The first part of this review is about the Omega VRT-350hd. I bought that one first, and wound up exchanging it for the 8006. Read below for details.
If you didn't think I was a geek before, now you most certainly will. When I buy an appliance or product that is supposed to work in a very specific way, I always go to great lengths to ensure I got exactly what I want. That often includes ordering multiple versions or types and returning the ones that don't meet my standards. Many of you know that I did that with our robot vacuum cleaner at the gym testing both at great lengths before finally deciding that Roomba was the way to go (winning out over Neato).
Now it's happened in the area of juicing. After my post last week about getting re-started juicing, I've got an update for you regarding the best juicer for the job. I wrote my last post after juicing two times with the new juicer, the Omega VRT-350hd. I remind you, this one is the latest technology, a vertically oriented, low RPM juicer that looks great, takes up minimal counter space and creates quality juice. Compared to the Breville, I was impressed, and could taste the quality difference in the juice it made.
Over the next several days, as I added diversity to my juicing recipes, I found out a few things:
1. Carrots almost always result in a "jam" - the motor stops and you have to switch it to reverse to unjam it (not a problem, just a fact).
2. Celery, a staple of my juices, with it's long, stringy fibers that run the length of the stalk, clog up the pulp ejection port. This leads to other problems - veggies and fruits that go in after the celery tend to not juice completely resulting in a high moisture content pulp or in pulp remaining stuck in the auger/juicing chamber. Even when I cut the celery into small pieces, though better, it was still a problem.
3. I don't understand why, but beets are a problem. Don't get me wrong, they juice fine, but the final product contains small bits of beet pulp, just enough to be really annoying. They get stuck in your teeth and I found them to make the experience of drinking the juice slightly gross.
4. Apples. Really? Apples. Yes... a problem. Well actually, only a problem if you juice them after juicing high fiber vegetables like kale, chard, spinach or celery that start to get the ejection port clogged. When that happens, apples do not juice well - lots of remnants remain stuck in the auger and juicing chamber. Nor do they juice completely with the pulp coming out with a high moisture content.
So... that being the situation, what's the solution you might ask? When I bought this juicer, I was agonizing over deciding between two juicers. I ordered the Omega VRT simply because it looked cooler and took up less space on the counter. From the reviews and videos I read and saw, it seemed equal to the other I was considering. I couldn't have been more wrong! Last Wednesday I ordered the Omega J8006 Commercial Masticating Juicer and put them to a head-to-head test. Here's what I found.
1. ALL the problems I was having with the VRT were solved with the 8006! Yes, ALL of them. No jamming. No issues with celery, kale or chard fibers clogging up the ejection port. I don't even have to chop up the celery into small pieces. No pulp in the juice - zero (even without the included additional strainer). And no problems with apples, regardless of the order I fed them in.
2. On top of it juicing fruits and vegetables, it also makes nut butters. I haven't tried this yet, and from what I've seen in videos, it's not the easiest thing to get right.
3. The VRT is easy to clean. The 8006 is even EASIER!!
4. The 8006 is $80 cheaper than the VRT!
5. The ONE drawback to the 8006 is the size of the feed chute. It's really small. I have to cut things up much smaller than I did with the VRT, which takes a bit more time and attention.
Conclusion: For me it was simple. The Omega J8006 wins, hands down! After juicing only four times with my new 8006, I re-packaged the VRT, printed out the return labels, and took it off to UPS. No brainer. I wish the feed tube were the same size on the 8006. In my opinion, that would make it perfect. But for now, it will do. It makes fantastic, pulp-free, high quality juice, is easy to clean, operates at low RPM, is relatively inexpensive... what more could you ask for?
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This Item  Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Quiet Dual-Stage Slow Speed Masticating Juicer Creates Continuous Fresh Healthy Fruit and Vegetable Juice at 80 Revolutions per Minute High Juice Yield, 150-Watt, White |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $255.52 | $174.95 | $204.29 | -42% $272.99 List: $469.95 | $254.99 | -28% $143.99 List: $199.95 |
| Delivery | Get it May 21 - 22 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Noise level | ||||||
| Easy to assemble | ||||||
| Blending power | ||||||
| Sold By | always quality | Angel Seller | Amazon Warehouse | DLX Deals | DLX Deals | Amazon.com |
| material | — | Plastic | Glass | Plastic | Stainless Steel | Plastic |
| capacity | — | 0.9 liters | 0.5 liters | — | — | 50 liters |
| finish type | — | — | Glass | Natural | Silver | Silver |
| wattage | 150 watts | 150 watts | 200 watts | 200 watts | 150 watts | 200 watts |
| dishwasher safe | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| weight | — | 18.7 pounds | 20.02 pounds | 14.3 pounds | 18.7 pounds | 13 pounds |
Reviews with images
Not Another Review!!
