WHENEVER I MAKE the trip to my parents’ house, the first thing they say before I can even get both feet through the door is: “Did you eat?” Recently, they’ve been serving homemade juices in an attempt to integrate more fresh fruits and vegetables into their diet. I've really come to enjoy this ritual and envy their ample suburban kitchen space, which accommodates what is essentially a small wood chipper.

The right tool for me, however, had to be small, quiet, and easy on the upkeep. My search ultimately led me to the Nama J2. Nama founder Dan Sheehan had a history of eating super-processed foods and got into juicing after experiencing some diet-related health scares. Wanting to share the health benefits of juice with others, Sheehan teamed up with plant-based diet advocate Joe Cross, and Nama was born.

The J2 is compact enough to sit on my Brooklyn apartment-sized kitchen countertop full-time and has become a staple of my routine for the past year. Fellow apartment dwellers can rest easy knowing the device won’t cause a racket. It uses the cold-press method, which slowly spins the fruits and veggies, squeezing out the juice while separating and removing the pulp. The auger moves at a gentle 48 rotations per minute, effortlessly breaking down everything from crisp cucumbers to the toughest carrots and ginger without a snag. You can also make your own nut milks with this machine. The hopper is uniquely designed to allow for quick loading of all your ingredients without having to finely dice them beforehand. This feature is really helpful for prepping a larger batch of juices as it saves so much time. Anything you don’t plan to drink immediately should be stored in an air-tight glass to prevent nutrient loss from oxidation — something I didn’t know until reading Nama’s guidebook. If you’re new to the world of juicing, it offers all sorts of recipes, as well as tips for how to layer your ingredients within the hopper for optimal performance.

Beyond the sleek exterior and quiet operation, this juicer is a real powerhouse. Each component is extremely durable. I’m always a bit surprised at the weight of the auger when I disassemble it for cleaning: An automatic-shutoff function kicks on when the lid is open, and cleaning the device is a breeze since all the moving parts disassemble easily. There's even a custom cleaning brush, which helps detail corners and crevices.

There's no quick path to better health, but thoughtfully designed tools, make the journey more enjoyable.