Types of Juicers

I’m in love. Yes, love. It feels real. It’s the new kind. The one that makes you skip, hop and sing. I can’t believe it. I’m telling everyone and anyone that cares (or doesn’t) about the new love of my life. She’s shiny and new, sturdy and strong, sleek and sexy! She does a whole lot but I honestly just care that she juices.

It’s the month of my birthday and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than to get a new juicer. After months of research, which pretty much consisted of reading reviews and watching YouTube videos, I finally decided on purchasing the Omega J8006 masticating juicer. I have owned my beloved Breville Fountain Juice Plus for 5 years now and it has served me more than well. I purchased it for $120 at Macy’s (with a coupon) in December of 2008. I unfortunately began to notice over the past few months that my pulp was getting wetter and wetter which meant wasted nutrients and money! Not cool. I am beyond thankful for my beloved Breville and for the little bit it cost me, it has rewarded me with great health and for that there is no price! I will more than likely still use my Breville from time to time but for now the star in my kitchen is my Omega J8006 masticating juicer.

Feel free to check out my post on Types of Juicers to get a simple rundown on the different kinds of juicers, their pros and cons, price points and what juicer will probably work best for you.

After only having experienced a centrifugal juicer, I knew I had to try something different. I purchased the Omega J8006 at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $239 with the 20% off coupon you can sign up for online and receive in the mail. It normally retails for $299. Thanks BBB, gotta love a deal 🙂 🙂 🙂 The Omega J8006 is sooooooo much better at juicing leafy greens and clean up is a breeze because the parts are so much smaller. My first juice recipe with my new juicer had to be the first juice recipe I ever posted on this blog (most popular one too) and one of my favorites, Grapefruit & Apple Juice Recipe.

Here she is…

~Happy Birthday to me & Happy Juicing!~

I was so eager to get this blog started and begin sharing the wonderful new juice recipes I was creating in my kitchen that I completely forgot to go over a few basics that anyone new or old to juicing might like to read about. I remember how hungry I was (and still am) for information in the beginning of my juicing journey. Having said that I would like to take the time to discuss very simply and clearly the three main types of juicers along with their pros and cons.

CENTRIFUGAL JUICERS

This is by far the most popular and most affordable type of juicer on the market. These juicers have a round disc with sharp blades that grind the vegetables and fruits as you push them through, allowing the juice through the sieve and out the spout while discarding the pulp on the opposite end into a container.

Pros

most affordable (price range is about $40-$300).
high RPM which makes them the fastest
they have a wide mouth/large feeding tube which means you don’t have to chop up your fruits and veggies too much or at all.
produce a pulp free high-yield juice

Cons

not so great at juicing leafy greens
can be quite loud
they have several (some quite bulky) parts to clean. I place a plastic baggie in my pulp container before I begin juicing which makes for one less part to clean up. I also clean the other parts immediately after juicing and before enjoying my juice.
The shredder/grinding disc spins incredibly fast which means the juice begins to oxidize. Try to always drink your juice immediately and store only if you must regardless of what juicer you use.

I own a Breville Juice Fountain Plus that I purchased in December of 2008 for $120 (with my Macy’s coupon). Check out the first green juice recipe I ever made with it. This is the one and only juicer I have owned and it has NEVER given me a problem. I use it several times a week and the only con that sometimes makes me want to get a new juicer is the fact that it is just ‘ok’ with leafy greens. Otherwise, I love my juicer, take good care of it and feel eternally grateful for the abundance of health that has come my way because of what it can do!

Here is my Breville Juice Fountain Plus today…

MASTICATING JUICERS

These are single gear juicers and tend to be more expensive than centrifugal juicers. They work by slowly grinding vegetables and fruits and then squeezing the juice out.

Pros

great at juicing leafy greens, including wheatgrass
easier to clean than centrifugal juicers
can make nut butters and fruit sorbets
not as loud as centrifugal juicers

Cons

they are more expensive than centrifugal juicers and range from about $200-$400
they are much slower than centrifugal juicers
they have a smaller feeding tube and therefore veggies and fruits need to be cut up quite a bit to get them through

After doing a bit of research if I wanted to purchase a masticating juicer I would get the Omega Vert VRT350. They seem to have great reviews across the web, have a 10 year warranty and are upright which means they take up less counter space!

TRITURATING (TWIN-GEAR) JUICERS

These juicers also work by grinding and pressing the juices out except they have an even slower RPM and double the gears to produce the highest quality juices a juicer can make.

Pros

able to juice any and all kinds of produce including leafy greens and wheatgrass exceptionally well
produce an incredibly high quality juice that barely undergoes any oxidation or exposure to heat.
produce extremely dry pulp
fairly quiet

Cons

most expensive and can range from $500-$2500
take the longest to make juice but good things come to those who wait, right?
have several parts to clean that can be a bit of a hassle.

Check this out to see what I consider to be the Rolls Royce of juicers. They cost a pretty penny but they definitely get the job done exceedingly well.

Remember, the BEST juicer for you is simply two things: