Eating healthier doesn’t have to require a rigid, miserable diet and counting calories in an app. Blenders, air fryers, and juicers are simple appliance buys that can transform the way you eat. If you’re big on the taste of fruits and veggies already, juicing is a great way to squeeze the most nutrients out of the stuff you already love, whether that’s leafy greens or fresh berries. Plus, drinking a green juice is way faster than eating a salad in the car. Juicing is also an easy way to slip in those veggies that you don’t particularly care for but know are good for you (looking at you, celery). If you get yourself a great juicer, you can whip up an apple and celery juice, which will taste like an apple but give you the nutrients of both. Problem solved.
For juice fanatics looking to get into the home-juicing game, even an expensive juicer will pay for itself quickly. Store-bought juices can cost up to $12 per 12 oz. bottle, while homemade juices will only run you the cost of the produce.
Picking out the best juicer for you isn’t always an easy choice, though. Not only are there lots of great options on the market, but the kind of juicer you get can make a big difference, depending on your needs. Folks looking to make juice fast should opt for a centrifugal juicer, while people looking for a thicker, more concentrated juice should look into masticating juicers (More on those types of juicers below).
Don’t worry — we’re here to help you find the very best masticating and centrifugal juicers for your needs. Here’s everything you need to know while shopping.
What is a masticating juicer?
So glad you asked. A masticating juicer (otherwise known as a cold-press juicer) processes juice in a slower, quieter fashion. This kind of juicer juices your produce by squeezing and crushing ingredients against a strainer to separate the juice from the pulp. This method generates basically no heat (hence, the cold-press juicer name) and the blades don’t shred your ingredients as much as a centrifugal juicer. It’s said that masticating juicers don’t destroy nutrients because there’s less oxidation happening.
If you use a masticating juicer, your juice will be thicker, less foamy, and have a more intense flavor than with other kinds of juicers because more of the fruit or vegetable is retained. The juice made with most masticating juicers lasts up to 48 hours and you get more out of each ingredient you juice.
What is a centrifugal juicer?
A centrifugal juicer uses a “spin” method of juicing, which is faster and usually a bit louder than a masticating juicer. It uses centrifugal force at a high speed to extract juice from the pulp, creating a more liquid juice. Generally, centrifugal juicers make good choices for beginners or people in a hurry — and they’re generally easier to clean.
It is true, though, that juice made with a centrifugal juicer doesn’t last as long — you’ll only be able to keep it for about 24 hours.
Are slow juicers really better?
As we said, slow juicers have a lot of perks: They’re quieter and create thicker, less foamy juice that retains nutrients and vitamins and has a more intense flavor.
A slow juicer will give you the highest juice to ingredient ratio, and will also produce a smoother drink without any of the pulp bits (Think of a non-slow juicer as more of a high-powered blender). If you hate pulp and want to get the most out of your fruits and veggies, then a slow juicer is going to be better for you. The juice tends to also keep for longer — usually at least 48 hours.
However, slow juicers, like their nickname implies, are slow — you’re going to have to wait around for your juice, which isn’t something we all have time for in the morning. They’re also way more expensive than most centrifugal juicers and they’re more difficult to clean. They also tend to have narrow chutes so you’ll likely need to pre-cut some of your ingredients, and they’re bulky, meaning you’re going to need more space to store them.
It’s also worth noting that the idea that slow juicers create more nutritious or “healthy” juices is actually pretty hotly debated. There’s not much scientific research backing up the idea that the heat and oxidation from centrifugal juicers damage nutrients and heat-sensitive vitamins.
Centrifugal juicers work well with hard fruit and vegetables, they’re very quick to operate, and they tend to come with larger chutes that can fit whole pieces of produce so you don’t need to waste time prepping your ingredients. They’re easier to store, more lightweight, and generally more affordable, but real juice fans might notice that the juice has more fibrous texture.
How do you know how slow or fast a juicer is?
To tell if a juicer is slow or fast, look at the revolutions per minute or RPM. A lower number means less heat, while a higher number means faster juicing.
Discover our picks for the best juicers on the market in 2023:
