diy Top @Kew Drive

[Ks Toh 74]

Have not updated my blog for some time. Just came across this interesting video. If you have a small home, perhaps you can pick up some tips here.

Edited October 26, 2014 by kstoh

[Ks Toh 74]

Slow Juicers

Everybody wants to live a healthy lifestyle these days. Apart from regular exercise, diet is important. And the slow juicer may be one of those things you want to get.

Actually, I had bought a slow juicer when I shifted to my new place. Used it a few times, stored it and completely forgot about it. Until recently when something happened to one of my close friends. As in most such cases, the family tried everything, changing to a completely healthy diet. All of us followed suit, and I brought out my slow juicer from the cupboard. Now, we juice at least twice every day.

What is the difference between slower juicers and normal juicers?

Slow juicers (also called cold press or masticating juicers) are supposedly better than traditionally centrifugal juicers in that they produce higher juice yield and the low speed and heat preserves more nutrients and enzymes. I shall not go into the arguments over whether a slow juicer is better than eating the whole fruit etc. Obviously, you can only eat so much, and there are stuff like celery which I am not sure you would want to eat on its own, or even with an apple. I have the 2013 Hurom as shown in the video below.

http://youtu.be/zh4smxKSTfM

Why buy a Slow Juicer?

You can read more about the advantages of juicing and slow juicers in particular here.

Edited November 4, 2014 by kstoh

[Ks Toh 74]

What brand to buy?

The leading manufacturers are from Korea with the leading brands (sold in Singapore) being Hurom and Kuvings. Hurom is the inventor of the vertical cold press juicer technology and they are the market leaders. They are also the OEM makers for many of the machines sold in the US. So, if you buy Hurom or Kuvings, you cannot go wrong.

[Can anyone advise me why my photos somehow appear rotated when viewing this page on my Macbook? The photos are oriented correctly in my photo album and when viewing this page on my iPhone.]

The advantage of Kuvings is that it has a big mouth so you can put in the whole apple without cutting it. However, one Kuvings owner tells me that when you do that, the machines sometimes get stuck. I have also been told that you should always cut apples and take out the seeds as apple seeds contain a cyanide compound. This is not an urban legend but a true fact. Read here.

But if you don't mind the seeds and am lazy, I guess the Kuvings can be more convenient. Or you can use a corer to take out the core before putting the whole fruit into the Kuvings.

Some youtube videos claim that the 2013 Kuvings extract more juice than the 2013 Hurom. Another site claims the 2014 Hurom is better. Yesterday at Best Denki, I saw the Kuvings display claim that if you cut the fruit, you lose something. I myself have the 2013 Hurom but I think both are good.

http://littleeconest.com.au/blog/kuvings-vs-hurom-2014/

http://hurom.com

http://www.kuvings.com/intro/intro.html

Both Hurom and Kuvings sell for S$700+ at leading departmental stores like Robinsons, Tangs, Takashimaya, Isetan or Best Denki, with the Kuvings slightly more expensive. I understand that you can buy them from Korea at half the price. Just need to make sure they are 210 to 230V.

Edited November 3, 2014 by kstoh

[Ks Toh 74]

Buying Online

If you are game, you can buy online from www.qoo10.sg at under S$400 here:

http://list.qoo10.sg/item/FREE-FEDEX-SHIPPING-2014-HUROM/412821193

http://list.qoo10.sg/item/KUVINGS-2014-KJ-622R-MILLION-SELLER/419078966

If you think $365 is still too expensive, you can even consider a $95 Hyundai that looks almost like my 2013 Hurom. My friends bought it and we did a Hurom vs Hyundai slow juicer face off. Both delivered roughly the same amount of juice.

But of course:

- Built quality is like comparing new BMW with first generation Proton Saga

- The Hyundai turns faster (slower is better)

- The Hyundai parts are a bit rough and it was a bit difficult to take out the parts (cleaning may be more difficult)

I think the Hyundai is made in China based on the Hurom design. My friends think it is ok even if it breaks down because for what I paid for my Hurom, they can buy 7 of them and still have spare change.

I do not know whether the Hyundai is still available. The vendor is in Singapore.

[back to Table of Contents]

Edited November 3, 2014 by kstoh

[BunBun 5]

Nice. I won the Kuvings juicer a few months back in a lucky draw but it's sitting in the storeroom at the moment because I'm using a blender & processor in 1 which can be used to puree, make fruit juices or make hot drinks according to my mother.

So I haven't had the chance to use it and I think it will be a white elephant for a while unless mine breaks down or I sell it?

