Buyers Guide: Juicer

A juicer in your kitchen lets you make healthy, fresh, and natural fruit (or vegetable) juice for you and your family. In this day and age where health is a prime concern, drinking fresh fruit juices is one of the ways to staying fit.

And while juicers are simply used to extract juice from fruits, you may be surprised to realize, when you go out to buy a juicer, that there are so many options available with several different features.

These are the things you need to think about before you decide on buying a juicer.

Sizes

You need to keep in mind just how much space you have available in your kitchen workspace. You want something you can keep on the counter all the time, ready to use. You want something that will make it easy for you to have fresh juice three times a day.

You don't want something that is so space-consuming, you need to take it out of a cupboard every time that you want to use it, then have to dry and store again afterward.

If the juicer you have your sights on has a feeding chute, check the size of the chute as well. Keep in mind that a smaller chute will require you to take more time in preparing your drink, as you would have to spend more time in cutting the ingredients to smaller pieces. The best chute size, of course, would let you drop a whole apple in.

Types

There are three types of juicer machines today.

• Centrifugal juicers create oxidation during the juicing process, which means that the juice must be drunk right away. This is fine for those who just make small batches of juice for their personal consumption, for a quick snack and such.

• Masticating juicers are low-speed juicers that do not create as much oxidation as centrifugal juicers. This is good for mothers who wish to create huge batches of different juices for their family, to store them in the fridge for later consumption.

  You also need at least a masticating juicer if you want to make juice from hard, non-juicy plants such as wheatgrass.

• Hydraulic press juicers are an upgrade to the masticating juicers. They are believed to make the most nutrient-rich juices because these juicers produce the least oxidation.

Pulp

Some juicers keep the pulp in a basket, while other automatically take the pulp out. The former yields more juice than the latter, so we would recommend you get the one that keeps the pulp in. A little pulp in your juice also increases its fiber content, which, as you know, is a good thing.

Ease of usage

Because juicers are, ideally, used every day, it is important that the juicer you buy is very easy to operate. Can you imagine how frustrating it would be to have to spend so much time and effort every day just to juice one orange?

Fortunately, newer models eliminate most of the complexities of using a juicer and allow you to start juicing with seconds.

Ease of cleaning

As you carefully consider how easy it will be to use a juicer you are eyeing, you should also consider how easy it will be to clean it. Some juicers are dishwasher safe, which would make the cleaning process much easier. You can also have the juicer taken apart at the store to see for yourself if there are a lot of nooks and crannies that fruit pulp can get stuck into, just so you know how to clean those areas up on your own.

If you get a juicer with a lot of nooks and crannies, it would be wise too to pass by the supermarket as well and get yourself a brush for cleaning those small spaces.

Motor power

Juicers have different kinds of motors. The kind of motor you need on your juicer would depend on what fruits you would be using your juicer on.

Generally, a 450- watt motor or higher is recommended for a juicer. This is because lower wattage motors are more exposed to strain and would break down earlier. However, if you will only be using your juicer on soft fruits, a low-power motor will not be a problem.

Juicers with motors that have too much power should only be bought when you will regularly be using them for tough ingredients, such as beets. That's because high power motors would release too much heat and would destroy the juice's nutrients because of oxidation.

Noise

If you can, listen to the juicer before you buy it, to see how much noise it makes. Some juicers can be very noisy. Of course, how much noise you can tolerate is entirely up to you.

Replacement parts

Having access to replacement parts for your juicer is a must, especially for the more durable models. This is because while the motor and body might be sturdy, the blades of the juicer will need constant replacing to keep the juicing process working efficiently.

Juicer blades usually wear out after 2 to 4 months of usage, so even though your juicer might have a ten-year warranty, you will have to replace the blades every so often. Make sure that the store you bought the juicer from, or at least a nearby outlet, carries replacements for the juicer blades.

Reliability and warranty

Look for a good brand when you buy a juicer. Inexpensive ones are generally not designed for everyday use and have warranties of a maximum of one year. After that (or before it), you can expect the motor to burn out.

Good juicers, on the other hand, are warranted for at least five years.

Summary

• Choose a juicer small enough to keep on the counter, not in the cupboard.
• Find the largest feeding chute you can find. A smaller feeding chute for the juicer would entail more preparation time as you would need to cut the fruits into smaller pieces.
• The three kinds of juicers-centrifugal, masticating, and hydraulic press-result in juices with different oxidation levels.
• The juicer you buy should be easy to use and clean.
• You should buy the juicer with a motor that is suitable for your juicing needs and quiet enough for your ears.
• Replacement parts, especially for the juicer blades, should be accessible.