Types Of Juicers With Their Pros And Cons

Juicing has become a common trend today and this has led to high demand for juicers. People who don’t like taking fruits and vegetables as a whole can still enjoy the nutritional benefits through juicing. It can be expensive if you buy your favorite juices regularly from the nearby juice bar.

This is why you need to get a quality juicer to enjoy making fresh juice at home. The type of ingredient you want to juice should guide you into picking the right juicer. Since there are many juicer models available, it can be tough to choose the right one.

In this guide, we will explain the different types of juicers with their pros and cons. This will give you an in-depth understanding and help you select the right juicer.

What Are The Different Types Of Juicers?

If you have decided to start your juicing journey, you need to understand the different types of juicers and how they work. Keep rolling to find top juicers that will make a great investment.

1. Centrifugal Juicer:

A centrifugal juicer is the most common juicer type that you can find. This is an incredible machine for people who are on a budget and don’t intend to make large juice batches. It also suits people who want to drink the extracted juice immediately. The juicer is also affordable and great if you want to enjoy the nutritional benefits without using any effort.

The machines have a feed tube where it takes in the fruits and vegetables. They will get into contact with a blade that operates from 3,000-16,000 rpm. The centrifugal force from the spinning basket pushes the juice through the sharp screen and then it gorsy o the glass or jug.

Centrifugal juicers are less expensive so they suit people who are getting started or those who don’t plan to juice regularly. The juicers also provide easy cleaning and you will enjoy faster juice extraction.

Pros:

• The presence of fewer parts makes cleaning quick and easy
• The juicers are affordable hence great for beginners
• They stand upright hence take less kitchen space
• Feature a large chute which makes prep time easy
• Suitable for a single serving and juicing softer fruits

Cons:

• The high speed compromises the juice quality
• Noisy during operation and produce foam
• High amount of solids make the juice to separate easily
• Not ideal for wheatgrass or leafy greens

2. Masticating Juicer:

A masticating juicer is ideal for people who want to enjoy maximum benefits and have more time for juicing. The juicers are also called slow, single gear or cold press juicers. They masticate or chew the fruits and vegetables and grind it into a fine pulp. The masticating process produces high-quality juice rich in nutrients and enzymes compared to centrifugal juicers. Your juice contains more nutrients and minerals and the color is deep.

The blades in these juicers reach 80-120 rpm and the extraction process reduces oxidation. It doesn’t produce heat which can destroy the antioxidants and the enzymes in the juice. You can find masticating juicers in both horizontal and vertical models depending on the amount of space you have in your kitchen.

Vertical masticating juicers let the fruits and vegetables to fall in the juicer and this keeps your hands free. On the other hand, horizontal juicers have a relatively smaller feed chute and hence require more work. This is to prevent you from putting the ingredients in the juicer quickly for their speed. You can use masticating juicers for wheatgrass, leafy vegetables and herbs.

Pros:

• Easy to assemble and provide quiet operation
• They work well with root vegetables and soft fruits
• Produce high juice yield unlike centrifugal juicers
• Less oxidation and the juice lasts longer
• Great for making baby food, nut milk, nut butter, and frozen treats

Cons:

• Expensive and hard to clean
• They take more time to extract the juice
• Bulky and take up more space on your counter
• Smaller chute so you need more prep work

3. Hydraulic Press Juicer:

This juicer type is excellent for people who don’t mind the price. The machines produce great tasting juice without foam and pulp. Unlike other juicers, this one gives a higher juice percentage with up to 99% liquid and only 1% pulp. Additionally, the juicers produce juices with a longer shelf life of up to 5 days since the heat and the oxidation are low.

They extract maximum vitamins, enzymes, and minerals and their juice are full of flavor unlike other types of juicers. The juicers grind and then shred the ingredients into smaller pieces. After that, they exert more pressure to get the juice from the shredded ingredients.

Unlike other juicers, hydraulic press juicers require more time to use and cleaning them after use can be a tough job. The good thing about them is they don’t let in more air in the juice so your juice will stay fresh longer.

Pros:

• Produce juice with a longer shelf life
• Creates very little foam and pulp
• They don’t produce heat or oxidation
• Create pure juice and extract maximum nutrients  
• Work well with leafy greens

Cons:

• Expensive and hard to clean
• Slow operation than a masticating juicer
• Takes more counter space
• Maintaining the juicer is expensive

4. Twin Gear Juicer:

This is a type of juicer that uses two augers or gear and it is also known as a triturating juicer. It is great for crushing, pounding or grinding fruits and vegetables to give you a healthy and nutritious drink. They spin, pull the fruits or vegetables, and chew them.

They then extract the juice by pushing the crushed ingredients through a screen. You can get your juice with up to 30% solids after extraction. These juicers feature a small gap between the gears to let a little amount of the ground produce to pass through and this provides maximum juice extraction. Twin gear juicers operate from 80-160 rpm and their slow operation ensures the juice doesn’t oxidize. 

Therefore, it preserves the nutrients and enzymes on your juice. Apart from twin gear, you can also get a single auger juicer. This is a type of juicer utilizes a gearbox connected to the electric motor to give you high torque and low speed. They are great if you want to extract healthy juices from leafy greens, grasses, vegetables and soft fruits.

