What is the Difference Between Centrifugal and Masticating Juicers

Suppose you’re looking into your next new juicer and get bombarded with industry jargon such as “centrifugal”, “masticating” and “cold press”, it’s understandable to feel a bit “out of the loop”, especially since it seems that nobody takes the time to explain what they actually mean.

Most likely, this is the reason you’re reading this right now! Well rest assured, you are in the perfect place to learn and understand these industry terms, and maybe even, discover which type of juicer is ideal for you.

Without any further introduction, let’s dive straight into the de-mystification of juicers whilst pointing out some of the common fallacies that are spread about them.

Some Quick Definitions

As with many things, understanding the world of juicers isn’t quite as simple as you may have originally assumed, it’s rich with depth and runs deep with specifics, but for some quick answers, we’re happy to oblige. So let’s get started by explaining some of the most common juicing keywords.

Centrifugal - Centrifugal is the most common type of juicer used to extract juice from fruits and vegetables. Centrifugal juicers utilise high-speed and fast-spinning blades to extract juice by cutting ingredients and separating pulp with centrifugal force.

Masticating - Masticating juicers are a type of juicer, that operate by crushing or “grinding” juice out of ingredients at a slow speed, typically extracting juice with a strong augur/screw which pushes ingredients at high pressure against a fine screen/sieve.

Cold Press - Cold press is often used as a synonym for masticating, or it can also describe the juice produced by a masticating juicer.

Slow Juicer - Slow juicer is simply another synonym for masticating juicer.

Juice Yield - Juice yield refers to the quantity or amount of juice that a particular juicer is capable of extracting from ingredients. The higher the yield the better.

These definitions are undoubtedly oversimplified, so if you have the time, we strongly encourage you to read on and explore them all in greater detail.

Understanding Centrifugal Juicers

Firstly, let’s get into some greater detail on Centrifugal Juicers. This type of juicer, as previously mentioned, is defined by its fast operation speeds. These operation speeds can vary from 10,000 to as high as 25,000 rotations per minute (RPM)!

Centrifugal juicers use a cutting disc, which is essentially a disc-shaped grater, to tear and shred ingredients apart to release the juice stored within.

As juice is released, the centrifugal force produced by the high speed of the juicer pulls the juice to the edge of the disc, which is surrounded by a fine mesh wrap. This mesh separates the juice from any remaining pulp as it passes through.

Filtered juice then trickles down below the cutting disc and is funnelled out of the juicer through a spout into a receptacle of your choice.

Overall, this juicing method has some notable positives. It is easy to replicate at a cheap price, and in practice, is very simple to use, making Centrifugal Juicers more accessible to the beginner juicer.

However, it is important to note that the juice they extract isn’t particularly amazing quality, and their fast operation speeds and typically cheap construction, lead to reliability issues.

Although, some models are far less susceptible to these problems than others. Namely, those produced to a greater standard by brands such as Sage.

Understanding Masticating Juicers

Serving as the metaphorical opposite of Centrifugal Juicers, Masticating (or Cold Press) Juicers are instead defined by their slow operating speeds. As a result, they are often dubbed “Slow Juicers” within the wider juicing community.

Masticating juicers typically operate between 40 and 150 rotations per minute (RPM), taking a very different approach to juice extraction from their Centrifugal counterparts. Instead, they focus on crushing or “grinding” ingredients under high pressure to push juice out.

To achieve this, Masticating Juicers use an augur/screw or a pair of gears to grab ingredients whilst rotating and pulling them downwards, pressing and masticating them in the process.

This process effectively squeezes the juice out of the ingredients, which is then separated from any remaining pulp by a finely perforated screen. The juice then passes through the screen and is funnelled into a suitable collection container.

In stark contrast to their Centrifugal counterparts, Masticating Juicers allow higher levels of vitamins and minerals to be extracted. Therefore, the final juices are of much higher quality and nutritional value.

However, despite this advanced extraction method, Masticating Juicers aren’t entirely perfect. Their juicing technology is more expensive to produce and generally requires more time and effort to use.

However, as time continues, many of these imbalances are being resolved through new technological innovations from industry-leading brands such as Hurom and Omega.

