How to choose the best juicer for you

The best juicers correspond to your specific juicing needs. Obtaining a juicer that fits your space, needs, and preferences will help you get the most out of your budget, regardless of whether you are a dedicated juicer who presses fruits and vegetables day and night or a casual celery juice enthusiast. 

Before purchasing your first (or subsequent) juicer, learn more about the three primary types. Individual machines may have unique features or characteristics, but their fundamental functions will fall into three categories: centrifugal, masticating, or triturating. The extraction methods, speeds, juice quality, and decibel levels of these juicers vary. 

The best juicer for you may also depend on your willingness to invest. Juicing and juicers can be expensive. Expensive juicers are an initial investment, but many are designed to extract the maximum amount of juice from your produce. In the end, this will save you money and reduce food waste. Less expensive juicers may be cheaper out of pocket, but they may not produce as much juice. In the end, you will need more fruit to obtain the desired amount of juice. 

Learn about the three most common types of juicers, their pros and cons, and which features you should look for if you’re in the market for a juicer. 

Variety of Juicers 

Centrifugal Juicers 

Produce is pulverized with tiny teeth on a rapidly spinning basket in centrifugal juicers. The juice is then pressed through a sieve with a fine mesh. This method produces a great deal of foam, which some find unappealing or believe contributes to the oxidation of their juice. Carrots, apples, and other hard fruits and vegetables are ideal for centrifugal juicers, as opposed to high-fiber leafy greens such as wheatgrass and kale. 

Most centrifugal juicers are lightweight, simple to assemble and operate, and have dishwasher-safe removable parts. These juicers tend to be loud, which could be a problem if you’re juicing early in the morning while others are sleeping. Centrifugal juicers are typically the cheapest and ideal for beginners; quality models begin at $50. 

Masticating Juicers 

Using augers with sharp metal teeth, masticating juicers mimic the action of “chewing” fruits and vegetables. They then extract as much juice as possible from the pulp, producing high yields with minimal foaming and oxidation. This slow juicer technique makes it simple to remove juice from wheatgrass, spinach, and kale, among other leafy greens. Masticating juicers, also known as “cold-press” juicers, produce juice more slowly but without heating it. It is believed that doing so will preserve more nutrients in the final juice. 

These juicers are typically quieter and operate with a low hum. Their more expensive, powerful motors enable additional features, such as making nut butter, baby food, sorbets, and even pasta. Masticating juicers are an investment and cost more than $200. 

Triturating Juicers 

If you cannot survive a day without a glass of fresh juice, a triturating juicer may be the best for you. Utilizing twin rotating gears, these juicers crush, and grind produce into beautiful particles. The gears then extract the maximum amount of juice from the food particles, leaving behind dehydrated pulp and high-quality juice. This type of juicer is especially effective with fibrous vegetables and leafy greens, but it can also extract a substantial amount of juice from soft fruits. 

Like a masticating juicer, a triturating juicer is much quieter than a centrifugal juicer; however, it has a larger footprint than other types of juicers; most of these machines are horizontal juicers and require more space on your countertop or in your pantry. 

As a compromise, many of these juicers are also capable of performing a variety of other functional culinary tasks, including grinding seeds and nuts and chopping vegetables. If you believe this is the appropriate juicer, be prepared to invest. Most models begin at approximately $400 and can easily cost several thousand dollars. 

How to choose the best juicer for you

Yield/Type of Produce 

Consider the types of juice you’d like to make most often and look for a juicer with a high yield for the produce you’ll be juicing when deciding which type of juicer to purchase. Masticating juicers are ideal for juicing leafy greens because they produce large quantities of dry pulp, resulting in less juice waste and lower long-term costs. A high-quality, less expensive centrifugal juicer may be your best bet if you’re only juicing fruits and hard vegetables. 

Size and Storage 

The location where you intend to store your juicer and the ease with which it can be accessed are also essential considerations. Horizontal masticating juicers can produce large quantities of juice, but they may not fit in your kitchen. They are typically heavier and more challenging to move from the closet to the counter. 

On the other hand, the small footprint of vertical juicers makes them ideal for smaller kitchens with limited counter space; they often fit easily under cabinets. Lightweight centrifugal models are suitable for moving the juicer from storage to the countertop. 

Ensure that the model you choose can accommodate the amount of juice you intend to produce: Less efficient juicers have less juice per batch. 

Speed and Noise 

Ensure that the speed and volume of your juicer are compatible with your lifestyle. Masticating juicers are much quieter than centrifugal juicers, so you should not disturb other household members while you juice. However, speed may be an issue if you need to make your juice quickly and freshly in the morning. 

Some centrifugal juicers can juice an apple in 30 seconds while masticating juicers require longer. Multiple-speed juicers are advantageous because they extract the most juice from your produce. Slow juicer speeds are ideal for juicing soft fruits like grapes and strawberries, whereas high rates are ideal for firmer fruits and vegetables like apples and carrots. 

Ease of Use/Cleanup 

Juicers that are simple to assemble, operate, disassemble and clean will be utilized more frequently. Complex juicers may be stored at the back of a closet. However, the additional assembly may be worthwhile if you want a juicer that can make nut butter, sorbets, or baby food. 

Large feed tubes on juicers significantly reduce the time required to prepare and feed produce into the machine. Juicers with external pulp containers enable continuous juicing without pausing to remove pulp. 

Cleaning a juicer can be difficult; therefore, models with specialized brushes that make cleaning easier and dishwasher-safe models are always advantageous. 

Price 

Juicers range in price from as little as $50 to as much as $1000 for high-end models. The higher the price, the greater the juice yield and the drier the pulp. The amount you are willing to invest depends on how frequently you intend to use the machine and the types of fruits and vegetables you plan to juice. 

Considering the cost of juicing over time and the initial cost of the juicer is essential. With low-yield juicers, you’ll spend significantly more on fruits and vegetables. Expensive juicers typically include a lengthy warranty to ensure years of high-quality juice extraction.