Juicing is one of the most beneficial”health hacks” around. It provides the ability to get the nutritional benefits of eating a bag full of fruit and vegetables and puts it into a drinking single glass of juice. The benefits of getting all that nutrition ranges from weight loss to overcoming many chronic diseases.
When it comes to drinking fruit/vegetable juices, you have two option. You can buy pre-made juices available at your local health food store or juice bar. Or you can make your own using a home juicer. In this fast paced lifestyle, many would prefer to just buy the pre-made juice just to save the time for doing it themselves . Unfortunately going that route for most people is just too expensive. In fact, a single bottle of juice can range anywhere from 5-10 dollars.
So, if you can’t afford buying your juice at a retail store, then you are going to need to buy a home juicer. While this sounds like a simple task, there is actually a lot you need to know before buying your juicer based on your goal for juicing and your specific lifestyle.
In this guide from Food Matters, they go over everything you need to know about buying your next juicer in this Juicer Buying Guide:
“Juicer Buying Guide
Get the low down on the best juicer to buy this year!
Cold Press, Centrifugal, Nutrient Quality, Easy To Clean, Low Noise & more…
Since launching Food Matters and Hungry For Change we continue to get many questions on juicers such as “What juicer should I buy?”, “Are some juicers better than others?” and “What juicer do you recommend?”.
We normally answer with “The best juicer is the one you have or the one you’re using” because if you are already juicing, you’ve already begun making a difference to your health.”
There are however many different types and models of juicers available and it can become quite confusing and overwhelming when you’re in the process of deciding which one to invest in.
If you’re looking to upgrade your current juicer or you’re new to juicing, then you’re in the right place!
Having experimented with many different types of juicers ourselves over the past 10 years, we can now give you some answers and guidance to help make your decision easier. After all, purchasing the right juicer is a big decision and one of the most important investments you’ll ever make for your health.
But first, let’s get to the reasons why it’s important to juice…
Why Juice?
We believe there are three main reasons why you should consider incorporating fresh juice, especially vegetable juice, into your lifestyle.
- Fresh juice is the 15 minute nutrient express to health.
Many of us have impaired digestion which reduces our body’s ability to absorb nutrients from vegetables. Fresh juices go directly into your bloodstream and are therefore considered a 15-minute nutrient express to health. Unfortunately, store-bought juices contain virtually no nutrients due to the pasteurization process.
- Juicing lets you add a wide variety of fruit and vegetables to your diet.
Many of us eat the same vegetables and fruits every day or worse, don’t even eat any on a regular basis! With juicing, you can enjoy a wide variety of vegetables that you don’t enjoy eating whole. Juicing is also the perfect way to consume the recommended daily serving of vegetables.
- Fresh juice offers incredible health benefits.
After regularly consuming freshly pressed vegetable juices, which are highly alkalizing, you will experience improved energy levels, digestion and mental clarity, clearer skin, and an overall sense of wellbeing.
The Differences Between Centrifugal Juicers & Cold Press Juicers
So, you know about the amazing health benefits of juicing and you’re ready to get started. Now you’re wondering what type of juicer is best for you.
There are many types of juicers available, varying in both quality and price. A cheaper centrifugal juicer may be an appropriate start for beginners and certainly preferable to not juicing at all, if other models are unaffordable.
However, a cold press juicer (also known as a masticating or slow juicer) will definitely produce a superior quality juice and allow you to extract more from your fruit and vegetables, saving you money in the long-term.
Centrifugal Juicers
Centrifugal juicers are commonly available in retail outlets and are the cheapest type to purchase. These machines initially extract juice by pulverizing fruit and vegetables against a round cutting blade that spins very quickly against a metal strainer. The centrifugal force generated by the spinning motion of the cutting surface separates the juice from the pulp.
PROS
- Fast juicing time
- Cheaper to purchase
- Easy to use
- Reduces food preparation time as many accept larger fruit and vegetable pieces
CONS
- Not well-suited to juicing leafy greens, grasses, sprouts and herbs
- Yields less juice (produces a wet pulp)
- Reduced juice quality due to fast spinning blades producing heat that destroy beneficial enzymes
- Higher juice separation and foaming
- Noisy because of the grinding and cutting action
Cold Press Juicers
These machines operate via a masticating (chewing) or cold press method to produce a superior juice to their centrifugal counterparts. In contrast to the rough extraction and high speeds of centrifugal juicers, cold press juicers operate at lower speeds and gently compress fruit and vegetables to ‘squeeze’ out their juice. While more costly, their slower and more thorough extraction rates produce a higher-quality juice, and more of it.
PROS
- Well-suited to juicing leafy greens, grasses, sprouts and herbs
- Higher juice yield
- Juice lasts longer with enzyme integrity keeping for up to 72 hours
- Lower speeds means less heat is generated, preserving more nutrients and enzymes
- Minimal juice separation and foaming
- Some models offer other food processing functions, such as being able to make nut milk, nut butter, sorbet, pasta and ice cream
- Pressing action is quiet.
CONS
- Higher initial cost
- Longer food preparation, as smaller food pieces are required for their narrow chutes
- Slightly higher pulp in juice
What Should I Look For In A Juicer?
When WE are looking for our perfect juicer here is what WE look for:
- Able to easily juice all greens, herbs and grasses (with a high yield)
- Good to juice fruits, including soft varieties
- Cold-pressed, to produce a superior juice
- Low speed (rpm), to minimise oxidation and produce a longer lasting juice
- Able to make nut milks
- Easy to clean
- Low noise!
This led us to vertical cold-pressed masticating juicers as the most superior type of juicer!”
Ultimately when choosing your juicer, some of the main things you want to look for are:
- Able to easily juice all greens, herbs and grasses (with a high yield)
- Low speed (rpm), to minimize oxidation and produce a longer lasting juice
- Easy to clean
- Low noise
- Price
To get more info on your next juicer purchase, keep reading the Buying Guide over on the website at Food Matters
Photo By Kyle Anne Willets