Most of us have used a blender at
some point in our lives, so
purchasing one isn’t completely
alien territory. When it comes to
juicers, however, it’s like learning a
whole new language. They often
look awkward, and figuring out
exactly what all of those pieces are
for is an exercise in physics. Yet
there’s no need to feel intimidated;
we’re going to clear up any
confusion and give you a
preliminary sense of what to look
for on your search.
Buying a juicer can be a major
investment, so knowing the facts
about the equipment prior to
making your purchase is only smart.
Each type of juicer is great at
producing the juice for which it’s
been specialized, but buying one
that doesn’t meet your overall
needs can be an expensive, messy
mistake. Let’s break these down
and discuss the pros and cons of
each.
• Centrifugal Juicers are the
least expensive juicers on the
market and the type that most
department stores carry. They
extract your juice by shredding the
produce and then using centrifugal
force to spin the pulp against a
strainer at extremely high RPMs.
This is OK if you’re juicing soft
produce, but these machines
produce much more waste (wet
pulp) than other types of juicers.
Pros: Speed and affordability.
Cons: Low efficiency (high
waste); decreased shelf life,
because the extraction process
spins oxidizing air into the juice;
and difficulty juicing grasses or
leafy produce.
• Masticating Juicers extract
juice by literally “chewing” the
food using a single auger or gear
and then separating the juice as it
chews. This process results in
more nutrients, fiber, and
enzymes being extracted from the
pulp because of the chewing
action.
Pros: Greater efficiency, less air
in the juice, more nutrients
extracted from the produce, and
less nutrients lost due to heat or
oxidization, because it operates
at a lower RPM than a centrifugal
juicer. Also, masticating juicers
often do a good job with leafy
greens and grasses. Many
masticating juicers also
homogenize your produce, so
you can make baby foods, ice
cream, sauces, or nut butters.
Cons: Higher cost, larger size,
and more noise. A masticating
juicer also takes significantly
more time than a centrifugal
juicer does.
• Upright Masticating Juicers
have all of the benefits of a
typical, single-auger masticating
juicer but are designed to operate
in an upright position in order to
be more space-efficient. There are
also a couple of design
differences. Instead of being
chewed and extracted, the juice is
squeezed out first, then the pulp is
crushed and pressed again in a
second phase to extract even
more juice.
Pros: Higher juice yield and less
waste, a smaller space
requirement, and less waste due
to heat or injected air. They can
capably juice just about
anything.
Cons: Significantly higher cost,
and they’re often noisy.
• Triturating (Twin Gear)
Juicers extract juice in much the
same manner as a masticating
juicer, except that they squeeze
the pulp between two interlocking
gears. Because they’re designed
to be slow and powerful, these
juicers crack the nutrients from
the cells, so not only do you get a
higher yield of juice, you get more
nutrients, too. Triturating juicers
are typically the most expensive
juicer, but because you can do so
many things with them and they
produce so little waste, they’re
worth it if you can swing the cost.
Pros: The higher juice/nutrient
yield, less waste from either heat
production or the extraction
process, the ability to efficiently
juice grasses and leaves, and the
capability of the machine to
homogenize in order to make
baby foods, nut butters, ice
creams, sorbets, and even
pastas.
Cons: High cost, greater space
requirements, and more time
due to slower RPMs.
• Wheatgrass Juicers do
exactly what the name implies:
juice grasses. They aren’t
designed to juice anything other
than grasses, with the possible
exception of a few small, soft
fruits, such as grapes. These
juicers come in both manual and
electric styles.
Pros: The fact that you can get
an efficient, affordable model if
all you’re looking to do is make a
nice green shot for health
reasons or to add to a recipe.
Cons: It’s an expensive piece of
equipment given its specialized,
limited capabilities, and the fact
that they’re often bulky.
Especially considering that most
decent juicers can handle leafy
greens and grasses, this isn’t a
necessary piece of equipment for
green juicing anymore if you buy
a suitable standard juicer.
• Hydraulic Press Juicers also
known as Norwalk Juicers, extract
juice in the most efficient way
possible: they literally press it out.
There’s no chewing or grinding of
the produce, and there’s
extremely little waste. Also, since
it’s a simple pressing process,
there’s no heat produced, or air
forced into the juice. It’s far and
away the best way to extract
juice.
Pros: Practically no waste, no
damage to the juice, and no air
pressed in to cause oxidation.
Cons: Extremely expensive at
around $2,500 and take up a
large amount of space — great if
you have the room and the
money, but unrealistic for most
of us.
Choosing the right juicer or
blender is an important part of your
experience, so educate yourself
about your options and choose
wisely. Because there are so many
different brands, and people juice
for so many reasons, it’s difficult to
make specific product
recommendations, so just pay
attention to what the various
machines offer and match those
features to what you intend to use
most.
