Verdict on the Tribest Greenstar 5 Juicer
This juicer can create juice, nut milk, sorbet, bread sticks, and dips, making it one of the most adaptable machines available. Although the juicing process requires considerable effort, the results are exceptional.
Benefits of the Tribest Greenstar 5
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High-quality construction
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Produces remarkable juice
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Precise and technical controls
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Extremely versatile functions
Drawbacks of the Tribest Greenstar 5
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Narrow feeding chute
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Requires manual effort to push produce through
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Hefty weight
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Large footprint
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Pricey
This juicer is highly regarded among food enthusiasts. Its multitude of functions reflects its cost. To truly maximize the value of an $850 juicer, you need to utilize all its features, including making dough, dips, sorbet, nut milks, and juices.
Specifications
| Model number | GS5-2GY/WHY-B |
| Juicer type | Horizontal twin gear masticating slow juicer |
| Warranty | 15 years |
| Speed | 120 RPM, 60 Hz |
| Weight | 18 lbs |
| Dimensions | 20 x 7 x 13.8 in |
Who Is This Juicer For?
This juicer caters to culinary enthusiasts. Its extensive capabilities justify its premium price. To get the most out of an $850 juicer, you'll need to make full use of its functions, including preparing dough, dips, sorbet, nut milk, and various juices.
It's ideal for larger households where you'll be making substantial quantities of juice. This model can operate for up to forty minutes, allowing you to produce gallons of juice. Additionally, due to its size, you will need ample cupboard and countertop space to store it. This is the largest and heaviest juicer I've tested.
Unpacking the Juicer
Let's be clear: this is a substantial and heavy juicer. Our team chose to unbox it on the floor to avoid straining our backs while lifting it onto the counter. The Tribest is packaged with a combination of recyclable materials and soft plastics. Most of it can be flattened into cardboard for disposal, but some will need to go into general trash.
It occupies a significant amount of counter space. Our model was shiny white with a plastic coating. The exterior felt somewhat inexpensive, which was surprising given its weight and cost. However, the appearance may vary by color; I've seen a gray version that looks more appealing. The Tribest also comes with a variety of accessories for preparing different foods.
Using the Tribest Greenstar 5
The Tribest arrives fully assembled and ready for juicing. However, we disassembled it to understand the setup process and ensure we had the juicing function configured correctly. This part of the experience was perhaps the least enjoyable. It has numerous components (due to its versatility), so you must be attentive and careful when assembling each piece and securing it into the main body. One of my favorite features is the included glass juice pitcher: it's thick, durable, and easy to pour from.
Juicing Test 1: Orange Juice
A classic test for any juicer is orange juice. To challenge the Tribest, we made a blend of orange and carrot juice to see how it handles tougher root vegetables. The juicer features a knob that allows you to adjust the pulp level in your juice, so if you prefer a bit of texture, you can loosen it. I set it to the tightest setting to gauge how crisp the orange juice could be.
There's quite a bit of preparation involved before juicing. Since the Tribest can only process one texture at a time, you cannot mix carrots and oranges together. You'll need to adjust the pulp knob for each different fruit and vegetable.
I started with the carrot, but the Tribest depends on your own strength to push the produce through. The twin gears only rotate, meaning you need to apply force with the tamper to feed the ingredients through.
This may not seem like a major inconvenience, but it's significant if you have mobility challenges. As someone recovering from surgery, I needed assistance from others to push the carrot through the gears. However, once I juiced the carrot, the orange segments went through effortlessly.
The resulting pulp was quite dry and firm, indicating that the juicer extracted a maximum amount of juice. I produced half a liter from just three oranges and a carrot, which is quite impressive.
When it came to tasting, the effort put into juicing the carrot and orange was worth it. This was exceptional juice, the best we've ever made in our test kitchen. It was light, smooth, and crisp. The only complaint from our testers was a desire for more juice, a sign of its success.
Juicing Test 2: Green Juice
The green juice followed a similar pattern to the orange juice. I used two apples, half a cucumber, and half a bag of spinach for this blend. All ingredients required prep work: my apple slices were too large for the narrow (2 inch) feeding chute, as was the cucumber. The Tribest guide suggests rolling greens into balls, one per leaf. For spinach, this seemed excessive, so I made larger balls with multiple leaves, which juiced well. Again, each ingredient had to be juiced separately on different settings, which took some time, but the resulting juice was definitely worth the effort.
There was a layer of foam on top of the juice, which isn't always a good sign—it indicates that a lot of air was incorporated when crushing the ingredients rather than achieving a tight press. However, the flavors of the green juice told a different story. It was absolutely delicious, and everyone on the test team loved it. We agreed that if juicing equals healthy living—and if we could all have a Tribest—we'd be living incredibly healthy lives.
