Have you ever wondered about the difference between all the different juicers out there? Do you want a juicer that will give you the highest juice yield? We’ll go over everything you need to know about what a masticating juicer is and which one to buy.

It can be challenging to fit in all of the nutrition your body needs in a day. No one has the time to chew through a dry and boring salad every day.

And who would want to, anyway? Juicing fresh fruits and vegetables gives your body the nutrition it needs quickly and easily.

There are several different types of juicers on the market, but one of the most popular is the masticating juicer. If you like juice that’s thick, tasty, and nutritious, you’ll want to get a masticating juicer. You’ll get all of the nutrition you need without any of the hassles.

Buying juice from the store is an expensive habit that adds up quickly. Buy a masticating juicer, and you’ll save time and money.

Here’s everything you need to know about masticating juicers and how to find the right one: 

What Is A Masticating Juicer?

A masticating juicer typically has a feeding chute where you put the produce in to be crushed. It then goes into a small chamber where it gets crushed to separate the juice from the pulp. A masticating juicer is called this because it uses a masticating action to turn the produce into juice.

Instead of using a blade like a centrifugal juicer, a masticating juicer features a rotating auger. This auger rotates at a slow speed, usually between 80-100 RPM. The rotating auger crushes the produce against a hard surface, separating the juice from the pulp.

The juice is then strained through a wire mesh filter, also known as a stainless steel strainer. After it passes through the strainer, the juice comes out of an extraction tube and into your glass. The pulp gets deposited in a separate section where you can then dispose of it.

Most masticating juicers involve one rotating auger crushing fruit against a hard surface. However, some masticating juicers crush the fruit between two rotating augers.

These are called twin-gear juicers. They are typically the highest quality of masticating juicers, as they rotate at an even slower speed. This preserves even more nutrients in the juice and creates even less oxidation.

The masticating juicer is also called a slow or cold press juicer because the slow speed of the motor means that the produce doesn’t get heated. This maintains the nutrition of the juice and prevents it from oxidizing. When too much air is added during the juicing process, the juice oxidizes, and its shelf life is reduced.

A centrifugal juicer uses a spinning blade to slice the fruit to extract the juice. A masticating juicer, on the other hand, slowly crushes the fruits and vegetables and gives you a higher juice yield.

What Are The Benefits Of A Masticating Juicer?

A masticating juicer has many benefits that centrifugal juicers do not, including:

Juice quality

The juice quality of a masticating juicer is much better than that of a centrifugal juicer. Because of the slow speed of the juicer, the juice retains more of the nutrition of the produce.

It also creates less oxidation, leading to juice that will last longer in the fridge without spoiling. Oxidized juice will change color and be much less fresh and healthy.

Because there’s less oxidation and less nutrition loss, the juice from a masticating juicer will usually taste much better as well.

Juice yield

One of the headaches of using a centrifugal juicer is the amount of juice that gets left in the pulp. Masticating juicers squeeze more juice out of the produce, leaving you with drier pulp and more juice. A high juice yield also means you waste less produce to make the same amount of juice.

Thicker in texture

Because centrifugal juicers leave so much juice in the pulp, the juice they do produce tends to be runny. Masticating juicers create a juice that’s thicker in texture and much more flavorful.

Noise level

Centrifugal juicers are known for waking up the whole neighborhood every time you turn one on. Masticating juicers tend to be much quieter due to their low speed.

Some are louder than others, but masticating juicers are some of the most silent juicers on the market.

Maintenance & ease of use

Masticating juicers tend to have fewer parts, which make them easy to use and easy to clean. Assembly is a breeze, and components can be easily disassembled to clean.

A lot of masticating juicers have parts that are dishwasher safe. And with fewer parts, there’s less chance of things breaking and needing to be replaced.

Versatility

Centrifugal juicers are pretty limited in their juicing capabilities. Most masticating juicers, however, are capable of juicing both soft and hard produce as well as leafy greens. Many come with additional attachments that you can use to make baby food, nut milks, frozen sorbets, and more.

Are There Any Drawbacks To Using A Masticating Juicer?

Longer prep time

One downside to using a masticating juicer is that they tend to require a bit more prep time. You’ll want to precut the fruits and vegetables before you put them into the feeding chute to reduce the chance of clogging. Many masticating juicers will have narrow feed chutes that will require precutting anyway.

Processing is not fast

It’s called a slow presser for a reason. It takes a little bit of time to make a high-quality cup of juice. Masticating juicers require a bit of patience, but they’ll yield a higher amount of delicious and nutritious juice.

Weight

Masticating juicers tend to be somewhat heavier than centrifugal juicers. This can make it harder to store and transport. However, this can be a good thing as the heavier weight ensures it will be stable during juicing.

Price

You get what you pay for when it comes to a juicer. Masticating juicers tend to be a little more expensive than centrifugal juicers, with many top-rated starting at about $300.

However, you’ll save money in the long run by not buying juice in the store. You’ll also save by wasting less produce than with a centrifugal juicer.

