Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

My husband and I watched the movie Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead in early February (it's currently on Netflix, Hulu Plus AND Amazon Instant Video). Before the night was over, we were researching juicers, to help our bodies detox (which some call a "body reboot", for good reason), and to hopefully lose a little weight, too. We decided on the Breville Ikon. The whole watching movie = buying an appliance neither of us had ever wanted before was truly bizarre, considering I thought the documentary was about fat wrestlers trying to lose weight when I first put the movie on. (I love movies like that!) I'm glad I didn't read the synopsis well, because we may not have watched what turned out to be a life-changing movie for us. In 6 week's time, we've used the Ikon 120-140 times (3-4 times a day for 4 weeks, and still 1-2 times a day since.) It's a minor pain to wash, but only because we've done it SO. MANY. TIMES. in 6 weeks. I've had every part but the main body through the dishwasher a few times (top shelf), but usually we wash the parts by hand. They clean easily, especially if you do it right after making a juice. We've had no issues with the juicer itself, nor anything we've put in the juicer, from whole sweet potatoes to carrots to cauliflower to collard greens. I've seen only a few tiny bits of green (probably spinach) make it into drinks on occasion; I've yet to see a seed in a juice, even from a strawberry or kiwi. The only things we don't put through it are bananas and avocados, because I've read they just turn into a mushy pulp and don't juice well (but they BLEND into juices nicely!) PROS Easy to use. Juices FAST (speed and froth is considered a con by some, but if it wasn't fast like it is, I wouldn't use it daily) 3"-wide mouth allows you to fit large things in with little or no prep Cleanup is fast and relatively painless Not incredibly loud -- I'd say it's vacuum cleaner-loud. It's on such a short time it doesn't matter. Makes LOTS of juice for the amount of produce you put in. This morning, the first 2 oranges I threw in (no peel) made 9-10 oz of juice. Most importantly, it will give you the ability to make possibly the healthiest drinks you'll ever have. Even my son (age 12) has had one every morning since the juicer arrived. I wouldn't have believed it two months ago had you told me he'd be eager to have drinks made of kale, spinach, carrots, plus a bunch of fruity goodness. The breakfast drinks have turned a house of grouches into morning people -- and that's without coffee!!! CONS (but not really) The price. Looks like it's wavered between $199-$299 on Amazon...keep an eye out for the lower prices. We got ours as an Amazon "Warehouse Deal" (see tiny link at bottom of page). It was $184 because there was a dent in the box. Product was perfect. But here's the thing. The price really shouldn't be a con. If you get a sub-par juicer, you'll be putting a LOT more produce through it to make the same amount of juice the higher end ones make with less. This means a LOT more produce to buy ($$), a LOT more prep work (more veggies/fruits to clean, cut, peel, etc.), and a lot more clean up. If you plan on actually using a juicer, spend more up front to save a lot in a short amount of time. How did our detox/weight loss go? In four weeks of solely juicing I lost 18 pounds; in just two weeks my husband lost 19 pounds (figures!) My migraines have disappeared, my husband's snoring has entirely stopped, and our serious caffeine addictions are gone. I've had this annoying ringing sound in my right ear for months...it disappeared around the second week, and has not returned. Our energy is through the roof - in general AND during workouts. The day after we stopped the full detox/juice fast we both gained a few pounds back (which is completely expected and understandable). Weeks later we're still down all the weight but those few pounds. What's more, we still feel great and haven't 'regained' any bad habits. We both still have at least a juice a day, and we'll definitely both do an occasional reboot as needed. What drug, pill, powder, diet has EVER done that for anyone, without side effects? Veggies and fruits rock! UPDATE 4/29/12 My husband and I are still doing very well, and still juice at least once a day. We're still only a few pounds up, a month after our detox. But the detox/juice feast/fast felt so good the first time around, we've decided to do a second, starting tomorrow. The reason for the update, actually, is to comment on my 12-year old son. He's still having a juice every morning before school -- often with a hard boiled egg on the side. He weighs himself daily, and tonight he told me he's lost 5 pounds in the last 2 months! "Let food by thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food." -Hippocrates