How to Choose the Right Juicer: A Buyers Guide

By the end of this article, you’re going to know exactly which juicer to buy, how much time you have in a week to dedicate to juicing for your health, how much and where to buy organic produce on a budget, and a list of the actual juicing supplies you need.

FIGURING OUT WHICH JUICER IS RIGHT FOR YOU

There are many juicers out on the market today. We’ve tried almost all of them, and here’s something you should: even though no two juicers are entirely the same, as far as the machine goes, there is no “best juicer.” There’s only the best juicer that works for you. That would be the one that doesn’t get banished to the attic or garage after a few uses. Might sound weird, but you have to love your juicer too, it’s part of wanting to use it.

So before you fork over the cash without a coupon, let’s figure out which juicer is going to make it into your kitchen.

First, ANSWER THESE FIVE QUESTIONS:

Grab a sheet of paper, or use the notes app on your phone to answer these questions honestly. Be real with yourself—there’s nothing that will fizzle out a juicing habit quicker than putting insanely high expectations on yourself as you start.

1. Are juices vital to my overall well-being and health, or will a few here and there each week suffice?
2. How much time do I honestly have to spend prepping and juicing – daily/weekly? Where is that time (morning, afternoon, night)?
3. How many people will I be juicing for?
4. Which is more important to me; the juice’s quality and shelf life, or the time it takes to prepare it from start to finish?
5. What’s the maximum I have in my budget to spend on a juice machine? (we’ll get to produce cost later one)

All juicers make juice. But juicing is more about the time you have to spend on making the kind of juice you want to drink and will enjoy on a regular basis.

I keep reiterating time because as a busy mama, time is precious, valuable, and very limited. Juicing can take up a bit of it, so it’s important to know what you want and need before you begin—especially if you have a busy schedule.

KNOW YOUR JUICING STYLE

JUICE NINJA

• Juicing is a healing part of your daily diet and lifestyle.
• Quality over quantity. You want the best tasting juice with the highest extraction ratio.
• No matter if there is one or 6 of you, there is blocked time for some power juicing to get done.
• There’s a larger budget for a machine and you want something closer to commercial grade.

PRACTICING JUICER

• Juicing is a part of your weekly or monthly routine to supplement your diet and health.
• Quality is important, but so is your time—you just want something efficient.
• Due to work or family, there’s only so much time for juicing.
• Juicing is worked into a bi-weekly/monthly budget and you want a reliable juicer that will last a couple of years.

SEASONAL JUICER

• Juicing will happen more when you need it (gut reset, holidays, events, fasting, immune boost, etc.).
• Quality is not of huge concern, but you do want it to last a day or two and be an efficient process.
• Time will be made for juicing when you or yours need it.
• The budget is there when needed for produce, and a basic juicer for necessity will do for now.

Which juicing style do you fit? Now that you know, let’s take a look at the type of juicer that matches your juice persona—there are three.

3 TYPES OF JUICERS TO CHOOSE FROM

CENTRIFUGAL | Practicing + Seasonal Juicer High powered, fast speed spinning blade with piranha teeth that quickly and efficiently chuck up veggies and fruits. This does heat up produce in the process, oxidizing it quickly, so juice should be drunk within 15-30 minutes of making it. The wider feed chute allows produce to be larger in size which is nice, but the pulp does remain quite wet—here’s a remedy for that. We’ve never stored juice more than a day with this machine.

MASTICATING/TWIN GEAR | Practicing + Juice Ninja | High powered, lower speed gear that chews up produce slowly to reduce heat oxidation. With a narrow feed chute, produce needs to be cut up smaller, which adds a bit to prep time. The pulp does have less juice once extracted, and under the best conditions, the juice will last longer. Juice should be drunk within 45 minutes – 2 hours of being made. We’ve stored juice properly at home for two days and the quality was still good.

COLD-PRESSED | Juice Ninja | High powered, fastest cutting of produce through a five-sided blade and pushed through a sharp grid. Puts out the lowest amount of heat, and very little oxidation allowing the juice to last anywhere from 3-5 days within ideal conditions. The pulp is pressed between a hydraulic and metal plate leaving no juice left in the pulp (dry like paper). Larger feed chute allows for produce to be larger in size. It can be quick or slow depending on the volume being juiced at any given time.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY JUICE PROPERLY STORED AND OPTIMUM CONDITIONS?

When juices are stored in glass mason jars or bottles and filled to the rim, allowing for no air to move through, you’re able to store them a bit longer than the “recommended” time. They do have to be stored in the coldest part of the fridge—optimum condition.

