Key Points
- There are 6 types of juicers. From the most expensive to the least, they are: press, twin gear, vertical masticating, horizontal masticating, centrifugal, and steam juicers
- Masticating Juicers are popular because of their mix of affordability, their versatility, and their ability to produce quality juice
Table of Contents
Types of Juicers | Vertical Masticating | Horizontal Masticating | Press | Centrifugal | Twin Gear | FAQs
Are you interested in improving your health by juicing but aren’t sure which juicer is for you? No problem! I’ve put together this guide to quickly familiarize yourself with the types of juicers available–and how to pick the best one for you!
The best way to break down the types of juicers are into these 6 categories:
- Horizontal Masticating Juicers
- Vertical Masticating Juicers
- Press Juicers
- Centrifugal Juicers
- Twin Gear Juicers
- Steam Juicers
By the end of this article, you’ll know the difference between slow juicers, high speed juicers, and every other type. You’ll also know the pros and cons of each.
The 6 Different Types of Juicers
We will help you start by introducing the types of juicers, where they excel, and where they fall short:
| Type of Juicer | Pros | Cons |
Horizontal Masticating | ✅ Less expensive than vertical masticating juicers ✅ Better at juicing leafy vegetables ✅ Low oxidation of juice which preserves flavor and nutrients | 🚫 Doesn’t juice soft fruits and vegetables very well |
Vertical Masticating | ✅ Better than Horizontal juicers at juicing soft fruits and vegetables ✅ Faster than Horizontal juicers ✅ Larger chutes means less prep work ✅ Low oxidation of juice which preserves flavor and nutrients | 🚫 Not as good as juicing leafy greens as horizontal varieties 🚫 More expensive than horizontal juicers |
Juice Press | ✅ Produce the greatest yields of juice ✅ Least oxidation of any juicer ✅ Superior taste relative to any juicer | 🚫 By far the most expensive option |
Centrifugal | ✅ Least expensive option ✅ Fastest juicers on the market | 🚫 Greatest amount of oxidation and nutrient loss 🚫 Juice doesn’t store for very long |
Twin Gear | ✅ Better nutritional extraction than masticating juicers ✅ Superior flavor of juice relative to masticating juicers | 🚫 More expensive than masticating juicers |
Steam Juicer | ✅ Longest storage time of any type of juicer ✅ Very quiet process | 🚫 Beneficial nutrients are destroyed in the process 🚫 Not good at juicing dense produce |
As you can see, each type of juicer excels in certain categories and with certain types of produce. As you begin your juicing journey, think about what types of produce you will be juicing. Then pick a juicer that will satisfy most of your juicing needs.
Horizontal Masticating Juicers
Traditional Masticating Juicers are designed horizontally, much like a meat grinder. But, instead of grinding, it slowly crushes pieces of fruits and vegetables through a multi-stage auger. The juicing screw has several grooves designed to cut and apply an increasing amount of pressure to the produce, until it squeezes the juice out of the pulp. The juice exits the juicer through the screen and the dry pulp exits out the end of the juicer.
The slowness of this process means less heat is produced and less oxidation of the juice occurs. This preserves the flavor and the nutrients in the juice.
They have been around longer than horizontal juicers and are the more affordable option. They are also superior at juicing leafy greens and wheatgrass.
They aren’t the best at juicing soft fruits. Sometimes, soft fruit like pineapple can clog a horizontal juicer. If this happens, you’ll have to break your juicer apart to clean it out before resuming.
If you are primarily juicing firmer fruits and vegetables, a horizontal masticating juicer is the way to go.
The auger in a horizontal masticating juicer is what pushes the produce against a screen, which separates the juice from the produce.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
See our Reviews for the Best Horizontal Masticating Juicers →
Vertical Masticating Juicers (aka Vertical Slow Juicers)
Vertical Masticating Juicers work the same way but in an upright fashion. This new design has a major advantage, it’s more compact and portable. You don’t need a big counter space when you’re using a vertical slow juicer.
Vertical Juicers are still considered slow juicers. But they work faster than their horizontal siblings. Also, because the chutes of these juicers tend to be winder, they need less chopping and prep work.
Vertical masticating juicers are more expensive than horizontal ones. But they are better at extracting juice from softer fruits and vegetables. If you juice pineapple or mango, for example, you probably want to spring for a vertical masticating juicer.
This the winged tip auger inside a vertical masticating juicer’s juicing chamber. The winged tip profile is designed to cut fruits and vegetables.
