Masticating Juicers: Everything You Need to Know

Masticating juicers have been growing in popularity over the past few years. This is because they offer a lot of benefits that other types of juicers don’t. In this blog post, we will explain what masticating juicers are and how they work. We will also discuss the benefits of using them so you can decide if purchasing one is the right decision for you.

Single gear masticating juicers are relative newcomers to the juicer world but they’ve quickly risen up the ranks to become the preferred choice of juicer (machine) for oh, so many juicers (people). 

So why the popularity?

Well, it comes down to the fact that masticating juicers fill in the gap that the other juicer types miss. You see, the other popular juicer types are centrifugal juicers and twin gear (triturating) juicers. 

Here’s a quick review, for comparison’s sake…

Centrifugal Juicers

When you think centrifugal – think fast, easy and convenient. 

These juicers are:

• Easy to find – most department stores carry them
• Easy to put together and take apart for quick clean-up
• Fast juicing – centrifugals work at very high speeds and can go up to around 10,000 RPM (revolutions per minute) so you get your juice FAST

So overall – they’re great for a quick juice fix. But as you know, quick and easy does not always equal great quality. And that’s the case for centrifugals, since you’ll also get…

• Not completely dry pulp – which means running the pulp through a few more times so you don’t waste your produce
• A narrower range of what you can juice – centrifugals aren’t good with delicate greens 
• Juice that’s subjected to heat. High speed = heat, which causes oxidation which in turn kills some of the live enzymes in fresh juice and results in frothy/foamy juice. 

Triturating Juicers

When you think triturating – think slow and thorough. 

These juicers:

• Have 2 gears that rotate inwards with a very small, 0.1mm gap in between them that crush and grind even the most stringy, light-weight produce into very fine particles – the result is bone dry pulp and more juice quantity
• Operate extremely slow, producing no heat and minimal oxidation to your juice
• Do a great job of juicing a huge range of produce, especially leafy greens

The slow and thorough nature of triturating juicers also comes with downsides, like…

• Lack of convenience and maneuverability – twin gear juicers weigh 20+ lbs and will take more work to put together, clean and even move around your kitchen
• Price – yea, these babies start at around $500 and only go up from there. 

As you can see, centrifugals are kind of like fast-food restaurants whereas triturating juicers are like fine dining establishments. But what if you just want a happy medium?

That is where masticating juicers come in.

Masticating juicers are the perfect compromise. They have the benefits of triturating juicers – they can juice pretty much everything (even greens) and offers slow juicing (typically around 80 RPM) which means very minimal heat and oxidation – as well as the perks of centrifugal juicers – they’re not too bulky (less than 20lbs), don’t take too much time to clean, and come with a much more affordable price tag. 

As such – it’s the juicer that is for many people “just right“. 

That’s why masticating juicers are my top recommendation for pretty much everyone who’s looking for a great, everyday juicer machine that can produce top-quality juice from a wide variety of produce and last a long, long time.

If that sounds like you, follow along as we go over how masticating juicers work and which models are the best!

How Do Masticating Juicers Work?

Masticating means ‘to chew’ – which is an apt description of how a masticating juicer works. You see, what differentiates masticating juicers is the use of a single gear (or auger) that slowly rotates with blades that thoroughly crush the cell walls of fruits and veggies, extracting fresh juice in the process. 

This unique crushing mechanism is why masticating juicers can effectively juice a huge range of produce – including delicate leafy greens. While centrifugal juicers literally “spin” the juice out of produce, which is great for denser fruits and veggies but unable to capture light-weight greens – the slow-turning gear of masticating juicers thoroughly crush whatever goes through it, including light, delicate leafy greens. 

Not to mention that the crushing process is also a really effective way of breaking down the hard, fibrous cell walls of fresh produce – which is crucial since it allows extraction of every last drop of juice and nutrients from the fruits and veggies you are juicing.

The result? High juice yield and very little, very dry pulp.

But the best thing about masticating juicers is that it works at superbly slow speeds. Most masticating juicers operate at around 80 RPM – compare that to the 10,000 RPM of centrifugal juicers!

This speed factor matters because high-speeds = heat. And ‘though the speed might be convenient, it’s not good news if you’re looking for high juice quality since heat causes oxidation which kills the live enzymes in your juice, diminishing overall nutrition and juice quality as well as creating a frothy/foamy juice.

You don’t get these problem with the slow-press method of masticating juicers. 

The oxidation that occurs in the juicing process also means that the juice won’t stay fresh long – that’s why it’s recommended you drink the juice made from centrifugal juicers within a few hours whereas juices made from some masticating juicers can last as long as 72 hours. 

Overall, masticating juicers come with awesome perks. But it’s not all roses and unicorns. There are some drawbacks as well. Let’s look at those next 🙂

Masticating juicers: Pros and Con

Pro:

• Versatile. Centrifugal juicers are best for juicing harder produce and not so great for delicate leafy greens or juicy fruits. Masticating juicers can juice anything and everything including hard, fibrous vegetables such as celery as well as leafy green like wheatgrass, and soft fruits like tomatoes.
• Less waste. You get high juice yield and dry pulp, meaning less of your produce is going to waste.
• Multi-functional. You can do tons of other things – like nut butters, sorbets, and even baby food.
• No heat. Low motor speed means less oxidization which = less foam and more nutrients.
• Lasts forever. These juicers last a long time, mostly because they run on lower power and lower heat – two things that age a juicer. Most also come with a long warranty (Omega juicers usually have a 15-year warranty and the Champion comes with a 10-year warranty but tends to last like, 30 years).
• Quiet. You can juice without waking everyone in the house.

