One-minute review
The Nama Vitality 5800 is a vertical masticating juicer, also known as a slow juicer. These juicers work by grinding or chewing up the fruit and vegetables, then pushing through a filter to extract the juice. This model includes three filters or strainers, one for juice, one for smoothies, and another that allows you to use frozen fruits to make instant sorbet.
Good quality slow juicers are usually much more expensive than centrifugal juicers and this model is no exception, it’s got a high price tag, but the smoothie and sorbet strainers are included in the price and make it more versatile than a traditional juice only model, and it’s one of the best juicers we’ve tested.
It has a neat compact design that won’t take up too much space on the countertop and the juice jug and pulp container are big enough for daily juice requirements unless you’re a large household, in which case you may need to empty them part way through juicing. The small feed chute does also mean that larger fruits will need to be chopped up before juicing, which does add a bit more prep time.
With good juice yields and very smooth clear juice, this high-priced juicer is excellent when it comes to producing clear, froth-free juice and will suit those looking for a juicer that minimizes waste and makes great juice.
Nama Vitality 5800 price and availability
- List price: $399/ £399/ AU$399
The Nama Vitality 5800 is available through the Nama website in the US / Australia or through UK Juicers in the UK.
It’s an expensive masticating juicer but is designed to be a multi-purpose model that can be used for smoothies, nut milk, and sorbets without having to purchase additional attachments separately.
Design
- 3 strainers
- 0.2 gallon / 1 liter juice jug
- 0.37 gallon / 1.7 liter pulp container
From the minute you open the box, it’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into the Nama Vitality 5800, it’s packed in a very considered and neat way that makes unboxing a pleasure. At 14.1lbs/ 6.5kg it’s noticeably heavy for a juicer which is something to consider if you plan to put it away in a cupboard after every use. On the plus side, the compact footprint means if you’re planning on leaving it on the countertop, it won’t take up too much space. It measures 18 x 8.8 x 7.1 inches/ 45.5 x 23.2 x 20.3 cm (h x w d).
It’s simple to assemble without having to refer to the instruction manual and with only two settings to choose from; on or reverse, it’s a simple juicer to use. It comes with three interchangeable strainers, for smoothie, juice, and sorbet – making it more versatile than a standard juicer. There’s also a pulp control lever for additional control over the amount of pulp in smoothies.
The 0.2 gallon / 1 liter juice jug and 0.37 gallon / 1.7 liter pulp container are large enough for most people’s daily juicing needs but also quick and easy to empty should they fill up. The juice jug comes with a lid for storing juice in the fridge and the juice cap can be closed so it doesn’t drip onto the countertop while the jug isn’t in place.
There’s a feed tube that has an integrated feed hopper making it easy to feed in smaller items like nuts or berries and it can be assembled with the hopper to the right or left depending on your preference. The feed tube is small though so fruits like apples and pears need to be cut up before juicing.
Performance
- Good juice yields
- Smooth juice with no pulp
- Quiet
We tried out several juices in the Nama Vitality 5800, first off orange juice. Oranges need to be peeled and broken into smaller segments so they’ll fit into the feed chute. From 1.47lb / 667g oranges we got 0.13 gallon / 499 ml juice which is a good yield of almost 75%, meaning only 25% of the oranges ended up in the waste pulp container. The orange juice was very clear and smooth with absolutely no froth at all, an impressive result.
Next up we juiced carrots which just had to be cut in half lengthways and again the juice was very clear and smooth with no froth. The juice yield was almost 46% which is an average result.
Fans of kale shots will be pleased to know this juicer impressed us when juicing kale, with a juice yield of 51% which far exceeds the performance you’ll get from a centrifugal juicer. There was a small amount of froth on top and some very fine pieces of kale got into the juice which meant it wasn’t 100% clear and pulp-free but a good result nonetheless. At 78dB juicing kale was the noisiest of the juices we made in this juicer but it is still quiet in comparison to centrifugal juicers.
Next we put it to the test with a mixed green juice and some tough ingredients. We juiced ginger, celery, broccoli, parsley, apple and pear. The apple and pear had to be cut up to fit in the feed chute, but the celery stalks could be fed in whole. It didn’t struggle with any of these ingredients, making another clear juice although it did contain a small amount of very fine pulp and there was a small amount of froth on top too. With a yield of 72% it processed these tough ingredients well with minimal waste.
It comes with a sorbet attachment, so we tried it out using a berry and yogurt sorbet recipe from the included recipe book. Initially the sorbet came out looking dry, with the berries and yogurt not fully mixed, but after a minute of standing and a good stir, it turned into a tasty healthy dessert that took very little time to prepare.
It takes around 30 seconds to juice a whole apple, which is slower than a centrifugal juicer, but typical for this type of masticating juicer. None of the parts are dishwasher safe which will be disappointing to some, but it comes with a cleaning brush and it’s not too tricky to clean, the instruction manual also explains how to run water through it to aid the cleaning process.
Should I buy the Nama Vitality 5800?
Buy it if…
You want minimal wastage
It achieved good juice yields across all of the foods we juiced, meaning less of each fruit and vegetable ends up in the waste pulp container.
You’re short on space
This model has a compact footprint and doesn’t take up much space on the countertop.
You’re looking for a quiet juicer
With a maximum noise level of 78dB this is one of the quietest slow juicers we’ve tested.
Don’t buy it if…
You’re on a budget
At almost $400/ £400 / AU$400 this is an investment level juicer aimed at people who are serious about juicing.
You want minimal prep before juicing
The small feed chute means larger fruits like apples and pears have to be cut up before juicing.
You want a juicer that’s easy to move around
If you’re looking for a juicer that’s light enough to move in and out of a cupboard regularly, it’s worth noting that at 14.1lbs/ 6.5kg this is quite a heavy appliance.
First reviewed: July 2021