One note: while enjoying the green juice, the Tribest was steadily dripping green froth and foam onto the drip tray, creating a bit of a mess. It's best to have a jug or container beneath it to catch every last drop—you won't want to waste any.
Juicing Test 3: Almond Milk
I regularly make almond milk at home, so this was a significant test for the Tribest. I soaked almonds and dates in water, drained them, and fed them into the juicer with the appropriate filter in place.
The almonds were tough to push through the twin gears, so soaking them for as long as possible is recommended. Once they were forced through, a marzipan-like paste formed in the jug. This paste needs to be mixed with water and strained through the provided sieve. It's a bit of work, but the almond milk produced was incredible. It tasted just as smooth as store-bought versions but much purer. The effort was definitely worthwhile.
Juicing Test 4: Sorbet
Making sorbet required disassembling the Tribest and reassembling it with the breadstick knob and a blocker. We then fed frozen mango, pineapple, and papaya into the juicer piece by piece.
I had to call in another expert tester for assistance, as this required more strength than I could provide. Slowly but surely, sorbet began to emerge from the breadstick opening. Initially, it was a bit messy and mixed with some leftover greens from the juicing process, despite our thorough cleaning. However, within seconds, a solid tube of sorbet began pouring out of the opening.
Although it didn't look particularly appetizing, the flavor and texture were unbeatable. The sorbet was dense, similar to gelato, and deliciously smooth. Since we juiced our fruit mix in separate chunks, some testers enjoyed papaya sorbet while others savored pineapple sorbet. Regardless, it was delightful and remained frozen much longer than cheaper, airy sorbets. Even after leaving it out in our warm kitchen for half an hour while we had lunch, it looked almost unchanged when we returned—it was remarkable.
Cleaning and Maintenance
As previously mentioned, assembling and disassembling the Tribest is the most time-consuming part of the juicing experience, so cleaning it requires effort. There are numerous parts with narrow gaps and grooves that need the special cleaning wand to tackle effectively. The dates and almonds tended to stick quite firmly in the cogs, so I recommend letting them soak before cleaning. Fortunately, the plastic casing is easy to wipe down and remains looking clean with minimal effort.
Regarding storage, this is a large and heavy machine. I suggest creating a dedicated juicing station and keeping it there. You won't want to move this around frequently, and if you do, be cautious when lifting it from high places.
Online Ratings
This is a relatively new model, so reviews are still emerging. However, those who have purchased it seem satisfied with their investment. Most users appear to be serious about juicing, as they appreciate nuances like the twin gears' ability to extract juice from leafy greens and the bio-ceramic technology that reduces oxidation. I was surprised to discover that many owners have used their Tribest juicers for years, with several noting that their older models have outlasted the 12-year warranty.
Some users mentioned the strength required to push vegetables through the juicer, typically from individuals who had previously sustained injuries or who are not as strong as they once were. Additionally, many acknowledged the juicer's size and weight, indicating that it dominates countertop space.
Comparison to Other Juicers
As a dedicated juicer enthusiast, I'm always eager to see new models hit the market. The Tribest is undoubtedly the most versatile juicer available. I've never encountered a model that can produce breadsticks and dips in addition to sorbets and juices, making it an ideal choice for food lovers.
However, for the same price, you could purchase a top-rated juicer from our buying guide and still have some money left over. The Kuvings EVO820 is more aesthetically pleasing, features a wider feeding chute (requiring less prep), and can also make smoothies, sorbets, and plant-based milks. It's quicker to use, as it doesn't necessitate forcing ingredients through the twin gears, while still extracting a decent amount of juice. That said, both the Tribest and the Kuvings are best suited for larger kitchens due to their size.
If you're looking for a more budget-friendly alternative that doesn't occupy much space, consider the NutriBullet Slow Juicer. It extracts juice effectively and operates relatively quietly, but it doesn't produce juice with the same crispness as the Tribest. We noticed considerably more pulp in the NutriBullet juices and felt its lack of speed controls made it a much simpler model compared to the highly technical Tribest.
Testing Methodology
If you have the space and budget for the Tribest GreenStar 5's many functions, it's a valuable investment. You can experiment with your juicing and enjoy some of the best juice available. However, if you don't plan on utilizing all of the Tribest's capabilities, you might feel like you've overpaid for a bulky juicer.
Testing Insights
We pride ourselves on providing trustworthy reviews that reflect real-world experiences with products. Our dedicated team rigorously tests every appliance we recommend in our kitchen. Each model undergoes a series of tests designed to replicate everyday usage, including juicing orange juice, green juice, almond milk, and other functions like sorbet or smoothies. After our testing is complete, we gain a comprehensive understanding of what an appliance is like to use, allowing us to share insights into its quirks, advantages, and potential drawbacks. If you're curious about our testing process, feel free to reach out to us.
