Although power chains like Starbucks are still going strong, juice bars are giving them a run for their money. With new locations seeming to pop up every day, ginger shots are becoming the new espresso shots.
Think about it. You’ve probably seen signs for “cold-pressed juice” just as much as you see signs for “hot coffee.” And you’ve definitely at least heard of someone drinking celery juice because apparently it’s as powerful to celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Kylie Jenner as spinach was to Popeye.
So, you’ve probably joined in on the trend by stopping into one of those juice bars and paying $7 for a cup of blended and mixed fruits. Yes, it’s delicious but it’s also expensive. That’s why you should think about doing the juicing yourself.
We know it can be overwhelming. I mean, what does cold-pressed really even mean? Well, we’re here to tell you. Starting with the fact that there are two main types of juicers — centrifugal and masticating — and “cold-pressed” juice comes from only one of them.
What is the difference between centrifugal and masticating juicers?
It all comes down to how the food is being broken down. Centrifugal juicers use a high-speed blade to slice and dice whatever ingredients you put in. It’ll remind you a lot of a blender, actually. They’re quick, easy, and usually a bit noisy.
Masticating juicers are made up of gears that squeeze and grind the food instead. Citrus juicers, although they are not technically masticating, fit into this category as well because of the spinning and squeezing that takes place during the manual process. (You can buy a non-manual masticating juicer, but they cost a lot more.)
Which is the best choice for you and your lifestyle?
This depends on what you plan on doing with the juice. While centrifugal juicers may seem like the best choice at first glance because of their power and speed, there are definitely some downsides.
Since the blade just slices and doesn’t squeeze, a lot of the actual juice remains in the food instead of ending up in your glass. In addition, the heat that comes from the speed of the blade can destroy some of the natural enzymes and nutrients of the food. So, if you’re looking to get everything you can out of your produce, this may not be for you…but there are still some great uses.
If you intend to use the juice for cooking and baking, then the lost nutrients from the juicer won’t necessarily make a difference since the same loss would eventually occur once placed on your stovetop or in your oven. From salad dressing to sweet poaching liquids for your chicken or salmon, there are a ton of recipes you can try.
Or, you may be excited to make your own cosmopolitan or flavored martini. In that case, we’re guessing that you’re not overly concerned with the exact vitamins and minerals you’re drinking, so go ahead and grab a centrifugal juicer to get those meals and drinks ready as quick as possible. (Check out some of the best centrifugal juicers that we’ve rounded up.)
If “destroys some of the natural enzymes and nutrients” made you want to cry, this next part is dedicated to you. You can open your eyes now, the scary part is over and we’re about to give you all the juice cleanse talk you love to hear.
Masticating juicers give you all that you came for. They give you the cold-pressed juice that everyone’s crazy about (yup, the elimination of the heat from the centrifugal blade is where the name comes from). Whether it’s your new goal to have a fresh juice every morning (you haven’t lived ’til you’ve combined raw spinach and strawberries) or are going all the way and doing a juice cleanse, a masticating juicer will extract all the good stuff and magically create a drink that’ll leave you glowing from the inside out. Okay, it’s not necessarily magic…you basically do it yourself but still, it’s great.
Besides, a juicer and the supplies for a cleanse will still probably end up cheaper than just purchasing a 3-day juice cleanse cooler from somewhere like Juice Generation where it’s $174.
If the latter is more of the direction you’re trying to go, check out our favorite manual veggie and citrus masticating juicers:
The parts that come in contact with food are BPA-free • All parts are detachable for easy storage • Dishwasher safe
Height of spout is a bit short and awkward to fit a cup under
Everything is on point from quality, to price, to functionality.
Between
air fryers,
slow cookers and all of the other kitchen gadgets that have taken over the world, you may not have much counter space left. While most juicers only contribute to that problem, Mueller has found a way to get around it — making your job even easier.
At just $40, their juicer is not only reasonably priced while doing everything that a more expensive juicer does, but it also has an insanely easy clean-up process that reviewers love (shoutout to dishwashers).
