Although I love living alone, there were some perks of living with my parents that I still miss fondly. For example, I enjoyed going grocery shopping with someone (they would push my cart). I also miss getting a free ride to wherever I needed to go. But what I miss most is my dad's juicer. He had a big machine that took up half the counter, and he would liquefy carrots, pineapples, and other fresh veggies every morning. When I moved to a small apartment in New York, I barely had room for basics like a coffee maker or toaster, and no room for something fancy like a juicer. But when spring came and the warm weather started making me want fresh fruit juice, I started looking for something that would fit in my small kitchen. That's where the DASH Deluxe Compact Juicer comes in, which I found on Amazon. Many of my colleagues at The Kitchn love DASH products, so I immediately decided to give them a try. So where does this brand of juicer rank? I'll tell you.
DASH Deluxe Compact Master Quitting Slow Juicer
Amazon
$79.99 (previously $99.99)
buy now
What is the DASH Deluxe Compact Juicer?
As soon as I took my new juicer out of the box, I was surprised at how small it was. At 13″ x 4″, the machine doesn't take up much space on your counter and can be stored in a kitchen cart when you're done. It's also super easy to use. Just place your veggies or fruits in the feed opening, press down, and the machine will do all the work to separate the pulp from the juice and create a nutritious drink. Make sure you cut your fruits and vegetables into small pieces that fit into the feed opening. Plus, it comes with a freezer attachment so you can make sorbets and frozen cocktails. DASH says you can also use this juicer to make nut-based milks, but I haven't tried that yet, as I only bought almond milk from the store. The machine comes in a light blue-green color, which is what I purchased, but you can also choose a plain black or gray to match the atmosphere of your kitchen.
Why we love the DASH Deluxe Compact Juicer
There are some fruits that I like the taste of but don't like to eat in solid form. Oranges, for example, have white veiny bits on the inside that I find a bit gross. But since I got my DASH juicer, I juice an orange every other week and it's so refreshing! I also like to juice pineapples because they're too tart when whole. If I want to use them up before they go bad, I'll mix in a couple of regular apples. The juice always comes out sweet and delicious, but without all the additives, preservatives, and extra sugar that commercial juices have. The pulp outlet on this juicer is pretty small. This is good because it keeps the resulting juice from being full of pulp, but it also means that fibrous fruits and vegetables can get stuck in it. Strawberries, spinach, and apples come out of the pulp outlet easily, but pineapples didn't work out. In those cases, I remove the blending part of the juicer from the base and use the tip of the included cleaning brush to push out any debris that's causing the clog. It's not ideal, but the machine will work again.
I had a similar problem when I tried to use the freezing attachment on my juicer once. I cut up a box of strawberries and froze them. With this attachment, the sorbet is supposed to come out of the pulp spout. But even after I cut the berries into quarters, the spout got clogged. I was still able to eat half the box, and the resulting sorbet was perfect in taste and texture.
This juicer is easy to disassemble and clean. The fine brush that comes with it is especially useful for removing every last bit of fruit residue. Overall, I would recommend this juicer for anyone with a small kitchen like me, but keep in mind that it is not the most powerful device. Be sure to cut the fruit properly and avoid jam. But it is great for making a run-of-the-mill green juice or a mix of apple, orange and kiwi juice.
Buy it: DASH Deluxe Compact Juicer, $79.99 (regular price $99.99)
