Today we’re revealing the 5 most important types of juicers.
If you’ve ever attempted the arduous job of manually juicing fruit and vegetables, be it with a citrus reamer or by hand, then you’ll know that it’s slow and even painful at times. But the rise in household juicers infiltrating the market in recent years means you could be saved from this hassle and exertion.Â
It’s not only convenience that has made juicing so popular. Raw, fresh juice has become a staple to living a healthy lifestyle. But with health trends come high price tags, and those Instagram-worthy green juices don’t come cheap.
In this guide, we’ll help you figure out which juicer might be right for you, without breaking the bank. This way, you won’t have to find yourself ever spending a fortune in Jamba Juice again.
What Are Juicers?
A juicer is a machine that extracts the liquid from fruits and vegetables. Juicers have grown in popularity in recent years, not only for their efficiency but for the praise that fresh juice has received for its many health benefits. Juicing machines first emerged in the 1930s, but a rise in juice bars and juice cleanses in the 2000s have turned juicers into a hot commodity and a common household appliance.
So how is a juicer different from a blender? Juicers separate the juice of fruit and vegetables from their insoluble fiber, or what we might call the pulp. While a blender breaks down ingredients into a thicker, combined liquid, juicers create a more concentrated and potent beverage.
Although fiber is essential for our bodies, without it acting as a barrier to digestion, juicers allow for nutrients to be absorbed more easily into the blood. Juice is said to provide a greater concentration of vitamins and minerals per ounce than whole fruits or smoothies. It also helps those who may dislike the taste of fruits and vegetables to get more nutrients into their body.
Juicers are not exclusively for making fruit juices though. Milk substitutes like almond and oat milk, tomato sauce, hummus, cocktails, soup, nut butter and even sorbet can also be made with it.
How Do Juicers Work?
Different varieties of juicers have different processing functions, but the most common types require fruits and vegetables to be fed through a tube, to then be met by flat cutting blades. The contents are then usually spun at a high speed to separate the juice from pulp.
What is produced is then pushed through a sharp screen to sift concentrated juice from any remaining pulp. The leftover matter will either remain in the machine or be pushed out through another attachment.
This makes juicers notorious for the cleaning process that they require, as well as the fruit and vegetable matter they leave that must be discarded as waste. That said, some juicers contain less parts and so are easier to clean. Although, these juicers may produce a less concentrated liquid.
Some juicers may also function as a food processor. These would require a function to extract less fiber from juice. Other functions to look out for include motor wattage, which affects the speed of juicing, the size of the feed tube, self-cleaning aids and detachable components.
Type of Juicers
Now that you know why you might use a juicer, let’s have a look at the types of juicers you’ll find on the market to help you decide which is best for you.
Centrifugal Juicer
A centrifugal juicer is the most popular home juicer as it comes at a cheaper price than other commercially used types. The blades spin at around 6,000 to 14,000 rotations per minute, or RPM, meaning that they are often labelled fast juicers.
This juicer differs from others as it shreds fruits and vegetables at a very high speed, rather than actually separating liquid from solid matter. This means centrifugal juice may contain up to 30 percent more insoluble fiber, like skins and seeds, than other juice. For this reason, the juice may separate or break down more quickly.
Although, there are positives to this. Added fiber means centrifugal juice has more health benefits for your body. Centrifugal juicers also produce less waste for you to dispose of later. Many of its parts can be detached and put in the dishwasher. This makes it easier to clean and even quicker to use.
Centrifugal juicers take less hassle and so are perfect for juicing beginners and those wanting to save some extra pennies. Although a centrifugal juicer may not be best for making large batches of juice, it is great for a quick, fresh glass of juice or two on a budget.
Masticating Juicer
Masticating juicers use a single gear to crush fruit and vegetables at only 80 to 100 RPM. This has given them the name slow juicer and even means masticated juice is often marketed as cold-pressed juice because it is pushed through a sharp screen to separate pulp. But masticating juicers are actually more similar to centrifugal ones as they don’t use a hydraulic press mechanism.
These juicers may function slower than centrifugal ones but actually produce a higher juice yield from the same weight of ingredients. This makes them good value for money.
The slow turning speed also means they operate quietly and can process tough, leafy greens like spinach, kale and wheatgrass without difficulty. They are also favored for processing frozen fruits, and even making nut milks and baby food.
