What Are the Best Juicers for Beginners?

You see the information all over the Internet and on TV. Juicers are rising rapidly in popularity and are at the center of many healthy eating regimens.

But with so many models and features to choose from, how do you know which route to take? This guide will help answer some of the most pressing juicer questions (pun intended), as well as point you in the right direction on your quest to find the best juicers for beginners.

To Start – Is a Juicer Worth the Money?

For many, getting the appropriate amount of fruits and vegetables needed every day is a challenge. Often the end of the day will come, and several servings haven’t yet been consumed.

The incorporation of juice helps to include an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables in one sitting. However, purchasing those juices in the store is very expensive and is often filled with a lot of sugar, which combats the nutritional benefit.

Investing in a juicer will not only save money in the long run but will provide a healthier juice option than what you will find in the store. It also gives you the ability to customize your drink with the fruits and vegetables that you desire and any additional nutrition sources like chia or flaxseed.

Due to all of this, we believe that a juicer is well worth the initial investment. The benefits of owning one far outweigh any disadvantages.

How Do You Choose a Juicer?

There are many different considerations to weigh when choosing a juicer, primarily because of the large number of options available. Some of the most common choices available include:

• Centrifugal
• Masticating
• Triturating
• Manual

Centrifugal Juicers

When making juice through a centrifugal juicer, the pulp and juice become separated by way of a filter and blade while combining with speed and heat. The blade resides at the bottom of the device, and the filter rests above the blade area.

To create a liquid, the chosen produce is placed in the filter. As the juicer starts up, the liquid from the produce separates from the pulp in the strainer, creating highly nutritional juice ready for consumption.

Masticating Juicers

Instead of using a blade to extract liquid from produce, a masticating juicer squeezes the fluid out of the produce. It does this by using an auger to mash the fruit or vegetable. It then pushes through a mesh filter to separate the pulp from the liquid.

Both triturating (below) and masticating juicers are cold-pressed. This process means that the juice is extracted while cold instead of heated.

When heated, oxidation occurs and gives a short shelf life to the nutritional benefits. The cold press allows a more extended timeline before consumption must happen.

Triturating Juicers

As stated above, the key to keeping the maximum amount of nutrients in your juice is to keep it cold while processing. Triturating juicers allow this to happen in a similar way that a masticating juicer does. However, instead of one auger, it has two.

The augers grind the produce to separate the liquid from the rest of the crop. This process is most beneficial with leafy greens and items like wheatgrass. Additionally, the twin augers allow less stress on the motor.

Manual Juicer

Although the other devices profiled run on electric power, a manual juicer operates by hand. You may remember the old orange juicers that created most morning beverages with the twist of a wrist.

Most manual juicers on the market today have a handle that rotates, allowing the produce to squeeze within the chute. As a result, juice from the fruits and vegetables dispenses from the machine, and residual produce remains in the tube.

Some features vary between models within the different juicer types—the determination for choosing which of these features will depend on personal need and use.

What Types of Fruits and Vegetables Will You Use?

Not all juicer types are created equal to the ability to process different fruits and vegetables. For instance, some juicers aren’t able to get a fine enough grind for greens. This deficit leaves those ingredients improperly extracted.

Therefore, you aren’t able to get the full nutritional benefit they would otherwise provide. If your central premise is to create a daily green juice to start your day, you will want to research what juicers best fit that need.

Adversely, some juicers cannot adequately accommodate hard vegetables like carrots due to their thick size. If you are looking to incorporate carrots and beets, you will want to acquire a juicer that can handle those types of vegetables.

As an example, centrifugal juicers are notorious for having difficulty with leafy greens. Whereas masticating and triturating juicers can struggle to process carrots adequately.

With a manual juicer having such variety in designs, some can better accommodate certain vegetables and fruits than others. Some models can only juice citrus fruits as well; all are dependent on their makeup and abilities.

Ultimately, it is best to check to yield specifications on all juicers that you are considering. This information will give you the necessary insight as to what the device can handle.

Do You Have Storage Constraints?

It’s worth noting that juicers come in many different sizes. Some types, of manual juicers, for example, can be pretty compact with many fitting in a drawer. However, the other types available can take up a great deal of space in a kitchen.

Additionally, there are vertical and horizontal styles that have different storage requirements. Some brands have copious features and can still fit in a cupboard.

Therefore, it is essential to establish how much space you can dedicate to a new machine and decide what features you want and which are the highest priority for you.

Typically the more features, the larger the size. Individuals with small kitchens or minimal counter space may not want to devote their little space to this appliance.

How Much Time Do You Have to Juice?

