There are three main types of juicer, Centrifugal, Masticating and Triturating.

Contents

THE CENTRIFUGAL JUICER

Grinds the fruit and vegetables then pushes the extracted juice through a strainer by spinning at a very high rpm (similar to your washing machine on the spin cycle). The pulp from the produce is disposed of out the back of the juicer into a container in pulp ejecting versions. The centrifugal juicer is usually the fastest juicers to juice with if time is a consideration. Although more oxidation occurs with this type of juicer, the quality is still good if you drink the juice right away. With the centrifugal juicer, less juice is usually extracted from the produce and the pulp tends to be fairly moist with moderate juice waste. Most juicers sold on the market are centrifugal.

  • Best for: Centrifugal juicers do an okay job with greens but will not juice wheat grass.
    Pros: Fast, cheaper, can juice almost anything except bananas, avocados, and leafy greens
    Cons: less juice and lower quality. Generates more heat and juice oxidizes..must drink soon after

THE MASTICATING JUICER

These use a single gear. It chews the fibers and breaks up the cells of produce in a spiral rotating motion. The masticating juicer gives a high quality juice due to the slower juicing process. Like the twin gear juicers, the masticating juicers will homogenize making baby foods, sauces, nut butters, banana ice creams and fruit sorbets. Some will also make wheat grass juice.

  • Best for: greens, most vegetables
    Pros: Better quality and lasting juice, higher juice quantity
    Cons: slower, more expensive

THE TRITURATING (TWIN GEAR) JUICER

Turns at a slower rpm than most juicers and has a two step process. The first step crushes the fruits and vegetables, while the second step presses the juice. This process gives you more fiber, enzymes, vitamins and trace minerals. Juicing time is longer with twin gear juicers due to the slower juicing process which gives you a higher quality juice. If time is a consideration, this may not be the best juicer.

Many people buy a twin gear machine and realize later they take too much time to juice with and clean up. However, if you are dealing with a health challenge like cancer, it is important to drink the highest quality juice.

  • Best for: leafy greens, wheat grass, sprouts, root vegetables, beets and carrots

CITRUS JUICERS

This is the simplest type of juicer and is ideal for extracting the juice from oranges lemons and other citrus fruits. When shopping for a juicer, there are many issues to be considered so that you can make an informed purchase. Many people are tempted to buy a cheap juicer to start out because they are not sure they are going to like juicing and they may not be sure they will stick to a juicing regimen. My suggestion would be to visit a health foods store, spa or grocery where you can purchase fresh, raw juice from a juice bar and try some of the juices first. If you find that you like fresh fruit and vegetable juice, then you’ll probably be more likely to enjoy making your own juice at home.

Assuming that you are ready to begin your quest for a juicer, the first thing to know is that there are different types of juicers depending on what it is you want to juice. For example, citrus juicers are typically designed exclusively for juicing citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits and possibly pomegranates. Some models are manual and some are electric. Some brands are constructed of plastic while others have stainless steel components.

When shopping for a citrus juicer, here are some popular features to consider. Many come with a large reservoir to catch the juice and pour directly from the container. Many have a variable pulp control so that the juice can be made to be more or less pulpy. Some electric models will spin the juicing cone in forward and reverse directions in order to get the most juice from the fruit. Some come with different sizes of juicing cone to accommodate different sizes of fruit such as small limes and large grapefruit. Citrus juicers can range in price from around $20 to over $100.

BLENDERS VS JUICERS OR JUICING MACHINES

The difference between blenders and juicers or juicing machines is that blenders do not separate the juice from the fiber whereas juicers or juicing machines do. Use your Blenders to make smoothies with milk / yogurt and fruit and use your juicers or juicing machines when you need the juice from vegetables or fruit. A blender works by using rapidly rotating blades to cut and break down the produce. However when fruit or vegetables are put into a blender the output contains everything that went into the blender, i.e. the fruit and vegetable fibers including skin, seeds, pith, flesh etc. A powerful blender is wonderful in making smoothies with fruits like bananas, pineapples mangoes. A juicer or juicing machine will separate the juice from the fibers.  What you drink will be pulp free and your body receives the maximum nutrients in minutes. This separation is fundamental to the juicing process and its associated health benefits. The separation of juice from fiber helps the body to easily digest the juice without expending much energy as there are no fibers to breakdown. It also means that the body can easily absorb the nutrients present in the juice extracted by the juicer as they have all been released from the fibers and are freely available. A blender liquefies the food into pulp while a juicer or juicing machine extracts the life giving juice from the fiber.

When using a blender the fruit pulp nutrients may be oxidized faster and the pulp needs to be consumed immediately. In a juicer or juicing machine the juice can be refrigerated for at least a short period of time.

 

How to Store Your Juices

What’s the best way to store your juices and how long can you store them?

The best advice is to NOT store your juices at all since the best quality and nutrition exists right after you juice. Every minute your freshly juiced food is exposed to air it starts to oxidize. Exposure to light will also degrade the juice.

Let’s say you really need to store your juices for later consumption. You will want to use any method you can to make sure there is no air in the container and you should use glass or stainless steel and fill the juice to the brim. Let it overflow if needed to minimize air in your container.  Mason Jars are typically used to store juices. Store your juice in a fridge.

Low RPM Juicers vs Centrifugal Juicers produce less degraded Juice and thus store better.  The taste of the juice is better too.

How long can you store the juice?

This will depend on the type of juice, conditions of the juicing process and quality of the food prior to juicing. All these things will effect how quickly your juice will degrade once stored. Typically no more than 24 hours. At best 72 hours, but after that forget about it. I would not even recommend more than 48 hours to be honest. Citrus juices will last longer than green juices or tomato juice. Do not attempt to freeze your juices. I know you where thinking that. The freezing process destroys the juice.

People do freeze their juice or attempt to but degradation of the nutrients still occurs and by freezing you are not only changing the taste once thawed but also degradation still occurs and the color and texture is different. Some juices, like apple cider, will last longer. Freezing should be a last resort at best.

“Pasteurized juice” with preservatives can be stored longer and is what you find at your local store however the pasteurization process destroys most of the nutrients. It’s still healthier than many alternatives but the taste is not as good and will not give you the health benefits of fresh juice.

You can buy certain frozen juice at the store, however you do not get the nutritional benefits and they typically contain more sugar and preservatives.

What you can freeze

You can however freeze the veggies and fruit BEFORE they are juiced. Once juiced you really need to drink it right away. The idea behind fresh juice vs store bought is that the nutritional value and taste is vastly better.

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Hi, I'm Jennifer! I love creating original and delicious recipes and sharing them here. I cook and photograph food with my husband Jeff in Boston.

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