Finding the ideal juicer for your needs can be a long task with many twists and turns. It’s a competitive market, and as a result most available models seem appealing for different reasons.
What most people don’t realise is that there are a lot of different juicer styles and each have their own strengths and weaknesses. These factors are the key to finding your perfect device and luckily, we know all about them.
Therefore, in this guide we’ll break down all the different juicer types currently on the market to make your choice a bit simpler.
Selecting a Juicer Style
We understand that in reality you probably don’t want to read about every type of juicer just to work out which one is right for you. So instead, start your journey by working down the decision tree below.
Through these beginner questions you should be able to work out which juicer style could be best for you, giving you a starting place for further research.
Please remember that for the most part any juicer can juice any type of ingredient. Therefore, even if the best match on paper isn’t right for you don’t rule out all other styles simply because we haven’t directly recommended them.
If you need more detailed advice feel free to call us to speak with one of our many juicing experts.
Centrifugal or Masticating Juicers
When it comes to juicers there are two main types, centrifugal and masticating. The topic of which is best has been covered many times, but in reality, there is no clear winner, each has strengths, and each has weaknesses. Therefore, you should base your decision on which best suits what you require from a juicer every day.
Let’s begin by looking at centrifugal juicers. This style of juicer works by spinning at high speeds between 10,000 and 15,000 RPM (revolutions per minute) allowing it to take and process whole pieces of fruits and vegetables very easily.
It operates through a spinning blade which tears ingredients apart. As they are processed the juice released from the ingredients can then filter through a fine filter around the blade and the remaining pulp is chucked into a waste bin.
Being able to work at such a high pace allows centrifugal juicers to produce juicer quickly. However, doing so comes with the downsides of increased waste and lower nutritional value.
Now you understand how they work, lets examine a full list of the strengths and weaknesses of the centrifugal design style.
Strengths
- Juices whole fruits comfortably
- Very easy to use
- Produces juice quickly
- Typically available for £100 - 300
Weaknesses
- Very poor at juicing leafy greens
- Typically has a shorter warranty period
- Noisy in comparison to Masticating models
- Less nutrients are extracted from ingredients
- Juice oxidises and deteriorates quickly
Where centrifugal models operate at high speeds, masticating juicers are the complete opposite. Sometimes also known as cold press or slow juicers they work at low speeds of just 43 - 120 RPM. This slow operation allows them to squeeze incredibly high yields of juice from ingredients, maintaining high nutrient levels in the juice produced.
Of course this method has its own set of perks and flaws as a result.
Strengths
- Produces juices with large amounts of nutrients and vitamins
- Quiet noise levels when in use
- Often provide additional functions outside of juicing
- Juice can be kept for up to 72 hours
- Good at juicing all ingredient types
- Long warranties of 5 - 15 years
Weaknesses
- The best models often cost upwards of £350
- Produces juice slowly
- Ingredients need preparation before juicing
It’s clear that each style has its own merits, but as expected both have some flaws. Neither style is perfect and honestly, they never will be, their designs are natural opposites and excel at different areas as a result. As a result the best choice for you is simply the one which meets your needs.
Masticating Juicer Styles
Unlike centrifugal juicers, masticating devices come in all shapes and sizes. Therefore, to make it easier to choose between them they are separated into 3 main categories: vertical, horizontal and twin gear.
Each of these styles are unique from each other and have their own individual strengths and weaknesses when working with certain ingredients.
Horizontal Juicers
By far the most popular Juicers we sell, single gear masticating juicers produce a raw cold press juice at an affordable price and they often come with an array of extra food processing features. Masticating juicers slowly squeeze and press the juice using an augur in a masticating process with the augur spinning slowly at 50 - 120 RPM.
