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If you’re the type of person who needs to keep up with fitness trends, you’re sure not to have missed juicing. Drinking a variety of nutritious juices is promoted by health specialists everywhere. They say it’s one of the healthiest ways to get all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you need. They say that juicing fruits, vegetables and other foods extracts more nutrients from them.
If you want to get on board with the trend, you need to buy a juicer. You would think that a kitchen appliance that extracts juice wouldn’t be too complicated. However, like any appliance, there’s much more to juicers than you might think at first.
You’ll find a broad range of juicers on the market, and each one has its pros and cons. Some juicers are better at preserving the nutrients in the juice they produce – but might also take longer to juice anything. Others can handle whole fruits or vegetables, so you can save time on chopping.
Anyone who wants to start juicing as part of their healthy diet needs to ask some key questions. Think about how you’re going to get a juicer that’s perfect for your lifestyle and your health goals.
Keep reading the buying guide below to find out what type of juicer best matches your requirements or skip straight to Groom+Style’s list of the Top 5 Best Juicers.
Speed or Maximum Nutrient Extraction?
The first thing you need to ask yourself is whether you’re looking for a fast juicer.
Or do you want one that extracts as many nutrients as possible?
There are currently four main types of juicer you should take a peek at. You can then get into those made for specific foods. It used to be that just two primary types were the most popular on the market. You could get centrifugal juicers and masticating juicers. But now both slow juicers and triturating juicers are becoming more popular. Juicing enthusiasts everywhere are looking for something even healthier.
So what on Earth is the difference between these juicer types? And what do speed and nutrients matter to them? When you’re selecting your juicer, you can have one that’s fast. But these are less effective at getting you all the nutrients you need. Or you can have one that will extract all those vital enzymes and nutrients but will take longer to do it.
At a basic level, a centrifugal juicer is fast and affordable. Its vertical design shreds whatever is fed into it into a pulp. The juice is pulled out using centrifugal motion (hence the name). A masticating juicer crushes and squeezes the fruit, veg and other foods fed into it. The process is slower, but the juice will last longer and be more nutritious.
Serious juicing fanatics might want to consider one of the two other options. There are also slow juicers and triturating juicers. A slow juicer is a bit like a combination of a masticating and centrifugal juicer. It has the upright design of a centrifugal but works like a masticating model. Some advocates say it’s even better at nutrient extraction than a masticating juicer. A triturating juicer is for anyone who wants to start getting serious about juicing. Their more common name “twin gear juicers” tells you that these monster juicers have a double set of gears to tackle your food. Like slow and masticating juicers, these are also slow. But they’re by far the most effective.
What Do You Want to Juice?
You’ve decided that your lifestyle requires a juicer that works super fast. Or maybe you’re willing to wait for a slower juicer if it means you’ll get the most out of everything you juice. But that’s just one question out of the way. The next thing you need to think about is what exactly it is you want to juice. Naturally, some things take more effort to juice than others. Some fruits and vegetables are hard, while others are soft. Some foods will have lots of pulp and fibre in them. So it’s essential to consider what type of juice you want to make if you’re on the lookout for a juicer.
At a basic juicing level, perhaps you’re looking for a citrus juicer. You want to make fresh orange juice, and maybe occasionally juice a lime or a lemon. Citrus juicers can be much simpler than any fancy masticating juicer. You can buy hand-operated ones, such as the OrangeX Amco Olympus Citrus Juicer. It’s as simple as placing half of a citrus fruit in the juicer and pulling down a handle. You also have the option of buying a centrifugal juicer with a citrus mode, like the Novis Vita.
What if you want to get a bit more adventurous than a plain old orange juice? If you want to try lots of different fruits and vegetables, you need something that can handle more. You might be thinking about soft fruits, from kiwis to strawberries. However, many fruits and vegetables are harder and require a bit more power to tackle.
Luckily, most juicers will take anything you throw at them. The question is, do you want to chop first or not? If you don’t have time for pre-slicing, you need a higher end model that will take whole fruit and veg. The Retro Cold Press Slow Juicer and Blender is one option that could work for you.
But what about wheatgrass and all your leafy greens? Not all juicers can handle these well, or even at all. A centrifugal juicer can’t juice wheatgrass. It’s also not as efficient at extracting nutrients from leafy greens. If you’re hoping to juice a lot of kale, you should try looking at slow juicers. Wheatgrass fans can even get a juicer especially for juicing it. Just like with citrus juicers, you can get hand-operated ones with a handle you can crank. But you might prefer an electric one if you want to ensure you get all the juice you’re looking for.
