How to choose a juicer

A juicer is a great helper for making fresh natural juice rich in vitamins. Purchasing a juicer indicates, first of all, that a person cares about his own health and the health of his loved ones. For this reason, it is necessary to choose such a product carefully, having studied in detail all the necessary nuances. After all, the quality of the finished product depends not only on the ingredients used in its preparation, but also on the device with which it was obtained.

What criteria should you consider when choosing a juicer for your home?

When choosing this device, it is recommended to pay special attention to the following parameters:

• the presence of a special container for pulp;
• type of separator (can be cylindrical or conical);
• the presence of several speed modes;
• device power;
• the presence of a foam separator (a very convenient addition that eliminates the need for additional straining of the resulting juice);
• acceptable cyclicity and optimal duration of work (for example, 10 minutes can be used continuously, then you must take a break of 1 minute);
• a detailed list of fruits and vegetables that can and cannot be squeezed in this unit.

IMPORTANT! The main requirement for any juicer is strict compliance with the technical specifications stated in the instructions for use.

Speed ​​shift function

There are different operating modes for different ingredients. Certain models of such devices often have up to 9 speed modes. But in practice, 2–3 is quite enough. The lower the speed, the more transparent and pure the juice will be, for example, from apples. Some centrifugal models have only 1 mode. Such juicers cannot be used to obtain fresh juice from fruits and vegetables that are relatively soft.

Acceleration speed

For the fastest possible squeezing of the finished product, a centrifugal model with a speed of 8000–10000 rpm is better suited. At lower speeds, the device will function more slowly and therefore consume more power. Too high speeds only slightly increase the efficiency of the device. Electricity is also consumed in excessive amounts. Citrus juicers and auger devices have relatively low speeds.

Power

HThe higher this indicator is, the faster and better quality the device will produce juice. Models designed for citrus fruits have power from 20 to 80 W.This is quite enough to get fresh lemon or juicy orange. For centrifugal type devices, the typical power is from 250 to 300 W. In this case, the rotation speed of the separator reaches 10,000–12,000 rpm. The performance of screw devices varies from 150 to 250 W. If the centrifuge speed is high, the finished product will contain a larger volume of pulp.

It doesn’t make much sense to purchase a device with excessively high performance (up to 23,000 rpm), since this factor has almost no effect on the quality of the finished product and the performance of the device.

Material of manufacture

The body of such a device is made of aluminum, plastic or stainless steel. Juicers with a metal body are more reliable than plastic ones and have a more impressive appearance. But at the same time they are heavier and their cost is higher. Plastic models have a more reasonable price. In addition, they are easier to care for. If handled with care, a plastic juicer will work properly for many years.

Every detail of such a device must be durable and of high quality. The centrifuge in centrifugal-type models is in all cases made of stainless steel. Auger devices and citrus juicers may have filter components made of plastic. This is explained by the less significant load on them due to low rotation speeds.

IMPORTANT! Fingerprints are clearly visible on the glossy black plastic and polished stainless steel.

Additional features

Before choosing a specific juicer model, you need to decide whether you will need any additional features. Models with many different functions are more expensive, but they also produce juice faster and of better quality.

Key additional features include:

• “drop-stop” function (if, after turning off the juicer, you lift or turn the spout, the last drops of squeezed juice will not fall on the table);
• rubberized legs or legs with suction cups, providing additional stability;
• automatic pulp ejection;
• special compartment for cleaning the cord;
• smooth engine start.

Such features allow you to make the process of obtaining juice more enjoyable, faster and more comfortable.

What kind of juicers are there?

Today, the range of juicers is represented by auger and centrifugal models. How to figure it out: which one is better?

Screw - operating principle, pros and cons

They operate on the principle of a meat grinder: berries are fed into a special compartment, where they are subsequently ground. The main component of such a device is a conical spiral auger operating at low speeds. There are models with horizontal or vertical placement of the auger. They can be manual, horizontal single screw, horizontal twin screw or vertical.

Advantages:

• during processing, the maximum useful substances of the products used are preserved;
• you can stock up on preparations and store the juice in the refrigerator for two days without deteriorating its nutritional properties;
• the ingredients are squeezed out better, so more juice is obtained than in centrifugal devices;
• You can successfully extract juice even from seeds, grass and nuts;
• during operation, 1.5-2 times less foam is released compared to centrifugal devices;
• The device operates almost silently.

Flaws:

• high price;
• limited assortment;
• the juice turns out to be quite thick, similar to puree or baby food, which is not suitable for everyone.

REFERENCE! It will be an excellent option for vegetarians, raw foodists, families with small children and those who require pureed dietary food.

Centrifugal - operating principle, pros and cons

The most popular type of juicer. The main element of this unit is the separator - a saucer with small teeth and conical or cylindrical holes, made of metal. Initially, fruits are crushed in such devices using a grater. After this, the raw material ends up in a separator, where the juice is separated from the pulp under the influence of centrifugal force.

Devices of this type are divided into two types:

1. Models with a cylindrical separator - juicers belonging to this type provide a larger amount of juice, but they do not have the ability to automatically reject the pulp. Such devices become clogged quite quickly, after which they must be disassembled and washed by hand.
2. Models with conical cage. Waste accumulates in a tank specially designed for this purpose, which can be easily removed. But the power of such devices is much lower.

Advantages:

• affordability;
• varied assortment;
• versatility (can easily handle almost any product);
• ease of use (small fruits can be immersed entirely in the cylindrical hatch, which significantly saves time);
• Compared to a screw juicer, juice is squeezed out 2–4 times faster.

Flaws:

• a large amount of foam is formed;
• the juice is squeezed out less thoroughly when compared with a screw juicer;
• the action of centrifugal force provokes rapid oxidation of the juice, which negatively affects its taste;
• the device produces a lot of noise during operation;
• cannot be used for solid products;
• Quite tall models that take up a lot of space.

Such a unit is worth choosing if the main required function is the speed of obtaining the finished product. Also, such a device is useful in making juices from soft and juicy fruits and vegetables.

ATTENTION! The more compact the device, the less likely it is that it will subsequently have to gather dust idle on the mezzanine.

Using a juicer will be more pleasant and easier if it has the following useful little things:

• a product pusher that facilitates the process of loading ingredients into the neck of the device;
• wide diameter of the loading neck;
• safe mode - if the device is assembled incorrectly, it simply will not turn on;
• removable container for collecting waste.

There are a huge number of different models of juicers. Before purchasing such a device, you need to correctly determine its main purpose. It is also necessary to take into account the availability of free space in the kitchen so that the juicer can fit harmoniously into the surrounding space.