Juicing with the Omega 8003

I starting juicing on a regular basis last Christmas.  Several people have asked me about it recently, so I thought it was time to blog about it.

I was first turned on to the idea of juicing from my dad.  When he started juicing on a regular basis I was intrigued.  It sounded like a good way to get vitamins.  So while I was there visiting, he made some kale juice.  I tried it, and thought it was great.  It was then that I decided that I wanted a juicer.

But what juicer should I get?  There are a lot of them out there to choose from.  Then I ran across an article by Dr. Mercola.   He recommended the Omega 8003.  I did some searching online, and that juicer was highly recommended.  A word of warning though, it's not cheap.

I ordered my Omega 8003 at Christmas.  That thing is a beast.  It has a 1/3 horsepower motor and weighs 16 lbs.  It can make juice, nut butters, and pasta.  I've only used mine for juice.

 

What do I juice?  

Here's the general recipe I use.

Start with citrus:

I use one of the following:

1. Lime
2. Lemon
3. Orange

Then I add about 1 inch of ginger root.  This gives it some kick

After that I add the leafy vegetables.  

1. Several handfuls of kale.
2. Three romaine lettuce leaves.

Then I like to add something to sweeten it.  I normally use a Granny smith apple or a pear.  I get whichever one is cheaper that week.

The final thing I add are two carrots.

The juicer has what looks like an auger.  It's a screw like device that turns the vegetables into a funnel and squeezes the life out of them.  I find that running the carrots through last works best.   It helps to push through whatever else may be stuck in there. 

I've been asked if I've noticed a difference.  Am I more energetic?  I have to respond with, "No, not really."  I pretty much feel the same.  I just like how it tastes, and I know that it's good for me.

Speaking of which... I'm not a doctor, and biology certainly wasn't my subject.  So I'll point once again to Dr. Mercola.  He is a doctor and can talk about the benefits of juicing far better than I ever could. 

Do I have any complaints about the Omega 8003?  Well, just two really.  The tube for putting the food into the juicer is rather small.  It can be difficult to jam large kale leaves into it.  And, I have to cut up apples and larger things so they'll fit.  The only other complaint that I have is that the bin that catches the juice is rather small.  If I had to guess, I'd say that it's maybe 12-16 oz.  It'd be nice if it held more.

The last thing I have to note about the Omega 8003 is how quiet it is.  I can run the thing my kids are in bed and it doesn't bother them at all.  I can make juice and talk to the people next to me.  I seem to remember that the juicer my dad has was rather loud.

The last thing worth noting is what I do with all of the pulp (leftover vegetable solids) that come of the machine.  Except for the citrus, I compost it.  I remember hearing somewhere that you shouldn't compost citrus.  That's the reason I juice it first.  Once it goes through, I dump the pulp in the trash.  Then I continue juicing and save the rest of the pulp for the compost bin.  Composting, that sounds like something I'll have to blog about at another time.