Whole Slow Juicers – Subtype of Vertical Juicers
Whole Slow Juicers, on the other hand, are Vertical Masticating Juicers with an oversized feeding chute. They are sometimes as big as centrifugal juice extractors (3 in).
Whole slow juicers can process a whole apple without you having to chop it up. But you still need to cut most of the produce into a specific length and shape.
This unique profile makes them the Best Juicer for Celery.
Vertical Masticating Juicers Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Hydraulic Juice Press
Technically speaking, Hydraulic Juice Presses are the only real cold press juicers. As the name suggests, it makes use of hydraulic force to extract juice from fruits and vegetables.
If Twin Gear Juicers are a notch higher when it comes to juice extraction efficiency and nutrient retention, hydraulic juice presses are definitely on a different level.
These superior results come as a cost. Juice presses are the most expensive types of juicers on the market.
Juice Presses utilize a pneumatic or hydraulic press to squeeze juice out of produce. They also chop and grind your produce to a pulp before it separates it from the juice with the press.
Pros & Cons of Hydraulic Juice Presses
Pros
Cons
Centrifugal Juicers – Fast Juicers
Centrifugal Juicers or High-Speed Juice Extractors grind the produce to separate the juice from the pulp. It has a mesh/filter basket (see picture above), which can spin up to 15,000 RPM. That’s fast enough to juice a whole apple in just a few seconds.
They are sometimes referred to as fast juicers. They are much faster than masticating juicers. Centrifugal juicers slice the produce and separate the juice using centrifugal force. The centrifugal force pushes the juice through a mesh screen, filtering out the pulp.
These juicers produce more heat than masticating juicers. Increased heat subjects your juice to more oxidation. This has negative consequences on flavor, nutrient value, and shelf life.
Centrifugal juicers do not need much prep work. Some juicers come with chutes so large you can place an entire apple into the juicer. They tend to be more lightweight and require less counter space than other types of juicers.
They clean up quicker than almost any other juicer. Many models have parts that are dishwasher safe.
Centrifugal juicers are best for those who are short on time, have no need to store juice for days, and don’t want to spend a lot of money on a juicer.
Pros & Cons of Centrifugal Juicers
Pros
Cons
Twin Gear Juicers
Twin Gear Juice Presses or Triturating Juicers are also considered cold press juicing machines. They are similar to the masticating juicers described above but with two gears. These augers rotate inwardly with a gap as thin as a single strand of hair, making it even more efficient than than the masticating type. Some are equipped with a cooling system and advanced nutrient-preserving technology.
They extract juice by pulling, chewing, and crushing the produce between the twin gears. The juice from the produce is then passed through a screen and into a catch.
The nutritional value derived in the juice is better than even a masticating juicer. But some models may produce a juice that has an elevated concentration of pulp.
These juicers are also expensive. But if you want juice with a superior flavor and nutritional value, give twin gear juicers a look.
Pros & Cons of Twin Gear Juicers
Pros
Cons
See Our Reviews for the Best Twin Gear Triturating Juicers →
Steam Juicers
My team and I don’t really focus on steam juicers here at Juicing Journal. It is certainly a different animal. Juicing with steam juicers requires a lot of heat, which destroys a lot of the healthy nutrients you’d otherwise get from drinking fresh juice.
The only reason I mention it here is because, technically, steam juicers are a type of juicer. Steamed juice can be stored on the shelf at room temperature for a long time if stored properly.
We are by no means experts with steam juicers. If you want to learn more about how to use one, head over to Delishably.
Bonus: Functional Juicer Extractors
Juice Extractors that serve a single purpose are functional juicers—citrus presses and wheatgrass juicers. Think of this third classification as a bonus juicer type. These are rarely needed if you already have a centrifugal or cold press juicer.
Citrus Juicers
A Citrus Juicer can take many forms depending on your purpose. A handheld lemon squeezer is perfect for juicing small quantities of citruses. Let’s say you want to finish off your dish with a little bit of acidity.
If you want to drink a glass of orange juice, you would need either a manual or an electric citrus juicer. Unless you have a business that requires juicing hundreds of lemons per day, owning a mechanical citrus press wouldn’t be practical.
Wheat Grass Juicers
A Manual Wheatgrass Juicer typically looks like a horizontal masticating juicer without the motor. Your hand will dictate the RPM. If you’re really into wheatgrass juice, you could get an electric model. Or better yet, just pick any of the slow juicers recommended in this guide.
Selecting a Juicer
Here are the main points to consider when selecting a juicer:
Speed
Do You Want Juice Quickly or Can You Be Patient for Better Juice?
