How to Choose The Right Juicer

"The best juicer is the one you will actually use"

Simply put, a juicer separates nutrient-rich juice from the fibers of fruit and vegetables, so your digestive system doesn’t have too. There are machines that do this very well and I can tell you from experience there are many more that do it poorly. A well-made juicer is almost magical—a carrot disappears and out comes fresh carrot juice. After 20 years I still enjoy the juicing process. 

There are three different methodologies juicers use: 

Centrifugal

This is the most common juicer you will see on those late-night infomercials. Produce is pushed down a chute into a spinning basket. The base of the basket has tiny teeth that grind the fruit or vegetables into a soft mush. Because the basket is spinning at a high rate, the wet mush is thrown against the side of the basket, much like wet clothes in the spin cycle. Like your laundry tub, the side of the basket is porous, allowing the mush to release its juice using centrifugal force. The dry pulp flies out the top of the basket and is directed into a pulp dispenser while the juice drains from a spigot into your waiting cup. 

Masticating

Masticating, i.e., chewing, is a very different method. Produce is pushed down a chute into a slow-moving screw-like blade that is powered by a strong, low RPM, high-torque motor. Sometimes there are two screws working in parallel. They chew the food into a mush which is then pushed by the screw down a tapered tube, squeezing the juice from the pulp. Mesh on the bottom of the tube allows the juice to be released into a container while pulp exits the end of the tube. One of the first masticating machines was the Champion. 

Citrus Press

We are all familiar with the citrus press; it works on a very simple principle. Citrus fruit, such as lemon, is cut in half horizontally across its segments. The cut half is then pressed down on a reamer which has an inverted shape to the fruit. Some reamers are motorized and turn; others use long arms for leverage and you push a cup down onto the half-fruit, simply using pressure to squeeze the juice. 
 

Centrifugal vs. Masticating – The Great Debate

Here’s how the debate goes. The masticating people say that centrifugal juicers spin too fast, resulting in the heating and oxidizing of juice, damaging delicate enzymes and reducing storage life. The other side believes that the chewing process of a masticating juicer releases a greater percentage of minerals from hard fibers compared to the grinding process of a centrifugal juicer. 

Being quite skeptical of such claims, I have searched for solid comparison studies. It’s an interesting subject because, even though a masticating juicer may not yield a greater volume of juice, if what is pouring out of the spigot is higher in nutrition and enzymes, then it’s worth paying more for a masticating machine. Some laboratory research is backing the masticating claims. There may be a greater concentration in nutrients, including minerals. Plus unlike the centrifugal juicers, the masticating type can do more than juice; it makes raw nut butter, baby food, frozen smoothies, and soup purees. 

"Pick the juicer you will actually use!"