Juicers: A Consumer Guide

WHAT IS THE BEST JUICER ON THE MARKET? Is it the ACME, Omega, Champion, Juiceman, Vitamix, Phoenix, Miracle, or Norwalk? Shopping for a juicer is very confusing. Everyone gives you conflicting information.

Who do you believe? Do you believe the company that tells you the “complete juice” is the best and then tries to sell you a $400 blender? Do you believe the health store that tries to talk you out of the juicer you want and then tries to sell you what he has on the shelf? Do you believe the man on TV that says he had the best juicer by comparing it with cheap $40 juicers.

We're not going to tell you there is one juicer that's the best. Our goal is to educate you so you have a better understanding on what to look for in a juicer. We want you to be able to make your own decisions in selecting the right juicer for your needs. We don't want you to buy some juicer because it looks good on TV. We want you to have the facts.

Our company is made up of technical engineers and nutritional experts. The information listed below is based on our thorough technical evaluation of each machine, our knowledge in nutrition, and our years of experience with juicers. If you have any questions, feel free to talk to our technical specialists and nutritional consultants.

What To Look For In A Juicer

1) EASE - This is by far the most important requirement because the easier a juicer is to use and clean up, the more often you will use it. None of the other criteria listed below matters if you don't use the juicer.

2) YIELD: The amount of juice extracted from the fruit or vegetable. It is important that you maximize the amount of juice extracted. An efficient juicer can get as much as 40% more juice. Juicers that eject the pulp outside the machine yield about 30% less juice than juicers that keep the pulp in the basket. 30% less juice is equivalent to throwing 1 glass of juice down the drain for every 2 glasses you drink.

3) TYPE - Centrifugal, Low Speed and High Speed Masticating and Hydraulic Press Juicers. Centrifugal juicers introduce oxygen into the juice, creating oxidation. Oxidation degrades nutrients not immediately but over time. To maximize the nutrients of the juice, we recommend you drink the juice as soon as you make it.  Low speed masticating juicers produce a higher quality juice because they don't produce as much oxidation.   High speed masticating juicers can be problematic if heat is generated.  Heat will destroy nutrients on contact, unlike oxidation which occurs over time. Hydraulic Press juicers produce very little oxidation, and therefore produce the highest nutrient juice.

3) JUICE QUALITY: Different juice extraction processes produce varying quality juice in terms of nutrients.

4) RELIABILITY - A good juicer is built to last many years. They are usually guaranteed with warranties of 5 to 10 years. An inexpensive juicer lacks reliability, and is typically warranted 90 days to 1 year. Most inexpensive juicers were not built for daily use. The cutting blade usually wears out after 2 to 4 months, and the motor burns out after your warranty expires.

5) POWER - A powerful motor will allow you to juice harder produce quicker without straining the motor. Power is measured by watts and not RPMs. RPMs measure the number of rotations per minute. The higher the RPM, the faster the nutrient from the produce is destroyed by oxidation. A motor rating of 450 watts or greater is recommended.

6) REPLACEMENT PARTS - Finding replacement parts for unknown juicers can be a nightmare. Getting replacement parts from some manufacturers can take 4 to 8 weeks. Once you get into juicing every day, 1 week is too long to go without a juicer. Imagine not having a toothbrush for 4 to 8 weeks!