The Best Juicers (Review) in 2020

What to Consider When Buying a Juicer

• Budget

No matter what you’re looking the purchase, this will always be one of the biggest factors in buying a new item. Of course, even if you have unlimited money, it doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the only thing that you should consider- after all, there isn’t much point in having a professional-grade masticating juicer if you only want to use your item occasionally.

At the same time, however, you probably shouldn’t go for the cheapest option, as these will be made of cheaper materials and less likely to last. The key, as with all things, is to get the best value for money for your own use.

• Juicer type

There are couple of different options when it comes to the way that your juicer works- and how that affects the juice that you produce. These can make a huge difference to your fruit juice, so we get into the inner workings of this, below.

• Design

As much as we will always be drawn to aesthetics- and they are certainly a benefit to any item that you’re likely to see sitting in your kitchen, every day- they aren’t the main reason why buyers should be concerned with design. It can also cover the following:

• Ease-of-use

Great design is about how easy your new machine is to use. From putting it together for the first time, through to cleaning every inch of the juicer, you want something that won’t cause you a headache, or put you off getting your juicer out, for fear of the clean-up. Ideally, you should also be able to get straight to juicing, without having to spend too much time reading a manual.

• Cleanliness

Manufacturers know that one of the biggest pain points of any customer is the extensive cleaning that comes after using your juicer. The best juicer has plenty of ways to clean the parts and accessories, with most user’s preference being the ability to wash these in the dishwasher.

• Capacity

While not massively important, if you’re looking a juicer that you can leave to work as you go about your business for a few minute, having a good capacity can make a huge difference. In particular, the container for your pulp would ideally hold a considerable amount, so you’re not having to constantly stop and start your motor to clear out soggy pulp every few minutes.

• Dimensions

For any appliance that sits on a countertop, the dimensions are naturally going to be important. Check the height to see if your new appliance will sit under your wall cupboards, or fit into your cupboards for storage, and check the length and depth to ensure you still have enough room in your kitchen to work around your juice maker.

• Features

Although they aren’t essential for full use of your juice extractor, having some extra features can be a nice bonus that are sometimes worth springing a little extra cash for. These can be related to the health and safety of the item, such as improved materials that are unlikely to rust or a sensor that won’t allow the juicer to work unless all the required attachments are preset.

Meanwhile, you might notice that a few of our top picks come with a few extra features that increase the quality of the juice or make the use and clean-up a little simpler. For example, a foam separator can mean you get more fruit juice than foam or an extra-large feeding chute means you can pop more produce in at once.

Why You Should Use a Juicer

• Efficiency

It’s no secret that using a juicing machine will help cut down on the time and energy required to get yourself a glass of that thirst-quenching goodness. While this can mean you save energy in terms of the exertion required from yourself, or the clean-up operation that needs to be done after using a handheld, manual juicer, it also allows for efficiency with regards to the amount of waste left over.

A juicing machine is more likely to get the full use of each piece of produce you place in it, which means you spend less money getting the right amount of juice, with less food waste. All-in-all, we think this is a pretty good reason to invest in a juicing machine- particularly if you’re keen on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

• Health benefits

Speaking of living a healthy lifestyle, the health benefits of juicing are in abundance- particularly as we already know the positives of getting your 5-a-day in, such as feeding beneficial bacteria to the gut and preventing multiple illnesses and diseases. Of course, it’s no secret that you could simply eat the fruit and get the benefits that way, although it is rare that this happens- but having a juicer makes all of these recommended intakes that much easier to ingest.

After all, with a juicing machine, you can literally take your full daily allowance, and have it broken down into a single glass that you can have with your breakfast. Just like that, you have given yourself all the vital vitamins and minerals your body needs without taking your easily-bruised fruit with you to work.

• Play with your food

Most of parents told us not to play with our food but, let’s face it, that’s one of the best parts about being a grown-up. Playing in the kitchen with new recipes, trying out exciting new flavors and generally playing around with different combinations is always fun- even if the result isn’t always so nice.

With a juicer you can take all of your favorite produce and combine them to make delicious drinks that are actually good for you- and you can even hide the foods you’re not so keen on with flavorful options that can hide bad taste of the shockingly healthy fruit and veg. Pro tip: add lime to your concoction to take away the bitterness of most superfoods.

Types of Juicers

Centrifugal

The best way to describe a centrifugal juicer to those who have never heard the term is to apply the dynamics of the washing machine or salad spinner to your fruit and veg. When you use these appliances they spin, incredibly fast, so that the liquid comes away from the item you wish to get dry. In the case of the juicer, it’s all about pulling the nutrient-dense liquid from the fruit and veg, leaving only the pulp in its wake.

Naturally, this means you can usually tell how well a centrifugal juicer works by testing how dry the pulp is after use. If you see reviews that mention a lot of slop, or remaining liquid in the leftovers, then you can guess that the force is likely not strong enough to be considered a good juicing machine. As you can probably imagine, the more expensive your machine is, the more likely they are to have a better motor and spinning action, which means more juice and less pulp.

One of the benefits of these juicers is that they are usually easier to clean- since you only have the two by-products of pulp and juice, which are easily sorted and stored in separate containers. They’re also less bulky, since they require fewer moving parts and are therefore easier to store, while taking less space up on the countertop.

