Sep 17, 2014

Citrus Zinger Bottle (2.0)


During a walkabout after dinner I spotted that a local supermarket, Aeon (www.aeonmalaysia.com.my) has started selling bottles similar to the Citrus Zinger Bottle. There were two sizes available, 428ml which cost RM29.90 and another larger one, 628ml which cost RM39.90.

Citrus Zinger Bottle alternatives

Citrus Zinger Bottle - BPA & EA free. Made in TaiwanMine was cheaper, 28 OZ (approx 828ML) for RM14.55 (find out how I got the best deal here). I looked around the bottle sold at Aeon and I could not find any information on where the bottles were made. Mine had imprints at the base of the bottle;

Citrus Zinger 28 oz. www.zinganything.com. 
Patent Pending - BPA and EA free - Made In Taiwan




Tips to improving the bottle (D.I.Y. style)
After using the bottle for some time now, I am quite satisfied with it and the added lemon flavour to my drinking water.

Then a friend suggested that after each drink of the lemon water, I should rinse my mouth with plain water. This was because the lemon can corrode my teeth (she claimed). Since I am not a doctor nor a dentist, I did the only logical thing - Google for the information. There were some articles and write-ups but nothing definitive.

I thought it was too much hassle to drink lemon water and then plain water each time. So what choice do I have now?

One option to reduce the effect is to drink through a STRAW.
Prior to my online purchase, I had seen citrus zinger bottles with straws fixed unto the top cap. I felt it was not necessary, and the fixed straw will obstruct me if I choose to drink from the unscrewed cap. 

Remember my walkabout earlier? well knew of a brand of bottle supplier called 'Bros' (www.bros.com.my) that sell a wide range of plastic drinking bottles that comes with colourful designs, various sizes and accessories. The best thing of that brand was they also sell replacement parts.

I found one pack of replacement straws for their 550ml and 750ml bottles which only cost RM7.90.


Citrus Zinger Bottle adding a straw

The Outcome
The Bros straws was the appropriate length for my bottle but due to the juicing apparatus, the straw could not go all the way down & was protruding on the top. No worries, the top portion is made of rubber which is bendable. Alternatively, you can snip/cut off the excess.

Another plus point is if I do not wish to use the straw anyone; since it is not fixed to the cap, I could just take it out, wash it and store it (for use at another time).

Citrus Zinger Bottle - in use.

All in all another satisfied purchase and enhanced experience.

What other ways can you think of improving your experience? feel free to share in the comments below.

Sep 16, 2014

JAT’s Trick to getting the Best On-line Deals

In my first few posting I mentioned about items that I had purchased online (Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer and Citrus Zinger Bottle). In the past, when I was looking for stuff and appliances, I will go from one (physical) shop to another to compare prices, quality and have a feel of the product. The only things I was comfortable purchasing online were plane tickets and hotel reservations.

These days, I have grown accustom to purchasing various items online. There are so many online purchasing sites, deals, and (so called) group/bulk purchases. To name a few that I frequent;

Different sites offer different types of deals, some may focus on food, some on electronics and some are all-encompassing. Now with online purchases, one cannot physically check on the quality and have a feel of the product, however I still wish to make sure I get the ‘best’ deal.

Do I go from one online site to another to search and compare prices?
There is a trick that I use and it is an online site called bigsale.com.my. This site has a section called ‘Daily Deals’ that pulls information from numerous online sites (like the above) and consolidates them together to one single site.


Comparing products and pricing.If you are looking for something specific, you can enter your ‘Search’ name and then ‘Sort By’ price for example (click on the image to enlarge). Remember the slow juicer I purchased, I use this trick to search for it.

This trick allowed me to;
  • Compare Prices of products matching the search.

  • To see if the product is being sold on multiple online sites.

  • If it is sold on multiple sites, is their ‘Value’ and ‘Savings’ the same? – this to be important (to me) because I have seen different sites selling the same product (identical brand & supplier) but their value and savings are different. This indirectly tells me that someone is lying.

  • To find similar products but at a more economical cost.

  • Compare other finer details like ‘delivery time’, ‘warranty periods’, and possible hidden charges/conditions (e.g. meal/food deals that only valid on non-public holidays – pay more (surcharge) if you wish to use it on public holidays).

  • See how many OTHER people are comfortable buying that item or deal. It is not a hard-and-fast rule but my thought is if more people are purchasing it there is more likeliness I can find reviews about it online.

Once you're comfortable with the amount of information you have, click on that specific deal and it will direct you to the site offering it.

So there you have it. I hope this post has been helpful to you, and please feel free to share your thoughts on how you get the best deals online in the comments section below.

Sep 15, 2014

Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer

On 28 July 2014, I purchased my first slow juicer, a Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer by Zenergy Marketing. It was purchased online from Groupon (www.groupon.my) for RM399. There were many options and different brands available - ranging from RM300+ to as high as RM2000. This was my first attempt to juicing, so I thought I will not spend so much money first. However, if the frequency increases and a better appliance is called for, then I shall invest again in the future.

Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer, bubble wrapped

It arrived on 4 August 2014 with Skynet (www.skynet.com.my) local carrier courier service. The package was properly packed with layers of bubble wrap.  
Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer, Box

I was rather excited hence I purchased apples, oranges and carrots to test our my new kitchen appliance.
Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer, box side view
Side view of the box where it explains how it works. Click on the image to enlarge the view.

DUAL-STAGE JUICING, Stage 1: Juice is extracted through the first crushing stage then squeezed during the second stage pressing stage; resulting in higher yields of juice and an extremely dry pulp. The secret is in the double-angled auger carefully crafted with precision engineering.

Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer, box side view 2
SEPARATION, Stage 2: The extracted pulp is then filtered through a metal gauze which only lets through the liquid. The fresh juice pours into the juice jug while the fiber into the pulp jar. 

Another side of the box where it shows the different components of the juicer. Click on the image to enlarge the view.

Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer, unpacking

The un-boxing. Comes with an easy to follow Instruction Manual.
Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer, dissembled
The different components that makes up the juicer. From right to left;
- Feeder Hopper
- Transparent pitchers for collecting the pulp & juice
- Cleaning brush
- Plunger
- Metal gauze
- Double-angled auger
Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer, ready for use.

Ingredients to be juiced, apples and carrots.
Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer, juicing in progress
Apples juice.
At the base of the juicer are suction cups which holds unto the glass table so that it does not shake or vibrates too much during the juicing process.
Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer - juicing. Top view.

Carrot juice.
There is a small tray on the top of the juicer (feeder hopper) with allows you to temporary place your cut pieces before inserting them into the feeder.
Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer, juicing and pulp produced.

Juice is separated to the circular nozzle on the left side of the juicer while the pulp are directed to the right side rectangle nozzle.

The appliance comes with two pitchers / containers for collecting the pulp and juice but I thought it would be easier for measuring the volume of juice produced with a measuring cup.
Bayers Dual Stage Slow Juicer and fruits

I'm looking forward to experimenting with my recipes and improving my health with delicious juices.