An awkward cow! (Breville VFJ005)

Member Name: anwar7

Product:	Breville VFJ005
Date:	30/03/09 (264 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: see review

Disadvantages: see review

A few months ago I was browsing in my local Tesco when I decided that it would be a great idea to buy a juicer. I am also looking for ways to ensure my family have a healthy diet and thought freshly squeezed fruit for breakfast would be a great way to get everyone having more fruit. There were several models on display ranging from a Tesco value model for under £10 to the ridiculously expensive models. I knew I wanted a compact model so I would be able to leave it on my worktop, as I thought it would actually get used if it was readily available! I am always on the lookout for a bargain, so when I spotted the Breville daisy juicer and smoothie maker reduced to £24 I decided to buy it.

What you get for your money.
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Inside the box you get a base unit, housing the 450-watt motor and a juice extractor body. Both the motor unit and the juice extractor body are made of strong plastic, coloured black and white to resemble a Frisian cow. The juicer has a clear plastic lid with retaining catch (more about that catch later!) Inside the juice extractor is a metal filter. There is a chute at the top of the lid with a plastic pusher to help push fruit or vegetables into the juicer.

The smoothie maker part of the machine is the same as most liquidizers and consists of a 1.5 litre capacity plastic jug, plus lid and stopper. The smoothie maker fits onto the base unit.

There is a clear instruction booklet that carries on the "I am fun to use theme" with its brightly coloured pages and cartoon Daisy the cow pictures. However the all important putting the machine together and operating it are clear enough. There are several recipe ideas included as well as nutritional information about different fruits and vegetables you may be using. The machine comes with a 1 year manufacturer guarantee.

How it works.
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The first thing to say is that I find fitting the juicing unit onto the base very awkward. The motor unit needs to be on a flat surface and the juicer then fits on top and twists into a locked position. It sounds simple but in reality it is very fiddly to get the juicer and motor unit to lock together. In addition the juicer unit is quite big and difficult to get hold of. Once you have managed to get the two part together you will need to position the metal filter in the centre of the body of the juice, thankfully that's easy to do! The plastic lid then clips onto the juicer. The motor has 2 speeds plus a pulse setting. At the side of the machine is a small rubber nozzle for the extracted juice to run out. You will need to position a jug or glass underneath to catch your juice.

The instructions advice you to cut your fruit or vegetables into fairly small chunks before feeding into the chute. The pulp is collected in the back, or tail of Daisy.

To use the smoothie maker you will need to remove the juicing unit, it's as awkward to get off, as it is to fit! The smoothie maker/liquidizer jug is, on the other hand, easy to fit onto the motor unit. To make a smoothie all you need to do is add whatever fruit you choose to the jug and turn on that's it!

My thoughts.
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This really was an impulse buy for me. I wouldn't have chosen the Daisy cow design if it hadn't been for the price. However the design does appeal to my children and my 10- year old is allowed to make juice under supervision so it does encourage him to drink freshly made juice!

The machine is very noisy; in fact it is probably the noisiest machine I have ever owned! As I have already said it is very awkward to fit the juicer onto the motor unit. It is also very awkward to clean the filter as bits of fruit get stuck to it. When you want to use the smoothie maker you will need to find somewhere to store the juicer and its quite big so takes up a fair bit of space in the cupboard.

The plastic lid clips onto the juicing unit. The clip is very prone to coming off and is awkward to refit.

The rubber outlet nozzle is very small so only allows the extracted juice to trickle out, it is also impossible to clean inside the rubber nozzle. However it is fun to give it a squeeze like an udder! Having said that having freshly made juice is delicious and worth the effort as far as I'm concerned.

The smoothie maker is not only great for making lovely smoothies but also useful to blend soups and milkshakes. I use the smoothie at least once every day so it is a very useful purchase. I am particularly fond of using freshly squeezed orange juice with a handful of blueberries to make a simple and delicious blueberry smoothie. There are dozens of lovely ideas for making smoothies on the Internet.

The verdict.
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Overall I am pleased I bought this machine despite the cons I have discussed .It does encourage all our family to include more fruit and vegetables in our diet. Amazon is selling Daisy for £36.42. At that price I probably wouldn't buy it, but for £24 I think it was an ok purchase.

Update.
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A few weeks after writing this review Daisy decided to die ! Perhaps she didn't like being called an awkward cow! Therefore I cannot recommend this machine !

Summary: Juicer/smoothie maker from Breville

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