Friday, April 9, 2010

The Salif Juicer By Alessi

I was thinking about why anyone would need a review about how to use a citrus juicer.

Allmodern.com gave me a deal on an Alessi juicer with the idea that I would write a review.  The first time, my oranges sprayed a little on the counter around the glass between the juicer's feet.  So I was juicing limes a few days later for ceviche, and I was thinking that my review was going to be something about how you need to juice over a low, wide bowl.  You put the cool metal feet inside the bowl, and the bowl captures the juices and all the spray.

I was congratulating myself when a low, wide bowl of lime juice shot across my counter, shattered against the cabinets, and sprayed sticky juice across the floor.

Advice One:  Don't juice over a low, wide bowl.  It captures the juice, but it also captures all the torque from your wrist and slides like a hockey puck when you bear down.

Advice Two: You need to hold the Alessi juicer.  One hand pushes down the fruit.  The other one holds the cool metal feet.  The design is perfect -- with juice and pulp flowing down the sides and into the glass that you set between the legs.  If you juice in the sink, the light spray won't bother anyone.

With this MENSA advice, you can juice anything in style -- as long as you have $96.  That's expensive unless you're the type of display cool modern stuff in your kitchen.  We're in because we got a $75 discount and because we're the type to leave a polished aluminum juicer on the counter because it looks cool.  It also works great.  My ceviche recipe suggested eight limes to squeeze a half cup of juice.  My shattered bowl carried at least three limes' juice to the floor, but the Alessi juicer squeezed my half cup from just four of the remaining limes.

We have had fun with the juicer.  It sits on the counter, so it inspired me to buy navel oranges when our family visited.  Two mornings of fresh-squeezed juice was great fun.  A luxury certainly, but a juicer that will last forever.

Check out Allmodern.com's Alessi juicer here.  It's a quality site that we have used before to shop for modern furniture.  If you'll even read a review about a modern juicer, then you should check out the used modern furniture at Home Anthology in Catonsville.  (Update by Mrs. HowChow: Not USED modern furniture....VINTAGE.)  One of my favorite places.  A terrific place to find cool, reasonably-priced furniture.

(Update:  Check out Nigel's comment below about a Williams-Sonoma juicer.)

1 comment:

Nigel said...

Way too expensive for juicing limes etc... I find it easier to use the "Two in one citrus juicer" from Williams Sonoma. Best dang kitchen tool I have..strains out the seeds and squeezes out practically every drop of juice at a fraction of the effort that using the Salif Juicer would require. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/lemon-lime-juicer/?pkey=cfruit-vegetable-tools|ctlfvtfru

Admittedly the Salif looks "cool" ..but I am more inclined towards practicality in the kitchen.