FAQ

I hate reading instructions and want to start juicing straight away - what tips can you give me?

1. Read the Instructions
2. Read the Instructions!

I've got a technical issue with my Semak VitaJuice, what do I do?

Please see FAQ for suggestions on how to overcome the most common problems people experience.

If unable to resolve the issue email technical@semak.com.au outlining a brief description of the fault, how it occurred and any supporting photos if applicable. We will respond usually within 24 hours.

If the issue cannot be resolved by email it may be necessary to return the product to Semak or Authorised Service Agent for assessment and or repair. Please contact Semak for a work order number. Include the work order number, your contact and delivery details and your “proof of purchase” with the appliance. Appliances returned without “proof of purchase” will be held for up to 3 months until the “proof of purchase” is received.

Provision of a work order number does not guarantee that the repair will be covered by warranty.

On receipt of the appliance and accompanying documents the appliance will be assessed. If deemed under warranty it will be repaired and you will be informed when the appliance can be collected.

If deemed not under warranty, a quotation for the repair will be sent to you. We will require credit card details to be able to proceed with the repair.

Issues typically not covered under warranty are:

• Parts broken or lost by accident or misuse
• Electrical faults caused by infestations eg. Cockroaches
• Strainers broken by forcing too much product into the juicer
• Incorrect operation

My juicer will not start.

1. Ensure that the plug is properly inserted in the power outlet and that the cord is in good condition
2. Ensure that the power is turned on
3. The appliance WILL NOT work unless the appliance is fully assembled. Ensure that the juice head or sauce head is properly installed on the motor base that is correctly locked in place. There are 2 safety locks on the juice head that must be correctly aligned for the appliance to work.

I cannot get the lid on.

It is impossible to put the lid on properly if the juice bowl and hopper is preassembled on the bench and then placed on the motor base. Put the juice bowl on the juicer and the internal components and lastly put the lid on and lock into place. The juice bowl cannot be removed as a completely assembled part either so remember to remove the lid first then the juice bowl.

My juicer stopped in the middle of juicing.

1. If it has become jammed by putting in very large pieces or overloading it with too much hard fruit/vegetable, try reversing by pushing the reverse switch and then forward to continue juicing.
2. The appliance in thermo protected and designed to cut out if the motor gets too hot. This is a sign that it is juicing more than it should. Allow the appliance to cool down and it will restart. The appliance also contains a fuse to protect the motor. If the motor fails to restart the juicer will need to be returned to us and the fuse checked.

The strainer does not separate the juice.

It is likely that the strainer holes may have become blocked. Remove the strainer for cleaning.

Juice is leaking from the juice bowl.

Check that the rubber seal underneath the juice bowl is in place.

The juice bowl may be too full and clogged up allowing juice to leak from the seal around the drive shaft. Remove the juice bowl, check and clean.

The fruit and vegetables are coming out of the juicer not going in.

Switch the button to forward.

What's the best way to prepare vegetables for juicing in the VitaJuice?

We recommend preparing your fruits and vegetables by cutting them into a size so that the pieces will just fall through the feeder chute without needing to be pushed down.

My juicer is making a grinding sound?

Stop using the juicer and decide if the noise is mechanical or being caused by the ingredients. If mechanical return to Semak for service.

My juicer is jamming, how do I prevent this from happening?

The VitaJuice operates best when you regulate the speed at which to feed the fruits and vegetables down the chute and also the right size of fruit/vegetables.

The general rule is that harder vegetables like carrots need to be smaller and fed into the juicer slower than say apples or oranges.

In terms of size, a small amount of preparation in advance of juicing will ensure optimal results and the fastest juicing.

If the machine does jam or stop, press the reverse button for 2-3 seconds and this will unblock the offending fruit/vegetable and you can then continue juicing by switching to forward.

What's the best way to prepare leafy greens for juicing in the VitaJuice?

Roll leaves into cigar shaped parcels and then fold them in half, ensuring that the size is not too big for the feeder chute. You may notice with some shinier leafy greens that they can on occasion clog the strainer – this can be remedied by adding a few pieces of carrot or other fibrous vegetables which then clears the mechanism. Also, wet leaves will not pass through the juicer as well as drier leaves so when washing produce, pat it dry with a kitchen towel before inserting into the juicer.

What's the best way to prepare fruits for juicing in the VitaJuice?

Ensure you cut pieces into a size that will easily drop down the feeder chute. Remove skins from citrus fruits. If the strainer becomes clogged then this can be remedied by feeding a different textured fruit or vegetable through. The strainer has very fine holes. Some soft fruits such as kiwi fruit and banana can clog the holes in the strainer as it is being crushed and becomes the consistency of mashed banana. If this occurs try following the soft fruit with fibrous fruit eg. Pear or apple or even a wet fruit eg watermelon or orange.

How does the Vitajuice juice items such as celery and vanilla pods?

The Vitajuice has no blades so some fibrous fruits and vegetables that have a "stringy" construction need to be pre-cut before juicing. Simply cut items to a short length of ½” to avoid fibres getting wrapped around the internal mechanism.

What's the best way to clean the Vitajuice?

We do not recommend that you put parts in the dishwasher as the chemical in the wash tablets may adversely affect the materials that the juicer is made from.

The quickest and easiest way is with warm clear tap water and simply rinsing. Washup should be completed in under a minute and can be made easier by running a container of clear water through the juicer after the final juice has been made.