I read the Kuvings brochure that came with it actually, and it says it has 10 years warranty though.

Edited November 2, 2014 by BunBun

[Khng 2]

I bought a $50 juicer which operates using the hand. U just turn the handle and the rotation of the shaft will squash the fruit & extract the juice.

Does the job well & fun to use. But the mouth is relatively small & you will have to cut the fruits.

[Ks Toh 74]

[back to Table of Contents]

Nice. I won the Kuvings juicer a few months back in a lucky draw but it's sitting in the storeroom at the moment because I'm using a blender & processor in 1 which can be used to puree, make fruit juices or make hot drinks according to my mother.

So I haven't had the chance to use it and I think it will be a white elephant for a while unless mine breaks down or I sell it?

I read the Kuvings brochure that came with it actually, and it says it has 10 years warranty though.

I think you should use it. Some of my electrical items do not work after a long time of non-use.

The slow juicer can also make purée. It makes fruit juices with much less wastage as compared to normal juicer. You can adjust according to how much pulp you want in the juice.

Edited November 3, 2014 by kstoh

[Ks Toh 74]

I bought a $50 juicer which operates using the hand. U just turn the handle and the rotation of the shaft will squash the fruit & extract the juice.

Does the job well & fun to use. But the mouth is relatively small & you will have to cut the fruits.

Is it the Salada? I did recommend it to my friends but they were all too lazy to juice manually. Is it difficult for hard greens like carrots?

[Khng 2]

The brand is Hokey & you can go their website at www.hokey.com.sg.

I have no interest in this business but just a normal end user. Good enough for me and I find it easy to use, clean & assemble.

[Ks Toh 74]

The brand is Hokey & you can go their website at www.hokey.com.sg.

I have no interest in this business but just a normal end user. Good enough for me and I find it easy to use, clean & assemble.

Hi Khng, I took a look at the Hokey manual juicer. It looks exactly like the Salada manual juicer that my friend has. This seems to be an OEM product sold under different names by different people. In the US, it is sold under the Kitchen Master brand.

I have no experience with manual slow juicers but I think if you only juice occasionally and am looking for something under $50, this is definitely worth considering. If you juice every day, maybe the "fun" factor will wear off very quickly. From what I can see from the videos (but I stand corrected):-

- The manual slow juicer may not be as efficient. There is less juice extracted. Makes a difference if you juice a lot.

- It can be quite tiring if you juice a lot. From the second video, you can see the table moving.

[Khng 2]

I only use it during the weekends and so work well for me.

[X6GT 3]

This was the Davco material I saw the contractor using:

He also helped me patch up a leak into my hall from the air con trunking area.

If you are staying in an HDB flat, you probably have no such worries. If there is any leak, you just call the HDB or Town Council. If you are staying in a private condominium, I guess you have to call the Management Corporation. But if you are staying in a landed property, you are on your own.

Hi KSToh,

Do you know what exactly are the properties of this brand of Sovacryl, that they used it for your job?

I do recall a long time ago while I was looking at options for the roof (polyeurethane painting vs acrylic vs epoxy vs SKK's fancy-named "Ceramifloor"), I came across sovacryl and the name stuck. I am given to understand it's a standalone waterproofing layer. Not so much a paint, in that sense.

Fast forward some years later, recently I was asking around several companies about their paint solutions and pricing (for my roof terrace floor, currently a very yucky tiled surface). Then I was told by one of the companies I asked quotations from that a) there would be no proper bonding because I didn't want to hack my tiles and b) even if I cemented over my tiles, it would not be an ideal solution for my roof terrace because the tiles would pop/crack over time.

They suggested hacking (totally not an option because it's so exorbitant and we're looking at over 100sq metres of space... totally bo lui!) or 'painting on the tiles'. I'm not sure I like the sound of the 2nd one, is it something like those garish kitchen tile spray painting gigs? Painted tiles look HORRID and like they belong to the 1960s. Or would they paint several coats on of at least 5mm thick so that the end result will not have those grout line depressions between the existing tiles?

Don't know how reliable these people are since they are actually only paint sellers (main objective is to sell the paint, they don't really care if suitable or not I think)... but do you have any advice on my roofing situation? Thanks...

[Ks Toh 74]

Hi

I have no idea of the properties of the Sovacryl I used. It looks like a thick grey membrane.

Not sure what you can do with your tiled roof terrace. Lay wooden planks over it? My roof terrace floor is like this.

[ZzzMonster 7]

Hi,

May I have the contact of your painter pls.

Thanks.

[Ks Toh 74]

Hi,

May I have the contact of your painter pls.

Thanks.

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