Image (modified): Rob Bertholf
Juicing with leafy greens and fruits—it’s a healthy choice! And to get the most potent juice from your leafy greens and fruit, you should use a masticating juicer.
Why?
Because masticating juicers are “the elites” of juicing as they extract juice by grinding foods slowly.
There are many masticating juicers on the market. Our goal is to help you make an educated decision as you shop for the best masticating juicer for leafy greens and fruits by presenting you with the details about our absolute favorites.
Masticating vs. centrifugal juicers – what’s the difference?
Masticating juicers typically come equipped with larger openings, and due to the way they process foods, you end up with more juice that has higher nutritional content.
How?
By working slowly, masticating juicers produce almost no heat, unlike centrifugal juicers.
This aids in the preservation of nutrients. Without added heat, your juice will not oxidize as quickly. Therefore, the nutrient content is preserved and the juice can be stored longer while retaining those nutrients—sometimes up to 72 hours if you store it properly.
The grandiose feature of masticating juicers is that their specialty is juicing veggies like kale, spinach, wheat grass, Swiss chard, collards, and any soft fruits. These foods do not tend to juice well in centrifugal juicers, which spin at high RPMs.
Why invest in a masticating juicer
Masticating juicers are more expensive than centrifugal juicers.
So, why pay extra?
According to PBS, buying a masticating juicer may pay off in the long run since it can make more juice out of the same amount of produce as a centrifugal juicer. They also point out that buying fresh juice from the grocery store or local juice bar is more expensive than making it yourself. If you drink juice often, your investment will pay off in the long run.
Masticating juicers are also the masters of squeezing the nutrients from delicate produce. Centrifugal juicers spin at extremely high RPMs, which is great for juicing hard produce, but it's not effective for leafy greens and soft fruit like the slow-spinning masticators.
Juicing with a masticating juicer also yields juice that lasts longer. In an article comparing the two types of juicers, The Huffington Post explains that since masticating juicers don’t produce as much heat, they keep more of the fresh ingredients’ nutrients intact.
How to pick a masticating juicer for leafy greens and fruits
Our mission is to help you find the juicer that will give you the most bang for your buck.
Here are the criteria that we used in selecting the best masticating juicers for leafy greens and fruits:
Yield: The amount of juice your juicer produces is very important. You want the most for your money. You're not only investing in the juicer, but also in the produce that you juice. The yield is measured in the number of ounces you juice per pound of produce.
Motor power: The size and type of motor your machine has will greatly impact how your juicer performs. It is just like buying a vehicle: the larger the motor, the more costly the machine. Keep in mind that when it comes to masticating juicers, you want low RPMs.
Here are your juicer options:
A Horizontal Masticating Juicer is a multipurpose food preparation machine that sits horizontally. It is a single auger machine.
A Vertical Masticating Juicer is a single auger machine that stands vertically. They are a more modern version of the horizontal masticating juicer and are said to be more quick and efficient than horizontal, but less versatile. They usually have larger food chutes as well.
A Twin Gear Juicer is a double auger machine with twin rotating gears. It can grind food to a very fine consistency, which makes them the highest-quality masticating juicers. Unsurprisingly. they come at a significantly higher price.
Your budget: There is such a wide variety of juicers, from budget-friendly to average-priced and affordable to extremely expensive. You need to keep in mind how often you will juice, the amount of juice you intend make each week, and your purpose for juicing. Then decide which juicer is the best one for you.
Clean-up: No one wants to spend their whole day in the kitchen. Easy clean-up is a critical part of quick and efficient juicing. We looked for juicers that were simple to clean.
Noise level: Do you want to wear ear plugs while you juice, or would you prefer your juicing experiences to be more Zen-like? We sought out machines that wouldn’t disturb the neighbors and make the walls vibrate while you juice.
Based on the criteria above, our top picks are as follows:
- VonShef Digital Slow Masticating Juicer
- Breville BJS600XL Fountain Crush Masticating Slow Juicer
- Omega NC800 HDR 5th Generation Nutrition Center Juicer
- Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer B6000S
- Tribest Green Star Elite GSE-5000 Jumbo Twin Gear Cold Press Juice Extractor
- Super Angel DELUXE Model with Soft Fruit Extracting Housing
Keep reading for a more close-up look at all of our favorite machines.
The best masticating juicer for leafy greens and fruits
VonShef Digital Slow Masticating Juicer
Vertical Masticating
150-watt motor, 80 RPM
If you are just breaking into the world of juicing or you're on a tight budget, this is a great machine to start with. The VohShef does an outstanding job of creating delicious, nutrient-packed juices from fruits and leafy vegetables. It features a digital display screen, two speeds, a reverse function, a super-quiet motor, and a cleaning brush to expedite the clean-up process.