They are also much faster than the cold press juicer and manual options, since they can usually break down and separate the juice within a few minutes. However, they aren’t great at handling fibrous produce, such as wheatgrass, celery or kale, and they can struggle with soft fruits- although you may find that the more expensive options have a “soft fruits” selection on their controls, which can negate this.

Finally, a centrifugal juicer will be much cheaper than a masticating juicer, due in part to smaller size and simpler mechanics and will usually come with cheaper parts, should they need replacing. Overall, this makes the centrifugal option much more appealing to those who are looking for a juicer to use on occasion, as opposed to the move heavy-duty requirements that usually require a masticating juicer.

Masticating

Also known as a cold press juicer or slow juicer, the masticating juicer works by running your produce through a system of rotating gears which slowly crush the fruit and veg that you feed into it. They can run on a system of one or two gears (referred to a single or twin augers) and eventually press the pulp into a screen, which separates the juice into a container.

As you can imagine, this takes more time than a centrifugal juicer, but the more thorough pressing action can yield a higher amount of juice. They are also more versatile, having the ability to grind meat, create nut butters or even ice cream, since these require the same motion of masticating (chewing) the produce.

Unfortunately, the many moving parts are often harder to clean and require a longer setting-up time between each, new round of juicing. They are also more expensive, as are their parts, which can be difficult to find replacements for. However, if you are looking for a tough machine with added longevity, that can handle almost any kind of fruit and veg with little to no energy on your part, then the masticating juicer may be the better option for you.

Manual

These are becoming less popular, with the rise of the more efficient electric juicer which often comes at a very reasonable price. Still, they are still a viable option for those who don’t mind putting a little elbow grease into their juicing and are often the simplest of all of the above, as they have fewer moving parts and are therefore less likely to break.

It may take a lot longer to get level of liquid you require from a manual juicer but if you’re looking for something simple to use, easy to clean and only want to use your new item every now and then, a manual juicer may be the wisest choice.

Best Juicer FAQ:

Q: Do I need to peel the fruits before I use my juicer?

A: This usually depends on the type of juicer you get, since a masticating juicer will be better equipped to handle any tough peels and skins of fruit and veg without getting clogged. Meanwhile, a centrifugal juicer- particularly the ones with less power- could quickly get backed-up and may result in a rather bruised fruit making its way through your appliance.

In terms of taste and texture, however, it’s generally preferred by most users to remove the peel before using your juicer- no matter which type you go for. It takes a little longer to set up your produce but can make the difference between a bitter tasting orange juice and a smooth, pleasant drink.

Q: How much can I juice at a time?

A: This would depend mostly on your capacity- since those juicers with a smaller capacity will naturally be less able to handle large amounts of fruit and veg, without getting clogged up with pulp or running out of room to store the juice. That said, if you’re willing to clear out the pulp or produce multiple containers for your juice, you should only be limited by the power of your motor.

For our top picks, we’ve endeavored to tell you as much as possible about how well each appliance can stand to work at any one time. We’ve also let you know how long each appliance can run for, without overheating or causing strain on the item.

Q: How do I clean my juicer?

A: Each juicer will come with different parts and accessories which will need to be cleaned according to the manufacturer’s instructions. However, the following instructions cover some of the most common cleaning areas of your juicer:

Containers, parts and accessories:

1. Unplug your appliance
2. Slowly take your parts and accessories out of the juicer, according the instructions on the user manual
3. Dispose of any pulp and larger pieces of produce that are left over from the process, being careful not to catch or nip your fingers as you work
4. Soak the items in hot, soapy water for about 15 minutes
5. Rinse under the tap to dislodge as much residue as possible from the items
6. Use a bottle brush or toothbrush to work in to stubborn areas and shift stains or trapped debris
7. Place dishwasher-safe items in the dishwasher
8. Allow everything to dry fully before replacing the items in your appliance, according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Juicing appliance

1. Unplug your appliance
2. Remove any loose or movable parts where necessary, according the instructions given in the user manual and place to one side or clean, as above.
3. Use a microfiber cloth to remove loose dirt, liquids and debris from the surface of your juicer
4. Use a toothbrush or toothpick to get into the fine spaces where the appliance has been put together, which are usually a breeding ground for bacteria.
5. Using an antibacterial solution on your cloth, wipe over the entire surface of the juicer, paying special attention to stains that can become sticky from the sugar present in fruit and veg liquids
6. Gently turn your juicer on its side and clean the underside of your appliance, paying special attention to the areas around the supportive feet of the item, as well as the hard-to-reach surface below them.
7. Ensuring the appliance is unplugged, wipe down the cable of the electric juicer and the outside of the plug, taking care not to touch the prongs of the plug itself.
8. Reassemble your juicing machine as per the instructions given in the manual.

Our Top Pick

Being such a user-friendly model, we couldn’t help but place the Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus at our top spot. Being easy to assemble, easy to clean and easy to use were just the starting points for this electric juicer, as the designers behind this model have made sure that this is a juicer suitable for every user.

The wide chute, high-quality nutria-blades and powerful motor make juicing your produce easier than ever, with an emphasis placed on safety features and quick clean-up. This centrifugal juicer comes with plenty of options which are perfect for getting juice out of almost any food product, with minimal fuss and plenty of dry pulp- it’s no wonder that this is one of the popular options with buyers and reviewers alike.

Sources:

1. How to Juice Citrus - HowStuffWorks