Purchasing a juicer may sound like a simple task but with the wide variety of brands and types available in the market today, it can be quite challenging to decide which juicer is best for you. Before purchasing any home or kitchen appliance, it is very important to consider a few important variables which may help you in making a sound decision.
Tips For Choosing The Right Juicer
Ease of usage of the juicer
It is very important to check for the ease of operation in a juicer. There are some juicers that have a complicated operation. Using such juicers every day can become a challenging task. So always pick a juicer that is easy to run.
1. Types of juicer
There are different types of juicers available in the market at a good juicer grinder price. Each type of juicer has its pros and cons. Knowing the plus and minus of each type of juicer can help you in making a sound decision. The important types are centrifugal juicer, masticating juicer, handheld juicers, and twin gear juicer.
- Centrifugal juicer: This is the most common type of juicer. A centrifugal juicer grates fruits and vegetables into very small pieces and then strain the mix through a very fine mesh screen. It is easy to use, makes juice quickly and affordable. But the juice produced can be foamy. It cannot juice leafy vegetables, nuts and sprouts. The juicer operates at a very high rpm and produces heat that oxidizes and degrades some of the nutrients present in the juice. A good example of the centrifugal juicer is Bajaj JX10 Juicer.
- Masticating Juicer: It is also known as “slow juicer”. The low speed of the juicer produces a higher quality juice because of less oxidation. This juicer chews or grinds the fruit and veggies slowly and then squeezes out the juice. The juice produced is less foamy and more nutritious. The downside is that it is a little difficult to clean. Juice preparation time is also longer. It is a lot more expensive than a centrifugal juicer. E.g. Wonderchef Hurom Slow Juicer.
- Twin Gear Juicer: A twin gear juicer operate by pressing fruits and veggies between two interlocking roller gears. This juicing process yields a larger volume of juice. The juice produced is higher in vitamins and enzymes as the high squeezing force opens up the tough cells and releases more nutrients. This juicer is quite expensive, difficult to clean and trickier to set up after washing.
- Manual juicer: A manual juicer is quite popular in our country. It is easy to use, clean, and maintains. It is also silent and noiseless during operation. It is affordable and does not require electricity for operation. But the downside is that the juice preparation process is slow. Also, it is limited in the types and amounts of fruits or grasses that it can juice. It requires extra effort and patience to take out the juice using a manual juicer.
2. Important features
Always look for the features a juicer is offering you. Some important features that you must look for in a juicer are:
- 450 or more watts powerful motor
- Stainless steel juicer mesh for higher juice efficiency
- Multiple speed control option for hard and soft juice
- Versatile Juicing feature that can juice all fruits and veggies even wheatgrass and pomegranate
- Removable pulp collector for added convenience
- Additional accessories and attachments like a juice container, spatula etc.
- Overload protection of motor
Ease of cleaning & maintenance
Any kitchen appliance is of little value if it requires the user to spend too much time in clean up, maintenance and setup. So pick a juicer that is easy to clean and maintain. And if putting back the parts of juicer after washing and cleaning is a stress-free task then that is an additional plus point.
1. Juice: Pulp ratio
An efficient juicer is one that produces drier pulp. Drier pulp means that most of the juice has been extracted from the fruit or veggie. If the pulp is wet and heavy then the juicer is not doing its job well. In such case you will have to re-juice the pulp to collect the remaining juice for the pulp. A good juicer is one that saves you from this additional step.
2. Warranty
Be sure to look for the manufacturer’s warranty. Do not buy a juicer which has less or no warranty. Be very clear on what your warranty covers like motor damage, some minor part damage etc.
3. Customer reviews
Users’ ratings on a product tell a lot about the rights and wrongs of that product. Browse the internet and read reviews of customers on different types and brands of juicer. The experience of owners can give you a true picture of the features of the juicer grinder you are planning to purchase.
4. Trustworthy brand
Choose a brand you trust. Chances are if you own an appliance from that name brand and it serves you well your juicer will probably live up to the repute. Philips, Morphy Richards Bajaj, Wonderchef, Prestige are some famous names for kitchen appliances in India.