I need to purchase a high quality non-centrifugal juicer for my mother who has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. The Norwalk Juicer seems to be one of the best but it is expensive. I would appreciate comments on the following 2 questions:
1) Is it worth it? Perhaps it is.
2) Are there others that will do the job just as well?
I don't want her to have to exert a lot of strength to push the vegetables & fruit through.
Thank you!

I used to own a Norwalk Press Juicer and hated it. Hate is a strong word....maybe 'disliked it' would be better. To get it to work, the produce has to be 'triturated' in the grinder attachment, then put into plastic bags (or cloths) and then pressed out to make the juice. It's one big mess. Plus I always got a plastic 'taste' in the juice from the bags. I made several phone calls to the President of the Company about this. He told me the bags were a 'food grade' nylon. He also said they used to use Hemp bags but the fruit acids dissolved the bags after a period of time.
I never did learn how to use the Triturator (and I'm mechanically inclined). I always ended up with carrot scraps on my wall and ceiling.
You'll probably lose a little nutrition, but I'd suggest you look elsewhere for a juicer......WY

Brad1234:

I am so very sorry to hear about your mom. I had breast cancer a while ago, and it's a long tough road.

If she is going to have to do the chemotherapy and so forth, you need to take that into consideration. She will be very tired and not feeling great, so whatever juicer you get, it will have to be something that can be managed fast and easily, even if you sacrifice a little nutrition. The description by Wheatgrass Yogi would be something I wouldn't have been able to handle through my chemo months.

Also, the drugs do really strange things to you. I needed to eat the weirdest things, and some of my favorite things became revolting to me. For instance, I couldn't eat chocolate to save my life, it was the most awful substance, but one day, I ate a jar of Cheese Whiz - something I do not ever eat, and wouldn't even ever buy, but when my husband does the shopping, you never know what will show up in the fridge! (Seriously, I just grabbed a spoon and ate the whole thing, and felt great afterwards - my doctor said I must have really needed the fat, but I think the drugs just make you want stupid things). So she might not even be able to tolerate juices very well - there's no telling what will happen.

One of the absolutely most important things you can do for your mom if she will be having chemotherapy is to make sure she has at least one, and preferably more of her loved ones with her when she goes in for her first treatment. That is the most terrifying thing that will ever happen to her - that first treatment, so please don't let her face that alone. The good news is that she won't get really sick until several hours later, so it's really just the emotional support she needs.

Please keep posting about how she is doing - if there is anything I can do or say that would help, just let me know. I've been through this and I would be glad to answer any questions she might have.

Sapphire

Almost forgot - I own an Omega masticating juicer. It's the only juicer I have ever owned, so I don't really know how it compares to other types, but I like it.

It is pretty easy to clean, just pop it apart and give everything a really good rinsing, and the juice is great. About the only thing I might complain about is that the stuff I juice has to be cut into fairly small pieces, unlike some you see on TV that you can just drop the whole fruit or veggie into. Anyhow, if you want to look at it:

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Good luck!

Sapphire

Brad1234.....Sapphire gives you good advice about juicers. Plus, she has a compassionate to her as well.
You might check out the following. The Samson and the Omega are the better juicers on this page. eBay might offer better prices.....WY
[www.healthnutalternatives.com]

Thank you Sapphire and Wheatgrass Yogi! I appreciate your kind, compassionate, supportive words. Brad1234