The Omega 8006 is a popular, entry level masticating juicer. But is it any good? I find out in my Omega 8006 review.
Click here for complete Omega 8006 specs.
Advantages
First: the good.
+ High Yield on Leafy Greens
In my opinion, leafy greens are the reason for juicing. They’re good for you because of how nutritionally dense they are. But they’re just so hard to eat.
And then you have leafy greens like kale. Kale is exceptionally good for you because it has almost no water - just densely packed nutrition. Because of this, it tastes bad. Really bad.
Juicing’s a way to sneak enormous quantities of leafy greens into your body, disguised by the delicious taste of apples, pears, carrots, beetroot etc.
Not only do they taste bad, they’re also very expensive.
Here’s where the Omega 8006 comes in. Its slowly rotating (80 rpm) auger powerfully and carefully squeezes a huge amount of juice out of leafy greens. (The auger is the big plastic ‘screw.’)
Where a centrifugal juicer’s fast spinning blade will throw leafs aside while barely touching them, the Omega 8006’s single auger painstakingly squeezes almost every last drop out of the leafs, before ejecting the drier pulp. It will yield twice the amount of green juice than a centrifugal juicer.
And for this price, the Omega 8600’s single auger yields more juice than any other.
+ Preserves Nutrients
The slowly rotating auger won’t produce any heat or add oxygen into your juice, both of which are speculated to reduce your juice’s nutritional value. You’ll therefore get a much more nutritionally dense juice.
+ Quiet
The Omega 8006 is very quiet, producing an agreeable ‘hum’. This is especially useful if you juice early in the morning or late at night and don’t want to wake anyone up.
+ Quick to Clean
The Omega 8006 only has a few parts to wash. As such, it only takes about 2 minutes to clean. You’re therefore more likely to use it frequently.
+ Versatile
A welcome bonus - it does more than just make juice. You can make fruit sorbets and ice cream. Well, not actual ice cream. But, if you run frozen fruit through your 8006, it will homogenize them to the consistency of ice cream, making them an ideal ice cream substitute. It also makes nut butters, a healthy alternative to peanut butter!
You can also grind coffee, crush garlic, chop peppers, extrude pasta, and mince herbs, and most other foods.
+ Lasts for 15 years
A huge advantage is its massive 15 year warranty. This machine is solidly built, and designed to last.
And Omega are also a well established, market leading brand. There are juicing companies who pop up out of nowhere, offering 10 or 15 year warranties. The problem is they won’t be around in a few years to honor it. With Omega, you don’t have this problem.
Disadvantages
Next: the bad.
- More Effort
Compared to a centrifugal juicer, masticating juicers have smaller feed chutes. This one is a cylinder which is 1.5″ across, which means you’ll have to cut most things you want to juice.
You’ll also need to cut or break produce with long fibers, e.g. celery, into small pieces before feeding it into the machine. This is because the long fibers can wind around the slow moving auger, clogging it up.
And finally you’ll need to push everything into the machine with the plastic ‘plunger’.
- Slower
The slower auger, while preserving nutrients and maximizing yield, means the process takes longer than it would with a centrifugal juicer.
Omega 8006 Review: Conclusion
To sum up my Omega 8006 review, it’s the ideal choice for you if you want to juice leafy greens, if you want the maximum nutritional value, and if you’re on a budget.
It’s a well built, solid performer, fully guaranteed to last 15 years.
If you’re new to juicing and only want to try it out, I’d say this probably isn’t the machine for you. If you don’t ‘get along’ with juicing, this is a lot to spend on something you’ll never use. I’d say go with something cheaper, and if you’re still going strong in a month, sell it and upgrade to this.
If price is your main concern, the higher price tag can be very off putting. But because of the extra yield, this machine will pay for itself.
It will also last you 15 years.
Cheaper centrifugal juicers cost you much more in the long run. You literally throw money away (as wet pulp) every single day. Plus, you’ll need to replace it every year since their motors burn out quickly and they’re only guaranteed for 1 year.
To truly save money, the Omega 8006 is the best investment. To save more money, buy the 8004 (here) instead of the 8006. It’s exactly the same - just white.
If you hate cleaning (like I do), then this is the machine for you. It only takes about 2 minutes to clean, which makes it one of the quickest masticating juicers to clean and faster than most centrifugal juicers too. This means you’re more likely to use it, and less likely to have it sit in your kitchen collecting dust.
If you juice early in the morning / late at night, the Omega 8006’s quietness makes it an ideal choice. A centrifugal juicer can sound like an jet engine in your kitchen due to its fast motor and blade.
If you want maximum nutrition, the Omega 8006’s slow auger preserves nutrients. On the other hand, a centrifugal juicer’s blade heats and oxygenates the juice.
If you want to juice leafy greens, this is designed to slowly and powerfully wring leafs dry.
- You can buy the Omega 8006 at a discount here.
Read Next: Omega NC800 HDS Review (the 2014 update of the Omega 8006)
[…] can read my full review here, or buy it […]