As centrifugal juicers go, the Breville BJE820XL Juice Fountain sits near the top end of the price range, but also features a nearly flawless design.
I have never been a big fan of centrifugal juicers. I prefer the dependability and high yields brought forth by masticating juicers. Still, masticating juicers work rather slowly, so I can understand why many other people feel drawn toward the centrifugal option. Another reason I haven’t been much of a fan of centrifugal juicers is because I haven’t been able to find one that I feel is capable of handling the work it claims it will.
As you will see in this article, the Breville BJE820XL appears to be fully capable of living up to its claims, save for a few minor issues which we will also discuss.
High Power For Ultimate Performance
This Breville juicer features a 1200-watt motor. Let me say that again to make sure you read it correctly – this Breville juicer features a 1200-watt motor. Most other juicers contain motors ranging between 600 and 1000 watts. A 1200-watt motor is actually quite difficult to find in a centrifugal juicer, though it is certainly a wonderful addition.
To give you a quick lesson in centrifugal juicer motors, let me begin by telling you that more is better. Since the centrifugal process requires that the blades inside the juicer spin at incredibly high speeds while forcing themselves against dense foods, it is incredibly important that the motor of a centrifugal juicer be able to handle this stress load. The lower the wattage of a centrifugal juicer’s motor, the higher the chances of it overheating and breaking down.
The 1200-watt motor of this Juice Fountain is likely to stand up to just about anything you can throw at it. I do not hesitate to say that you can easily create large batches of juice from difficult-to-process foods without worrying about the motor overheating, breaking down, or needing to rest.
Pick a Speed, Any Speed
As I have said in other articles, I am not sure that it is really necessary to feature five speeds in a centrifugal juicer, but five speeds are better than two speeds, which is infinitely better than one speed. In centrifugal juicing, different speeds are required to break down different types of foods. Soft foods can easily be broken down at low speed settings such as 6500 RPM. In fact, you will not want to place your speed setting any higher, otherwise you may obliterate the enzymes in your food and you will likely create massive amounts of froth.
Hard, dense foods, such as carrots and celery, are best broken down at high speed settings, such as 12,000 RPMs. Any setting below this level will not be able to break down the food completely. It will send large chunks of unprocessed wet pulp into the pulp collector instead of properly extracting the juice from it.
Traditional two-speed centrifugal juicers force you to choose between these two types of settings, while completely ignoring the fact that medium density foods, such as apples and pineapples, require their own speed setting to properly extract juices from them. Luckily, with the five speed settings available on this Breville Juice Fountain, you will be able to select just the right setting for the food you are juicing.
Convenience Features
Multiple features have been added to this Juice Fountain to make your life both safer and easier.
Although I have already stated that I do not believe the motor of this Juice Fountain will overheat or break down very easily, it is nice to know that certain measures have been taken to further reduce the likelihood of that happening. Breville’s overload protection system ensures that if internal sensors believe there is a risk of the system overheating, the motor will be turned off to allow it time to cool.
Another interesting feature is the safety locking system included with most, if not all, Breville juicers. This system makes it nearly impossible to open the juicer if it is running, and will not allow you to turn it on without the lid securely fastened.
This juicer also features a large 3-inch feeding chute, perfect for dropping in entire fruits and vegetables without the hassle of having to chop them up prior to juicing. The extra-large pulp collector bin also saves you time, as you will not need to stop to empty it during the juicing process.
An additional impressive feature is the large juice pitcher. This juice pitcher appears to attach directly to the machine to reduce splatter and spillage. It also incorporates a handle for easy lifting, an easy-pour spout, and measurement lines.
Almost Flawless
While I am incredibly impressed with the 1200-watt motor, five speed settings, and the plethora of convenience features built into this juicer, I must say that it is not perfect. Nothing is perfect, though, so I am sure you were expecting me to point out the minor flaws associated with this juicer.
One unfortunate drawback of the Breville BJE820XL is that it takes up a lot of counter space. Adding to the amount of space it utilizes are its oversized juice pitcher and large pulp collector. Although the juice pitcher and pulp collector can be quite convenient, they can also be a bit of a pain for those with small countertops and scarce cupboard space.
I would also like to take a moment to caution you against Breville’s claim that this juicer can easily digest leafy greens on its low speed setting. While the low speed setting is the best way to extract some juice from leafy greens, you are unlikely to extract very much juice from leafy greens using any centrifugal juicer. Juice must be squeezed from this kind of vegetable, not diced up and bled from within it. If you are looking for a juicer which can adequately handle leafy green vegetables, you may want to look into purchasing a masticating juicer.
Concluding Remarks
In conclusion, although the Breville BJE820XL Juice Fountain exists at the high end of the centrifugal juicer price range, it appears to be very well built and is likely to stand the test of time as you throw large batches of fruit and vegetables at it. Its incredibly strong motor can easily handle tasks which the motors of other juicers will find difficult. The convenience and safety features added to this juicer only serve to increase its value even further. It is my opinion that this juicer is built for serious juicers who do not have a strong need to incorporate leafy green vegetables into their juicing diet, and that it is well worth its increased price.