If you have a busy lifestyle and need to juice and get it over with, you want a fast, centrifugal juicer. If you have time, or if better quality juice is more important to you than how quickly you can get it, masticating juicers or press juicers are for you.
Price
Price is a major consideration for most people. From the most expensive juicer to the least, we have:
- Twin Gear and Press Juicers – most expensive
- Vertical Masticating Juicers
- Horizontal Masticating Juicers
- Centrifugal Juicers
- Steam Juicers – least expensive
Taste
Slower juicers result in less oxidation and better flavor. In our testing, the press juicers produce superior-tasting juices. But they are incredibly expensive. If they are out of your budget, opt for a vertical masticating, horizontal masticating, or twin gear juicer instead.
Shelf Life
If you aren’t concerned about storing your juice, then an inexpensive centrifugal juicer is fine. If you want your juice to last up to 72 hours, look at masticating, twin gear, or press juicers. Want your juice to be almost shelf stable and last for months? Then you’ll need to go with a steam juicer.
Yield
Yield is the amount of juice you get from your produce. The greater the yield, the more juice produced for the same amount of produce.
I’ve ranked the types of juicers below, from greatest yield to least:
- Press Juicers – highest yield
- Twin Gear Juicers
- Masticating (vertical or horizontal) juicers
- Fast (centrifugal) Juicers – lowest yield
Nutritional Value
Because of their heat, steam juicers are the worst in terms of producing nutritious juice. If you want the highest amount of vitamins and minerals in your juice with the least amount of oxidation, opt for press, twin gear, vertical, or horizontal masticating juicers.
Type of Produce You’ll Juice
If you want to be able to juice hard, dense produce like carrots or beets, you don’t to select a fast juicer. Don’t get me wrong, they do an “okay” job at dense produce, but they aren’t great. Fast juicers are also terrible at juicing leafy greens.
If you want to juice a lot of leafy greens or dense produce, masticating, twin gear, or press juicers will work well.
Fast juicers are great at juicing soft or medium-bodied produce like pineapples, apples, or oranges.
Softer fruits can often get stuck in horizontal masticating juicers. So if you want to juice softer items and want a masticating juicer, opt for a vertical masticating juicer, instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Do Vertical Masticating Juicers Cost?
If you go with a vertical masticating juicer, you’ll be going with a device that’s on the higher end of the juicing scale. They aren’t as expensive as hydraulic press juicers, which can cost thousands of dollars. But they aren’t cheap, either.
On the low end, you can get a vertical masticating juicer for the high $100s. But for a good model, you’ll need to spend $450 – $550.
How Much Do Horizontal Masticating Juicers Cost?
A horizontal masticating juicer is a moderately priced device. You can find a low-end model in the high $100 range. A high-end horizontal masticating juicer can cost you upwards of $400+. But you’ll find plenty of options in the $250 – $350 range.
How Much Does A Hydraulic Juice Press Cost?
Be prepared to spend A LOT on a hydraulic juice press. The crème de la crème of hydraulic Juice Presses, the Pure Juicer, can cost anywhere from $2000 – $2600 as of this writing.
How Much Do Centrifugal Juicers Cost?
Centrifugal juicers are the most affordable option for at-home juicing. If you are on a tight budget, you can get an inexpensive centrifugal juicer for under $100 on Amazon. Mid-priced units will be in the $100 – $200 range with higher-end units selling for more.
How Much Do Twin Gear Juicers Cost?
The twin gear (triturating) juicers have the widest price range. You can get a very low-end twin gear juicer for around $400. Higher-end machines can go up to $2,000.
How many types of juicers are there?
Depending upon how you classify them, there are 6 types of juicers: Vertical Masticating, Horizontal Masticating, Centrifugal (Fast), Twin Gear, Press, and functional juicers like citrus juicers and wheat grass juicers.
Press-style juicers are the only true cold press juicer because they impart no heat on the juice. However, because masticating and twin gear juicers also impart almost no heat, they are often referred to as cold press juicers as well.
How should I choose the best juicer for me?
Because each type of juicer is stronger or weaker at juicing different types of produce, pick a juicer based on the type of produce you’ll juice the most.
For example, if you are primarily juicing carrots, beets, and ginger, a horizontal masticating juicer is a great pick. If you want to juice softer produce like pineapple or cucumber, centrifugal juicers or horizontal masticating juicers make great choices.
Read the content above and look closely at the pros and cons of each type of juicer to help make a decision.
