Unfortunately, and despite some manufacturers’ claims, no single juicer does everything well. And while generally speaking with juicers, you get what you pay for, you don’t necessarily need to break the bank to buy a solid, quality juicer that will meet your juicing needs for years to come. The two most important considerations here are:
• The kind of juice drinks (“wet” vs. “leafy”) you intend to make
• Your juicing budget
There are two basic kinds of juicers: Centrifugal and Masticating. Let’s take a look at each type and its advantages and disadvantages.
Centrifugal Juicers
These are the most common, and typically the cheapest, type of juicers. They extract juice using a round cutting blade that spins at high speed against a fine stainless steel mesh strainer. The blade pulverizes the fruit and vegetables, and the centrifugal force separates the juice from the pulp and forces it through the strainer.
Pros
• Less expensive to manufacture and lower retail cost
• Faster juicing time
• Fine mesh screen means practically no pulp left in juice
• Fewer moving parts, and easier to clean
• Smaller countertop footprint
Cons
• Not well-suited for juicing low-moisture leafy greens or grasses
• Good for “wet” produce juicing such as citrus, melons, cucumbers and celery
• Lower net juice yield per produce weight – some liquid remains in pulp
• Fast-spinning blades generate heat that destroys beneficial enzymes and reduces juice quality and shelf life
Masticating Juicer
Much like a meat grinder, these juicers use a slow-turning gear to “chew” fruit and vegetables, gently but tightly compressing them to squeeze out the juice
Pros
• Effectively juices all types of fruits and vegetables, including leafy greens
• Higher net juice yield per produce weight – less liquid remains in pulp
• Lower operating speeds mean less heat is generated, preserving more nutrients and enzymes, and extending juice shelf life up to 72 hours
• Some models offer other food processing functions, such as being able to make nut milk, nut butter, sorbet, pasta and ice cream
Cons
• Requires more sturdier construction, resulting in higher retail cost
• Allows some pulp to remain in juice
• More difficult to disassemble and clean