Juice Mania

If you're like me and love to drink freshly squeezed OJ, I've got the solution for you. Yes, this sounds like an informercial, but I was so glad that I had a chance to finally crack out my big mouth juice extractor to beat the summer heat.

I actually received two of these last year as presents but never got the chance to use it. Perhaps it seemed too daunting to use. I mean, the name speaks for itself - big mouth juice extractor. I was afraid the mess this thing would leave behind.

Okay, I have to admit that my learning curve in new appliances does not work to my advantage. It took me quite a while to assemble this machine, because I kept on getting the direction wrong (I actually read them this time). I was actually about to give up when I kind of slammed the lid in semi-anger, and it fitted perfectly! (Of course, that is not to say that anger works in all situations =)

So I peeled two oranges and turned on the power. It sounds like a lawn mower that can spit out a yard full of grass. But don't worry, after you get used to the cacophony the rest is easy as pie.

All you need to do afterwards is stick in the fruits (can be whole or sliced). Make sure you drop it in slowly before sticking in the plastic cover, as the mesh finely grates the fruit to extract the most juice of out it. If you're like me and was scared it would chop off a finger or two, then you'll probably end up wasting part of the fruit or vegetable because the pressure tends to "explode" (for a lack of a better word) part of the poor plant before tearing it into fibre.

I can't really describe how delicious and fresh tasting this is. I was surprised that orange juice can taste so foamy. But really, it does. Foamy, creamy and delicious.

Unfortunately, the returns to fresh fruit is not that much. Two oranges got me that much of juice. You'll need at least 8 to fill up the cup that comes with the juicer. But trust me, it is worth it.

I also tried some other combinations, like orange and carrots, cucumber and blueberry, celery and watermelon. Everything tastes so good when it is freshly squeezed, and with a machine like this at home you'll have limitless possibilities of fresh juices without digging a hole in your pockets.

Tip - keep a plastic bag inside the dispenser bin to avoid having a huge mess for cleanup. I forgot to do this a couple of times and ended up wasting a lot of time cleaning the sticky bits from the machine.