Buying the Perfect Juicer
Cost is one of the biggest factors in choosing a juicer. Though high price doesn't necessarily mean high quality, there is always a certain amount of correlation between the two. Juicers range anywhere from $75 to $350 — and you usually get what you pay for.
Factors to Consider
Besides cost, there are other important factors to be considered before putting down money for a juicer:
Ease of use. Look for an easy-to-use juicer that does not require much time and effort to operate and clean.
Reliability. Buy a trusted brand that does not require you to replace parts often.
Horsepower. Make sure your juicer has at least 0.5 horsepower to avoid burning out.
Multiple speeds. Buy a quality juicer that has at least two speeds — high for harder jobs and slow for easier ones. Inexpensive juicers have only one high speed. In addition, make sure your machine has electronic circuitry that maintains blade speed during juicing.
Feed tube. Look for a juicer with a large feed tube to avoid having to cut produce into teensy pieces. Also, make sure the tube is easy to use at your height.
Versatility. Make sure your machine can handle tough, hard vegetables and fruits like carrots, pineapple skins, watermelon rinds, and beets, as well as delicate greens like lettuce, parsley, and herbs.
Output. Check out how much juice your model can extract from the given quantity of food, choosing machines that remove at least 90 percent of the juice from the pulp. Some models yield more pulp than juice: Models that extract the pulp to an outside container leave less pulp behind than those that separate the pulp inside the machine.
Size. Make sure you buy the right size juicer for your needs. If you plan to create juice just for yourself, choose a juicer with a beaker that holds a cup.
Continuous juicing. Choose a machine that ejects pulp into a receptacle rather than a juicer that keeps the pulp in a center basket. Juicers with center baskets require that you stop the machine and wash out the basket frequently in order to continue juicing.
Simplicity. Choose a juicer that has only a few parts to clean. The more parts a juicer has, and the harder and more complicated it is to wash, the longer it will take to clean and reassemble — and the less likely you'll be to want to use it again. Also, make sure all the washable parts of your juicer are dishwasher safe. In general, centrifugal juicers are easier to clean than masticating juicers.
Quality. Make sure your juicer sits securely and solidly on your counter and doesn't jiggle around when you use it. You want to feed your body, not your floor!
Noise. Choose a juicer that is quiet. Some brands are so loud you may need to wear earplugs to use them. In general, centrifugal juicers and more expensive models tend to be quieter than masticating models.
Some of the popular and reliable brands of juicers include Champion, Omega, Nutrisource, Lequip, Juice Fountain, Samson, Solo Star, Green Star, and Green Power. You can find reviews from sources like Consumer Reports and ConsumerSearch, but you might also want to get first-hand reviews from friends and family who already own juicers.
