Maximum juicing power, minimum effort
One-minute review
I love the idea of making fresh juices at home. It’s a great way to up the amount of fruit and veg I have in my diet, as well as increase how many vitamins my kids consume. Yet even with the best intentions, I rarely have time or the motivation to chop and peel bags of fruit and veg in order to achieve this ambition.
So when I saw the hype around the Nama J2 Juicer, my interest was well and truly piqued.
Nama claims that its J2 juicer removes the hassle of making homemade juices and smoothies by allowing you to combine multiple fruit and veg, in layers, inside a large hopper. You then turn the dial and the juicer does the rest – creating unique juice and smoothie blends that contain all the goodness from the food while removing all the waste. No pulp, pips, skin, or waste.
And in my experience with the Nama J2 over the past two months, it lives up to these promises, as well as the hype. It looks great, combining a retro 1970s feel with modern styling; it allows you to throw in any fruit and veg and create batches of juice in minutes, with minimal preparation. The juices it makes are as fresh and tasty as you buy in stores or get on holiday and it’s definitely encouraged me to add more fruit and veg to my family’s diet. So much so, I’d say it’s one of the best juicers, if not the best juicer I’ve ever tested.
It’s not perfect – it comes with a hefty price tag, can be fiddly to set up, and is one of the largest juicers I’ve used. There are also a couple of design elements, such as the low position of the spout, that detract slightly from its performance. However, if you’re a juice fanatic and have the money to spare, I think it’s worth the investment. Nama J2 Juicer review: Price and availability
List price: $550/£599
US/UK
Available to ship internationally to AUS
The Nama J2 Cold Press Juicer is available in the US for $550, in black or white, directly from Nama. It can also be shipped internationally with a choice of either an Australian, European, or UK plug. However, shipping fees for doing so range between $100-$200 and the price varies based on the conversion rate at the time of sale.
In the UK, it’s available in both colors via official reseller, UK Juicers, for £599.
Nama sells a cheaper model called the Vitality 5800 J1 Cold Press Juicer. It costs $399/£399 and has a smaller hopper than the J2, but it does come with three different strainers for juicing, smoothies, and sorbet. The J2 only offers juicing and smoothies.
The Nama J2’s closest like-for-like juicer – in terms of price, design, and features – is the Hurom H-200 Slow Juicer. It costs $499/£519 and has a similarly large hopper that can be used to juice whole fruits and make drinks with multiple fruit and vegetable ingredients.
At the more expensive end of the spectrum is the Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer REVO830W. It has two different-sized chutes where you can feed in different-sized fruit and vegetables, as well as a smoothie, and sorbet strainer. For these extras, the Kuvings is $150 more expensive than the US version of the Nama at $699, yet costs the same in the UK, at £599.
Value: 3/5Nama J2 juicer review: Design
Three-tiered design is attractive and sturdy
Separate juice and pulp spouts, and containers
Fiddly setup
The Nama J2 is one of the heaviest, bulkiest, and tallest juicers I’ve reviewed, weighing 12.1 lbs/5.5kg and measuring 9.8 x 9 x 17.7 inches/24.9 x 22.9 x 45.1cm. Yet it’s also one of the most attractive, combining a modern-looking base and mechanisms with a retro, 1970s ribber plastic hopper.
The juicer comes with a three-tier system. The first tier consists of its wide, bulky base where its motor and power dial is found. This dial can be set to On, Off, and Reverse.
The second tier is a plastic chamber that contains a thick, black auger used to squeeze and press the juice from the fruit and direct it toward the juice spout. The rotating auger sits within either a juicing or a smoothie strainer – depending on what drink you’re making – and a spinner brush on the inside of the chamber catches and brushes pulp and skin toward the pulp chute.
The third tier is a large, tall hopper.
