Macon

It is hot outside! It is so hot, the heat is shimmering off the sidewalk in waves. You need something to drink, now! Water is just not going to do the trick. You delve into the refrigerator, looking for pieces of cold, ripe, and juicy fruit. Armed with a hunk of watermelon, a few peaches and apricots, and your nifty, brand-new juicer, you are now ready to face the world.

Juicers come in many varieties, including CENTRIFUGAL juicers, SINGLE GEAR or MASTICATING, TWIN GEAR or TRITURATING, CITRUS juicers, and the MANUAL PRESS.

When shopping around for a new juicer, especially if you have never had one before, most people opt for the basic CENTRIFUGAL juicer. It is the least complicated juicer on the market, except for the simple REAMER. The fruit or vegetable is placed in a rapidly rotating basket and is shredded by a flat cutting blade. The torn plant material is flung against the sides of the container; the juice travels through tiny holes in the basket and through a spout. Depending on the model, the pulp may be gathered in an additional container. Excellent juices are produced by this type of juicer except they must be consumed quickly to retain their nutrient values.

Due to the action of the cutting blade, it is not recommended to use soft fruits such as bananas and berries, nor leafy vegetables such as parsley, spinach, and wheatgrass because of danger of clogging the mechanical parts with plant material.

There are two types of centrifugal juicers, FULL BASKET and PULP EJECTION. With these types, the juice is drawn continuously out of the pulp in the basket. The action of the CONTINUOUS centrifugal juicer causes the juice to be collected by an angled strainer basket, with the pulp being ejected while the machine juices. Cleanup is very easy.

A MASTICATING juicers chews plant material down a pulp. A screw or AUGER mechanism crushes and strains the produce between twin gears. A strong pressure is exerted upon the fruit, squeezing juice out of the pulp until there is no liquid left. This type of juicer needs a relatively strong grasp for sufficient pressure against the auger.

The PRESSING juicers fall under the masticators. A SINGLE AUGER juicer uses a single auger or screw to propel the plant material along a strainer screen or basket. Fruits of mixed hardness need to be used so that plant fiber which is too soft will not clog the auger mechanism. This type of juicer works very well with leafy vegetables, especially parsley, spinach, and watercress,

The TRITURATING juicer has two, rather than one, AUGERS. To triturate means to rub, crush, grind, or pound into fine particles or a powder. This juicer completes its work in two stages. Stage 1 shreds the plant material. In Stage 2, both gears or augers squeeze the shredded pulp to force any remaining juice out. The same combination of soft and harder fruits and vegetables are required, as described above.

By far the simplest juicer is the REAMER. It is used to extract juice from citrus fruit such as oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines, and grapefruit. A fruit that has been sliced in half, but still retains its peel, is compressed against a slowly revolving ridged cone. This pressure against the fruit causes the juice to be expelled and collected. MANUAL REAMERS do the same job, but powered by your muscles. Finally, a PRESS squeezes the juice out of the fruit in the same manner as how a garlic press works; the juice flows out as the pulp is extruded.

Remember, you get what you pay for. If you plan on doing heavy-duty juicing on a regular basis, give serious consideration to purchasing a juicer with a more powerful motor. A motor that purrs as it produces will make you and your friends happy campers.

See much more on juicers at Niftykitchen.com Juicers and Juice Extractors. Terry Kaufman is also Chief Editorial Writer for Niftygarden.com and Niftyhomebar.com.

2007 Terry Kaufman

Over the past few months, I have received a ton of emails, letters, and telephone calls asking me what performance exhaust system people should put on their vehicles when there are literally dozens of manufacturers out there to choose from. They all should accomplish the same thing and one is no different than the next, right? This could not be further from the truth. I decided to write this article to help out those of you who have little idea as to where to start when it comes to selection a quality performance exhaust system.

When it comes to choosing a performance exhaust system that will be most appropriate for your vehicle, you have to ask yourself three very important questions. The first question you should ask yourself about which performance exhaust system do you want is, "How much money do I want to spend on this vehicle upgrade?" Right there, you can eliminate over half of the manufacturers out there by either selection products that are below a certain price range, or on the contrary, above a certain price range (for quality purposes).

Next, you want to ask yourself "What type of sound am I trying to achieve?" Are you in search of an aggressive sounding vehicle with throaty resonance or do you want a milder sounding vehicle with less cabin noise and smooth acceleration? Finally, you want to ask yourself "What do I want the product to look like as far as finish is concerned?" Most people will say that if you are going to upgrade to a performance exhaust system, you do not want to skimp on the quality of the finish. My personal preference is always Stainless Steel, and 304 Stainless Steel at that.

Of course there are a thousand and one other questions that should come to mind when you are thinking about purchasing a performance exhaust system, but to limit your endless search to a directed search that has focus and a limited outcome, you will want to first ask yourself these all important three questions to steer yourself in the right direction.

#1) What is my price range?
#2) What sound do I desire?
#3) What type of finish do I want?

You have already made the first step toward being completely pleased with your purchase of a performance exhaust system that will last you a long time, give you the performance levels you desire and will be gorgeous and attractive to all who see your new system. Heads will turn and women will flock if you heed my lessons. You simply cannot go wrong if you just address these first steps in selecting the perfect performance exhaust system for you and your vehicle. For more information, pictures, and pricing on my favorite line of performance exhaust systems, check out one of my favorite companies online for Volt performance auto. http://www.OverstockExhaust.com