SIFENE Slow Masticating Cold Press Juicer Machine

I’ve never owned a juicer before, so my expectations going in weren’t very high, since I figured there would be a bit of a learning curve.

Setup:
Everything was well packaged and shipped wrapped in quality plastic wraps and foam. The items were easily sorted, and setup was a breeze. I didn’t notice it in the instructions, but an initial cleaning wasn’t mentioned. I completed this anyway using soap and water.

Uses:
So far, I’ve tested grapefruit, oranges, and grapes. I haven’t had a single jam or issue with the fruit clogging up in the auger. I made juice with about 6 pounds of oranges (peeled of course) and not a single jam. Also, the fruit that came out was dry, so based off what I was able to see all of the juice was that in the fruit came out successfully.

Future:
I plan on juicing in the near future Apple’s, Carrots, and other hard items, so far without any issues, I wouldn’t foresee any either, this seems like a solid product for the price.

Minor Complaint:
With the screen filter on the inside there’s small indents that help secure it in place, while not difficult to clean. Some of the excess dry fruit gets stuck in these. It was easy to clean with a toothpick, but just a warning in case anyone else runs into this.

This masticating juicer makes this grandma very, very happy. I’d give it a 20 if I could. It was much less expensive and works as well as or better than the old Champion that we have buried somewhere in storage. The grape pulp came out extremely dry and the juice has nothing but juice. The apples were the same way and the tomato juice came out with no seeds and just plain juice. The juicer is getting a workout what with the all the fruit trees and grape vines on this property and it’s working extremely well.

I’ve been a dedicated vegetable/fruit juicing adherent since the early 80’s, when I read a book that changed my understanding of nutrition, “Fit for Life,” by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, a classic book on health and wellness, in my opinion. During the course of that time, until now, I’ve only owned two other brands of juicers, both expensive and for that reason, and others, long lasting. That being the case, I’m going to make comparisons, not by name, but from my experience with the juicers I’ve owned and do own. In fairness, the Sifene Masticating Juicer is a considerably less expensive machine than the others, so the comparisons are meant to highlight how the Sifene fairs against much more expensive machines; and to cut to the chase, it fairs very well, at least in the short I’ve used it. On the other hand, I’m surprised at just how much the cost of juicers has come down, a reduction, unfortunately, that has been offset by the inflated cost of groceries, including those used for juicing.

For those that are serious about getting the most benefit from juicing, mastication is the preferred method of extraction. Mastication crushes the component cells, efficiently releasing the maximum available nutrients. The Sifene Juicing machine is a masticating juicer. It incorporates a 2-speed motor corresponding to 150 and 300 watts of power. For my use, I’m not really clear about why the slower speed is necessary at all, unless it extends the life of the motor. However, although my juicing includes some fruits, I juice mainly vegetables, with an emphasis on roots. With the machine set on what the seller calls the “fast setting” the Sifene gets the job done; and I didn’t notice the motor over heating or sounding unduly strained while doing it. In the event that the juicer does become strained, it incorporates an over-load circuit; if it becomes clogged or over-heats, it will shut off automatically, although I haven’t experienced that yet.

The Sifene Juicer isn’t by any means a commercial juicer; in fact, it also has a limiter that will automatically shut it down after 10-minutes of continuous use. It will then require a cooling down period of 20 – 30 minutes. I have not experienced that yet either. Nonetheless, it seems that Sifene has gone to great lengths to provide built-in protections for extending the life of the motor. This creates the impression that it may not be the machine for those that anticipate masticating large quantities of carrots and beets; it’s obviously meant as a home unit for pushing out a glass or two of juice at a time, then getting a rest.

The Sifene user manual instructs that if the auger does become jammed, use the reverse option to back the clogged ingredients out of the rotor. Interestingly, I haven’t found the reverse option to do anything, at least when the machine isn’t clogged. Since I haven’t experienced a clog, I can only assume that it automatically becomes available when the need arises.

In terms of the juice it produces, I’ve found there to be no more pulp contained in the extracted juice then I’ve experienced with more expensive juicers; none I’ve used produce juice without some pulp. The expelled vegetable and fruit waste from the Sifene was relatively dry and in alignment with more expensive juicers, indicating that it is juicing efficiently. Moreover, given the cost of the Sifene, I don’t find it to lack anywhere by comparison except for the 10-minute time limitation of its use. However, I would expect that to be a serious consideration; it can’t be used continuously for more than 10-minutes at a time.

The juicer does require some preparation of the materials to be masticated, specifically, the user manual states that they should be cut into 1” – 1.5” pieces. For the harder root vegetables, I’ve followed that direction. In the case of celery, for example, I’ve simply fed the entire stalk into the chute. For softer items, it’s really a question of preparing them in a size that fits the chutes. As far as the plastic pusher is concerned, I’ve never needed any more pressure on it than its own weight; the spiraled auger is very efficient at drawing the fruits and vegetables into the juicer.

Cleaning the juicer is simple and convenient. Assembly and disassembly are straightforward, with lock and unlock icons located at key points. Other than the motor unit, the entire assembly comes apart for easy, thorough cleaning. And since everything is plastic, once disassemble, all the parts can be soaked in water. One area that could be improved, and wouldn’t seem to be a difficult alteration, is to make the black header on top of the double chutes removable; this would allow for a more thorough cleaning of the chutes. As it is, I use a silicone bottle brush to clean the chutes.

One thing worth mentioning is the finish. I ordered the juicer in red, and it has a beautiful, almost metallic lacquered quality; its plastic, but nicely done.

The juicer comes as a kit that includes everything you need to get started juicing; the vessels for the extracted juice and expelled waste, a useful cleaning brush and a fully illustrated user manual. The manual even includes a table listing the vitamins, minerals and calories of various fruits and vegetables.

Convenience, overall simplicity, inclusiveness and price point are what lends the Sifene Masticating Juicer its value, and it’s these features that make for a fair comparison. It’s a great juicer for the beginner, but on the other hand, it’s convenience and ease of use can be appreciated by anyone.