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Key Points
- The Welles Juicer, also known as the People’s Juice Press, is a completely non-electric juicer.
- This juicer can be used with the Champion Juicer to meet the standards of the Gerson Therapy.
Table of Contents
- Runs on brute force
- BPA Free
- Quiet operation
- Optimum juice quality
- 72 hours juice shelf life
- As expensive as slow electric juicers
- Difficult to operate
- Doesn't come with a juice jug
- The pressing cloth can get ugly over time, you'll have to buy more if you plan to use this machine on a daily basis
The Welles Juice Press is also known as Peoples Juice Press and is the only juice extractor without electricity. It’s a manual juicer that uses two tons of hydraulic pressure to extract every ounce of juice from fruits and vegetables.
If you’re familiar with a hydraulic jack, you’ll get the idea.
At first, I thought that you could put whole produce in it. However, it turns out that you still need to dice your produce, secure it nicely in a juicing cloth and pressing bag, and then that’s the time you can start applying pressure and get the juices flowing.
If you’re planning to use this machine for the Gerson Therapy, you still have to get a slow juicer that will grind your produce. Dr. Gerson suggests that grinding the fruits and vegetables is essential in releasing all the healing enzymes in the juice.
The Champion Juicer was the original juicing machine recommended for use with the People’s Juice Press for Gerson Therapy, but it is a bulky and outdated machine that is no longer available. A much better option is the Ninja Cold Press Juicer with Pulp Control.
The Ninja Cold Press Juicer has attachments with a solid piece rather than a screen to grind your produce before moving it to the cold press cloths or bags for the Welles Press.
The Ninja or other slow masticating juicer will be solely used as a grinding element of a two-stage juicing process.
Welles Juice Press Features & Product Details
The Welles Juice Press is one of the most basic juicers available, but there are a few features worth mentioning.
Powder-Coated Metal
The metal parts of this hydraulic juice press are powder-coated to help them last longer and keep looking great use after use. Likewise, the plastic parts are ABS plastic, which can withstand many pounds of pressure without breaking down.
All parts are also BPA-free.
Easy Manual Jack Release Valve
To make the juicer easier to use without much muscle, there is a manual jack release valve to release the pressure before lifting the press from the juicing cloth containing your left-over pulp.
In addition to the handle for the jack, there are underside handles to help you lower the plate after juicing and a carry handle.
Juicing Cloths
Your new Welles Juice Press comes with 2 juicing cloths, which are necessary for proper operation. The juicing cloths or a similar juicing bag holds the diced or ground produce while it is being pressed. Skipping this step will result in quite the mess. They don’t last forever, but you can get replacements as additional accessories.
Technical Specifications
| Type | Hydraulic Juicer |
| Price | $$$ |
| Rating | 3.9 out of 5.0 |
| Juice Quality | High |
| Juice Shelf Life | 72 Hours |
| Dishwasher Safe | No |
| Build | Metal Frame / BPA Free drip tray |
| Design | Horizontal |
| Colo | White, Black |
| Noise Level | Low |
| Warranty | 1-Year Limited Warranty on Hydraulic Jack. 10-Year Warranty on the Frame |
| Best for Juicing | Soft Fruits, Dense Produce, Citruses, Leafy Greens, Nuts & Beans |
| Application | Home & Personal Use |
| Related Products | Norwalk Juicer, PURE Juicer |
Is it easy to use?
This machine is pretty straightforward, but it’s not like a self-feeding electric juicer where you can just put all the fruits and vegetables down the chute and wait for the magic to happen.
The first step is to chop your produce into chunks that would even out perfectly when placed inside the pressing bag or juicing cloth.
Once you get the juicing bag flat and perfectly aligned with the pressing plate, all you have to do is jack it up until all the juice has drained or until you’ve reached the maximum amount of pressure you can apply. That’s it!
For added stability, there’s a top handle that you can hold on to when applying pressure, and the base is also equipped with a rubber stopper.
When you release the pressure, don’t expect the drip tray to go down automatically. You’ll have to pull it down manually. Newer models come with a handle below the drip tray.
I’ve also seen a user over at youtube.com who installed a spring on the drip tray and the base of the frame to pull it back automatically when releasing the pressure. That’s ingenious, but not everyone has the time and skills to improvise.
Is Welles Juice Press easy to clean?
The best part about this juicer is it doesn’t have many parts to clean up after every usage. All you have to do is wipe it clean with a moist cloth, a paper towel, or a sponge.
According to the manual, you can use a 50/50 water and white vinegar solution to clean the press thoroughly. You can also use a 50/50 bleach and water mixture to sterilize the press; don’t forget to rinse it afterward to remove any residual bleach.
The drip tray isn’t dishwasher safe, so please don’t put it in the dishwasher.
Regarding the pressing cloth, it can be used multiple times when properly maintained. Once you’ve rinsed it thoroughly, please put it in a Ziploc plastic bag and store it in the freezer. Doing this will keep it clean and free from any microorganisms.
Do not boil or air dry it as it could make the cloth brittle. After 3-4 uses, you can wash it with biodegradable soap. Thaw it under your faucet, then rinse it with filtered water before using it again.
What kinds of produce can it juice?
This manual hydraulic press will work on any fruit and vegetable. I have no issues juicing whatever produce I desire with this juicer. However, remember that you won’t get as much out of leafy vegetables when pressing through a juicing cloth.
Juice Quality
The quality of the juice it produces is comparable to twin gear juicers it can produce the driest pulp in conjunction with a masticating juicer or when you grate your produce first.
Compared to traditional electric juicers, it doesn’t have revolutions, which translates to the lowest oxidation level. It slowly squeezes the juice out of the pulp for maximum nutrient retention in a juicer. This also means your juice lasts longer.
Cold pressed juice such as that from the Welles Juice Press can last up to 4 days, but if you grate the produce first as Dr. Gerson recommends for his therapy, you need to drink it within the same day.
Is Welles Juice Press worth it?
The People’s Press is a unique product. The Gerson Institute highly recommends it, but not as a stand-alone appliance. At first, I didn’t really think that there was a possible use case for this type of juicing machine, but I was proven wrong.
For a juicer to be Gerson-approved, it has to pass specific standards. It can work hand in hand with the Ninja Cold Press Juicer with Pulp Control to extract the maximum level of nutrients required by the therapy.
Though you will use two machines, it’s still way cheaper than getting a Norwalk Juicer 290 or the Pure Juicer.
