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Key Points
- The Norwalk Juicer has been replaced by the Pure Juicer for the Gerson Institute therapy.
- Two-stage hydraulic juice presses do not work the same way, nor does juice last the same amount of time, as other types of juicers.
- The juicer has two parts, the vortex cutter (left side) and the hydraulic press (right side). It’s like a combination of a masticating juicer and a hydraulic press.
Discontinued
As of November 2021, Norwalk Juicers have closed their doors. According to management, production has been phased out, meaning that they are no longer producing units or accessories. We hate to see the Norwalk brand of juicers withdrawing from the market. For those looking for a juicer that is like a Norwalk product, check out the following post on the Best Hydraulic Juice Presses.
Norwalk Brands was founded by Dr. Norman Walker in 1936. Dr. Walker was a juicing pioneer. Though the core of Norwalk machines had not changed in some time, they continue to be a fan favorite. If you are interested in purchasing a Norwalk unit, you will have to turn to eBay to find a used unit. Used Norwalk units can be found here.
- Unrivaled juice extraction efficiency
- 72 hours juice shelf life
- Quiet operation
- Dishwasher safe
- BPA-Free (Stainless Steel Construction)
- Requires a significant amount of investment
- Challenging to operate
- Maintenance is quite a chore
- Takes up a huge footprint in your counter space
- Heavy, difficult to move around
The Norwalk Juicer 290 was the go-to machine for the Gerson Institute’s juice therapy. It’s the very first two-stage hydraulic press to ever pass Dr. Gerson’s standards for the organization’s alternative cancer management.
According to Dr. Gerson, for a juicer to be effective in its natural course of treatment, it should be able to retain a high level of nutrients, and at the same time, the juice should be pulp-free.
It may sound like any slow juicer fits this description, but here’s the caveat. Dr. Gerson requires that grinding and juice extraction should be separate to maximize the potency of the nutrients.
He stated that “During the process of grinding and pressing in a two-step juicer, the produce is not subjected to heat or electricity, so the fresh, healing enzymes in the raw fruits and vegetables are preserved in the juices.”
Norwalk Juicer Parts
As the Norwalk Juicer is no longer commercially available, you’ll need to find parts or old machines on EBay.
What’s Was it Like?
The core of Norwalk Juicers changed little from their inception to their discontinuance. Here are a few of the updates that were made to this model.
Norwalk Juicer Features
There are three main features that made Norwalk Juicers unique.
The Vortex Cutter
After you’ve chopped your produce into manageable chunks, drop it down the chute. You may need to gently push it as it’s not self-feeding. The blade will then cut your produce into small bits, then the shredding grid will reduce it to a pulp.
Soft fruits like pineapple, watermelon, pomegranate, etc. don’t need to go to the vortex cutter.
Here’s what the grid looks like.
The Pressing Cloth / Bag
Once you’ve grated your fruits and vegetables using the vortex cutter, you should immediately catch them with the pressing cloth or pressing bag. I have also used a Pyrex cup. Your pressing cloth should never be in contact with metal, and I highly recommend using a Pyrex pan as a basin. It will give you enough room to catch your produce and at the same time fold your pressing cloth.
You need exactly two cups of the grated produce in the pressing cloth or bag. Putting in less will not yield an optimum result and exceeding the required amount will rupture your pressing cloth or bag. This is why I recommend using the Pyrex measuring cup to catch the pulp.
Once you’ve filled the pressing bag or cloth with two cups of produce, fold it nicely to distribute the force evenly when applying pressure.
Keep in mind you need different bags for different types of produce as it gets stained easily.
The Hydraulic Press
Compared to the Welles Juice Press you don’t need manual force to operate the Norwalk Juicer 290. You just need to rotate the lever located at the bottom right of the juicing machine clockwise to initiate the press. It uses 1000 pounds of pressure to extract every drop of juice from your produce.
Norwalk Juicer 290 Specs
Before we get into how the Norwalk Hydraulic Press Juicer works and all of its features, here is a look at its technical specifications. These will be important if you decide to turn to eBay for your next Norwalk Juicer. These specs will ensure you get the juicer you expect.