Is A Masticating Juicer Better Than A Centrifugal Juicer?

It’s hard to qualify one juicer as better than another due to people’s individual juicing needs. However, masticating juicers do have many benefits that centrifugal juicers do not.

Masticating juicers will waste less food because they’re better at breaking it down into the juice. However, they do require more prep time and are more prone to clogging.

Centrifugal juicers work faster than masticating juicers, but they can’t handle leafy greens nearly as well. Masticating juicers are also much quieter than centrifugal juicers, and they’re also much more versatile.

Although centrifugal juicers are cheaper, the versatility and higher juice yield of masticating juicers make them more cost-efficient.

If you’re looking to invest in a higher-quality juicer, choose a masticating juicer. The benefits vastly outweigh the drawbacks, and your money will be much better spent.

How To Choose The Right Masticating Juicer For You

Single Auger Vs. Double Auger

There are two types of masticating juicers: single auger and double auger. Single auger juicers crush produce between a rotating auger and a hard surface and double auger juicers crush produce between two rotating augers.

Double auger juicers are typically higher quality as they can juice more significant amounts of fruits and vegetables.

They are also more durable, as single auger juicers tend to break down more often. Double auger juicers are more expensive, but they can be worth the extra investment since they won’t break down.

They’ll also be able to juice a more extensive range of produce, from leafy greens to wheatgrass.

Vertical Vs. Horizontal

Vertical masticating juicers tend to have the benefits of both centrifugal and masticating juicers. They’re much faster than horizontal juicers, but this will result in slightly more oxidation and loss of nutrition.

Vertical juicers also have larger feeding chutes, meaning you’ll need to spend less time on food prep.

Vertical juicers use a vertically rotating auger, while horizontal juicers use a horizontally rotating auger. This means that the horizontal juicer may require you to be more active in pushing the produce through the auger.

Vertical masticating juicers are also easier to clean than horizontal juicers. They usually come with a juice cap that allows you to run water through the juicer and rinse it in between juicing.

Horizontal masticating juicers will be better at juicing leafy greens than vertical juicers. They also tend to come with more attachments to make things like nut butter or baby food. If you value versatility, a horizontal masticating juicer may be the better choice.

Why Masticating Juicers Are Best For Juicing Leafy Greens, Wheatgrass, And Celery

Centrifugal juicers chop leafy greens and spin them at high speed to separate the juice from the fiber. This doesn’t work very well with something that isn’t as dense as an apple.

They can only get a tiny bit of juice from something as stringy as wheatgrass before discarding most of the produce into the pulp section.

Masticating juicers squeeze the juice slowly out of the leafy greens, extracting as much of the juice as possible.

The slower rotation of the auger means that they have more time to process the vegetables than a centrifugal juicer.

Anything stringy like leafy greens, wheatgrass, or celery will require a masticating juicer to extract the most juice they have to offer.

FAQs

Q. How long does juice last from a masticating juicer?

A. Juice from a masticating juicer usually lasts up to 48 hours in the fridge. Centrifugal juicers make juice that only lasts up to 24 hours. Double auger masticating juicers, however, can make juice that will last up to 4-5 days.

Q. Is it reasonable to drink vegetable juice every day?

A. Yes! Your body will absorb nutrients better when drinking vegetable juice than when eating the vegetables. Regular consumption of vegetables has a high number of health benefits. Drinking vegetable juice every day ensures that you’re getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function.

Q. Is a masticating juicer the same as cold press?

A. Yes. Cold press is another name for a masticating juicer. It’s named that because it operates at a slower speed than centrifugal juicers, so it generates less heat.

Q. Why is cold-pressed juice better?

A. Cold-pressed juice lasts longer in the fridge than juice from a centrifugal juicer. It also maintains more of the nutrition and has less oxidation. This means that cold-pressed juice tends to taste better in addition to being better for you.

Your Takeaway

When choosing a masticating juicer, it’s best to look at the long run. If you invest more upfront in a juicer, you’ll save money on produce that would be wasted in a lower quality juicer. But it’s up to you to decide how much you’re willing to spend on a masticating juicer.

If you’re willing to go big, go for the Tribest Greenstar Elite. It’s the most versatile juicer, and it will provide you with a super high-quality cup of juice. If you love to cook, you can use it for all sorts of things.

If you’re starting and want to start small, try the Mueller juicer. It’s an inexpensive investment that will get the job done. If you like simple juices with hard and soft produce, it’ll work just fine.

My personal favorite is the Hurom juicer. I love the sleek design, and the safety feature is a great bonus to prevent any accidents from happening. It’s a great middle of the road choice for any juice lovers out there.

If you’re looking into buying a masticating juicer, you’re already taking a step in the right direction. Masticating juicers are some of the highest quality juicers on the market.

You’ll be sure to love whichever juicer you choose, so long as you add freshly made juice to your daily routine. Add some more nutrition to your life and buy a masticating juicer today!