Read First Before Buy Super Angel Stainless Steel Juicer
UPDATED: 4/25/2012--after half dozen times using the Super Angel, I can say it is much easier to use than the green star. They both make fine juice but the SA I think makes more of it, by a fairly good margin. Also the foam is far less and does not require much skimming if any, since it seems to dissolve back into the juice to some extent. I sold my Green Star on Craigslist, so you know this is big, as I've used it for 12 years.
They both use twin gears to grind it up, then screw threads to squeeze the grounds up against filter screens and move the pulp along and out of the machine. They are both low speed, cold running machines. The GS is 110 rpm, the SA is about 20 percent slower, 86 rpm. The slow speed keeps juices cold and they retain more nutrients due to less heat from friction. They also have a shorter path from grinder to exit, and have no "fan effect" of being whipped around before exiting the machine. Aerating can start oxidation of the juice, so less air is better.
These two juicers both give high rates of juice extraction while at the same time obeying the juice quality laws. The other top quality machine is the Norwalk Juicer (2000-2500) which uses a multibladed fast grinding wheel to chop, but then uses slow pressure in a second stage so it also gives fine quality juice. But the two most viable units to me are the GS and SA for long term juicing at home. The Norwalk might be better in an institution where they juice gallons at a time, or for some specific prescribed Gerson Therapy protocol, etc. It looks like it makes the same juice to me.
I bought a Green Star (GS) in 2000 (at time it was called "Green Life"). I have used it off and on since then. Recently I bought a Super Angel (SA) 5500 and have used it once but from long term juicing I think I can say some things about both. I will update this review if I learn anything else in time. I'm very impressed with the SA, but I was very impressed with the GS when I first used it also. In terms of cost, GS is 400-500, SA is 1000. They should last forever with normal home use.
Pulp Fiction vs Dry Fact: SA gets drier pulp, I can press it down to 1/4 of its size or smaller and no liquid emerges. It's VERY dry. GS's is wet and can yield more juice. Carrots especially do better in the SA, by a large margin, like 20% more juice.
If Size Matters: SA is smaller, significantly so. It's not the footprint on counter, it also sits lower so you are in better position over top of the chute to see and control it more easily. The physical presence is far less with SA. It both looks and feels much smaller.
Hey Good-lookin: SA is more aesthetic, which to me isn't important per se, but SA easily wins it. (They don't call up images of Stars or Angels, that must be ironic, they are more like a pit bull vs an armadillo).
I'll be Back: SA, though stainless steel, is not as robust as Green Star. The stainless is paper thin on the business end. With care in handling you can use in dishwasher, but this cannot be dropped a lot, or thrown around a commercial kitchen for example where it bangs up against things in high pressure dishwashers, handled roughly, thrown into a stack of pots and pans, or hit with utensils or it can be dented, which can affect how it works. The Green Star is very thick hard plastic that has held up over 12 years without a flaw. It is very heavy and sturdy, though you should not use in dishwasher due to plastic.
EW, Gross: SA cleans down to metal, no staining of the parts as with GS. If you hate the look of dark stains, the SA cleans down to metal quite easily. But in a GS getting out the stains is just not going to happen. Realistically, when I took chef training, they emphasized that fruits and veggies, even dairy, are never toxic unless contaminated from the farm with bacteria like e-coli, etc. Only meat, blood and eggs are dangerous. And sure enough, we threw all sorts of veggies into the soup from back of the fridge, and the older it was, up to a point, the tastier the soup! But old eggs, meats, no! So it's your eye. But if your eye is offended by such things, then the SA will win this right here. Not all of us are trained to know, we just look and react.
Sock it to me: SA feeds much more easily. SA has smoother feeding, it's less work. If you split carrots over 1 inch, the GS is reasonable. With large carrots or anything hard that nearly fills the chute diameter, the GS requires some muscle. The SA wins this one since it requires less force.
You irritate me: The SA will "tip" forward 1/4" as you apply pressure. This can be fixed by putting a bit of rubber, cardboard or other soft resilient material on the edge of the juice collecting bowl to hold up the end from dipping down. SA has no "feet" extending forward like the GS to resist downward pressure, so the whole machine wants to tip forward. It's not serious, just annoying so use the shim on the bowl and you will fix it. The vibrating cover shield of the SA is something that can be lessened by use of a rubber band under it, but it will still make annoying little noises. I just remove it and put it in the cabinet where so far, it is VERY quiet. GS will also make rattling noise from the feed tray parts, which, again you can use a rubber band to shim it and that should be enough to quell it.
Control issues: SA's electronic on-off/master switch, fan, etc are more complex than GS, which has simple manual switch controlling everything. Green Star wins for simplicity.
Clean up your act: I can remove only ONE part, the screen assembly, and place into a bucket of water. Then pull off the gears and wash then very easily under running water with a brushing in seconds, and return them to machine. I don't really need to clean the screen every time. I just take out the screen and continue juicing, even a day or two later. At some point I will need to clean the screen. With Green Star, I have to take many things apart, and wash-brush about 4 plastic parts, hog out some holes with a chopstick, then brush clean the screen with a bronze barbecue brush. OTOH, the Green Star screen is much smaller and easier to clean than the complex SA screen. All in all, the SA wins this one, and is reason enough for me to have bought it.
Man vs Juice: no complaints with either juicer! They make awesome-tasting juices, Twin gears just get deeper juice than others.
Juicy Fruit: You should not be juicing fruits, it's unhealthy, see "Sugar, the Bitter Truth" on You Tube. SA will do marginally better with fruits. GS has extra screen you need to change to do fruits, SA has it built-in. But..I don't juice fruits, so ask someone else about that.
Mr Edison: GS has advertised "magnets" inside their gears. These are supposed to extract more, but not any real test evidence shows it that I could find, so not really sure. The magnets do create an electric current as the juice flows past them, and this is supposed to preserve the juice longer shelf life, etc. However, the main way to do that is don't put fruits or too much carrot juice and it will last longer. My green-only juices last for weeks without any loss of flavor, or other breakdowns, they start great and stay great. I keep fridge very cold, so that's also a factor.
Last Drop: I got tired of the same juice all week due to making big batches and storing it, so I needed to bite the bullet and get the SA to have more spontaneous, varied juices with quick cleanups. But if you don't need spontaneous, don't need variety, just want to use green juice like a drug, and you're very right about that, then the GS can be used every week or two to make dark green juice which will keep, so that you can avoid the SA cost. If you have the bucks, and can't decide, go for the SA as it will annoy you much less, especially as you begin to forget how much you paid for it. :) enjoy good health.
Bob Luhrs
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