| Type | Hydraulic Juicer |
| Previous Models | Norwalk Juicer 270, Norwalk Juicer 275, Norwalk Juicer 280 |
| Price | $$$$$ |
| Rating | 4.2 out of 5.0 |
| Juice Quality | High |
| Juice Shelf Life | 72 Hours |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes |
| Wattage | 814 Watts |
| Chute Size | (approximately) 2 inches round |
| Build | Stainless Steel |
| Noise Level | Low |
| Warranty | 12 Years Household Use 2 Years Commercial |
| Best for Juicing | Soft Fruits, Dense Produce, Citruses, Leafy Greens, Nuts & Beans |
| Application | Household and Commercial |
| Related Products | PURE Juicer, Welles Juice Press |
When I got the brand new Norwalk Juicer, it came with the following accessories and pieces:
- removable aluminum press plate
- tall sloped tray
- 4 straining cloths
- 4 strainer bags
- power supply cord
Remember that when buying a used or discontinued Norwalk Juicer it may not come with all of these accessories. However, I did find that the Gerson Institute offers this list of companies that offer parts, accessories, and service for the Norwalk Hydraulic Press Juicer line.
Here are the things you need to know about the Norfolk Hydraulic Press Juicer before we get into the details of its features.
Non-juicing functions
This hydraulic juice press can also be your very own food processor, homogenizer, coffee grinder, nut butter maker, milling machine, and frozen dessert maker. There are eight grids with varying hole sizes included when you purchase this machine to control how fine or coarse your produce will be grated.
What kinds of produce can the Norwalk Juicer take?
The vortex cutter allows this machine to process all types of produce which include dense fruits and vegetables (soft fruits don’t have to go to the vortex cutter).
Dense produce includes cilantro, beets, apple, celery, pear, asparagus, cucumber, pepper, yakon, pineapple, cauliflower, turmeric, watermelon, garlic, pumpkin, coconut, sweet potato, carrots, fennel, broccoli, bitter gourd, and ginger
Soft produce includes papaya, grapes, peach, tomato, mango, strawberry, avocado, cranberries, kiwifruit, melon, pomegranate, and blackberry.
Citrus fruits include orange, tangerine, lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit.
Leafy greens include spring onion, spinach, brussels sprout, cabbage, wheatgrass, pine tree needles, moringa, parsley, lettuce, collard greens, dandelion greens, peppermint, kale, beet greens, and basil.
Was it easy to use?
While I eventually got used to this juicer, there was a learning curve. Two-stage juicers like the Norwalk brand are still uncommon and work differently than other juicers. Unless you are following the Gerson Institute treatment, I don’t recommend the hassle of the Norwalk Press Juicer.
Is the Norwalk Juicer easy to clean?
According to one consumer, it takes 30 minutes to clean it up. Cleaning up the main parts of the machine is the easy part. All detachable components are made of stainless steel which can go to your dishwasher. The difficult part is cleaning up the filter bags.
Here are some considerations when cleaning and using the pressing bag.
- Only use cold water to rinse the bags and cloth before and after use
- Do not dry, it will make the cloth brittle
- Do not boil, it will also make the cloth brittle
- You can use warm water to clean it up if it gets too dirty
- Bags and cloth must be hand washed using a liquid organic soap when necessary
- Do not wash the filter with the metal parts, it will contaminate the cloth
- Fold wet, place in plastic bags and store in the freezer
Juice Quality
Hydraulic juice presses are second to none when it comes to nutrient retention and juice extraction efficiency. The Norwalk Juicer is one of a few existing machines belonging to this class.
Just take a look at this lab test. It shows that Norwalk outperforms traditional juice extractors consistently in terms of yield and nutrient retention.
The study involves juicing equal amounts of carrots, parsely and celery on a centrifugal juicer (A), Masticating/Cold Press (B), and the Norwalk Juicer.
With juice yield alone, you’ll see how efficient Norwalk is. It eclipses competing juicing machines by 35% on average. That’s quite significant if you’ll ask me. No wonder, why the number of nutrients is substantially higher.
See it in action
Was the Norwalk Juicer worth it?
The Norwalk Juicer was the #1 machine recommended by the Gerson Institute. It perfectly aligned with their alternative cancer management therapy. It’s one of those few machines that have the capability of retaining the maximum amount of nutrients in your juice while keeping the healing enzymes potent. But it has now been replaced by the PURE Juicer.
And since it’s been around way longer, a used Norwalk Juicer is fairly easy to find. If you’re on a tight budget, you might want to check eBay for a preloved Norwalk Juice Press.
The problem with Norwalk products is that there is no support if your machine breaks down. A better option for Gerson Therapy is the new PURE Hydraulic Juice Press, which is the new standard and is currently in production. This juice press is strikingly similar to the Norwalk Juicer.
If this is too pricey for your budget, consider the manual Welles “People Juice Press” in conjunction with the Ninja Cold Press Juicer to grind your produce before pressing it.
