Tested: Hurom HU-100 Slow Juicer

If you’re serious about getting or staying healthy, you’d be wise to make the high-nutrient, low-caloric intake tactic of juicing a part of you nutritional regimen. Since you probably don’t have the time nor the patience to nosh on two pounds of fruits and fresh veggies a day, it’s also smart to expedite the process and simultaneously add variety to your diet. But any old juicer won’t necessarily do the trick. Slow juicing is almost anathema to the tidal wave of fast health and fitness results hitting media shores, yet there are serious facts to back up the methodical version. We recently tested the Hurom HU-100 Slow Juicer ($330) to see how much it could help us in our own personal battle of the bulge.

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The HU-100 is a good-looking appliance, especially in matte silver. Indeed, it doesn’t look like a bargain contraption bought off an infomercial at 3 a.m., unlike some competitors, and its footprint isn’t huge, ensuring it won’t hog counter space. Unlike cheaper juicers, the HU-100 is well constructed, with excellent tolerances on fitment; there are no rattles to be heard, nor any poorly joining components. But what sets the Hurom apart is its methodical, low-RPM operation. The vast majority of juicers utilize high RPM motors to extract juice quickly, resulting in an ultra-fast but ultra noisy process that doesn’t necessarily equate to maximum nutrient output (plus, high RPMs can be damaging over time, shortening a juicer’s lifespan). The Hurom is surprisingly quiet. We weren’t afraid to run the juicer early in the morning since turning it on didn’t sound like flipping the switch on a jet turbine. Instead, there was just a low hum and the sounds of vegetables dying a slow death.

Rather than pulverizing fruits and vegetables, the HU-100 uses a low-speed two-stage process, cutting and crushing fruit and then extracting the juice with extremely high efficiency. This process reduces waste and increases extracted juice by 35% and nutrients by a whopping 60%. The technique does, however, bring about the one disadvantage we found in the Slow Juicer: produce must be cut up into manageable sizes so the parts don’t jam. We followed these instructions — resisting the temptation to cram whole stalks of celery into the thing like it was a wood chipper — and never encountered a single jam during our extended test, even while sending down kale and carrots.

“Juicing” the Smart Way

You could try throwing a barrage of fruits and veggies into your juicer, but that’s a game you don’t want to play as a beginner. You could end up with something resembling swamp foam and tasting just as good. Granted, not all juices taste like sweet nectar, but recipes and guidance help. If you want maximum nutrition, flavor and variety, check out The Juicer’s Bible, a comprehensive guide to juicing for beginners to experts. It provides not only recipes but also tips and tricks to stay motivated in your quest for the optimal juicing experience.

During our two-months the Hurom Slow Juicer on an almost a daily basis, we juiced carrots, kale, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, wheatgrass, beets, apples, pears, strawberries, canteloupe, bananas, mangoes, almonds, and soybeans. The Slow Juicer handled all of them with ease, unlike many other juicers. We credit the slow juicing process for its ability to run the gamut of foods. Cleanup was a cinch, as all parts disassemble easily and rinse well. The included cleaning brush makes removing pulp from the screen quite easy, and putting all the parts back together doesn’t require a degree in mechanical engineering, thankfully.

The process of juicing itself isn’t the fastest, but, unsurprisingly, that’s not what this juicer is about. It takes a bit of patience do to properly (luckily there’s a 10-year warranty if you screw up), but the payoff is satisfying and nutritious juice that doesn’t waste your produce. It’s refreshing to see a manufacturer go the slow and thorough route in the quest to make a healthier, better, more vitamin-filled you, and that’s just what Hurom has done.

METHODOLOGY: We tested the Hurom Slow Juicer a minimum of three times per week for a two month period, making at least 8 ounces of juice each time. Combinations of fruits and vegetables were sometimes poorly chosen, which resulted in rapid consumption to bypass the tastebuds. No meat shakes were made during the test period.

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