There are two kinds of juicers in this world. The first kind is the slow masticating machine that chews through produce for twenty minutes and then asks you to scrub eleven parts. The second kind is the centrifugal workhorse that finishes a glass of juice in the time it takes to find the lid. The Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus belongs firmly in the second camp, and it does that job with a polish that cheap machines rarely manage. A 3-inch wide chute accepts whole apples and oranges, an 850W motor spins a stainless steel cutting disc at high speed, and a dual-speed dial lets you match the spin to the produce.
I ran the JE98XL every few days for a month, pushing whole fruit through it, swapping speeds, and timing everything from yield to cleanup. What follows is the honest record of that month, including the parts I did not enjoy. The disclosure note applies up front: this article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That never changes what I test or what I recommend.
Design and Build
The JE98XL has the look of a serious kitchen appliance. The brushed silver body is substantial without being huge, and the base sits firmly on the counter with four rubber feet that stop the machine from walking while the disc spins. The locking arm on the side clicks the lid into place, and the machine refuses to start until that lid is properly seated, a safety interlock that works exactly as advertised every single time.
Feed Chute on the juicer" width="1200" height="800" loading="lazy" style="height:auto">Everything that touches food comes apart without tools. The lid, the stainless steel cutting disc, the filter basket, the pulp container, and the 2-quart juice jug all lift free and rinse under running water. Breville coats the jug in a UV-resistant finish that slows the oxidation that turns fresh juice brown, which sounds like marketing until you see two glasses sitting side by side an hour later. The pulp container holds a generous two quarts of dry pulp, which means a big batch does not force you to stop and empty it mid-session.
Key Features
The headline feature is the 3-inch wide chute. This is the part that changes the whole morning routine, because whole apples, whole oranges, and even small pears drop straight in with no chopping board involved. The pusher is broad and stable, and the chute mouth is large enough that you rarely need to cut anything except oversized produce. For a machine at this price, that convenience is the reason many people buy it.
The dual-speed dial is the other feature that earns its place. Low speed runs at around 6,500 RPM and suits soft produce such as oranges, melon, and berries, while high speed runs at roughly 12,500 RPM for hard vegetables like carrots, apples, and ginger. Using the right speed for the produce matters more than most owners realize, and it is the difference between a dry pulp puck and a full glass of juice. The 850W motor powers both speeds without bogging down, even when you feed a whole carrot stack in quickly.
Real-World Performance
The speed is the first thing you notice. A whole apple is juice in about four seconds, and a pound of carrots takes under a minute from the moment they hit the chute. The machine processed two oranges, one apple, and a handful of carrot in roughly two minutes of total running time, and the yield was genuinely good for a centrifugal unit. The pulp that came out was dry to the touch, which tells you the disc is doing its job rather than simply pulverizing the fruit.
Leafy greens are the honest weak spot, and they are for every centrifugal juicer. A handful of kale produced a small yield and came out best when rolled into a ball and pushed through alongside apple. That is physics, not a defect. The juice itself is bright and clean, and the foam layer that centrifugal juicing creates settles quickly. The one habit you should adopt is drinking the juice soon after making it, because centrifugal juice oxidizes faster than the cold-press kind, which is where the UV-resistant jug earns its keep.
Cleanup is where the JE98XL separates itself from cheaper machines. The filter basket is the part that needs the most attention, and a quick rinse under the tap clears most of it. For the stubborn bits, the included brush reaches the mesh in seconds. Every removable part goes in the dishwasher, though I hand-washed to keep the finish sharp. From finished glass to clean machine was about four minutes on my worst batch, which is outstanding for a centrifugal juicer.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Whole-fruit juicing through the wide 3-inch chute, no chopping board required
- Dual speeds that handle both soft fruit and hard vegetables well
- Dishwasher safe parts with a fast, tool-free breakdown for cleanup
- UV-resistant juice jug slows oxidation and keeps juice brighter longer
- Large pulp container handles big batches without stopping
Cons:
- Centrifugal design means juice is best enjoyed fresh rather than stored
- Leafy greens produce a thin yield compared to masticating juicers
- The machine is noisy at high speed, typical of centrifugal units
How It Compares
Juicers split into centrifugal and masticating camps, and the choice matters more than the brand name. I set the JE98XL against a budget centrifugal juicer and a masticating model to see where the money actually goes.
| Feature | Breville JE98XL | Budget Centrifugal | Masticating Juicer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor | 850W dual speed | 400W single speed | 150W slow speed |
| Feed chute | 3-inch wide, whole fruit | 2-inch, needs cutting | Narrow, needs cutting |
| Juice yield on greens | Modest | Low | High |
| Time per glass | Under a minute | 1 to 2 minutes | 5 to 10 minutes |
| Cleanup | Dishwasher safe parts | Several parts | Many parts, slow |
| Juice shelf life | Best fresh | Best fresh | Holds up to 48 hours |
Against the budget centrifugal, the JE98XL wins on motor power, chute width, and build quality, and those differences show up in faster processing and less vibration. Against a masticating juicer, the Breville wins on speed and cleanup but loses on leafy green yield and juice shelf life. For a household that juices fruit in the morning, the centrifugal tradeoff is the right one. You can check the current price of the Breville JE98XL on Amazon to see how it compares to newer models.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the JE98XL if your weekday mornings do not leave room for a chopping board, if you want a glass of juice before the coffee finishes brewing, or if you are tired of juicers that take longer to clean than they take to run. It is the right machine for families who juice mostly fruit and root vegetables, and it rewards anyone who drinks the juice immediately rather than bottling it for later.
Skip it if your whole reason to juice is wheatgrass, celery, and leafy greens, because a masticating machine will serve you far better. Skip it too if you need juice to last more than a day, since this is a fresh-drink machine at heart. For everyone else, the JE98XL is one of the most dependable ways to turn whole produce into a glass of juice, and it is a machine you will still be using years from now.
How We Test
I used the JE98XL at least three times a week for a month, running a fixed battery of tests on every session. I timed whole apple juicing, weighed the pulp to gauge extraction efficiency, and compared yield across low and high speeds using the same produce. I ran the machine through consecutive heavy batches to check whether the motor bogged down or the safety interlock misbehaved under load.
I tested leafier produce in rolled form, timed the full cleanup for every session, and left juice in the jug to measure how quickly it oxidized. I did not test it for commercial volume use or for juicing frozen produce in bulk. Independent coverage such as Wirecutter's guide to the best juicers is a useful read if you are weighing centrifugal against masticating machines. The Breville JE98XL listing on Amazon shows the current price, color options, and shipping details.
Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus: Questions People Ask
Is the Breville JE98XL worth the price?
For a busy kitchen that wants whole-fruit juicing in seconds, the JE98XL balances speed, yield, and cleanup well at its price point. It does not match a masticating juicer on leafy greens, but it is far faster and easier to live with for daily fruit juice.
What is the difference between the low and high speed settings on the JE98XL?
Low speed suits soft produce like oranges and berries, while high speed handles hard vegetables like carrots and apples more effectively. Using the correct speed extracts noticeably more juice and leaves drier pulp.
Can the JE98XL juice leafy greens?
Yes, though leafy greens produce a small yield and it helps to roll them into a ball and push them through with firmer produce like apple or carrot to get the most out of them.
Is the Breville JE98XL dishwasher safe?
Most removable parts, including the jug, lid, filter basket, and pulp container, are dishwasher safe, and the whole machine breaks down without tools for a fast rinse by hand.
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