It never fails. You want to drink fresh and healthy juice but when you go to use the juicer to make your favorite wheatgrass blend, you find that someone has forgotten to clean the juicer once again. That means that before you can make a glass of refreshing juice, you have to take the entire machine apart, clean it thoroughly and then put it all back together. By the time you are finished doing all of that, you will probably be less than interested in making any juice at all. It is time to consider what your best course of action is. You can either give that lecture about cleaning the juicer again, or you can choose to find a new juicer. If the latter sounds like the easiest route to take, there are several things you should consider.

Everyone knows that a juicer has to be effective in making juices from a number of different fruits and vegetables so the number one factor should be a powerful motor. From crunching up carrots and other tough foods, to fully juicing everything that is put into it, the juicer’s motor has to run hard and run well.

Another factor to consider for your new juicer choice is the number of parts. Is putting the thing together going to be an absolute nightmare every time you use it? Think of how often you use your juicer or how much you would use it if it were easier to use. The more parts that have to be taken off for cleaning, the more parts that will need to be put back on afterward. Finding a juicer that does not have a million loose parts is a very important factor to consider.

What do other people think about the juicer? Before you make a purchase, you should do research on the various available juicers, reading the reviews from people who bought the same model. A word of caution though: Make sure that you go to third party review sites before reading these reviews because if you only read glowing reviews posted on the juicer’s site, are you really getting the honest information that you need?

Price is a factor that should be considered, too. Setting a budget and sticking to it will prevent you from being mesmerized by accessories and attachments that you really do not need. During your research you will get a good idea of what a reasonable price range might be.

Finally, back to the cleaning of the juicer. Look for an easy-to-clean juicer that does not need to be broken down every time so that maybe the other people in your household will take a stab at cleaning the thing as well. The Omega VRT Vertical Juicer is a good option to consider, easy to clean, powerful, and reasonably priced. You do not have to take the whole thing apart to clean it. You simply run water through the hopper after you have juiced your foods and that’s it.

Food Dehydrators – How They Work, and Why Every Home Should Have One

A really handy form of food to have around is dehydrated food, because it has so many uses. For example, produce can be dehydrated and used for stews, soups and other delicious recipes all year long. So, even if one has far too many vegetables from their garden, the food will not spoil. Another great example of popular dehydrated food is dehydrated fruits, such as raisins, apples and pineapples, just to name a few. These go great with nuts and a few chocolate chips, and make a great on-the-go snack (trail mix).

Types of Food Dehydrators

There are many different types of food dehydrators, and they come in a variety of sizes, so there is definitely one to fit into just about any kitchen. They can dry fruits and vegetables, and, for those of you who love such treats as beef jerky (which is delicious when made with the right marinade recipe…experiment to find your favorite flavor), you can even dry meats, such as beef and poultry (fish too) in a food dehydrator, and many people use dehydrators and smokers interchangeably.

There are three types of food dehydrators, those that blow hot air from an element in the bottom of the machine, of those that blow hot air form an element on the side of the machine, and those that blow hot air from the top of the machine. Food dehydrators do not use a lot of electricity either, and it is actually cheaper to use one of these handy little gadgets than to use a conventional oven to dry foods, which is done over long periods of time at low temperatures.

How A Food Dehydrator Works

Food dehydrators have shallow trays that stack on top of one another, which the food is placed on. For the best and fastest results, the food should be sliced thinly, and placed on the trays in single layers. Basically, a food dehydrator will suck the water from whatever food you are trying to dry.

Different foods dry at different speeds, so it may be necessary to check the foods at specific intervals, especially if you are drying different types of foods at the same time. Also keep in mind that there are some really delicious flavor combinations that can be created with a food dehydrator, so have fun and experiment with different flavors. Just remember that in order to prevent juices from meats dripping and contaminating other foods, it is important that you place any meats on the bottom racks.

It is incredibly simple to dehydrate your own food, and it can save you a lot of money in the long run. Think about it. Many of us waste a lot of food because we buy too much, and end up throwing it away. With a food dehydrator, we can preserve a lot of those foods, even meats, which can save hundreds of dollars each year. There are many different types of food dehydrators available. To learn more about the various types, you can find all kinds online at http://www.877myjuicer.com/dehydrators.html.

Everyone knows that it is necessary to get a certain amount of fruits and vegetables in our diets, because of the nutrients and vitamins they contain. These vitamins and nutrients can also be found in juice made from fresh fruits and vegetables, and can be made at home for a fraction of the price of buying prepared juices at the supermarket.

Regular Juicers vs. Steam Juicers

For many years, people all over the world have been using juicers to extract the juice from their fruits. This has been a great way to get juice, but, even though the juice provides many vitamins and nutrients, there are just as many that get lost in the juicing process. Because juicers get hot, they do heat the fruits and vegetables somewhat, which causes them to lose many of the vital nutrients.

Steam juicers on the other hand work in an entirely different manner from traditional juicers. Instead of crushing the fruits to extract the juice, steam juicers use steam to press the juice out, giving the user 100% juice which has lost none of the nutrients of the original foods used.

How Do Steam Juicers Work?

One of the really great things about steam juicers is the fact that you do not have to peel and seed the fruits before juicing. This makes the job a whole lot easier, and a lot less time consuming. Basically, you place the cut up fruit (you can use grapes and berries whole), inside the top section of the steam juicer, and water in the bottom section. The water is boiled, creating steam.

The steam actually gets right through the skins of grapes and berries, and forces the juices out, extracting them through a straw-like tube. Not only can steam juicers be used to make delicious juices, they can also be used to make soups and jellies, and can even be used to cook some meats, such as small roasts and chicken breasts, which come out extremely tender, juicy and delicious. You can even make concentrates that can be stored for months, even years. So, you can actually say that a steam juicer is a meal-maker.

The NutriSteamer

The NutriSteamer by Back to Basics is a multi-purpose steamer which can make delicious juices and jellies, soups, meats, and steamed vegetables, for an all-in-one meal-making machine. And, it is so easy to use! All you have to do is add water to the bottom section of the NutriSteamer and your fruits in the top section. The juice is extracted through a heat-resistant tube that is surgical quality.

Not only is the NutriSteamer a product that you will use over and over again, it is great-looking too. The NutriSteamer is made from polished stainless steel, and is a great addition to any kitchen.

So, if you are looking for a great way to get the most nutrients from your juice, and don’t want to pay the supermarket prices for ready-made juices, a steamer is the way to go. For more information about the NutriSteamer, you can click here.