Vertical Vs Horizontal Masticating Juicers

When it comes to juicing, the two main categories of juicers that people choose is masticating and a centrifugal juicer. Masticating or cold press juicers provide high-quality juice and more yield because of their slow crushing power. If you have chosen a masticating juicer over the centrifugal counterparts, you need to know the available types.

You can either choose a vertical or a horizontal masticating juicer. Before you decide which design is right for you, you need to know the differences between a vertical and a horizontal masticating juicer.

Understanding these two types of masticating juicers will help you decide which one is right for you. Check this detailed comparison to decide if you need a vertical or horizontal juicer.

What Is Vertical Masticating Juicer?

Vertical masticating juicers are newer in the market, and the machines have a vertical design. The feeding chute is also larger than in centrifugal juicers. Therefore, you will have less juicing time since you don’t need much prepping on your fruits and vegetables.

The vertical design of the juicers allows faster juice extraction than horizontal juicers. This is because the ingredients pass through the chute and get into direct contact with the auger. Vertical masticating juicers take less countertop space; hence great if you have space concerns.

Advantages Of Vertical Masticating Juicer

• Great for juicing fruits and vegetables.
• The juicers come at an affordable price.
• Neat design, unlike the horizontal juicers.
• Slow press mechanism lead to more nutritious juice.

Disadvantages Of Vertical Masticating Juicer

• You need to cut high fiber foods like leafy vegetables and celery.
• It doesn’t filter the residues perfectly when working with soft fruits like. strawberries and tomatoes.
• Average productivity because of the slow operating speed.

What Is Horizontal Masticating Juicer?

This juicer features a special auger combined with a deceleration motor to crush fruits and vegetables slowly. The machine pushes the ingredients through a strainer without producing centrifugal force or friction, giving you high-quality juice.

It then pushes the pulp to separate it from the juice, which flows through the mesh. The slow juicing mechanism prevents oxidation and retains minerals, enzymes and vitamins. Horizontal masticating juicers are great if you want to juice leafy greens like spinach, chard, kale, and wheatgrass.

Horizontal masticating juicers are also versatile since you can use attachments to do non-juicing tasks. It's easy to prepare foods like frozen desserts, peanut butter, salsa and much more.

Read: Best Juicers For Beginners – Reviews & Guide

Advantages Of Horizontal Masticating Juicer:

• Less oxidation leads to the longer juice shelf life of up to 72 hours.
• You can juice larger batches of ingredients without producing foam.
• The juicers are great for juicing leafy vegetables.
• With a single auger horizontal juicer, you don’t need to prep the ingredients.
• Easy to disassemble and clean the auger since it doesn’t clog.
• You can use other accessories to increase versatility.

Disadvantages Of Horizontal Masticating Juicer:

• It might not filter the pulp effectively when juicing soft fruits.
• The juicers come at a high price, and they are bulky. 
• They mostly have a small mouth, so you need to shred larger ingredients, which takes more time.
• Slow juicing time if you need to juice larger quantities.

Comparison : Main Differences Between A Vertical And Horizontal Juicer 

Vertical and horizontal juicers vary in various aspects like juicing speed, preparation, use, cleaning and much more. Find out the main differences in details between them to decide which one is right for you.

1. Juicing Speed:

Vertical masticating juicers provide fast juicing than the horizontal counterparts. They also give you nutritious juices at that speed. Horizontal juicers are slower, and the slow speed reduces oxidation. Therefore, your juice will be rich in enzymes, minerals and vitamins.

2. Preparation:

Vertical masticating juicers are designed with a larger feeding chute, so you don’t need to do more prep work with your fruits and vegetables. Horizontal models require prep work, and this means you will spend more time juicing.

3. Leafy Greens:

If you want to juice leafy greens like chard, kale, spinach and wheatgrass, a horizontal masticating juicer will be a better option. Many vertical masticating machines struggle with juicing leafy greens, but horizontal models juice them pretty well. 

4. Ease Of Use:

Vertical masticating juicers have a nice design that makes juicing easy. The ingredients go to the feeding chute directly and reach the rotating auger. In horizontal juicers, their augers rotate horizontally, so you must use a pusher mostly to push the ingredients down.

5. Cleaning:

The two juicers also vary in terms of cleaning. It is easier to clean a vertical masticating juicer because of its design. Vertical masticating juicers also have a juice cap that is easy to use. You only need to close the juice cup and add some water through the feed chute. This rotates the juicing bowl, and you will need to open the juice cup to drain the water.

Horizontal juicers do not have this feature, so you need to clean them physically with a cleaning brush. It can also be tough to reach the parts, so you need to do it perfectly to ensure there is no pulp left behind.

6. Uses:

Most horizontal masticating juicers feature attachments that help you do other activities like making pasta, mincing, juicing, sorbets and nut butter, among others. You can also buy other parts like an ice shaver, oil extractor, and salad slicers to get additional benefits. This makes the juicers versatile, unlike the vertical masticating juicers. 

Conclusion

Which juicer is better for you? When picking a vertical or horizontal masticating juicer, the final decision depends on you and what you want in a juicer. A vertical masticating juicer is great if you want quick speed, high nutritional quality and juicing different products.

On the other hand, if you want other juicing benefits, a horizontal masticating juicer will give you the needed versatility. After checking the main differences between a vertical and a horizontal masticating juicer, I hope you know which one is better for you. Regardless of the design you choose, you will find various machines to suit your requirements.