Remove the top juice bowl section from the jucier and disassemble completely. Pay particular attention to cleaning the juicebowl and the auger. Remove all waste every time that the juicer is used. If not cleaned thoroughly, remnant waste can cause a health hazard.

Remove the waste seal (orange rubber seal beneath the juice bowl) every time the juicer is used remembering to replace it at the conclusion of juicing.

Can I put the Semak VitaJuice parts into a dishwasher?

No, we do not recommend using a dishwasher to clean juicer parts.

Can I make frozen sorbets with the Semak VitaJuice?

No. The VitaJuice is not designed to crush frozen items and doing so will likely result in damage to the strainer which will not be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. We understand that some people have been doing this on YouTube but they will inevitably end up breaking their machine by doing so and repair will not be covered by warranty.

Is it safe to operate the juicer with wet hands?

The juicer is an electrical appliance, care should be taken to ensure you have dry hands when switching the appliance on/off. Do not attempt to switch the juicer ON or OFF if you have wet hands.

Can I re-juice the discarded pulp from the Semak VitaJuice in order to get more juice?

The Semak VitaJuice is very effective at extracting high yields from the first pass but some users do put through the discarded pulp again to try and gain more juice yield. The results vary from fruit to fruit so feel free to experiment!

Is the Semak VitaJuice suitable for commercial environments?

The manufacturer's recommendation is for operation not to run for longer than 30 minutes at a time with a suitable amount of time allowed for cooling in between. Therefore, if a commercial environment won't require usage beyond this then yes but if it's a busy cafe/bar then we recommend to have a number of Semak VitaJuices to be used in rotation.

It is also important that appropriate training be given to any staff within a commercial environment as the usual approach to commercial juicing of just jamming fruits and vegetables down a pipe will not work with a Semak VitaJuice.

Semak equipment is manufactured for commercial application however Vitajuice is recommended for “light commercial” use only eg 20-30 juices at lunchtime. If you will be juicing more than this we recommend that you purchase an upgrade ZU2012 multifruit juicer. It will cost more but it is built for high volume.

Do I need to core apples before juicing?

It is not necessary but some people do not like the taste or texture of the juice with the pips and core in.

What are the best apples for juicing?

We find that chilled granny smiths, cored are the best. Some apples such as gala, red delicious and fuji tend to brown the juice due to oxidation which some people find unappealing.

Do I need to peel citrus fruits before juicing?

Yes. Inclusion of the peel will make the juice taste bad.

How long can I keep a Semak VitaJuice juice for before it goes bad?

There's no specific answer to this as there are too many variables based on type of produce and storage method. We recommend drinking your Semak VitaJuice juices immediately to enjoy maximum taste and nutritional benefits.

However, if necessary you can refrigerate juices: fruit juices tend to last longer from a taste perspective: 24-48 hours. For vegetable juice, unless you have vacuum storage containers we'd advise 12 hours max. At the end of the day, fresh juice should be consumed freshly made – all other options deliver sub-optimal results.

Can I grind seeds, grains or legumes with the Semak VitaJuice?

All of these require specialist mills for grinding. The juice bowl cannot grind these but the bonus sauce maker can. Care needs to be taken to feed small amounts say ¼ cup at a time feeding slowly. If the sauce maker jams, reverse and restart. The appliance cannot do many kgs at a time. We recommend only doing single portions at a time.

What can I juice with a Semak VitaJuice and what should I avoid?

Can juice:

• Just about all veggies
• All fruits

Do not juice (attempting to do so will void your warranty)

• Coconuts
• Seeds
• Unsoaked/roasted nuts
• Legumes
• Sugar Cane
• Anything frozen
• Fish/Meat
• Liquorice root or other woody materials
• Dried herbs / spices
• Stone fruit with stones in

If you're in doubt about something not mentioned on this list then drop us a line technical@semak.com.au and we'll respond within 24 hours.

Can the Semak VitaJuice make pasta?

No. Pasta attachments are not supplied with this juicer.

Can the Semak VitaJuice make cold press olive oil?

This is a different process to juicing and requires different machinery. The Semak VitaJuice is not able to make oils from olives or any other fruit/vegetable.

Can I buy spares for the Semak VitaJuice such as replacement wiper blades or jugs?

Yes! Please visit our online store at http://www.semakvitajuice.com.au. All of the most requested parts are listed there and can be purchased securely with PAYPAL or credit card.

Do I need to refrigerate fruits and vegetables before juicing them?

Apart from tasting better when juiced, refrigerated fruits and vegetables will provide a higher yield of juice than room temperature product. This is because the fibre in refrigerated product is firmer when chilled and consequently provides more juice when crushed in the Semak VitaJuice compared to a softer/warmer fruit or vegetable.

For these reasons, we strongly recommend refrigerating all products you plan juicing in the Semak VitaJuice.

Rubber yellow stopper on the underside of the drum - what purpose does it serve?

The rubber yellow stopper acts as an ejection device for the pulp. When inserted into it's slot, it pushes pulp out of the pulp tube and generally keeps the tube from blocking.

It's designed to be unplugged from the slot so that the juice bowl can be cleaned easily.

Always make sure you re-insert the plug prior to juicing. Attempting to juice without inserting the plug into it's slot causes the Semak VitaJuice to juice inefficiently and the pulp tube to become blocked.

It can be easy to forget this so get into the habit of checking on this before you juice each time.

We recommend that you keep a spare in the drawer at all times.