This got my juices flowing (Phillips HR1851 Juicer)

Member Name: tune57

Product:	Phillips HR1851 Juicer
Date:	25/09/09 (246 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reasonable price, easy to use

Disadvantages: None for me

I purchased this Phillips HR1851 Juicer from John Lewis back in May 2007 for £24.95, thinking it would help me achieve my 5 a day intake of fruit and vegetables, although of course I am aware that no matter how many glasses of juice you drink in one day it still only counts as one of the recommended five a day portions.



The Juicer came in a large cardboard box, well packed again inside with even more cardboard to protect it in transit (no polystyrene in sight) On opening the box I first removed the paper instruction booklet together with a free paperback book written by Jason Vale titled "71b in 7 days Super Juice Diet", but a little more about that later.

Out of the 81 pages in the instruction booklet only pages 1-9 were relevant to me as the remainder I assume covered the very same in various other languages ( 12 to be precise). The instructions are very clear and concise, firstly, pictures show the various loose parts and how they fit together along with the main motor unit. It also includes 10 juice recipe ideas to get you started.

After washing these loose items in warm soapy water (as instructed) I began to assemble my machine. The main motor unit is white in colour and has a dial which controls the speed on the side, trimmed in a very subtle pale orange colour; the spout on one end is the same, there are also two arms either side of the machine which fold up to lock the lid in place. Next sits what they call a juice collector, (although this does not actually collect the juice), then inside this fits the metal filter. To finish the assembly a clear plastic lid complete with feeding tube sits neatly on top which is locked in place by moving the arms from the main motor unit up to the lid and simply clicking into place. The machine will not operate unless this procedure has been followed. There is a 1.5 litre capacity clear plastic bucket like container which fits at the rear of the machine (opposite end to the spout), this is the pulp collector and basically collects anything that isn't juice. The clear plastic 750 ml capacity juice jug with detachable foam separator then sits neatly beneath the spout to collect your juice as the machine is juicing. Failure to place this jug under the spout will result in a rather messy work surface as there is nothing to regulate the flow of the juice; it just goes straight into the jug.

Using the foam separator in my opinion merely gives a thinner smoother texture and only comes into use effectively when you pour the juice from the jug into a glass.

I prefer my juice a little thicker so I tend not to use the separator, either way what ever you choose there will be no bits in your juice as the bits stay either in the filter or are whizzed into the pulp collector.

This machine has a 500watt motor and two speed settings 1(low) 2(normal)
1. is for soft fruits and vegetables, things like grapes, strawberries, citrus, cherries, Kiwi, Melon, and Cucumbers etc.
2. is suitable for firmer things like apples, carrots, pineapple, celery, broccoli and beetroot etc.

It is also important to note that this machine can not accommodate whole fruits unless of course they are small (grapes, raspberries, and strawberries etc.) The feeding tube opening is rather small (3x1 inches) and is kidney shaped, so your chosen fruit and vegetables will also need to be cut into appropriate sized pieces.

Hard skinned fruit and vegetables also need to be peeled and stones need to be removed where applicable ,it goes without saying anything unpeeled needs to be washed first. It is also worth mentioning that whilst Kiwis are considered to be soft it is worth peeling them too, as I have found leaving the skin on produces a rather bitter tasting juice.

Almost any fruit or vegetable are suitable for juicing with the exceptions of Papayas, Mangos, figs and Bananas. This is because of their high starch content. You will need to use a blender or food processor for these if you choose to include them in your chosen juice recipe.

You then feed your chosen produce down tube pressing it down gently with the pusher provided (taking care not to force it down). You can then select the correct speed and continue feeding in fruit or vegetables until either you've finished or your jug is full. Once done, turn the machine off at the dial and wait until the filter has stopped spinning before unlocking the lid, to dismantle and wash.

Whilst compared to some, this is a very basic juicer and this is reflected in the price, however it is more than adequate for my needs, and I have no qualms recommending this model to anyone, especially if they are new to juicing, on a tight budget or just want something simple and easy to use.


I don't use this every day, simply because I don't have the time, but it does see daylight 2 to 3 times a week, usually juicing enough to last a couple of days, which is kept fresh by storing in a glass, screw topped bottle in the fridge. It's best not to make too much to store as the juice does lose some of its nutrients over time. Apple juice will, as you might have guessed, turn brown also but you can slow the browning process down by simply juicing a lemon and adding this to it.

The amount of juice produced from your chosen fruit or vegetables will obviously depend on its size, age and quality.
For example, I usually buy a 2kg net of Juicing Oranges from Tesco; the last one I purchased cost £1.74 and contained 13 oranges.
4 of these produced 15floz of juice.
2 grapefruits yielded the same, whereas I needed 6 Kiwi for a similar amount.

Whilst this model may seem a little on the noisy side whilst it's in operation, in my opinion it is no more than the level of a blender or food processor

Once the juicing process is over it's time to wash the loose parts. These can be done in the dishwasher, although I do mine my hand (haven't got a dishwasher anyway, unless you count the hubby!).

The mesh filter is probably the hardest of all; although I find running under warm water then brushing gently with a nylon bristled brush works a treat. (an old toothbrush is ideal for this). I have found it easier to line the pulp collector with a plastic bag, that way cleaning is as simple as just removing the bag containing the pulp. It's very rare that I have had to wash this container as the plastic bag has kept it clean. The pulp can then be either placed in your compost bin or disposed of with the rest of your household waste.

The taste of home produced juice is in my opinion far more superior to the varieties available in the shops, it also has the bonus of being totally additive free. Juicing yourself gives you the opportunity to experiment and let your imagination run riot with your own wonderful or even weird concoctions.

As for the free book I mentioned earlier, this seems to be the normal free gift with all the models of Phillips juicers. It is basically a 233 page paper back book written by Jason Vale, who is allegedly "The Juice Master", explaining how you could loose 71b in 7 days by following his super juice diet. Whilst I haven't read the whole book, I have digested enough to learn that for 7 days you have to survive on combination of homemade juices and smoothies. No solid type meals, no caffeine, no alcohol. Not only would I find this type of diet hard to stick to, I think it may also work out rather expensive too. The shopping list provided for days 1 to 3 includes 27 separate items which includes 35 apples, 3avocados, 2 trays of wheatgrass, 3 medium pineapples and alfalfa sprouts. Days 4 to 7 includes 22 separate items which includes, 41 apples, 4 large pineapples, plus most of the items listed for the first 3 days. It did make me wonder if it's not actually the juice and the smoothies that help with the weight loss but more the stress of having to buy all the ingredients required and carry them all home.
Either way he claims he helped Jordan loose 2 stone in 3 months (WOW!! ) Somehow I doubt very much I will be following in her footsteps.

Back to the Juicer, whilst I have already stated mine was purchased from John Lewis, it does not now appear to be available from them anymore either in store or online.


It is available from Amazon for £32.61 (with free, super saver delivery). The Jason Vale book is not shown as being free in this case but can be purchased separately should you be intersted.

Slightly updated of the original review posted by me on ciao.

Summary: Create the juice of your choice.

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