For example, the juice from a masticating juicer “should be” drank within 15-30 minutes to absorb all the living nutrients. However, we’ve stored juice to last us two days max when we know we’ll be short on time. It doesn’t taste as fresh, but it still feels good to the system and is better than nothing at all.

the CENTRIFUGAL JUICER: our TOP PICKS

• Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus 850-Watt Juice Extractor: This was our first home juicer. It’s affordable and does great for just getting into juicing. It does have a plastic basket that will stain a bit from carrots and greens.
• Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor: This was the second juicer we owned. It’s a bit more than the Plus but has stainless steel juice basin that won’t stain. Biggest plus along with a little more power.
• Breville BJE430SIL Juice Fountain Cold Centrifugal Juicer: this one is pretty neat as it has a cold extraction juicing system and it has an 850 watt motor to handle hard veggies. It can process up to 70fl oz of juice at a time.

the MASTICATING JUICER: our TOP PICKS

• Juicer Machines Slow Masticating Juicer Extractor, Cold Press with Two Speed Modes: lowest price tag but great quality. Makes great juice, easy to clean, store and its rather quiet.
• Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Juicer – Black and Chrome: the best quality for the cost, the Omega makes great juice. It’s durable, easy to store and easy to clean.

the COLD-PRESSED JUICER: our TOP PICKS

• Norwalk Juicer: of course our favorite. It does have a hefty price tag but is commercial grade and makes the best juice ever. Also the best home juicer for Gerson patients, daily healing, or the Sensei Juice Ninja. We have had ours for 3 years, and with proper maintenance, this juicer could outlive us.
• Pure Juicer: closest relative to the Norwalk with some sleek design features. Not quite as much as a Norwalk but has the same capabilities. I like that they’ve made the design seamless with no design crevices where juice and pulp get stuck. We have seen these used for under $2k.
• The Nama Cold Press Juicer: this is a newer juicer and was partially created with Joe Cross, the guy from Fat Sick and Nearly Dead. It has great reviews and seems to be on par with most cold press juicers.

the COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO BUY A JUICER

Definitely research and compare the prices of the juicer you are interested in.

The most economical way I have ever found to purchase a centrifugal and masticating juicer is to see if it’s on Bed Bath & Beyond, sign up and wait for one of their 20% off coupons, and then purchase it in-store or online. You can save anywhere between $40 to $50 on a juicer.

keep in mind… YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

The old saying you get what you pay for could not be more accurate with these machines! We’ve purchased micro juicers, and wheatgrass juicers, and juicers claiming to produce the best unicorn juice on the planet, and have been sorely disappointed. Here’s the truth…

• Crappy juicers will produce crappy juice. If you are willing and going to spend money on organic and high-quality produce, the time and energy to prepare it, then you should get the biggest bang for your buck. A machine providing high quality, highest yield, and low waste.
• Check if the machine is refundable and save your receipt!!! If for whatever reason you are not satisfied with the quality, machine itself, or something breaks, make sure you have the option for a refund. I went through 3 juicers before we decided to stick with the Omega our second round! No shame, I needed the best juice for my Dad 😉
• Read the reviews, and please do your own research so you feel confident and excited about your purchase.

While we’ve done this for a while, you need and should choose a juicer that’s right for you and your lifestyle! And, your “perfect juicer” will change as you become a better juicer… hello upgrade!

We started with the Breville—our perfect juicer at the time. A few years later it became the Norwalk 800. Your juicer will change as you grow in the juicing journey.

the NEXT STEPS TO TAKE

We really hope this article helped the process of choosing the right juicer a bit easier. We want your juice journey to be a success so please, never hesitate to contact us with questions before your purchase or after. There are a few answered Q+A below this post so be sure to check those out.

1. Determine your juicing style if you haven’t already.
2. Research the juicer that falls into your juicing style category and the one after to see which is the best fit. Purchase your juicer if you haven’t already. If you have a juicer, then continue on to #3 below.
3. Read How to Start Juicing: 5 Honest Tips for Beginners (this next post will take you through getting produce, your first three recipes, and getting the juicing accessories you need – you can purchase the juicer and accessories at one time if you wish)

We’re going to get you making the best-tasting juice every single time. And if you’ve purchased a juicer you LOVE not listed above, please let us know so we can review it too!!

Happy juicer hunting!

IS THE INFORMATION UPDATED FREQUENTLY TO REFLECT NEW JUICERS ON THE MARKET?

YES! We strive to keep all of our informational posts relevant and current to reflect what’s on the market.

HAVE YOU TRIED THE HUROM JUICER?
We have tried it and I’m sorry but I don’t recommend it. Veggies and fruits very easily started to clog up the machine, it took much longer to make anything, and it definitely didn’t work for wheatgrass. We wasted a pint of blueberries in this thing.