What’s Your Budget?
When you’re choosing a juicer, the price is an essential factor to consider. Wouldn’t we all love it if we didn’t have to think about money? Unfortunately, you do have to pay more if you want a juicer that does everything. However, you can still get a powerful juicer to produce healthy juices if your budget is on the lower end. You can get a juicer for as little as under £30 or spend as much as £500 or more. It’s entirely up to you where you want to set your budget on the scale. More often than not fitness enthusiasts tend to go overboard on the price so set your budget!
If you don’t want to spend much more than you would on lunch for you and friends, you will be limiting yourself. However, many people aren’t looking to start a new juicing lifestyle. Casual juicers don’t need anything fancy. They just want a new appliance for their kitchen.
You might start by looking at a hand-operated juicer, which you could get hold of for less than £30. Get a little bit more sophisticated with a centrifugal juicer like the Philips Viva HR1821/01 and you’re looking at closer to £60 or £70. However, some are available for as little as you might spend on a hand-operated juicer.
With a budget of £100 or more, you’ll be able to look at juicers with more power and capacity. But it’s not until you have £200 or £300 to spend that you can start looking at the big boys. Of course, you’ll also need a lot more space on your kitchen worktop for a lot of these. You’re sure to know some of the popular brands, like Dualit and Magimix. However, you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money to get hold of these juicers. Many will be under £200 and are still compact enough to fit in a small kitchen.
Diehard juicing fans might want to look at the juicers at the top end of the scale. They’re probably not what you would choose for your first juicer. But if you’ve been juicing for a long time, and it’s part of your lifestyle, maybe you want to take things up a notch. Around £350 will get you a Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer. You might be thinking about buying a professional-grade juicer. If so, you’re looking at possibly spending thousands.
Best Juicers on the Market
By this point, you hopefully have a better idea of what sort of juicer you’re looking for. You know that you want to make green juices with kale and lemongrass. Or you can’t wait to make your first apple juice. And you know whether speed or efficient nutrient extraction is more important to you. You also know what your budget can get you. Now you need to figure out which specific juicer could be for you. Try these select few juicers on the market to choose the best one for your kitchen. Have a read of a reminder of their pros and cons too.
Best Centrifugal Juicers
Centrifugal juicers work quickly, using centrifugal force to extract your juice. They’re the most popular option for new juicers.
Centrifugal Juicer Pros:
Centrifugal Juicer Cons:
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You have a huge range of centrifugal juicers to choose one, since they’re so popular. Choosing the best one can be difficult, so consider these factors:
- Best for budget: ElectriQ WF1000 Whole Fruit Power Juicer, from as little as £28.98
- Best for convenience: Philips Viva HR1855 with its compact size, making it perfect for travelling.
- Best for capacity: L’Equip 215 XL for its extra-large feeding tube
- Best Masticating/Slow Juicers
Best Masticating Juicers
Slower masticating juicers crush foods to release the juices. They produce longer lasting juice high in nutrients.
Masticating juicer pros:
Masticating juicer Cons:
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Masticating juicers are more expensive, so you need to think about your purchase carefully. Try these recommendations:
- Best for whole fruit and veg: Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer
- Best for easy cleaning: The Omega 8006 breaks down into dishwasher safe parts
- Best for versatility: Tribest Slowstar Vertical Juicer and Mincer
Best Twin Gear Juicers
Twin gear juicers have a twin set of gears to work in a similar way to masticating juicers.
Twin gear juicer pros:
Twin gear juicer Cons:
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Twin gear juicers are for the hardcore juicer. If you want to buy one, you should look at what it can juice and what else it can do. Consider these best ones:
- Best for juicing anything: Super Angel 5500 Stainless Steel Living Juice Extractor
- Best for juice yield: Green Star GSE-500 Elite
- Best for warrant: the Green Star again with a warranty of 12 years
Choosing the best juicer for you shouldn’t take you forever. If you know what you want and how that translates into the juicer that suits you, go out and get it. It might help to make a list first of what you’re looking for. Choosing the type of juicer you want should be your essential first step. Set your budget and priorities and you’ll soon find your new favorite kitchen appliance.
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