Related Sponsors

What are the different types of juicers?

Home » Small Appliances » Juicers » What are the different types of juicers?

Health food advocates and juice lovers agree that a juicer is a great addition to any kitchen. Juicers (or juicemakers) enable you to make freshly squeezed orange juice (or apple juice, carrot juice, or any other juice) in minutes. You can also make combine several types of produce to make fruit or vegetable smoothies. Fresh juice also contains enzymes and nutrients that canned or bottled juices lose during oxidation; consequently, you’re getting more of the health benefits of juice.

Fortunately, juicers are not only good for you, they are also relatively simple to use. Most juicers will have a feed shoot, and all you need to do is turn on the motor and feed your fruits and vegetables into the chute. Then, by pressing, shredding, and/or spinning the produce, the juicer dispels the juice. Though all juicers operate on this general basis, however, there is a considerable amount of difference between the types of juicers on the market.

• Centrifugal: Centrifugal juicers are traditional and easy to clean models that shred the produce, and then immediately spin it. They produce a quality juice, but the heat they create as they spin increases oxidation, so centrifugal-produced juice will lose its nutrients more quickly than will juice made with other juicers.

• Masticating: Masticating juicers first grate, then chew, and finally press the remaining bits of produce to release juice. The juice is slightly higher quality than is centrifugal juice, but it also takes more work to make because the user has to provide some of the necessary force.

• Single Auger: Single auger juicers crush produce against the interior wall of the juicer to release juice. This style was originally promoted to press wheatgrass juice, and although it can make juice of fruits and vegetables, the quality of its fruit and vegetable juice is lower than both centrifugal and masticating models.

• Press: There are three main types of press juicers: hydraulic press, manual press, and twin gear press. Hydraulic models work well but at two thousand dollars, they are too expensive for single-family use. Manual press models lose the least amount of nutrients of economical models, but the user has to physically press juice, so they are less convenient to use. Twin gear press models give you the quality juice of hydraulic models with less work than a manual press, but they cost two to three times as much as centrifugal and masticating models.

If you are a first-time casual juicer, you should probably purchase a centrifugal juicer. These juicers are quick, easy, and work well on both fruits and vegetables. Masticating models require a little more work for a little higher-quality juice while single auger and press models are less economical and/or only work well on vegetables.

Next Page: Purchasing Tips

Related Juicers Articles