The extremely affordable Hamilton Beach Big Mouth centrifugal juicer performs as well as many of its mid-priced counterparts despite some obvious downgrades. Of course, downgrades are necessary in order to offer any product at a lower price than competitive products. Luckily, Hamilton Beach appears to have chosen to downgrade some of the least important aspects of a centrifugal juicer in order to comprise as little quality as possible in the name of affordability.
In the following article, I will review the Big Mouth in an effort to help you figure out if it may be the juicer for you. I will not focus on style in this article, but do feel that it is necessary to mention it quickly, since this particular juicer is available in three different style options: white and lime green, grey, or black.
Now that we have style out of the way, there are a couple of things you should consider before purchasing any juicer, this one included. First, it is important for you to figure out if you are even looking to purchase a centrifugal juicer, or if a masticating juicer is more your style. Although able to perform many more tasks, masticating juicers are much more expensive. I have posted an article about the differences between the two types which you may find useful. The other considerations will all be addressed as you move your way through this article. So, let’s begin.
A Pity It’s Plastic
One of the major ways Hamilton Beach was able to reduce the price of this juicer was by making it almost entirely out of plastic. Plastic is, of course, much less expensive that metal. Therefore, making most of the pieces from plastic is a great way to cut costs.
Of course, as with any cost-cutting downgrade, there are definite drawbacks to making this juicer almost completely from plastic. First running the motor for extended periods of time is likely to cause heat to build up. In similar plastic juicers, this heat has been known to actually cause plastic encasements to begin to melt. This is actually one the reasons why Breville, a competitor, chose to include a safety feature in many of their juicers which shuts down the system if the motor is in danger of overheating.
Another concern with plastic encasements is that they aren’t as durable as their metal counterparts. So long as you are able to be careful with your juicer and avoid dropping it, this shouldn’t be very much of an issue. It is even less important if you plan to make space for this juicer to sit stationary on your countertop.
Directly Into Your Cup
Another cost-saving technique is removing non-essential pieces of a product. In the case of this juicer, it appears that Hamilton Beach decided to remove the juice pitcher which many other competitors choose to include with their juicers. The juice pitcher catches the juice as it comes out. In all honesty, it isn’t very important. Many juicers feature 8 to 10-ounce juice pitchers which, essentially, get poured into your glass or larger refrigerator pitcher anyway. All juice pitchers really do, in those cases, is dirty an extra dish and take up more space in your cupboard.
One upside to juice pitchers is that many of them feature measurement markings so that you can precisely measure out different types of juice when making cocktails. An easy solution for this problem with the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth is simply slipping a measuring cup beneath its spout instead of your drinking glass. Therefore, Hamilton Beach has reduced the price of this juicer without really taking much away from you in the way of convenience or function.
Sufficient Motor
Cutting back in areas such as metal encasements and juice pitchers means that Hamilton Beach has been able to include a sufficient 800-watt motor in this particular centrifugal juicer. As centrifugal juicers go, I say that 800 watts is sufficient because it exists neither on the low nor high end of functionality.
A 600-watt motor would likely overheat and stop working when performing simple tasks. A 1000-watt motor could easily withstand large batches of difficult-to-process foods. This 800-watt motor will allow you to juice easy and difficult foods, and should not overheat so long as you do not leave it running for too long. I would suggest making only a couple of glasses at a time then allowing it a break to cool down, since overheating can not only lead to malfunction but also melting the plastic encasement.
A Big Mouth and A Big Bin
Further adding to the convenience of this juicer are its wide feeding mouth and its large pulp collector bin. The feeding mouth is 3 inches wide, which is quickly becoming the standard in centrifugal juicers. A 3 inch wide feeding mouth means that you will not have to cut many of your foods before placing them in your juicer, which greatly reduces the amount of prep time and clean up time involved in creating a succulent juice.
The large pulp collector is also a life saver in the realm of time. Instead of stopping every few minutes to empty a small pulp basket, you can continually feed fruits and vegetables into the wide feeding mouth without worry, and empty the large bin upon completing your task.
Consumer Feedback
Consumer feedback for the Big Mouth is impressively positive, especially considering how cost-effective this particular juicer happens to be. Most of the complaints I was able to find were focused around expected issues. For example, when the motor runs for too long, the plastic encasement and other plastic parts can begin to melt. Also, common problems with all centrifugal juicers were also reported, such as issues with froth and noise.
Concluding Remarks
Overall, I believe that Hamilton Beach has provided a great product in the Big Mouth Juice Extractor, for its price. If you have more money to spend and intend to use your juicer for extended periods of time, I would suggest looking elsewhere. However, if you are looking for something which works well and is affordably-priced, this may be just the juicer for you. I only caution that you take note of its shortcomings and work with it in the ways that best support its optimal function; take your time and allow breaks for the motor to cool down.