Finally, to further complicate matters, Masticating Juicers are split into further sub-categories such as “Vertical” or “Twin Gear” depending on their design and method of crushing ingredients.

If you would like to learn more about those, we’ve created a separate article covering The Types Of Slow Juicers alongside their strengths and weaknesses.

If not, let’s see how Masticating and Centrifugal Juicers stack up against each other.

Which Juicer Style is the Best?

So, you should now have an understanding of how Centrifugal and Masticating Juicers work and the general positives and negatives of each style, but which is the best outright?

Unfortunately, this question doesn’t have a clear and concise answer. The answer will most likely vary massively from person to person since it depends on many different criteria.

If you’re keen to find out which style of juicer would be the best for you, we’ve covered that in great detail in our Guide To Choosing Your Right Juicer.

However, if you’re not yet ready to dive that deep yet, let’s quickly compare both styles to see which one typically comes out on top in the most important areas.

As you can see, both styles are relatively evenly matched, but it’s fair to say that Masticating Juicers do have an edge over Centrifugal Juicers.

However, do take this comparison with a pinch of salt, as the results represent a massive generalisation on both sides.

For example, when it comes to ease of use, some Masticating Juicers benefit from ‘Self-Feeding’ technology, such as juicers from Hurom. Therefore, they’re arguably easier to use than even the best Centrifugal Juicers.

Additionally, not all Centrifugal Juicers have short warranties or use low-quality parts. Most models by Sage, for example, use stainless steel heavily and are built to a better standard than many masticating juicers.

However, while there are some exceptions, these results are pretty accurate. Ultimately, all Centrifugal Juicers will produce lower-quality juices and all Masticating Juicers will offer a slower juicing process. Some factors are simply inherent to their design.

How Much Does Speed Matter?

While we’re on the topic of fair representation and generalisations, this is probably a good time to dispel a large juicer misconception.

When speaking to many juicing beginners we often hear comments along the lines of “I’ve read that the slower a juicer is, the better it is.”

Now, while not entirely false, this statement is often taken too far. On a basic level, it is indeed true that slow-speed masticating juicers are superior to high-speed centrifugal juicers when discussing juice quality and yields.

However, this does not extend to fine differences between masticating models. For example, a slow juicer with a speed of 43 rotations per minute (RPM) will not necessarily be better than one that works at 120 RPM.

Therefore, while speed has some relevancy on a broad scale, never use it as a tool to decide a juicer’s superiority when comparing specific models at a detailed level.

Our Juicer Recommendations

Now, if you’ve come this far, odds are you’d like to hear our recommendations for Centrifugal and Masticating Juicers.

Starting with Centrifugal Juicers, we always advise trying to buy models from reputable brands. Not only are they typically backed by longer warranties, but they are often more reliable and built to a higher standard.

Here are some of our current favourites:

• Nutribullet Juicer Pro
• Vidia CJ-001
• Gastroback Design Multi Juicer Digital Plus
• Sage the Nutri Juicer Cold Plus

As for Masticating Juicers, again it’s best to ensure the brand is respected and reliable. Not only do you typically get to enjoy new innovations from the best brands, but the juicers last for much longer overall.

Honestly, we could probably list loads of these, but these are a few of our top picks:

• Omega 8006 Nutrition Centre
• Omega Sana EUJ-707
• Hurom H400
• Hurom H200

If you are hungry for more options, then feel free to check out our full selection of Centrifugal Juicers or Masticating Juicers.

Alternatively, if you want to keep learning, we’ve got loads of useful articles covering a variety of juicing tips, tricks and recommendations in our blog.

Don’t be Discouraged

Finally, it’s important not to be discouraged during your juicing experience. Don’t let juicer snobs or brand loyalists affect your decision and definitely don’t be ashamed of any juicer you choose to buy.

For some people, investing in a £1500 Angel juicer can be done without batting an eyelash, but that doesn’t mean that every juicer below that standard is unworthy for the many of us who can’t easily afford one.

Even the cheapest of supermarket Centrifugal Juicers can help to make a great difference to your mental and physical health. So, don’t be put off from juicing if you can’t afford your dream juicer yet.

Instead, purchase the best juicer you can, build juicing into your routine, and increase your savings over time until that dream juicer can be yours.