How to Choose the Best Juicer
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 and 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.