A Juicer for Serious Juicers

Acme is one of the oldest brands of juicers still producing. Many years ago, I think around twenty, Waring bought out the Acme company. Some Acme people went and formed their own company; that company now makes Omega juicers. The original Acme design is still sold under the Acme name as well as Waring Professional--just a change of nameplate.

Until the popularity of TV infomercials pushing Juiceman and LaLanne juicers, the pure centrifugal juicer was the predominant. A cutting wheel at the bottom of the feed tube turns with the basket at several thousand revolutions per minute--3600 with the Acme and its child, the Omega. The shredded produce is flung against a perforated stainless steel basket; the juice is expressed through the perforations and the pulp remains in the basket. The more popular style now is the centrifugal pulp ejector. Rather than a large straight-sided basket as on the Acme and Omega 1000/9000 models, the basket is smaller at the bottom, with a flaring of the walls toward the top. By using a sloping basket, the pulp that is generated flies out the top of the basket and is directed to a separate pulp container. Some of the pulp ejectors spin at more than 10,000 rpm; they have to, to be able to sling the pulp out of the basket. There are advantages to both types, and I have a L'Equip and an Omega that are pulp ejectors. The advantage to that type is that one can just dump the pulp container at the end of juicing and that gets rid of almost all the pulp, save what's still in the basket and around the crevices. Disadvantage is that a lot more pulp also ends up in the plastic lid and around any crevices surrounding the basket.

What is the advantage of the traditional centrifugal, like the Acme? Better juice extraction. Even though the blade and basket may be rotating at 'only' 3600rpm, the basket itself is several inches across, so it is actually enjoying greater centrifugal force. As the machine doesn't have to sling the pulp anywhere, there is more time for it to continue expressing juice from the pulp the entire time it is in use. Disadvantage? Only a certain amount of juice can be generated before one has to turn the machine off and clean out pulp. In my experience, making the carrot/beet/radish/parsley that is my favorite, I have found I need to stop juicing at just about the time I get a big full glass of juice. So, for one person, 12-16 oz. is all I want at a time anyway. Continuous ejection is not a plus at all. The pulp from my Acme is definitely drier than from the pulp ejectors. In fact, when I empty the pulp container, it simply peels right off the large basket. Additionally, as the pulp isn't being scraped off the basket at high speed, I find the perforated stainless steel basket doesn't trap pulp in the same way as the ejectors. If cleaning is a real issue, or for the greatest clarity of juice without straining, disposable paper filter liners are available; just line the basket before juicing and peel it off when finished. I've used them before but I don't use them regularly. Just user preference.

There is one real difference in design between the Acme and the Omega/Breville/other juicers. The Acme lid is made to mount on the bowl, and a small twist locks it into the sturdy, fixed side arms. On all these other centrifugal juicers, there are plastic arms that have to swing up and lock down the lid. I've read on other sites where these plastic arms can and do break with use, particularly on Omegas and cheapie juicers. My Acme is around 20 years old and still locks perfectly every time. A better design, and it's patented. My Acme is equivalent and identical to the 6001 sold now, with the stainless lid and bowl. I had another Acme with the plastic bowl and lid and gave it away years ago. I like the cleanliness and non-staining quality of stainless steel.

Incidentally, the large Acme cutting wheel, from which the Omega and Moline cutting wheels are copies, is readily replaceable when the cutters dull after a few years from use (all juicers do this). One doesn't have to spend extra money to replace an integral basket--if one can even replace it! I have wondered whether 20 years from now, one can get replacements on all those TV infomercial juicers, since they are made overseas by Heaven knows who!

This is a large, substantial machine that will outweigh all those little plastic juicers one sees daily. It has a network of rubber feet surrounding the circular bottom. I have never had mine go out of balance, unlike my experiences with lesser juicers.

Another hot selling gimmick right now is feed tube size. As I've been juicing so many years I don't see the big deal. The feed tube on the Acme is not large, and certainly not large enough to thrust an entire apple through. I have some very sharp knives, and use the preparation for large produce as an opportunity to inspect while I cut. I mean, how long does it take to slice up a few apples or beets? Besides, I wonder how good it is for the motor on any juicer.

Cleanup is very easy. The bowl and top are stainless steel, and as juice isn't greasy, just rinse off with a little soapy water. Be careful with that cutting wheel--it's sharp! As stated earlier, the basket is several inches across and even my large hand reaches in easily to scoop out pulp. If one has ever cooked on spaghetti sauce or lasagna in a pan, cleanup in less than 5 minutes is a dream.

Any newbie juicer can certainly use this machine--it's much more forgiving than a cheapie machine, virtually impossible to break. However, it's heavy enough that one doesn't want to put it away daily, and it's a fairly substantial investment for one who isn't committed to juicing. That would be my only reservation in recommending this juicer to anyone. Again, check out the ingenious and unbreakable patented locking lid as opposed to those plastic arms on other brands. And buy as Acme or Waring Pro--they are the same excellent appliance.