I bought this juicer on a whim, sort of. I heard of a deal where I could get this for $206 shipped as opposed to the $299 price tag. Somehow, it seemed so much more tempting. Suddenly juicing and juice fasts are all the rage. Maybe not suddenly, but I am noticing people talk about them more and more. I began my research when I heard of this deal. Even at $206 I wasn't about to jump in and buy something that made no sense to me.Like one reviewer mentioned, the cleanup is where he falters; this is my case as well. If using this thing, cleaning this thing, and storing this thing are nothing short of a pain in the rear, I won't use it much more than a few times. The novelty will wear off and I'll want my counter back.Cleaning:This is a huge deal to just about everyone, I think. There are 8 pieces that you will have to clean after juicing; pusher, collection bowl (2), juicing screen, auger, hopper (funnel), drum cap, and the drum (the part the auger sits in). If you use the sieve then you have to clean that. Tear down and rinse takes less than 4 minutes (includes time for water to get warm and me to dump the pulp extracted). Not counting any time for anything else, the 2 minute clean up is indeed pretty accurate. I let the parts dry in a dish rack until I am ready to use them again.Storing:I am not as limited on counter space as some are, but I don't like cluttered counters. With a mixer, coffee pot, canisters for whatever, and a toaster oven, I am pretty well set on counter space. I feel as though this doesn't exactly spare space but it is not so overwhelmingly huge that you feel like you couldn't work on the counter in front of the machine (if stored against the wall with the logo facing you). If space is an issue, the built in handle is fantastic and you can easily drop this into a cupboard. If you're juicing multiple times a day then that would get tedious.Noise:If you've ever owned a Magic Bullet then you will be pleased with the noise level. I understand the RPMs are like night and day, but the Bullet is so loud I always felt bad using it in the morning. I can have a conversation on the phone while juicing and not feel horrible about it.Fruit Juice:After doing much research I was learning that masticating juicers were great for greens whereas the centrifuge juicers were better for fruit. I've never owned another juicer so I can't speak to that. I will say that I understand where the design lends to greens more so than fruit (like oranges or lemons). Oranges in this thing tend to juice pretty well but I think having to cut the peel and rind off is a pain. I think I'd rather eat my orange. If only to curb the green flavor, I will put ½ orange in the machine. Apples did well, which seems to be completely different than many peoples' experiences. I used green apples and have recently bought some cameo apples to try. I tried a banana and I guess it went okay. I think if I froze the banana then it may have been better but that was just a spur of the moment idea that I don't plan to make a big part of my juicing. Blueberries did surprisingly well but I understand these are better in a blender. To each their own. Those are all the fruits I've tried in 2 days since owning this machine.Greens:This thing was supposed to be great for wheat grass. I must have done something wrong because the grass went in and quickly just hung out around the auger until other things pushed it through. I know I got the juice, but for straight wheat grass, I am not sure. This could be user error. Kale is awesome. It is easy, it does squeak a bit but overall, most of my juice has been had through the use of kale. Carrots, this thing juices carrots very well. I don't seem to have lumpy juice and the collection of pulp suggests they feed and release quite well. Cucumbers are different. They seem to do just fine but I did the wheat grass then cucumber next and I don't think that was really going well for me. I guess I need to think about the grass, kale, cucumber, then carrot. There was something said about rotating what you're juicing and I think I understand the reason for the concept. I have not tried any other greens yet.I don't know if I'll set out on a juice fast anytime soon. I don't think it is safe to jump into that without more research. This model does really do well and I have learned that there is no real one-stop shop for a juicer that does everything well. I think if this does fruit okay and greens well, that I would rather have greens be easy and fruit secondary since I think the health benefits are better from greens. I understand the VERT or VRT model does fruit better and still does greens well, but I think people say that for leafy greens the 8006 is better. One could go crazy trying to really figure it all out. If you just want fruit juice then I think you need more research though. I don't believe this is the machine for you.Juicing Time:Juicing on the VRT is quicker, no doubt (all the videos prove that). Reading reviews and watching videos is important because some of the poor reviews I read on the 8006 and VRT model make me realize that some people just don't research. That is okay, but then try to understand that many of the questions and concerns can be answered through even 30 minutes online. With a purchase that has this kind of price tag, 30 minutes is nothing compared to the headache of having to hate what you bought and return it. For me, the juicing time isn't so much of a thing; the prep time is. Prep time, in my opinion between the two, is quite similar. While the VRT has a large chute, I don't really feel like you're saving as much time. If you can find a juicer where you can toss in a quarter orange with rind and peel then we can talk about speed.In the end, I can see that providing I can keep up with the trips to the market every couple of days then I will do okay with having this as a usable kitchen tool for a long time to come. It is important not to try and buy your produce with the intention of it keeping for over a week (at least that is what I hear) so trips to the store every few days are probably in store for anyone who wants to juice at least twice a day. Any juicer will require this commitment unless you have a flourishing garden in your yard that produces everything you could possibly need. I do not so it is Whole Foods and Fresh Market for me!One last thing, I read this was made in the USA. I don't think that is the case now. There is still a 15-year warranty, but my box clearly states Korea. Now, I didn't do well in geography and I rely heavily on my GPS whenever I leave the house, but I'm pretty sure Korea isn't part of the USA.