Con:

• Price. Masticating juicers are usually pricier than centrifugal juicers, although this is not always the case (some centrifugal juicers can be pretty expensive). A good masticating juicer usually runs from about $250 upwards – the best ones can be bought for around $300. It’s worth the upfront investment, though, when you consider that these juicers last decades and they extract more juice out of produce, saving you money in the long run.
• Heavy. Weighing in at around 20 lbs, these do not make the best portable juicers. If you’re looking for a travel juicer – get a manual one!
• Time. These juicers operate at around 80 RPM so juicing’s slower than with centrifugal machines. Also, whereas you can toss in whole carrots and apples into centrifugal juicers – you’ll have to take the time to chop your produce into smaller pieces when using masticating juicers. That being said, these slow juicers aren’t really that slow – you’ll still be done in like 10 minutes or so. 

Now that you know everything about masticating juicers, let’s take a look at the best ones out there 🙂

The 3 Best Masticating Juicers

OUR #1 PICK: The Omega J8006

This is the best-loved masticating juicer and not just by me – it’s got around 4500 reviews on Amazon with a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

This is awesome but not surprising considering this is a top-quality juicer at a really affordable price (even compared to centrifugal juicers).

It also comes with a 15-year warranty, which is great.

This juicer is as “slow juicer” as it gets, working at 80 RPM to “squeeze” out a really high juice yield without foam, heat, or oxidation to maintain the natural nutrients in the produce. It’s also quite easy to use and to clean. A big plus – it operates quietly.

You can juice wheatgrass and a variety of leafy greens with this juicer, as well as use it as a food processor, pasta extruder, homogenizer, and grinder. Yes, that means you can make your own peanut butter and apple sauce with it 🙂

The one drawback to this juicer is that you have to cut up the produce into smaller pieces before feeding them through – something you don’t really have to do with centrifugal juicers.

See it in action below!

#2. Hurom Slow Juicer 

Hurom juicers are less well-known than the popular Omegas, but they hold a special place in my heart – mostly because I find them super easy-to-clean and capable of extracting more juice from the same kinds of produce. 

Like the Omegas, the Hurom slow juicer works at 80 RPM with a patented Slow Squeezing Technology that gently squeezes rather than grinding and crushing to preserve nutrients in fresh produce.

This technology also retains heat-sensitive nutrients like Vitamin A and C as well as live enzymes. 

The Hurom slow juicer is not cheap but it will last a long time.

Both the auger and the single strainer are made from extremely durable ULTEM plastic, which is eight times stronger than most plastics, and the motor comes with a 10-year warranty. Oh, and the plastic parts are BPA-free.

Like most masticating juicers, you can also do a huge range of things with the Hurom – like make nut milks, sauces, marinades, and even baby food. But my favorite thing about it is how easy it is to use, to clean and how well it juices pretty much anything you give it 🙂

#3. Champion Juicer

These juicers have been around forever and last forever. Seriously, a Champion is forever. It’s a little pricier than the Omega but still not terrible. Champions also come with a 10-year warranty and tend to last much longer than that.

Champion juicers are pretty fast (at 1,725 RPM) and easy to clean but the best part is that you can continuously juice without tiring it out. It’s a beast of a juicer and can handle a lot.

The biggest drawback of this juicer is that it can’t juice wheatgrass, but it is good for juicing other leafy greens as well as pretty much every other fruit and veggie. Just keep in mind that leafy greens should be alternated with harder produce like carrots and apples to help “push” the greens through. 

The Champion has the same drawback as most masticating juicers – you do have to chop produce into smaller parts before feeding it through. Apart from that, it’s a great, powerful juicer that does a great job of juicing as well as a range of other functions like making fruit sauces, baby foods, nut butters, ice cream, sherbets and fruit smoothies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a masticating juicer better?

Masticating juicers are better in many ways than other types of juicers. They extract more juice from the fruits and vegetables you put into them, which means less waste for your garbage disposal or compost pile! Plus masticating juicers have a higher amount of healthy enzymes preserved with their method compared to centrifugal machines that spin at high speeds.

What is masticating juicer?

Masticating juicers are a type of juice machine that masticates, or chews up, fruits and vegetables with an auger to extract the juice from them. The masticating process preserves nutrients in your produce better than other methods because it doesn’t use heat or air like centrifugal juicers do; masticating models also produce less foam than their counterparts.

How do masticating juicer work?

Masticating juicers have an auger that chews up the fruits and vegetables you put into them. The masticating process preserves nutrients in your produce better than other methods because it doesn’t use heat or air like centrifugal juicers do.

What does masticating juicer mean?

Masticating is a word that comes from the Latin word masticare, which means “to chew”. So masticating juicer means “chewing juicer”. This is because masticating juicers use an auger to chew up fruits and vegetables to extract the juice from them.

What brand of masticating juicer is the best?

There are many masticating juicers on the market, but some of them stand out above the rest. The masticating juicer with the most positive reviews is Omega's J800 series model because it has a large feed chute and quiet operation.

What is the difference between cold press and masticating juicer?

The main difference between cold press and masticating juicers is that cold press juicers use a hydraulic press to extract the juice from fruits and vegetables while masticating juicers use an auger. Masticating juicers are better than centrifugal juicers because they preserve more nutrients in your produce.