The nutritional benefits of eating fruits and vegetables are undeniable, but what about drinking them instead? That question has led to a surge in countertop juicers aimed at people looking to bring the juice bar experience home.

Claims for juicers in infomercials and celebrity endorsements range from the ability of juice to ease muscle aches, alleviate high blood pressure, and even increase sexual potency. And ubiquitous juice cleanses are touted as a way to flush out toxins, make your skin glow, and slim you down for that big reunion or red carpet walk.

Don’t believe the pulp fiction. The evidence says otherwise. Juice cannot be any better than the produce from which it's made. It can even be less nutritious if much of the dietary fiber is removed in the process.

That said, a juicer can certainly add vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to your daily diet. But only if you use it regularly and that's not always easy. Some models we tested were so complicated to operate and so hard to clean that they’d probably end up collecting dust in a dark corner of your kitchen cabinet.