This article reviews the important features to look for when purchasing a juicer. There are many juicers to choose from and none of them are cheap! This article is designed to fully inform you so that you can choose a juicer wisely!
Blender or Juicer. First, I just want to be sure you know that a blender and a juicer are two separate appliances. A juicer separates the liquid juice from the pulp. A blender does not. Blenders are ideal for making smoothies and soups. But some veggies just don't do well in a blender, in my opinion, such as carrots, beets, and celery which come out gritty when blended. Some do use a blender instead of a juicer, but just know that it's a different taste and consistency. I use both because some vegetables will clog a non-commercial juicer such as bananas and avocados. These should be blended and then added to your juice.
Commercial or Non-commercial. The commercial juicer is the most expensive and durable. You can juice any vegetable or fruit, even avocados and bananas. This option is best if you intend to sell fresh juices. For individual and family use, the less expensive non-commercial types of juicers are best.
HP or RPM. The earliest - and even now the cheapest juicers – are centrifugal machines which shred the produce and squeeze out the juice by spinning it in a perforated basket. They rely on high RPM – 10,000 and more. The higher the RPM the larger the pieces of fruit and vegetables the juicer can process without slowing down or stalling. However, we learned that high RPM creates heat and adds oxygen to the juice, both of which destroy many nutrients. High RPM machines are also the noisiest – sounding like airport runways! So today we have what are known as “slow” juicers which have very low RMP – as little as 80 – creating minimal heat, oxygenation, and nutrient loss. Horsepower (hp) should be at least one-third to one-half. Otherwise the juicer will have a difficult time juicing the hardest vegetables such as carrots.
If you intend to juice vegetable greens such as wheatgrass, kale, spinach, etc., the “slow” or “masticating” type is the only kind that juices greens well. They are a bit more expensive but in my opinion well worth it. These juicers also claim to extract more juice from your produce. I use one myself and find it well worth the investment. Some slow juicers can even be used to make nut butter and sorbets.
Warranty. The best machines have a 10-year or better warranty on all the parts, not just the motor. With this kind of warranty there is no need to pay extra for an “extended warranty”.