The juice from a masticating juicer lasts longer than centrifugal juice and can be premade in large quantities. Even though they may cost more initially, purchasing a masticating juicer could mean you get more for your money.
Triturating Juicer or Twin-gear Juicer
Like masticating juicers, a triturating juicer uses augers to spin and pull the contents that are fed into it. However, as the name implies, this machine uses two gears to chew up produce, which is then pushed through a serrated screen.
The twin-gear action means that triturating juicers are powerful and can juice stubborn produce. More gears also means that these juicers are celebrated for extracting more vitamins and minerals from ingredients, as they are chopped up very finely before being juiced. They also use less heat which preserves the nutrients in ingredients.
While they come at a higher price than other juicers, they produce a better yield and quality of juice than centrifugal and masticating juicers. This may save money in the long run.
Manual Press Juicer
A manual juicer is the only one on this list that isn’t automated and therefore requires no electricity. A bit of elbow grease and muscle power is all you need to produce freshly squeezed juice with a manual juicer.
Most manual juicers have very few parts because you do most of the work, instead of having electrical attachments. Their simple design means they’re quick and easy to clean, but also durable and reliable.
A rotating handle is used to either trigger a crushing mechanism or spin blades that ingredients can be pushed through. This means that manual juice will include some pulp and solid matter from produce, so it’s best for soft ingredients like oranges, pineapples, tomatoes, mangos, grapes and spinach.
Manual juicers are very quiet to operate and can be used anywhere, so it may be handy for new parents who want to prepare baby food in hushed environments. A lack of automation also means that little heat and friction is created when juicing ingredients, which reduces oxidation and preserves nutrients.
Press Juicer
Press juicers use a hydraulic or pneumatic press to crush produce under tons of pressure. This technique requires two stages, one which grinds fruits or vegetables into a pulp and the other which presses the pulp with intense weight to extract juice.
The term cold-press originally came from press juicers, but it’s now associated with other types like the masticator. Yet, a juice press is the only juicer that actually has a true pressing function and so it’s the only type that can produce authentic, cold-pressed juice.
This juicer extracts the most nutrients possible from fruit and vegetables. The press creates pure juice which is 99 percent liquid and less than 1 percent solid matter. It involves minimal oxidation so very little foam will be created. Pressed juice also has a long shelf life as it can be stored for up to five days with minimal separation.
Press juicers are the most expensive and could be cumbersome for home-use as they are difficult to clean. But press juicers are perfect for commercial use or for the avid juice maker who wants the best juice and doesn’t mind parting with countertop space and a few extra pennies.
What Features to Look For in a Juicer
Not all juicers are made equal. If you’re still unsure about which juicer to go for, have a look out for these features before buying to decide which is right for you.
Size and Storage
Any new appliance is going to assume some of your kitchen space. But if this is something you’re short on, it might be wise to consider going for a juicer that can be put away easily.
A manual juicer is your best bet as not needing electricity means it doesn’t need to be kept on a surface near a main plug. But also, many centrifugal and masticating juicers are made vertically for the purpose of taking up less space. This makes them easier to store than the twin-gear juicers, which need a lot of horizontal space for their feed tube.
Something else to consider when thinking about space is what and how many ingredients you plan to put in your juicer. A wide-mouthed feed tube means you will have to spend less time preparing fruits and vegetables to fit inside your juicer which may be more efficient, if you have the space that is.
A large juicing cup will also allow you to make more juice with less hassle. If you’re planning to make large quantities of juice, then a juicer that comes with this feature will save you time. But the larger the cup, the more room you’ll need to accommodate your juicer. Bear this in mind when deciding if you have the kitchen space for a juicer.
Speed
The most important thing to remember is that speed does not mean better juice in the juicing world. The slower juicers like the twin-gear juicer and the press juicer produce the least pulp, and highest yield of juice to weight ratio. Speed also means friction and heat which can deplete nutrients and also makes more noise.
But for these reasons, faster juices often mean a lower price. The higher the speed of your juicer also means the faster you’ll be able to get your juice fix. If time is of the essence for you, you’ll also want to be able to clean your juicer easily. A high speed juicer like the centrifugal type is easy to clean and will give you juice in a matter of minutes
If you’re a beginner to juicing and want to save some time and money, consider a fast juicer, but just be prepared to compromise a little on quality.
Type of Produce
Different juicers will be better at producing different liquids. If you don’t mind pulp or have soft ingredients to juice then consider saving some money and opting for a centrifugal or manual juicer.
But if you’re looking for high-quality, concentrated liquid, then consider investing in a twin-gear juicer, masticator or juicing press. These can also process just about any variety of fruit or vegetable, no matter how tough, so you can really push the boat out with exotic combinations.
However, the simple design of press juicers limit them to only being able to produce liquids, like juice and milk. If you want to get more creative and make more than just juice, try a masticator juicer and you could be whipping up sorbets and sauces at home in no time.
Materials
Regardless of the juicer type, the materials used to make the juicer are important to the juice quality, longevity, safety and cost.
More metal implies more durability. This also means that it will be expensive to manufacture which means it will come at a higher cost. But if you want your juicer to last multiple years then a mostly-metal juicer is your best bet.
Plastics, like BPAs, can also be harmful and can seep into juice from your juicer. But many manufacturers have started to avoid BPA plastics due to consumer concern so check your juicer’s manufacturing details before ruling out a plastic juicer. Despites the precautions, the lower price of these machines make juicing more accessible and budget friendly.
Pro Tip: Find a Juicer that’s Easy to Clean
The key to an easy clean lies in your juicer’s detachable parts. The more parts, the harder the cleaning. Often, manual juicers can be put entirely in a dishwasher as they have no electrical parts, this makes them the most efficient to clean.
What you choose to juice will also affect how your juicer can be cleaned. Certain fruits and vegetables are stringier and pulpier than others, leaving waste entangled in your juicer.
Press juicers are the hardest to clean as they are bulky and hard to move around. Twin-gear juicers can also cause problems as the long horizontal feeding tube needs to be dismantled and rinsed on every use. Theesser pulp that goes into your beverage means that there’s more pulp leftover to clean up and throw away.
That said, many slow juicing market leaders promise the easiest clean as a result of their innovative, vertical designs. If you want a speedy tidying up time, consider a more compact juicer that promises streamlined efficiency.
Frequently Asked Question Types of Juicers
What’s the best type of juicer to buy?
This all depends on the functions you are after. The best juicer will come at the highest price, but may consume more kitchen space than you can offer, so don’t completely write off the cheaper models yet.
If you’re a juice fanatic and connoisseur, then we recommend investing in a press juicer as it will yield the best quality juice every time. But if you’re looking to experiment in the kitchen and it isn’t only juice that you’re after, consider a masticating juicer for a mid-range option that will provide you with more diversified produce.
Is juice better than smoothies?
Each beverage has different health benefits. The concentration of vitamins and minerals can be higher in juices, as juice extracts potent liquid from fruit and vegetables. The lack of fiber means these nutrients can quickly enter the bloodstream, as fiber cannot be broken down in our bodies.
But fiber is an essential micronutrient in itself. We need fiber in the food we consume to move through our bodies. Fiber also regulates blood sugar and maintains bowel health. If you struggle to consume enough fruit and veg or are considering a soluble cleanse, then we recommend smoothies to avoid deficiencies.
That said, juice is amazing for the quick absorption of micronutrients, providing energy and boosting your immune system. For these reasons, juice should be enjoyed as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Which juicer gives the most nutritious juice?
The twin-gear juicer is often celebrated for producing juice with the highest concentration of vitamins and minerals, with the least hassle. While the press juicer takes this breakdown of pulp to another level, the hassle and mess of it’s processing system is time consuming and can be off-putting.
The twin-gear juicer allows fruits and vegetables to pass between steel gears that are very close together, to break down matter and release more of the sticky nutrients that are associated with fiber. If you want highly nutritious juice without too much fuss, go for the twin-gear juicer.
A Final Word From Energetic Lifestyle
As we’ve learnt, there are a variety of different juicers out there, all promising the same end goal. But this shouldn’t be overwhelming, instead remember that this means there is definitely a juicer out there to fit your needs.
Whether you’re a fitness fanatic or usually can’t stand fruit and veg, experimenting with juice making is a fun way to bring new flavor combinations into your kitchen. As we hope we’ve proved, it also doesn’t have to break the bank.
