Review: Breville BJE200XL 700-Watt Compact Juice Fountain

Juicing is delicious and healthy and all you need is a high quality juicer to give your overall well being a boost with delicious vegetable and fruit juices. The combinations of juices from fruits and vegetables are practically endless and just about anyone can make a juice that is to their taste.

Breville BJE200XL Compact Juice Fountain (Photo credits: Best Buy)

The Breville BJE200XL Compact Juice Fountain is a powerful device that juices quickly and efficiently. Whether you are trying to juice pineapple (with the rind still on), carrots, or apples, you'll have a delicious drink in no time flat, and you can extract much of the nutrition which is in the peels as well, which sometimes makes the juice even healthier than just eating the fruit. (However, be sure to only use organically grown fruits and vegetables if you are juicing with the peels on.)

The machine is straight-forward to clean, with some parts being dishwasher-safe. A helpful cleaning brush also comes with the machine. It is highly reviewed by users, and is one of the most popular and well-liked juicers on the market today. The Juice Fountain has a centered knife-blade assembly and cuts the fruit and vegetables into tiny bits before pressing them through the stainless-steel micro-mesh filter. The end product is healthy, delicious and nutritious juices for the whole family. Drink them plain or mix with sparkling water for a refreshing soda-like beverage.

Overall, if you are looking for a good quality but relatively inexpensive juicer, this one is a great choice

Where to buy: www.amazon.com 

How to Choose a Good Juicer

If you’re eating more raw foods and making that important lifestyle change, at some point you’ll need to consider investing in a juicer. A blender is NOT the same thing. To get all the benefits of juicing fruits and vegetables, you need to be able to process every part of the food – seeds, stems, peels and pulp. That’s where all the vitamins are. A blender just can’t do that effectively. A juicer will extract all the nutrients from fruit or vegetable - even more so than just chewing and swallowing your food.

Juicers routinely used to cost $300-$400 and more. The best ones still do, but if you’re just getting into juicing, there are many less expensive styles on the market as well. Here are a few you can research to find the best one for you. Natural food stores and cooking catalogues like Williams-Sonoma also carry juicers, and many can also be found online such as at Amazon.com.

Here are some reasonably priced but highly effective juicers to consider: 

Omega 1000 – Makes good, virtually pulp-free juice. It’s a high-yield juicer but not good for juicing leafy greens. This juicer will not process wheatgrass. Price $150-$300

Commercial Champion – Better juice quality, pulpy with good nutritional value. Also a multi-purpose machine that grates and churns and can make nut butters. A good heavy-duty juicer, high volume, good for families. Does not process wheatgrass. Price $230-$300.

Solo Star – Creates a pulpy juice, but very high nutrient value because the motor is a lower RPM. This is a multi-purpose machine that can grate, churn, make nut butters and extrude pasta. It can also process wheatgrass. Price $190 - $300.

Green Power – A premium juicer, although a more complicated machine with more parts that need to be cleaned. Creates the least pulp with more nutrients. It is a Twin Screw Press type of juicer that is superior to masticating or centrifugal juicers. It will process wheatgrass. Also a multi-purpose machine. Pricey, but may be well worth it. Some models come with a 10-year warranty, which speaks to the quality. Price $450 - $650

Examples of Good Juicers: