Choosing the Best Juicer
If you are intent to embark upon a juicing adventure and are intending to do more than just hand-squeeze citrus fruits, you will need to invest in an electric juicer. This is so you will be able to extract the juice from vegetables and fruits and separate the juice from the resulting pulp. Sound easy? Well it is, however you need to purchase a juicer to do the job for you and aside from huge variations in price, you will need to figure out what type of juicer is going to best suit your needs.
Depending on the juicer you choose, the cost will vary from $100 to upwards of $2,000 so you will need to think carefully about your lifestyle and things like your meal planning routine, if you have one. It’s important that you use your juicer so developing some realistic juicing plans will make sure you don’t leave it sitting in a cabinet, unused and wasted. Essentially there are three different types of juicers, in addition to a citrus press these are the centrifugal juicer, the single gear masticating juicer and the double gear masticating juicer.
The Centrifugal Juicer
A centrifugal juicer is a basic style juicer and you’ll find plenty of advertising on TV as well as on the Internet for this style of juicer. The price is attractive, being between $100 and $300 and many people are happy to buy this type of juicer. It’s fast and generally does a good job of juicing fruits and vegetables however is not so good for leafy greens such as chard and kale. 
It works by shredding the produce by way of a spinning blade that sits in a mesh basket. Juice is extracted by centrifugal force as it spins with the juice being forced through the unit to be caught by a pitcher or other receptacle. The leftover pulp is pushed into a different direction to be collected in a different container. Tip: line the pulp container with a plastic bag for very easy clean up.
Some people find that the pulp is too ‘wet’ meaning there is still a lot of juice left in the pulp. If you want to get as much value as possible from your produce, you can run the pulp through the juicer for a second time so as to collect more juice.
Pros:
- cheap price
- works fast
- easy and simple to clean up
- excellent for busy people in a hurry
Cons:
- is considered to be inefficient
- the centrifugal action is thought to produce heat which kills micro-nutrients in the juice
The Single-gear Masticating Juicer
A single gear masticating juicer is a mid-range juicer in terms of price and is a step up from the centrifugal juicer. You can expect to pay between $200 to $400 and is considered to be a good choice for anyone who is seriously interested in juicing. It performs well when juicing leafy greens and works by literally crushing produce with a single spiral gear. It has a better juice yield than a centrifugal juicer however it is considered to be slow and can frustrate people who are in a hurry.
Pros:
- reasonable price
- good juice yield
- nutrient loss is minimized through less oxidation
Cons:
- a lot slower than a centrifugal juicer
- can have a larger counter-top footprint in terms of space
The Twin-gear Masticating Juicer
The twin gear masticating juicers are the best you can buy and you can expect to pay anywhere between $400 to $1500 and even more for top of the line models. You will receive the highest juice yield with the juice yielding the highest level of nutrients.
With its twin gears, it is able to handle juicing a broad range of produce, including leafy greens, herbs and wheat grass, with ease. Juice is extracted by way of the two gears pulverizing the produce before pushing it through sieve which presses the juice out the fruits for vegetables. The double process produces a high juice yield with minimal waste.
It is a slow process though and you need to plan your life to ensure you have time available to enjoy its benefits. Busy people often find the slow process frustrating.
Pros:
- Excellent juice extraction
- Very little foam
- Micro-nutrients are preserved for top quality juice
Cons:
- Slow operation
- Can be expensive
- Clean-up can be more involved
Conclusion
How to choose a juicer can be a little tricky but with due consideration to your lifestyle, budget and juicing requirements, it’s not difficult at all. Like most things, thorough planning is the key to choosing from the many electric juicers that are available in the marketplace. If you consider things like available space, available time, the cost of the juicer as well as the cost of the raw produce, you will be able to choose the electric juicer that best meets your needs.