From wheatgrass to pomegranates, this juicer can handle whatever you throw its way. When you’re done, just detach the parts and store it away in a kitchen cabinet until it’s time for your next delicious refreshment.
Customer
Lettie Banes said:
“Even though I still have an electric juicer, that one we use only if there is a bigger amount of fruit we want to juice, since cleaning it is a nightmare. It has really professional quality of juice, is very fast, but this one does the job when I just want to have a few glasses of freshly squeezed vegetables and fruit. I just put parts in the dishwasher and wipe the platform and it is done.”
Secure-locking suction base and a table clamp • BPA-free grinder • Built-in cup
If you want the power to juice a dozen fruits and veggies, but don’t want your kitchen to look like you did, this simple and clean juicer is for you.
I don’t know about you, but this forest green and white design makes me feel like I’m in an episode of “I Love Lucy” and should be wearing a plaid apron. I mean that in the best way. Besides its adorable design, this juicer has a lot to offer.
Its large spout and powerful crack are perfect to grind up stubborn wheatgrass, large collard greens, tough carrots and so much more. And once you place your ingredients in, no need to fumble around holding a glass underneath. The built-in cup is there to catch your amazing creation. Once you’re done with all that, you can dissemble the parts and rinse off. Yup, that’s it. No tedious scrubbing is required. This juicer makes it all a bit too easy.
Customer
Stacy said:
“I’m so glad I bought this despite the few bad reviews it received. Wheatgrass juicers are very expensive and this little jem does a wonderful job with that. I’ve had so much trouble putting fibrous celery through my masticating juicer that gets all bound up and was amazed how effortlessly efficient this has been in contrast and produces a very dry pulp. I was concerned about the suction cup not being enough to hold but it has done very well and is nice not to have the clamp as it does get in the way of the crank handle a bit if you don’t have a straight edge countertop to attach it to. It does great with leafy greens and produces excellent juice. I love the fact that I can travel with it if needed too. It goes quite quickly for a few glasses but if you’re juicing a lot of produce I’d have a cold extraction breville or masticating juicer in conjunction for time management and for harder produce which I’ve not ventured to try yet and probably won’t. This has saved me time and $$$ on wheatgrass, celery, and greens alone as opposed to frequenting the juice bars.”
Comfy, silicone-bonded handles • Stainless steel bowl
A bit pricier than most hand juicers
If you don’t plan on juicing frequently but still want something in the house for lemon emergencies, you won’t regret going with this quality that’ll last.
Although there are some great hand juicers that may be worth the quick buy (like
this Zulay one), we would rather recommend you one that seems like it will last a long time.
Unlike the plastic that most other hand juicers are made out of, this sleek Bellemain squeezer is made of stainless steel and has silicon-bonded handles. That means two things. No handles snapping in half due to a particularly tough lemon and no hand cramps.
At $21.99, you may be passing a $10 option in the supermarket and wondering why you would pay that much. Quality reigns in this case. Buy it once, and you’ll juice too many lemons to count before you need to buy it again.
Customer
Loopoo said:
“I love to cook ~ I love fresh lemon and lime (how would we ever cook creatively without them?) ~ and I love a product that lives up to its claims. After going through 3 lemon squeezers that fell apart, didn’t want to be washed in the dishwasher, and chipped their enamel coating off, I was ready for this quality product. It is well-made, straightforward (vs. the styles with gears that are the dickens to wash and store, and get wobbly after a year or so)), and comfortable with its coated handle ends. It simply does what it’s supposed to do, doesn’t make a big fuss, and takes up minimal space in the drawer. I’ll bet I have this one for the rest of my days!”
Multifunctional • Anti-slip silicone base • BPA-free • Dishwasher safe
The makers of this juicer seem to have thought of everything.
If you’re all about that multifunctional lifestyle and seek out products that do more than one thing, then you’ll love this squeezer.
Not only does Drizom’s product includes a 12-tooth reamer perfect for extracting maximum juice, but they also give you an attachable 3-claw large reamer for oranges and other large citrus fruits. The juicing process is easy with its silicone base and built-in cup that stop any mess from happening.
