations. You'll find directions for preparing soups, sauces, Berry and White Chocolate Mousse, Carrot Cake (utilizing pulp), icy coolers and even spirited drinks like Peach and Mint Julep or Coconut Pineapple Colada. With proper planning, you can prepare a nutritious beverage, a meatloaf, soup, and dessert from one juicing session! (I downloaded the PDF version of the manual before purchasing.)
WARRANTY
For a unit built as well as the BREVILLE 800JEXL a one-year parts and labor with three-year motor seems quite conservative. So for about ten percent of the cost for the juicer I opted for the three-year warranty from Amazon. This extends the parts and labor to the same length as the motor. If you review the terms of the extended warranty it is apparent that it can be renewed if desired. Also, check your credit card policy. I used one (Advanta Platinum MC) that doubles the warranty of product purchases so mine actually has a six-year full warranty.