Tips & Tricks: Getting Started with a Juicer
So, you've just purchased your first juicer and you’re a little unsure on how to get started. Well, you've come to the right place for some beginner information. To ensure you get maximum enjoyment from your juicer, follow these simple steps and you’ll be hooked for life.
Juicer Assembly
It all starts with the assembly of your juicer. For some, this isn’t a challenge and the components come pre-assembled but this isn’t always the case and sometimes instructions aren’t clear enough. If you find yourself confused you simply need to use our handy assembly guide. The guide covers the assembly processes for these 4 main styles of juicer:
- Centrifugal
- Vertical
- Horizontal
- Twin Gear
Each style has its own unique components and correct assembly method. Therefore, it’s tough to generalise the process for all juicers, which is why the guide has a detailed section covering the specifics for each of them.
Preparing Ingredients
So, now you’ve assembled the juicer you’re probably assuming that the next step is juicing. Sadly, you’re not 100% right, as before you can juice, you need to prepare your ingredients. This is a key stage in the juicing process, yet it is often underappreciated by beginners. Let me inform you now, that it is wise to spend more time on preparation so that the later stages of the juicing process don’t become tedious.
In order to carry out this preparation correctly, cut all your ingredients down into chunks that can fit comfortably down the hopper/feed chute of your juicer. This may take a bit of trial and error at first but as you master your juicer you’ll begin to know what it can handle and what it can’t. Here are a list of common ingredients and foolproof ways to prepare them
- Carrots - Half or cut into thirds depending on length
- Celery - Cut into thirds
- Cucumber - Cut into 4 lengths and slice those into thirds
- Apple - Cut into 6 segments
- Orange - Peel and pull apart into small clumps of segments
These are just a few examples, but they should give you a general idea for a wide variety of ingredients. Of course, not all ingredients need preparation and if you’re juicing a lot of small berries and grapes this stage won’t be as important to you.
Using the Juicer
Now your ingredients are prepared, and your juicer is assembled, you can start the actual juicing process. This is the fun part you’ve been waiting for and luckily, it’s pretty self-explanatory. Simply turn on your juicer drop those prepared ingredients down the hopper/feed chute, while mashing them into the augur/gears with a provided pusher. It’s as easy as that. Although, if you want to produce the best yields with nutritious juice then here are some additional pointers:
- Alternate between different types of ingredients
- Only feed in more ingredients after the pulp of the previous ingredients has ejected
- Keep the juice cap closed to lubricate the juicing components and stir the juice for an even flavour
For more advice on correct juicing technique check out our full guide.
Cleaning
The juicing process is complete and your juice is ready and waiting. You can’t sit down and enjoy it yet though. First, you have to clean up the mess you've made. Now, it’s fair to say that cleaning isn't fun for most people but it is important to keep your juicer productive and healthy. It also isn't key to clean the juicer immediately but doing so makes the process easier and quicker.
The process as a whole isn't tough and if you've ever used a sink you should be fine. However, be sure to take your time and do a thorough job. First up we always recommend starting with the screen. This is the toughest part to clean as pulp easily clogs up the pores. So, make use of the provided scrubbing brush and get to work. High standards do help a lot here and definitely don’t leave this job to your dishwasher.
Once you’re done with the screen the other component you’ll need to focus on is the juicing chamber. In particular, you should pay attention to the pulp outlet. If you leave any pulp in that to dry out and harden it can become a nightmare to remove. The back end of the scrubbing brush normally serves as the perfect tool to scoop out the hard to reach bits of pulp but should that fail a trusty finger often does the trick.
Now the tough parts are out of the way, you may have the option to put the parts in the dishwasher. This isn't the case with all juicers though. So, please check if your parts are dishwasher approved before doing this. If they aren't or you don’t have a dishwasher, then I'm afraid to say that you’ll have to forge ahead with some manual rinsing.
Enjoy the Juice
Ta-da! At last, you’re done and you can finally go and enjoy your juice. With any luck, it tastes great and was worth the effort. If not, maybe next time you should mix up the recipe a bit. Either way, we hope you enjoyed the process and have learned a few things along the way.