Squeezing isn’t the only thing that can be done, however. If a recipe calls for lemon zest in addition to lemon juice, you’re all set since this juicer includes a grater, and even an egg yolk separator. This means less things to wash especially since you can plop this little guy right in the dishwasher after using it.
Customer
A. Morison said:
“my manual juicer has served me well but it has seen better days and it was time to replace it. I love this new one..It comes with a grater as well and tops pop in out easily for cleaning and hold in place so that it doesn’t move all over when in use.It’s perfect for travel, is compact and stores everything together so your (I’m) never looking for the parts. Love it!”
Measurement markings • BPA-free
This is great for all the cocktails makers our there who need exact measurements for their delicious creations.
5. OXO Small Citrus Juicer
This is great for all the cocktails makers our there who need exact measurements for their delicious creations.
We’re giving you another great way to wash fewer dishes with this citrus juicer that has convenient markings to save you from having to pull out a measuring cup just for a quick pour.
This is the best way to get the job done fast. Its unique and sharp reamer is quick to get a great amount of juice out (as reported by some
reviewers) while its marked cup is there for you to immediately divvy up the liquid however your recipe suggests.
Not to mention, both parts are BPA-free.
Customer
Fairlawn16 said:
“I have almost always had good luck with OXO kitchen products, but I wasn’t expecting to like this product as much as I do. We use lemon and limes for a variety of teas and other drinks at home, but getting the juices squeezed out was always a pain. The juicer on this does an excellent job of getting as much juice as possible while not letting any seeds get mixed in to the juice. The measurements on the side of the cup are easy to read. Clean up is a easy as it can be put in a dishwasher or quickly taken apart and washed by hand.
I doubt I will need to replace this any time soon, but I will probably get OXO again.”
Made of cast iron and stainless steel • Suction cups on bottom
Over 2 feet tall and difficult to store
If you don’t necessarily have a pitcher’s arm, this juicer will get the job done for you.
If you would love to make all the delicious concoctions we’ve mentioned but just don’t have enough trust in your arm strength, don’t go to the boxed juices just yet. There’s still hope and it comes in the shape of this Gourmia citrus juicer.
You won’t have to fumble around with a hand-held juicer. Instead, just plop your lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit in and watch every last drop come out. All you have to do is push the handle down as hard as you can —and don’t worry, the suction cups on the bottom will keep it from moving.
Plus, the two small removable parts are easy to clean so you can spend more time drinking homemade lemonade and less time scrubbing away.
Customer
Barbara Gillette said:
“I’ve used my Gourmia juice press two times now and really like it. It arrived ready to use out of the box. I really like the suction cups that hold it steady to the countertop. The construction seems really solid, like it will last forever. It stores easily in my lower cabinet with pots and pans. Nothing to clean up, just two pieces to rinse off. The grapefruits I pressed were bone dry when done. Very happy with this product.”
Some reviewers reported water remaining in top cap after washing
This simple device is perfect for taking away the annoyance of trying to hold and squeeze slippery fruit.
If you need a little extra help with juicing but don’t have the space (or budget) to go for the Gourmia juicer, this simple and appropriately-colored hand citrus juicer will give you what you’re looking for.
Its easy-to-grip cap has 12-pin fixed positions that hold the fruit firmly so that a great amount of juice comes out after rotating. The cups hold 16 oz so you’ll have plenty of room to juice a few oranges in a row.
It’s easy-to clean, store and even take on-the-go (although be aware that the cap is not sealed).
Customer
Bibliophila said:
“Best designed juicer – The lid is large enough for me to grasp firmly, which makes it easy to twist. The inside of the lid grasps the fruit firmly, so I get all the juice out. The middle strainer piece is really easy to wash and get all the fiber out. And then the cup holds 2 cups of liquid, so I can use it as a measuring cup for the rest of the liquid for my smoothie.
It’s the best designed juicer I’ve ever found. In fact, I went looking for this design. I had owned one before I moved and left it behind. Then I had to find it again because I missed it so! Further benefit: the colors make me happy, too!”
