Who Makes the Best Juicer?

One of my favorite sources of energy is fresh juice from my juicer.  A fresh glass of orange & grapefruit juice really hits the spot in the morning and a carrot, apple, beet and ginger at 2pm helps lift the afternoon lull.

Although it looks pretty good in the picture, my juicer has definitely seen better days. I’ve had my old Braun for over 15 years and the time has come to retire old faithful and select a better, if not the best, juicer.

A lot has changed in juicer technology over the years and they can be an investment depending on what you are looking for. My criteria for picking the best juicer is:

• Easy to clean – not too many small parts
• Efficient – must make good use of the veggies and fruit
• Stainless steel or type of material that limits staining
• Can juice the hard vegetables like beets, carrots and ginger
• Fits nicely on my kitchen counter for daily use
• A bonus would be that it can juice leafy greens like spinach and kale, or even Wheatgrass

There are basically two types of juicers to choose from: masticating juicers or centrifugal juicers.

A masticating juicer can be thought of much the same as your jaw. It grinds or “chews” the juice from the  fruit and veggies rather than the spinning and cutting action used by centrifugal juicers. A masticating juicer is considered to be the better choice if you want to juice leafy greens although not all juice greens. They tend to be quieter and there is less friction/heat produced due to the grinding nature of the juicer which preserves the enzymes and nutrients better, allowing you to store the juice for a couple of days. The drawback of masticating juicers is that they can be more time consuming for those who want to make a quick glass of juice however they are considered to be more efficient, producing more juice from the same amount of fruit as a centrifugal.

The centrifugal juicer spins at high speeds to grind the food into a pulp while simultaneously spinning the juice from the pulp. A centrifugal can juice high volumes of juice at a time, is considered to be a great starting juicer for household use and kids may prefer juice from this juicer as it tends to be less pulpy. If you drink this juice right away, you still benefit nutritionally in the same way as a masticating.

So who makes the best juicer?

I researched quite a few juicers (Jack Lalanne, Omega 8005, L’Equipe, Dr Weil 9816 1000, Breville 800JEXL, Champion 2000+)  with similar features like price range and horsepower. I also read all the comments from Amazon customers to get a better idea of possible problems or additional benefits. The reason I looked past 4 of the above juicers is either they did not meet my criteria or the reviews were too hit and miss for me to be confident in the purchase. If there were too many functional or warranty issues, I moved on.

Finally, I narrowed down my top 2 picks: one masticating and one centrifugal juicer.

Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000 Watts

• This particular juicer is very stylish because of the die-cast steel housing
• It has 2 speed controls with the highest reaching 13,000RPM and the lowest going to 6,500RPM (high speed is used for harder fruits whereas the lowest is for softer fruits)
• It contains a micro-mesh filter basket to catch the pulp, which makes it very easy to clean
• One of the best features is that you don’t have to stop to clean in between your juicing session and the easy cleanup
• Another great feature is the wide-mouth opening for whole fruits and veggies, which measures 3 inches
• The price for this one is $259.88 on sale (retail $399.99)
• Approximately 20 pounds

Champion 2000+ Commercial Model Juicer G5-PG-710

• This juicer is heavy duty
• It contains 1.75 inches diameter feed tube (need to cut F&V)
• It is relatively quiet for a commercial unit
• Nylon as opposed to plastic parts
• Can make coconut milk, baby foods, fruit sauces, nut butters however it is not great for leafy greens although some reviewers say it juices Wheatgrass just fine.
  
• Juice comes out cold if cold F&V used
  
• Has full power 1/3 horsepower
• It is easy to clean
• 10 year warranty
• The price for this one is $232.99 on sale (retail $289.99)
• It is a bit heavy compared to the rest at 24 pounds and takes up slightly more space on counter

Which juicer is best for us?

Deciding who makes the best juicer for the price depends on what you are looking for. Both the masticating and centrifugal types have their benefits and limitations. I’ve been analyzing these two juicers for a while and I’ve been stuck on whether I want a fast, pulp free juicer that may be a little less efficient with food VS a slower, pulpier juicer that takes up more room on the counter but the nutrients in the juice may last longer and may a little more efficient with the food?

We decided that Breville makes the best juicer for our family. It is a fast machine, will juice anything and at high volumes, is easy to clean, has TONS of positive customer reviews, saves time through feeding whole foods into it, and it was highlighted by Fresh Restaurant’s juicing gurus as a good one to choose for the home. The Breville, in my opinion, is the best choice in it’s class for a “juice on the go” family with children who don’t care for pulp. We decided to pass on juicing our greens (we’ll eat them instead) and stick with our green smoothies.

This isn’t the same type of decision as buying a toaster. I always hum and haw over the more expensive online purchases and analyze the options to death! I hope I’ve made the right choice for now – The Champion is a great juicer and my parents have decided to buy it so I’ll be able to try them both and report back. I’m sure I’ll be happy with my decision and I’m excited to create some awesome healthy juices for my kids!

Tagged as: Eating Well, Product Reviews