Product Review: Breville Juice Fountain Compact
When I had to cut expenses last year, one of the first things to go was my favorite $8 drink from a local juice bar. I thought of getting my own juicer but abandoned the idea when I considered the cost and especially the size of a juicer in my small kitchen. Then, not too long ago, Sara Kate wrote about
the joy of juicing and her Breville Ikon Multi-Speed Juice Fountain
Product Details
The Breville Juice Fountain Compact is not tiny, but it’s one of the smaller high quality juicers with measurements of 9.5 x 8.8 x 16 inches and 7.9 pounds. It has a 700-watt motor (200 watts less than the
Ikon Multi-Speed Juice Fountain
Pros and Cons
The juicer is primarily plastic, which I initially didn’t like until I realized this makes it much lighter and easier to move from shelf to counter (I don’t have space to give it a permanent spot on the counter). The micromesh filter basket is stainless steel. I have only used the juicer about a month, but all of the parts seem durable and they stand up well to movement, juicing, and cleaning.
The one area that does concern me is where the safety locking arm meets the juicer cover. It locks securely but scratched the plastic after just a few uses – disappointing from an aesthetic standpoint, at least.
Unlike juicers with multiple speeds and settings, the Juice Fountain Compact has only an ON/OFF switch. Despite this lack of precision, the juicer does a very good job processing everything from whole, hard foods like apples, carrots, and beets to soft foods like citrus, berries, and leafy greens. With a little practice and tips from the instruction manual, I quickly felt like a pro at using the food pusher and getting the best, most thorough extraction from different fruits and vegetables.
I had been warned that this type of juicer can bounce around on the counter, so I was pleased to discover that the Breville moves very little. The cutter and filter work quickly and thoroughly with minimal rumbling. I’ve had a few splatters here and there, but for the most part the spout and pitcher also work very cleanly.
Cleanup is relatively painless with the help of the cleaning brush, which is designed to scrape out the pulp and scrub the filter basket. As long as I tend to it right away, it doesn’t take long to scrub the basket clean.
Summary
Overall, I have been very happy with the Breville Juice Fountain Compact. It’s just the right size for my kitchen and works splendidly, especially considering its simpler list of features. Although it would be still be an initial investment, the amount of money saved by juicing at home (and being able to use up fruits and vegetables before they go bad) is significant. I enjoy being able to make a quick, healthy drink or even a meal with this appliance, and I use it so often that I almost can’t imagine a time without it!
Do any of you own the Juice Fountain Compact? What do you think?
• More information: Juice Fountain Compact
• Buy it: Breville BJE200XL 700-Watt Compact Juice Fountain, $99.94 at Amazon.com
Related:
On Drinking a Pile of Vegetables for Dinner
Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.
(Images: 1: Breville, 2-10: Emily Ho)