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There are many factors that determine which of the many juicers out there is the best
juicer for you. Some of the factors that you need to consider are:
- Juicer Types
- Produce most likely to be juiced
- Cleaning
- Power
- Noise Level
1. Juicer Types
There are six main types of juicers that are available today. They are Centrifugal Juicers, Citrus Juicers, Manual Press Juicers, Single Gear (a.k.a. Masticating Juicers), Twin Gear (a.k.a. Triturating Juicers), and Wheat Grass Juicers.
- Centrifugal Juicers: Centrifugal juicers are the most affordable and popular choice available to people looking to buy a juicer these days. These juicers use a shredding disc to spin out the juice and a strainer basket to hold the pulp in the machine.
- Citrus Juicers: A citrus juicer provides the convenience of juicing citrus fruits at home so you can enjoy the benefits of fresh squeezed citrus juice any time.
- Manual Press Juicers: Since the juice is pressed through cheesecloth, the juice is virtually pulp free, but can be a slow process. Requires produce to be shredded in order to be pressed and squeezes the juice out of the produce with pressure.
- Single Gear (a.k.a. Masticating Juicers): These produce less foam, and can be utilized to make baby food, sauces, and sorbets. A slow turning single auger is used by these types of juicers to crush the produce into the walls or screen of the juicer.
- Twin Gear Juicers (a.k.a. Triturating Juicers): These juicers have two gears that shreds, then presses the juice out of the produce. These types of juicers are liable to be more expensive than other types of juicers, but twin gears juicers are the most efficient and can extract larger volumes of juice from fruits and vegetables.
- Wheatgrass Juicers: Wheatgrass juicers can extract the juice out of the blades of wheatgrass either manually or automatically. Wheatgrass is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, and enzymes. This is a specialized type of juicer since normal fruit and vegetable juicers will not juice wheatgrass.
2. Produce most likely to be juiced
If you are likely to be juicing fruit and vegetables in equal quantities, then a centrifugal juicer is your best option and some models also feature attachments that will allow you to juice citrus as well. However, those juicers do not juice leafy vegetables well. For juicing mainly vegetables a single auger juicer would be the best option, but they produce rather thick juice from fruit, almost sauce-like, since they are designed for juicing stalk-like vegetables.
3. Cleaning
The time it will take to clean a juicer after you used it will depend on the complexity of the juicer as the average juicer has between four and seven parts requiring cleaning. This means that while a citrus press can be cleaned with a quick wipe down, a juicer with more functionality will take longer to clean. Also a check should be made as to whether the components are dishwasher safe, unless you are happy to hand wash the parts.
4. Power
The amount of power you need depends on the hardness of the produce you are juicing. The harder the produce, the more power you will need, but anything over 400 watts should be more than sufficient. The stronger the motor is, the longer it is likely to last. Also a check should be made as to whether the motor is guaranteed by the manufacturer.
5. Noise Levels
This is dependent on the power of your juicer's motor. The more powerful the motor, the higher the noise levels produced. The importance of this factor is guided by personal preference and your sitation. If you have no one around to complain about the noise and you don't mind the noise, then it is unimportant; but if you mind a loud noise or people around you do, then it is a consideration. But it must be weighted up against the effectiveness of your juicer.
Happy Juicing!!!
by Mechele Eckman
