What to Look for in a Juicer
by Amy Hunt

If you are just a getting started juicing, you may have a few questions about what juicer to buy. You want one that will meet your needs without having to empty your savings account to get it. Here are a few tips from juicing.com on what to look for in a juicer.

• 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. Click here to watch me use and disassemble the Oster Juicer to get some ideas.

• YIELD: This is 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.

• 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.

The Juiceman Juicer is a very good quality juicer.

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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!

* DVO welcomes your kitchen hints and cooking or nutrition questions! Email us and we'll post your hints and Q/A's in upcoming newsletters! *