I love juicing and I love fresh juice. It is indeed an exceptional tool that can be used to improve overall health, immunity and energy levels. Juicing allows you to absorb all of the nutrients from vegetables without any waste. I especially like juicing because it transforms amazingly healthy raw food into delicious juices that my whole family enjoys. I don’t even tell them what is in it, I just ask, “Who wants a juice?” and they are in!!
Many people have a less than efficient digestive system due to poor food choices over the years. When vegetables are juiced, the food enters the digestive tract in a sort of “pre-digested” form.
For some people, eating enough fruits and especially vegetables is difficult. With one or two glasses of fresh juice, you can easily meet your daily requirement. Juicing is also beneficial because you can add a wide variety of vegetables to your diet.
Regular food rotation helps keep the body healthy and prevents food allergies from developing. Made correctly, a cup of homemade juice can aid in improving your focus, and help keep your energy levels high throughout the day.
I generally make a batch of fresh juice every other day and enjoy small glasses throughout the day. Although most juices are best fresh, many can be kept for a couple of days in the fridge.
If you are new to juicing, or just looking for the best juicer for you, it is always wise to do your homework. Read reviews, talk to friends, whatever it takes to find the best juicer for your needs.
Don’t make the mistake of juice shopping blindly, this can lead to disaster. Some juicers are noisy, hard to clean or just plain ineffective at extracting juice. All of these can squash even a super zealous juicer’s motivation.
Unlike a blender, which simply pulverizes everything into a semi-liquid pulpy state, a juicer extracts the liquid from fruits and veggies, along with the essential nutrients contained therein. Juicers are especially great for people who have a hard time filling their fruit and veggie quotient — as so much goodness can be contained in just one glass!
If you are new to the wonderful world of juicing, welcome! First things first, you will want to familiarize yourself with the different type of juicers available.
Centrifugal juicers
These juicers are generally the least expensive type of juicers and can be found almost anywhere. Their name comes from how they produce juice. A cutting blade chops up the produce and spins it around at a high speed, sort of like how a washing machine wrings out water from wet clothes. A strainer basket with small holes lets the juice flow through and the pulp is left behind.
These juicers tend to be easy to operate and work fairly quickly to produce juice. The main complaint we have with this type of juicer is that it leaves behind quite a bit of juice – the pulp left in the juicer is still quite ‘wet’.
- Top rated centrifugal juicer: Breville BJE200XL Juice Fountain
Breville juicers are by far the best types of centrifugal juicers to purchase. The BJE200XL juicer sports a large feed chute, so you won’t have to worry about cutting your produce into tiny pieces before you juice, and has two speeds, one for soft fruits and veggies, and one for hard. It is heavy-set, so it stays steady while it runs, it is quite fast, and it is easy to clean. If you are a juicing newbie, you can usually find this juicer for under $100.
Masticating juicers
With a single gear, these juicers basically crunch to yield juice. The spinning of the blade is a highly efficient way to extract juice and the pulp is very, very dry. This juicer operates at a very slow speed but produces little heat so there is very little oxidation. Juices come out cool, not warm, and all of the vital nutrients and enzymes are preserved because the juicing process does not damage the cellular structure of the items being juiced. Another bonus of this type of juicer is that it doesn’t produce any froth, just juice.
- Top rated masticating juicer: Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Juicer
This juicer has a very powerful motor and produces a great amount of juice with vitamins and minerals intact. It has a dual-stage jucing system and operates at a slow spead which means no clogging, foaming or heat. It is really easy to assemble, clean and operate. What I like most about this machine is that I can make nut butter, pasta, grind my coffee, mince herbs and garlic and make my own almond milk with virtually the flip of a switch. This is a great overall juicer and wonderful tool for anyone seeking optimal health. Be preapred to pay around $270 for this machine. I feel, it is worth every penny though.
Twin Gear Juicers
Also known as triturating juicers, these juicers are really top of the line in the juicing world. They employ twin interlocking gears to crunch everything you put between them. Because they operate at a very low speed, there is no heat which produces a nice glass of fresh juice minus the froth. This juicer can take on just about any kind of fruit and veggie including hard and fibrous types like celery that other machines often struggle with. If you like greens, these juicers are great because of the interlocking gears, there are no clogs, just plenty of juice. I recommend these juicers only to people who are highly serious about juicing – mainly because of the price.
- Top rated twin gear juice: Tribest Green Star
At just under $1000, this juicer performs like no other. It can tackle just about anything you throw its way and produces a very high yield of delicious and nutritious juice. It is also great at making nut butters, baby food and sorbets. If price is not an option and you truly want top of the line, go with this juicer.
These juicers are the Cadillac of all juicers, the cream of the crop so to speak. Although their performance far outweighs that of any other juicer, it comes with a rather hefty price tag. They work by first shredding up raw produce and then pressing the juice out.
- Top rated hydaulic press juicer: Ultimate Norwalk Juicer
If you are a hardcore juicer and you want the best, try the Norwalk. Although it will set you back close to $2500, you get nothing but the best. Known as the ultimate juicer, the Norwalk will not dissapoint in looks or performance.
Ready, set… juice
Once you have selected the best juicer for you it is time to begin juicing. Check out our article on avoiding some common juicing mistakes, and also to find the perfect fruit and veggie balance for your concoctions. Happy juicing!
-Susan Patterson
Susan is the Content Director at The Alternative Daily, a Certified Health Coach, Certified Metabolic Typing Advisor and Master Gardener. With an extensive knowledge of whole foods and wellness, Susan enjoys educating others on how to live healthy and sustainable lives. She presently lives off grid in the middle of the New Mexican high desert with her three children and numerous animals.
Sources:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/appliances/juicer-reviews
http://www.juicerreviewsdirect.com