Philips HR 1861

Once I'd made up my mind I wanted a juicer I couldn't wait to get one. I'd done a bit of research on the internet, but to be honest it left me pretty clueless. There were so many to choose from. All I knew is it had to be dishwasher safe - I hate washing up!!

I came across the Phillips Juicer (HR1861) in the Argos book. I had it in my mind with juicers, as with many appliances, that you get what you pay for. This juicer was priced ...
...as having £25.00 off, making it £74.99 (this price is still correct at the time of writing this 08/12/05). "Bargain" I thought. Not long later, I'd been to my local Argos and bought it.

The Looks
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This juicer looks classy. I didn't want a white plastic one, as not only do I think they look cheap, but experience with white appliances tells me they discolour eventually. This one is finished ... more

Once I'd made up my mind I wanted a juicer I couldn't wait to get one. I'd done a bit of research on the internet, but to be honest it left me pretty clueless. There were so many to choose from. All I knew is it had to be dishwasher safe - I hate washing up!!

I came across the Phillips Juicer (HR1861) in the Argos book. I had it in my mind with juicers, as with many appliances, that you get what you pay for. This juicer was priced at £99.99 on the Argos website, but it was shown as having £25.00 off, making it £74.99 (this price is still correct at the time of writing this 08/12/05). "Bargain" I thought. Not long later, I'd been to my local Argos and bought it.

The Looks
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This juicer looks classy. I didn't want a white plastic one, as not only do I think they look cheap, but experience with white appliances tells me they discolour eventually. This one is finished mainly in brushed aluminium. Other parts of it are black plastic or clear see-through plastic. It takes up little more space on the kitchen worktop than an electric kettle. Ciao's picture does it justice, however it also comes complete with a specially made jug, the spout of which fits snuggly to the spout of the juicer - essential because the juice comes out of the juicer too fast to safely catch it all in a glass. It's powered by mains electricity, so there's also a cable attached to the rear.

Assembly
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The juicer is made of a variety of parts - most of which can be washed in the dishwasher. The only part that can't be put in the dishwasher is the brushed aluminium cylinder that forms the main part of the juicer - this contains the motor and is where the power supply is connected. It doesn't get dirty though, so only needs a wipe with a damp cloth occasionally. On top of this main part sits a black plastic section containing the juicer's spout. Inside this fits the bowl shaped mesh filter which spins around when the juicer is turned off, forcing the juice through it but not allowing any pulp through. At the rear of the main section is a black plastic receptacle that catches the majority of the pulp from the fruit. On top of this sits the a clear plastic lid with a funnel on top to feed the fruit and veg through. The final part is the black cylinder used to help push the fruit towards the spinning mesh filter and to prevent any splashes!
All the parts just sit on top of each other perfectly - it's not difficult or fiddly to assemble. It's all held in place by two metal arms either side of the main body of the filter which you pull up and click down on top of the juicer's lid.

Use
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Using the juicer is easy. You hardly need to prepare the fruit (or veg) you use at all. Just wash your fruit, remove any large stones (e.g. from plums / peaches) or peel if it has a thick skin (e.g. orange / lemon / lime). This stops the filter from getting blocked or damaged.

Once you've got your fruit ready, you remove the black cylinder from the top of the juicer, put a few pieces of fruit into the cylinder, position the cylinder back in place and turn the juicer on. There are two speed settings, the slower is fine for soft fruits such as oranges, and the faster speed is better for fruit like apples and harder pears.

The juicer does make a noise, but it's not excessive. Just the whirring of the motor. It's obviously high powered, but it stays in place on the worktop due to its sucker style rubber feet.

The juice comes out quickly once you've switched the juicer on, which is why it's important to make sure the supplied jug is in place before switching it on! I made the mistake of forgetting once and it's amazing how much mess two oranges can make!!

The Results
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Perfect tasty juice every time! You are free to put whatever you like in the juicer, ensuring your juice always tastes as you want it. About 3 pieces of fruit will make enough juice for one person. You aren't restricted to just fruits however - vegetables can make a tasty addition to a fruit drink, or a pure vegetable drink with no fruit may also be to your taste? Personally I go for fruit drinks each time.

The jug supplied comes with a removable plastic panel inside it with a small hole at the bottom. This helps in separating the juice from the froth that occurs. Pouring the juice with this panel in place gives you a clearer juice. Removing this panel gives you a cloudier, thicker juice. Both taste good to me, but it's personal preference as to what you prefer.

Cleaning
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As it can be put in a dishwasher, cleaning isn't really a problem. The juicer is supplied with a nylon brush, which is useful for scrubbing the mesh filter under a tap before putting in the dishwasher as the dishwasher alone doesn't always get the small particles of pulp out of the small holes in the filter.

Without doubt the messiest part is removing the waste pulp frmo the juicer. The receptacle at the rear of the machine can just be tipped upside down and knocked into a bin. Other parts though also get some pulp on them - this needs wiping off before putting in the dishwasher.

I've learnt from experience you can't be lazy in cleaning the juicer. Whilst it's ok using it say, in the morning for a drink, and again later in the afternoon without washing it in between, it's unwise to leave it unused but not clean for 24 hours - mould quickly starts to develop! Yuk!

The Advantages
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Having this juicer has meant our household consumes much more fruit than before. The drinks are far tastier than shop bought juices, even the fresh ones. It's a healthy way to help you get your five portions a day of fruit and veg.

The Disadvantages
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Not many at all. The inital financial outlay can seem steep at almost £100 full price, but I am convinced it's worth it. Cleaning it can be tedious, and frustrating when you've just enjoyed a delicious drink, but again, you need to make sure you're getting your money's worth and looking after your gadget!

Recommended?
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Most definitely yes!! I'd recommend this juicer to anyone interested in purchasing one. I probably now use it about 4 times a week - less than when I first purchased it, but that was the novelty value. It's now become a regularly used kitchen appliance that I would never want to be without again!

Five stars 

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