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First of all, congratulations, you’re on the right path to a healthier lifestyle! The next step, of course, is to get your hands on a good juicer.
There are two main different types of juicers; fast (or centrifugal) juicers and slow (or masticating) juicers.
Kuvings Slow (Masticating) Juicer
Kuvings Fast (Centrifugal) Juicer
Slow juicers produce juice by squeezing and squashing (or masticating) the ingredients to extract the juice. They do this with the help of an auger, which looks like a big screw. The auger slowly crushes and pushes the produce against a mesh screen. The juice is extracted through the filter mesh, separating it from the pulp, which falls in a separate container.
Slow Juicer Screw/Auger
Slow Juicer Strainer
There are two main types of masticating or slow juicers in the market; horizontal and vertical, the latter being a more recent design. Although the extraction technology is similar, there are some significant differences, and both come with pros and cons. We won’t be going into too much detail here as the topic deserves a dedicated article.
Omega Horizontal Slow/Masticating Juicer
Something worth mentioning is that people sometimes refer to masticating juicers as cold-press juicers, but this is technically incorrect. Cold-press juicers are mostly used in industrial or semi-industrial applications. However, some pricey models are available for home use (like the Norwalk Model 280).
These use an entirely different method of juice extraction. The process commonly involves grinding the produce and then pressing it to extract the juice.
Norwalk Model 290 Cold-press Juicer
As the name implies, fast or centrifugal juicers operate at a very high speed. They extract the juice by grinding the produce with a spinning grating disc. The spinning action then pushes the resulting mush against an outer mesh screen. This centrifugal force extracts the liquid through the mesh, separating it from the pulp (a bit like a spin dryer you use for drying clothes).
Fast Juicer Grating Disc and Strainer
Most respectable centrifugal juicers come with a speed setting to better accommodate soft and hard ingredients. Furthermore, good quality fast juicers discard the pulp automatically. Some cheaper models simply collect the pulp in the mesh ‘container’ which you need to empty manually once full.
Multi-speed Fast Juicer
Two-speed Fast Juicer
Fast/centrifugal juicers extract juice faster than slow/masticating ones. Still, their operation is also much noisier, which can be a problem if you’re juicing while people are asleep.
Slow juicers, on the other hand, are much quieter due to the slow operation.
The yield depends on the produce used when making the comparison. In the sense that slow juicers might perform better on certain ingredients, while the fast juicers may do better on others. Though when comparing the best quality juicers from both worlds, the yield difference is usually minimal.
Although, slow juicers are known to produce more juice from leafy greens like kale and spinach — and that’s another reason why people who drink green juices tend to gravitate towards them.
The color of the juice made with a slow juicer is more vibrant, and the consistency is also thicker. The juice from a fast juicer also feels more ‘aerated’ and doesn’t have the same rich taste of that from a slow juicer.
Furthermore, the juice from a fast juicer tends to separate much quicker, almost immediately in some cases. Juice from a slow juicer usually does not separate that quickly and keeps well in the fridge for a day, a day and a half.
Thanks to the slow and gentler operation, masticating juicers are considered to retain more vitamins and minerals than fast juicers. They produce less oxidation, keeping the nutrients intact for longer.
The high-speed operation of a fast juicer produces heat that can kill precious enzymes and other nutrients in the juice. On top of that, the spinning action incorporates air into the juice, which oxidizes it. This causes the juice to separate, become foamy, and go bad quickly.
Cleaning is inherently more time-consuming and difficult with slow juicers as they have more parts to clean. However, this is a small price to pay for what you get in return when using slow juicers:
The price range for juicers can vary anywhere from $50 to $500, with the slow juicers usually carrying the higher price tag. The price is often a reflection of the juicer quality – the higher the price, the better the quality.
Which is the best juicer to buy? My suggestion is to ultimately get the best juicer you can afford and start juicing as soon as possible. A cheap juicer is better than no juicer. Then, you can slowly save up for the juicer of your dreams.
So we can conclude that overall, slow juicers are better. Their operation and performance surpass that of fast juicers, and the juice yield and quality is also superior.
Whatever juicer you decide to get, the most important thing is that you start juicing today and start reaping the health benefits of this nutritious liquid superfood.
Me, before and after adopting juicing and a plant-based diet.
PURELY PLANT-BASED: SELF-PACED ONLINE PROGRAM
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