Orange-X Professional Juicer
From Orange-X
Finally a commercial grade juicer for the home that will do as advertised, deliver a glass of fresh squeezed juice. This mid-size commercial juicer form OrangeX is as cool and refreshing as the juice it produces. Whether your fresh squeezed fancy is oranges, grapefruits, lemons or limes the OrangeX commercial juicer will make your morning a breeze. Made from cast iron and stainless steel with 2300 PSI (pounds per square inch) of force everyone in the family can have freshly squeezed juice at the drop of a lever. Removable parts are dishwasher safe.
- Color: White
- Brand: OrangeX
- Dimensions: 14.00" h x 7.00" w x 9.90" l, 15.95 pounds
Mid-Size and Large Orange-X Juicers compared
I have owned a large Orange-X juicer for two winters, and I recently bought a mid-size juicer as a gift. I am the author of the "Best juicer, April 8, 2001" review for the large Orange-X. My Orange-X has withstood the test of time as a daily habit during orange season. Think how many kitchen appliances gather dust next to the rowing machine; daily use is the ultimate testimonial. The habit I've settled on is to rotate a bowl of several varieties of citrus into the fridge for the next glass, and squeeze one glass at a time. Cleanup is easy enough, and "just-squeezed" (as opposed to yesterday's juice in a bottle) tastes good enough, that this habit sticks.
Setting the two units next to each other, I can make some comparisons.
First, every unit has a unique personality, and some units can only fairly be classified as defective. I looked at four mid-sized units before accepting one, rejecting two as defective, and the one I accepted has definite quirks. (Hey, so do I!) This is a brilliant design, but we're not talking BMW quality control at the factory. For now, this is hands down the best lever juicer on the market, but the principle of applying leverage during a stroke can't be patentable, someone will get around the Orange-X patents with better manufacturing quality, and Orange-X will be history.
What to look for, examining a unit for defects? The base should sit squarely on the counter, not warped so only three feet touch as a time. The various assembly parts should line up vertically on the pole, so the squeezing action is "on center". The lever arm should reach a bit past vertical, so it won't come down by surprise onto your fingers. Watch the lever action very carefully. It should impress you with its beauty, not look "all twisty", and maximum leverage should occur near the very end of the stroke; too soon is a quirk.
It is obvious, mail-ordering from Amazon, that you will be studying your unit more carefully than anyone before you. You have to admire Amazon for not deleting this post. In my extensive experience with Amazon, they are dedicated to keeping satisfied customers.
Now, the differences between the sizes: Price. Weight, 16 lbs -vs- 19 lbs. Height in rest position, 16" -vs- 18 1/2". Height of handle at top of stroke, 28 3/4" -vs- 31 1/2". Maximum glass height, 4 13/16" -vs- 6 1/8". Same stroke length, 3 7/8". Same strainer basket.
In other words, the two sizes should be virtually identical in function, with the mid-size a bit less unwieldly, and an easier reach if you don't play basketball. A "jam jar" tumbler will only fit directly under the large, but most pint measuring cups fit fine under the mid-size, as do many glasses.
On the other hand, if you can put up with the price, height, and weight of the large, and you're tall enough, it may be the way to go. In some intangible way the design feels more fully expressed in the large, but the mid-size works just fine.
I found my large handles grapefruit easily, but needs a rubber shim for thin-skinned citrus. Not mashing bitter oils from the peel is an intentional design feature of the Orange-X, but the spacing is fixed, and can only be adjusted by shimming with rubber Mason jar gaskets under the strainer basket, which I sometimes do. The particular mid-size I tested requires more effort to squeeze a grapefruit, but handles thin-skinned oranges better. I believe this to be the individual personalities of the units, not a generalization that applies to mid-size -vs- large, but, heh, who knows?
Not great for lemons
I bought this juicer for home use on the basis of good Amazon reviews--but only to juice lemons and limes and this review only addresses these fruits. If I didn't use a Waring twist juicer at work, I wouldn't have recognized the difference. It turns out the twist juicer definitely extracts more juice from a lemon--it breaks all the membrane and just leaves the shell--virtually dry. The press method squashes the lemon--there is still quite a bit of juice left, which I end up squezzing by hand. Also the head on the orange x is larger than the twist juicer, which may be fine for an orange, but is too large to apply equal pressure for a lemon--much less for a lime. I always end up having to reposition the lemon and press again. I e-mailed orange x before buying the juicer to ask them specifically about this--they never replied but I went ahead and bought it anyway. It looks great on the counter, and is easy to clean (but then, so is the twist juicer at work). So, think again if your main juicing needs are for lemons/limes. My three stars are only because of its disappointing performance for these fruits. It is called ORANGE x afterall!
Fresh OJ in Boston? Orange-X makes it possible.
I have only good things to say about my Orange-X. This review technically refers to the white version, not the silver, but since only the color is different, it shouldn't matter. I am currently a college student in Boston, who hadn't had a decent glass of orange juice in three years (other than summer and spring breaks) since I left my home in Florida. This all changed once my Orange-X arrived. It may be difficult to find fresh squeezed juice in grocery stores, but it certainly isn't hard to find oranges (better yet, take them from the dining hall for free). The Orange-X is simple to use--cut the fruit in half, place it on juicer, pull the handle, and you have juice. I also find it the easiest to clean of any of the juicers I've ever used. The funnel and strainer are stainless steel and lift right out. I suppose they are machine washable, but a quick rinse under the sink with a sponge does the trick. I haven't owned the Orange-X as long as the first reviewer has, but I find it hard to believe that it can develop a crack in the base. The juicer is incredibly solid (all cast iron except the funnel and strainer), and I don't see how it is possible unless it was dropped out of an 18th floor apartment window. Perhaps a moving train might dent it, but I'd be more worried about the train being derailed. Basically, the Orange-X has exceeded my expectations, and I enjoy beginning my day with fresh squeezed OJ, and having my homemade lemonade in the afternoons. Even during a Noreaster, I can imagine myself back home, while sipping delicious juice in the comfort of my well-heated room.
