There are many factors that determine which of the many food juicers out there is the correct juicer for you. Some of the factors that you need to consider are:
• Juicer Type
• What produce you are most likely to juice
• Cleaning
• Power
• Noise Level
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 Wheatgrass Juicers.
• Centrifugal Juicers: Centrifugal juicers are the pretty much 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, & 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 gear
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.
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 cirtus juicing attachments as well. However those juicers do not juice leafy
vegetables well. If citrus or wheatgrass are going to comprise the majority of
what you are juicing then buying a juicer designed for those products is your best option.
For juicing mainly vegetables a single auger
juicer would be the best, but they produce rather thick juice from fruit,
almost sauce-like, since they are designed for juicing stalk-like vegetables.
Cleaning: The time it will take to clean a juicer after you used it will
depend on the complexity of the juicer. The average juice has between 4 and 7
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 or not, unless you are happy to hand wash the parts.
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.
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 situation, however bear in mind that,
in general, a quiter motor means less power.
Cost is not seen as a factor when buying a juicer because there are so many
juicers available at so many different prices, but the higher quality juicers
are likely to cost more than average. Ultimately your personal preferences will
determine which juicer you buy.
Juliette Pickup write articles on various health-related topics, normally about natural foods and their benefits, and is a web developer for www.costplusjuicers.com