Drink Your Vitamins

My review of the Breville Juice Fountain Plus Model #JE95XL is based on two weeks of continuous use. This is my second centrifugal ejection juicer; however I haven't juiced or owned a juicer in 6 years. My previous juicer was a L'EQUIP 221, which I really liked. I stopped juicing and sold my L'EQUIP on eBay.

Wanting to start juicing again, I did my internet research of the various models. Recommendations and reviews pointed toward the Breville Juice Fountain Elite. The $299.99 retail price was more than I was interested in paying so I opted for the $149.99 Juice Fountain Plus. I redeemed a Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupon and purchased the machine for $128.81 out the door. The Juice Fountain Plus has the same silhouette as the Elite, with 150 less watts (same RPMs) and an all plastic housing. Many of the other features are the same.

One thing Breville has going for them, is their products look like works of art and have innovative features. One example on this machine is the plug has a ring size hole, allowing for inserting a finger and pulling it out of the outlet. Another is the horseshoe shaped chrome bar that swings over the top and locks the juicer cover in place. This juicer has countertop appeal, but will capitalize counter space if you let it. In order to reduce the footprint size I store the juice jug and pulp container separately.

Upon turning the juicer on for the first time I realized this juicer packs some power. Think turbine engine as the motor rotates the stainless steel filter basket at 13,000 RPM (high setting). The high setting is loud while the low setting is much quieter. The designers have outfitted the juicer with heavy duty rubber feet, which keeps it stable and in place while juicing.

The Juice Fountain Plus produces a high volume of good juices quickly. Expect some froth when juicing at 13,000 RPM. There is a removable part in the juice jug, which traps the froth. I believe it's easier to just pour slowly and stop when you get down to the froth or drinking the froth is easier still. The powerful motor shreds what's fed to it, forthwith. The 3" food chute allows for whole or large pieces of fruits and vegetables, also contributing to the fast juicing process. It is a challenge to get the juicer to shred small items, like a piece of ginger root. What typically happens is it will throw the ginger piece into the pulp container in tact. I have found by stuffing the ginger, in say, an orange I can get the machine to dispatch it.

Juice dispensed from this juicer actually sprays out of the downspout instead of an intact pour. Because of this the use of the juice jug is necessary as the jug has a lid to contain splatter. I have found juice will drip down the outside of the juice jug causing a small pool of juice on the counter between the unit and the jug. I problem solved this by elevating the jug on a folded kitchen towel. By elevating the jug it causes the opening of the downspout to rest further inside the opening of the jug. This virtually eliminates the pooled juice.

I don't know if there is such a thing as an easy to clean juice extractor. Having owned two models now I think this one is probably average. Cleaning can be simplified by lining the pulp container with a produce bag (eliminating the need to clean that part) and cleaning the parts immediately after juicing. The removable parts are top rack dishwasher safe. After most of my juicings, I just rinse the parts under hot water (using the included brush on the filter) and dry.

I do want to make a comment on Breville's customer service. Out of the box the juicer cover had two foil decals. I thought they would survive the dishwasher and I was wrong. It left a gooey mess, which I tried to remove with Goof Off (bad idea). The Goof Off melted the finish of the juicer cover. It did not damage the functionality of the machine only the aesthetics. An email to Breville about my mistake resulted in a replacement part, at no cost to me, being sent within 2 business days. I received my new juicer cover, decal free too.

Overall I am extremely satisfied with this juicer. I have rated it 4 out of five stars because of the minor issues I have mentioned. If the issues were not so easily remedied I would have given this juicer 3 stars.