Value for money: Juicers

The Juice Lady Jr €16.99 Highs: This is a remarkably cheap juicer and, in sheer value for money terms, it is impossible to fault.

It is easy to assemble, easy to use and produces significant amounts of juice from the toughest of root vegetables. It is compact and, crucially, easy to clean.

Lows: The grating sieve, however, is tricky to clean and is unfortunately the only part that isn't dishwasher-friendly. It does look a little cheap and plasticky and will probably not last as long as some of the competition. While it is the cheapest model, it is also the loudest, although at this price that's hardly a serious cause for concern.

Verdict: Cheap and perfectly functional

Star rating: *****

Beaumark's Juicy Lucy

€128

Highs: This is a very solid - some might say clunky - juicer with a powerful motor which does its job very quickly. The spout can accommodate full-sized apples and the suction cups at the base ensure it is attached very firmly to the counter top. The whole apparatus clips together easily.

Lows: It is very, very loud and sounds more like a tumble dryer with stones in it than a kitchen appliance. It is expensive without being as slick as the most upmarket option. The receptacle for collecting the pulp is on the small side and cleaning it is not that easy. The whole unit is quite bulky, so if space is at a premium, then this might not be ideal.

Verdict: Nothing special

Star rating: ***

Tesco Value Juicer

€29.99

Highs: This is not a bad starter model, particularly if you're loathe to splash out on a high-end option in case it will end up growing old, unloved and unused at the back of a cupboard once the first flush of wholesome enthusiasm has worn off. It is quite compact, very easy to assemble and rinses clean in no time at all.

Lows: The manufacturer's grease under the spout when we took it out of the box was unfortunate, but nothing a good soaking couldn't fix. What can't be fixed, however, is the chute for fruit and vegetables, which was so narrow it could only accommodate the most daintily chopped ingredients.

Verdict: Functional but trying

Star rating: ***

Kenwood Vita Pro Active

€179.29

Highs: At 850 watts, this juicer's motor has more juice than any of the competition; it is also unquestionably the best. With its brushed chrome die-cast metal body, it is the most impressive, right down to the jug which has its own foam separator. It hums quietly as it powers through fruit and vegetables scarily fast - it reduced 10 carrots, three apples, three oranges, two celery stalks and a couple of beetroot to juice and fine pulp in less than 15 seconds, which goes some way to justifying its claim to having a "commercial-quality motor".

Lows: It is, sadly, very expensive, costing more than 10 times the price of the cheapest juicer we found.

Verdict: Excellent but dear

Star rating: ****

You Are What You Eat Juicer Centre

€68.19

Highs: This isn't any old juicer but a celebrity juicer centre which has been "seen on TV". It comes with a citrus press, and the whole affair slots together very handily so we had it up and running faster than any of the competition. The fruit and veg chute is heart-shaped.

Lows: Heart-shaped and very small, so don't be expecting vast quantities of juice out of this without frequent emptying of the pulp collector. It is hard to see how this is any better than some of the substantially cheaper models we tried, and we couldn't help wonder how much extra we were being asked to pay out because of the TV tie-in.

Verdict: Too dear, too small

Star rating: **