Choosing a juicer

There are many different juicers on the market but they all fall into a few categories that are outlined below.

Centrifugal juicers

These chop and separate ingredients by a spinning metal basket. They are available on the high street and are relatively inexpensive (average price £50-£100). The down side is that the metal basket gets hot as it spins and this can cause a deterioration of the juice. Also the pulp tends to be quite wet meaning juice is wasted and they can be quite difficult to clean. For people juicing on a daily basis these juicers are not ideal as many of them are not particularly sturdy.

Masticator/Grinder-Strainer juicers

These grind the ingredients and push them through a metal screen. There are no moving metal parts to heat up and the juice quality is thought to be superior to that from the centrifugal juicers. Other plus points are that there is less wastage of juice and they cope better with stringy vegetables such as wheatgrass and cabbage. These juicers are sturdier than the centrifugal juicers and are easier to clean. The down side is that they are not so easily available and usually have to be ordered through a mail-order company. They are also quite bulky and are relatively expensive (average price £160-£300).

Hydraulic press juicers

These are the ultimate in juicers due to the very small amount of heat produced, allowing for a high quality juice, and the efficient extraction. Unfortunately they are out of the price league for most people costing almost £2000. They are also difficult to obtain and very large and bulky.

Overall we recommend people use the masticator/grinder-strainer juicers but for those on a budget it is certainly worth juicing using a centrifugal juicer.

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