Strengths
- Produces a high quality raw cold press juice
- Give a high juice yield with dry pulp (only twin gear masticating juicers are better)
- Very good at juicing leafy greens (only twin gear masticating juicers are better)
- Best value masticating juicers
- Most have 10 years+ warranties
- Many have extra food processing features such as making oils, nut butters, soya and nut milks, ice creams and sorbets, pasta and grinding coffee and ice
- Juices have a 24hrs to 72hrs shelf life
- Excellent all round juicers for juicing fruits, vegetables and greens
- Very quiet operation
Weaknesses
- Tend to be the slowest masticating juicer
- Have the smallest feed chutes (normally 4cms in diameter)
- Most have quite a few parts to clean
- Can only make 1-2 litres max per cycle before the juicer needs to be cleaned and reassembled
Twin Gear Juicers
Twin gear juicers give the highest yield of any juicers on the market. Twin Gear juicers have two augurs that break the produce down in a triturating process. Famous for juicing leafy greens and harder root vegetable; twin gear juicers have their pros and cons, they tend to be quite expensive and are poor at juicing soft fruit like oranges & pineapple compared to vertical masticating juicers.
Strengths
- Give the highest yield for leafy greens and vegetables of any juicers on the market
- Excellent for wheatgrass
- Come with good warranties
- Faster than single gear juicers at juicing; they can break down produce quicker and the twin gears rotate a little faster between 90 and 150 rpms
Weaknesses
- Very expensive with prices ranging from £450 - £1300
- Some can be quite large and not so easy on the eye
- Average at juicing soft fruits, some juicers such as the Angel require a separate soft juicing screen to effectively juice soft produce
Vertical Juicers
Introduced first in 2010 vertical masticating juicer have taken the juicing world by storm and many would say have contributed greatly to the growth of cold press juicing in popular culture. Vertical Masticating Juicers were developed with a simple premise; to make cold press juicing quicker and easier, in summary vertical masticating juicers can be summarised in one word; convenience. Vertical masticating juicers have mimicked the vertical feeding design used in high speed centrifugal juicers and as a result have increased the masticating surface area allowing more produce to be juiced quicker but still using a masticating process.
Strengths
- Produces juice in less time than other masticating models
- Very easy to use
- Simple to assemble
- Fast cleaning process
- Excel at juicing soft fruits and root vegetables
- Compact design style
- Typically available with accessories such as coarse screens
- Very quiet operation
Weaknesses
- Juice yield is not as good as traditional horizontal masticating juicers
- Poor at leafy greens
- Stringy produce like celery needs to be chopped into inch sized pieces
Other Types of Juicer
Centrifugal and masticating juicers make up a huge part of the market, but amazingly there are other options outside of them. These other styles are typically designed to work with very specific ingredients and naturally they excel in those areas, but as a result they aren’t for everyone.
Citrus Juicers
Citrus Juicers as their name suggest are a one trick pony. They are designed to extract maximum juice yields out of citrus ingredients such as Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Grapefruits and sometimes Pomegranates.
No other juicer style previously mentioned comes close to the performance of citrus juicers on these items. Due to the shape and skin texture of Citrus fruits they use a rounded cone to press and squeeze the juice from the produce when chopped in two halves.
Strengths
- The best way to extract juice from Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Grapefruits and Pomegranates
- Affordable specific juicing style
- Easy to clean
Weaknesses
- Only suitable for citrus ingredients
Manual Juicers
For those looking to juice wheatgrass only, manual juicers are good cost effective fit. While they are flawed in many ways as an introduction to juicing they can be a great option.
Strengths
- Good for small amounts of leafy greens especially wheatgrass
- Portable
- Requires no electricity
- Very budget friendly
Weaknesses
- Only suitable for small amount of juice
- Only suitable for leafy greens
- Labour intensive when being used
Juice Presses
A juice press is an effective way to extract even more juice from your pulp and is highly recommended by the Gerson Institute. Used in conjunction with a juicer such as the Samson/Omega or Champion juicer, a juice press will allow you to squeeze an extra 10-20% more juice from your produce.
Strengths
- Squeeze an extra 10-20% more juice from your produce
- The Gerson Institute recommends juice pressing as the most effective way to extract nutrients from your produce
Weaknesses
- Expensive
- You need a juicer first to produce the pulp
- Time consuming process