Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I have searched thru hundreds of reviews on a dozen different juicers, and after purchasing the Omega 02 I felt it deserved a little boost to its overall grade.
I have now owned 5 different juicers under the $135 price tag: a department store model; a highly rated 700 watt stainless model available almost everywhere under many names; a OK/nice LeQuip model: the Jack LaLanne model, and now this Omega 02. What a difference it is too.
To begin with, it is by far the best packaged item of all five of them (LeQuip was good). It looks clean and has nice body lines, and works smooth. In comparison, the cheapy is what it is...not much. The all stainless model was not all that well made for the price and jumped all over the place...It did have a similar basket similar to the Omega, but it had a plastic mounting ring and a lightweight blade. The LeQuip is similar to this Omega, but more money and a couple little issues that make it number two on my list. And finally, the Jack LaLanne...it worked OK at first, but with a cheap plastic basket/blade assembly and only a 60 day full warranty it is not worth it at any price. The Jack L is so over-hyped that I would recommend most anything over that device!
So, what is good about the Omega 02? It is compact and does not use a lot of counter space. But it does everything the 3" mouth model can do (in the form of juicing the way a good one should), except you have to cut apples and beets down into slices. And besides, if you juice a lot of apples it is wise not to eat all of those seeds over time(there is much mention of accumulating poison from some seeds)...and lets face it, if you have a big mouth juicer you are going to get lazy and just drop them in seeds and all. Also, other larger fruits that might have a large seed are going to wind up getting chopped and not juiced whole anyway...so cutting is not a really big deal.
What else? It cleans up a LOT easier than the Jack L...largely due to the way the pulp is thrown out of the back and most of it goes straight into the catcher, the way it is supposed to do. **A note for any juicer, put a plastic bag in the catcher and tie it up over the top to make clean up easier and you can save the pulp for compost or meatloaf, etc.** Anyway, some of the tops on other machines get jammed with pulp or have corners that make them hard to clean out. If you can visually see the design of a cover you can more easily determine if it is a smooth arc or a sharply angled model...the smoother the better.
How about power? This version of an Omega has a 1/3 hp, 6300 rpm motor. The Jack L and other cheapies have smaller 1/4 or less motors and some still crank the rpm's to compensate (not good). There is much discussion about rpm's and that lower is better (for reducing oxidation)...but, you cannot find a centrifugal pulp ejector model that is slow enough to compete with the masticator/auger types with reducing the oxidation. So, you need to choose one that can at least separate the juice from the pulp but not be too weak to break. This is why I chose the Omega 02...it is not the full 11,000 rpm 1/3 or 1/2 hp model but it is powerful enough to do the job and strong enough to last as well. Also, don't get caught up in wattage comparisons...watts do not translate directly into horsepower. To grind up tough fruit and veggies, you need horsepower.
If I had to choose another model to replace this one (in the same price range) I would definitely choose this Omega 02 again.
With that said, there are a couple small items to address. First of all, get the black version instead of the white. Or plan to buy the black plastic bowl ring later. This piece of plastic will get stained in short order from carrots and other similar veggies. But it is just a little stain ring around the inside where the basket rides, not bad like other brands. The black plastic will not show this and stay newer looking, longer. But, I will say that even stainless appliances will show wear over time, so use it and enjoy it anyway. Secondly, there is occasional juice that seeps out around the bottom lip of the bowl ring (mentioned above) and the stainless bowl, BUT I have come up with a quick fix: put a small amount of vaseline around the rim of the stainless bowl and then place the white (or black) plastic ring on top before setting the basket and blade into place. Juice will not seep out, and it will not come in contact with your juice either. It does not affect cleanup! When it is time to break the unit down, it merely washes off in hot water. FYI, the LeQuips have the plastic ring formed onto the stainless bowl...stops the seepage, but is a real pain to clean since it does not come off of the bowl.
OK, hopefully that is enough to make it worth your time reading this whole thing and help in decision making.
I would recommend the Omega 02 to anyone...I got it for $90 shipped and I would only consider a couple of other models over this one (maybe) but they will cost 2 to 21/2 times this price (Omega Big Mouth or 4000). And the only reason for considering them is a longer warranty (10 or 15 instead of 3) and larger machines for a little more processing power (but I didn't need more).
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Omega O2 1/3-Horsepower Continuous Pulp-Ejection JuicerEnjoy healthy great-tasting juice quickly and easily with this electric fruit-and-vegetable juicer. The small appliance features an efficient 1/3-horsepower motor for 6200 RPMs, a stainless-steel blade and basket, and a large feed chute that can accommodate a variety of different-size produce (cut up over-sized items into smaller pieces as necessary). Freshly squeezed juice dispenses from the spout directly into a glass or storage container. Best of all, a receptacle bin in the back of the unit catches fruit and vegetable refuse for convenient disposal and simple cleanup. The juice dispenser comes in a compact size that takes up very little space, making it a nice choice for at home or when traveling. The continuous pulp-ejection-style juicer measures 15 by 9 by 12-1/2 inches and carries a five-year warranty.
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