Different juicers will have different speeds. This factor can also depend on the types of fruits and vegetables you plan to incorporate into the mix. However, it is a good thing to consider when weighing the pros and cons of different juicer options available on the market.

Typically, a centrifugal juicer will be faster using high RPMs (rotations per minute). Whereas masticating and triturating juicers use lower RPMs and will operate slower.

If you plan to create a fresh cup of juice every morning, then a faster style of juicer is likely the best route. However, many people like to make enough for several days and not have to worry about it. There are options available to fulfill that need as well.

Do You Like Easy to Use Devices?

Although it may be the last thing on your mind, it is crucial to consider the ease of use and cleaning of the device. It’s one thing to get a model of juicer that can turn out a glass of juice in minutes, but if that same juicer takes a great deal of time to clean, it can prove problematic.

Additionally, there are models on the market that are pretty complex to use due to the various features. If situations like this lead to frustration for you, it is best to look at options with easy-to-use mechanics.

With those determining factors taken into consideration, more pointed questions come up while furthering the search for the best juicers for beginners. To address those, we have the following information:

Are Masticating Juicers Better?

There are many known benefits of cold-pressed juice, which is the product that a masticating juicer turns out. Many find a masticating juicer to be a better option because of the benefits that one can obtain from this specific type.

Something that may be perceived as a downfall of the masticating variety is that they are slow juicers, meaning that the motor moves at a decreased rate to expunge the juice from the produce appropriately. If timeliness is a priority, then this type of juicer will not be the best fit.

However, the slow juicing nature is actually a benefit, if not for schedule purposes. It enables the juice to extract without a lot of heat involved. This process protects the nutrients and allows the liquid to be cold-pressed.

In addition, juice that comes from a masticating juicer has a longer shelf life than those that come from a centrifugal type. Because a centrifugal juicer uses heat, the liquid is only nutritionally sound for a brief period after it is made.

However, masticating juicers provide a shelf life of 2-3 days. Therefore, you can make several batches at once, and they will be just as beneficial the next day as they are when created.

Which Juicer Is Good for Home Use?

All juicers have a place in the home. There are commercial-grade juicers that are used by businesses, but most juicers are created for residential purposes.

With that, there are certain things to consider when choosing a good juicer for the home.

How loud is it?

If you have napping babies or other people living with you, choosing a quieter option (likely a masticating type) is the best bet. These types run slower but with lower sound.

Are the parts dishwasher-safe?

If you have to spend a lot of time each day cleaning, it may not be worth it. Some juicers allow the internal components to be cleaned in the dishwasher.

How long does it take?

Do you want fresh juice every morning? If so, go with a centrifugal model. Would you rather prep several days at a time? A masticating model will be best.

How Do I Pick a Good Slow Juicer?

A slow juicer allows the liquid to be extracted from the produce at a reduced rate, allowing the nutrients to remain intact. For example, according to NutriBraniac:

“80 RPM Slow Masticating and Grinding = 90% More Nutrition Growth, without creating too much heat and friction. Reserving the vitamins, enzymes, minerals, trace minerals, and nutrients. With less foaming and no clogging.”

Picking one that works best for you will depend on a few factors, which will vary based on personal needs.

Vertical Design

This setup will allow for less space to be used to store the device. However, this layout doesn’t allow for optimal juicing of greens.

Horizontal Design

Although this option takes up more storage space, it also allows for the appropriate processing of greens.

RPM Rate

Slow juicers, by default, have a lower RPM than centrifugal juicers. However, selecting one with a slightly higher rate can be worthwhile if you choose a vertical design. Having higher RPM with a vertical juicer will allow it to better process leafy greens.

Conclusion: So, What’s the Best Juicer for Beginners?

When looking at all the variables and options associated with the many different juicer forms, the best juicer for beginners is ultimately a masticating slow juicer.

This conclusion is based on several influences. It is first that cold-pressed juice is more nutritionally sound than juice created with heat. Not only can cold-pressed be stored more prolonged, but the thought of consuming cold juice is also more appealing than a warm one.

Additionally, the quiet nature of a masticating juicer is a benefit. Although it can take longer to juice, in reality, it can be only a few minutes difference depending on model and brand. However, having minimal noise is always a positive.

One of the highest-rated masticating slow juicers on the market comes from the Omega brand. They have vertical and horizontal models that are small in size, are easy to use, and come with easily removable parts for washing.

These juicers can also be used for items like nuts, sorbet, and baby food as an additional bonus. This option is a perk for many families.

In the end, it boils down to personal preference. However, the masticating cold-pressed slow juicer is one of the best juicers for beginners when considering optimal health benefits.