[employee8000]

I know a couple of people that work at Juicero and unlike 99% of you I've actually tried the juices. To call it a scam is harsh. There are legitimate concerns with supply chain, what foods can be mixed together because of acidity and preservation, etc. I've tried a bunch of the juices, and I didn't like many of them but I could see how people who were into the green juice would find it appealing. The pomegranate was really delicious however but The yield was really low. I don't think that's one you could just squeeze with your hands. I think they should have done a blind taste test to see if the press actually had any value over hand squeezing because some of the ingredients would be harder to squeeze.

The price used to be higher for the press, I think it was $700-800 which I thought was ridiculous. I even made the point that they could replace the press with two books and someone standing on it. The wifi connectivity was dumb and you really have to be dumb to think that was useful. The drm and "checking" of the packets was a little more than an excuse to not squeeze anything more than their own packets.

But the juice itself is definitely something that is superior if you're into that juice. I heard a ton of celebrities love it, but you can't sustain a business with just celebrities. As with most things like this, I doubt they care as much about the press as the subscription to the juice packets. Personally I think they should embrace this and come up with a line of juice packets that are hand squeezable.

[mathw]

But they could have made a product which squeezes juice in precisely the same way but let you fill up with your own choice of chopped vegetables. They could have made a product which didn't have unnecessary WiFi connectivity and didn't only work with proprietary sealed packets that cost $5 for a glass of juice, when you can buy it ready made in bottles for the same price.

I'd think it was the printer ink model of revenue generation, but given that they're charging so much for the "Press" in the first place it becomes unacceptably offensive.

Plus you know all the wellness bloggers with enough money to advocate this kind of thing will at some point find an issue with the pre-packed selection, so if they want to court that market it's surely better to let them make their own mixtures, then they can put as much of this week's fashionable superfood berry in it as they want.

[y7]

So this: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1793272089/juisir-juici...

Incidentally, they're being sued by Juicero for trademark infringement.

[employee8000]

Lol $5 per glass? More like $10. But if you went to some of the juice bars it would cost $15. So the advantage would be having it in your own home with no mess.

Don't mistake me for a champion of this product. I think largely it's an unsustainable idea, but that doesn't mean the company is a scam. They are doing honest work there and they do believe that green juices are healthier for everyone. I think it's still too expensive and too specialized. They initially only wanted to do green juices which tasted like mud or grass to me. Only after they branched into fruits like pomegranate did I think the taste was better.

The difference with the packets are that you don't need to do it yourself, buy the ingredients every day, and make a mess. Also if you don't chop the veggies in a precise and consistent size, I'm sure you could damage the press.

The packets are completely fresh with no preservatives so it's not something that's easy to achieve on its own. There are issues with mixing different foods together and how fresh they last due to acidity etc so you can't just mix them together and expect them to last a week.

[6nf]

I'd like to do a pepsi challenge with a freshly squeezed juicero juice vs one that was pre-squeezed before packaging (i.e. the juicing machine is pointless)

[qq66]

Nothing is really wrong per se with a $700 luxury juice product. And I'm sure the juice is fantastic. But a $700 juicer is like a $700 Swaine Adeney Brigg umbrella. The difference is that Swaine Adeney Brigg realizes that it's a niche vendor for a small market and doesn't raise $120 million to become The Next Big Thing.

[dagw]

A $700 juicer that you could use with your own ingredients would not be a problem (In fact I'm sure there are plenty of $700+ juicers on the market already[0]). A $700 juicer that can only use ingredients from one company (and only if they let you) and that gives you zero control over the content of the juice is a just dumb. If I was the sort of person that considered $700 reasonable for a juicer, I would absolutely also be the sort of person who would want to experiment with different juice ingredients and ratios.

[0]I know several people who own Vitamixes and only use them for juice/smoothies, and they cost more than $700.

[andybg]

"Personally I think they should embrace this and come up with a line of juice packets that are hand squeezable."

DING DING DING.

This was exactly my first reaction when this broke.

Companies also need to realize - You are guilty until proven otherwise. The internet masses may forget but they don't change their mind. So if you're going to say anything. Either apologize or run with the meme.

[powera]

An audiophile might buy a $700 cable.

A juiceophile might buy a $700 "juicing machine".

The scam is in whatever "business mumbo-jumbo" they used to raise $120 million to develop this.

[employee8000]

The founder made millions making and selling cold press juice bars on the east coast. This is just taking that idea and "bringing it to the masses". Calling it a scam is ignorant. I've heard of dumber ideas with less successful founders getting more money.

[brian-armstrong]

What functional differences are there between a squeezable packet and a bottle? Is there any reason these couldn't just be sold as juice bottles at Whole Foods?

[zyx321]

It's not a packet full of juice. It's a packet full of shredded fruit and vegetables used to make freshly pressed juice.

[employee8000]

It wouldn't taste as good in a preserved bottle vs squeezed right there in front of you.

[splike]

Couldn't the juiced fruit be preserved just as well as the unjuiced fruit in the packet?

[taurath]

If they didn't care about the press they'd not be charging $400 for it. There's not much added value here, it's a diced produce distribution system that tries to convince their customers it's a lifestyle thing.