Pros:

• They offer quiet operation
• The juicers provide more nutrient extraction than slow and centrifugal juicers
• Great for making pasta, baby food, and but butter
• You can store the juice in the fridge for up to 36 hours
• It works well with leafy vegetables

Cons:

• Expensive and slow
• The juice contains more solids
• Harder to clean
• Occupy more counter space

5. Manual Juicers:

The juicers use mechanical pressure to extract fresh juice from fruits and you can easily find them. The juicers are affordable and easy to find. They also produce less noise and offer easy cleaning.

A manual juicer is great if you want a portable juicer since they are easy to carry around. You need to apply some pressure to squeeze your produce. Your juice will then pass through the chute to the mesh filter.

Pros:

• Quiet operation because they don’t have an electric motor
• The juicers are inexpensive
• They don’t produce heat or oxidation
• Handheld models make portability easy

Cons:

• You operate them so they can be tiresome when doing a lot of juicing
• Some might not be as efficient as you would like
• You are limited to the type of product you can use

6. Citrus Juicers:

These are types of juicers that work well with oranges, lime, lemon, and grapefruits. You need to cut the citrus fruits into half and then place the fruit on the juicer. It will press and squeezes juice from fruits using a rounded cone. Some citrus juicers feature a handle that you need to press to get the juice from the fruits. Other models have a cone that you need to press to extract the juice.

Pros:

• Easy to use and clean
• They are affordable
• Extract maximum juice from citrus fruits

Cons:

• You can only use them on citrus fruits

7. Steam Juicer:

Steam juicers are not common juicers in any home. They are a great alternative if you want to extract juice from berries. The juicers utilize steam to heat the berries gently and this makes the berries to produce their juice.

The juicer collects the harvested juice and then releases it through a small hose. After that, keep the juice in sterile bottles and preserve it unrefrigerated for a longer time. Additionally, you can choose to add pectin or sugar to enable you to preserve the juice.

Pros:

• Produces long lasting juice
• Great for extracting juice from berries
• The juicer is easy to use

Cons:

• It produces very hot juice

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs

Q: Which type of juicer is best?
A: Masticating juicers are the best types of juicers because they work well with leafy greens. The juicers also produce dry pulp which contributes to less juice wastage. However, if your main goal is to juice hard vegetables and fruits, then you need a centrifugal juicer.

Q: Is a masticating juicer the same as a cold press?
A: Yes, cold press juicers are also called masticating juicers. The machines produce higher juice quality and yield more juicer. This is because slow juicers produce more juice compared to other normal or centrifugal juicers.

Q: Which juicer is better masticating or centrifugal?
A: A centrifugal juicer is ideal if you want to get the speed and convenient juicing at a low price. On the other hand, masticating juicers come at a high price and you can use them to juice various produce. They also provide high-quality juice and the juice lasts longer.

Q: What juicer does the medical medium recommend?
A: Medical medium recommends a cold press masticating juicer for celery than centrifugal juicers. This is because many believe that centrifugal juicers destroy the nutrients in the juice than masticating juicers.

Q: What is a good juicer for beginners?
A: There are many beginner-friendly juicers you can find on the market. It is great to ensure you pick a reliable juicer from top brands. Some reputable brands you can consider include Breville, Omega, Hamilton, and Black& Decker among others.

Q: Do centrifugal juicers destroy nutrients?
A: Centrifugal juicers may destroy the nutrients in the juice. The juicing community believes that centrifugal juicers lead to oxidation and heat which produce less quality juice. However, there is no proven evidence to show that centrifugal juicers destroy the juice nutrients.

Q: Do juicers remove nutrients?
A: According to experts, juicing is a great way to help you get fresh juice from your favorite fruits and vegetables. The extracted juice is rich in minerals, vitamins, and plant chemicals. However, the process of juicing vegetables and fruits destroys healthy fiber.

Q: Is there a juicer that keeps the fiber?
A: Not all juicers keep the fiber but some top models retain the fiber from fruits and vegetables. Such juicers include Omega VRT350 masticating juicer, AICOOK SD60E juicer, and Tiluxury PU-011 juicer.

Q: Is Juicing good for diabetics?
A: Juicing is an efficient means that helps us consume essential nutrients from fruits and vegetables. However, the juice contains high sugar content which might not be ideal for people with diabetes because it increases the blood sugar level.

Q: What kind of juices can a diabetic drink?
A: Most fruit juices contain 100 percent sugar. If you want to make a diabetic drink, you can consider tomato juice or vegetable juice. You can use celery, leafy greens, cucumbers, and some berries to add flavor, minerals, and vitamins.

Conclusion

Choosing a juicer can be confusing if you are a beginner. You need to figure out how much time you can spend juicing, health benefits, and the quality of juice you need. Once you have the right answers, it will be easier to pick the right juicer for you. We have given you a breakdown of each of the juicers and their pros and cons. I believe after comparing them, you will make up your mind which type of juicer will suit your juicing needs.