Pros:
- Very affordable
- Does not take up much counter space
- Can juice for up to 30 minutes without overheating
Cons:
- Can take up to 5 minutes to clean up
- Not as powerful as others on the market
- Small produce chute
Breville BJS600XL Fountain Crush Masticating Slow Juicer
Vertical Masticating
240-watt motor, 80 RPM
The Breville is a smartly-designed machine and was crafted with the user in mind. It's quiet. easy to clean since you can run water through it after juicing with it and watch it wash itself, and it comes with a wiper attachment that rotates when the juicer is in motion. This pushes out pulp that wants to stick inside the strainer. It also has a reverse button. This is handy for clearing food jams. Overall, this juicer does the job with any produce that you use, even the finest wheat grass. For the price, it’s a great buy.
Pros:
- Doesn't take up much counter space
- Affordable price
- Has many safety features
- 5-year motor warranty, and 1-year warranty on other parts
Cons:
- Juice will be pulpy
- Produce chute could be bigger
- Not as powerful as other juicers on the market
- Prone to clogging
Omega NC800 HDR 5th Generation Nutrition Center Juicer
Horizontal Masticating
2-HP motor, 80 RPM
The Omega NC800 5th generation is the newest upgrade in the Omega family’s horizontal juicer line. Omega is known for their quality juicers, and this one has significant upgrades. Omega increased the juicing chute to an oval measuring 2” x 1.5”, it yields 12% more juice from the same amount of produce as the last generation model, it’s very versatile with five adjustable settings, and it yeilds the most foam-free juice from your fruits and leafy greens.
Pros:
- 15-year warranty
- Easy to assemble and clean
- Very quiet
Cons:
- Expensive
- Takes up a lot of counter space
- You may find that your juice has quite a bit of pulp
Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer B6000S
Vertical Masticating
240-watt motor, 50-60 RPM
This is the first juicer to solve the “chute” issue. It has a 3” produce chute which means you don't have to pre-cut your produce, which saves you a ton of time! It comes with a few accessories that make it versatile option, including a smoothie strainer and a blank strainer (which turns your juicer into a sorbet maker!). Even though your focus may be on yielding incredible amounts of juice from leafy greens and fruit, you have the option of making other delightful snacks such as nut butters or smoothies.
Pros:
- 10-year warranty
- Easy to assemble and clean
- Extremely quiet
- “Smart cap” helps prevent juice drips on the counter
Cons:
- Prone to clogging
- Pulpy juice
- May overheat when overworked
Tribest Green Star Elite GSE-5000 Jumbo Twin Gear Cold Press Juice Extractor
Horizontal Twin Gear
5 HP, 110 RPM
This masticating juicer already starts with the advantage of being a twin gear. The twin gear models are the most efficient crushers, mixers, and extractors on the market. The juice will be of the highest quality. If you're a serious juicer, this juicer should be on your radar because it features dual stainless steel gears that have been engineered with bio-ceramic technology to extract the most nutrients from soft fruits and delicate greens. The Green Star Elite also gives you many accessory options, which allow you the freedom to create almost anything with this machine.
Pros:
- 12-year warranty
- Quiet when operating
- Automatic pulp ejection
Cons:
- Expensive
- Juicing is not especially fast
- Produce chute is slender
Super Angel DELUXE Model with Soft Fruit Extracting Housing
Horizontal Twin Gear
3 HP, 82 RPM
This is truly a high-end machine for a professional juicer. The DELUXE model just came out in place of the AJ5500. Super Angel made upgrades including making the DELUXE fully automatic, improving the gear box, upgrading the cooling system, and ensuring that the safety sensors and control panel meet US electrical specs. This juicer is 100% stainless steel and made with quality materials. It’s the Porsche of masticating juicers. It can almost operate without you and create full-bodied, nutrient packed juice out of any produce with ease. This machine will not disappoint in any way.
Pros:
- 10-year warranty on motor and gears, 5-years wear and tear
- Comes with soft-fruit extracting housing and screens
- Automatic anti-jamming system
- Automatic reverse system
Cons:
- Extremely expensive – You may have sticker shock, but quality isn't cheap!
- Small chute opening, 1.7”
- You may have to rest the machine 10 minutes after each 30-40 minute juicing
Masticating juicers are revolutionary machines with the best technology for extracting nutrients from the healthiest foods that nature has to offer. When you invest in one, you're investing your overall health and well-being.
We hope we have helped you find the best masticating juicer for leafy greens and fruits and that you will enjoy creating delicious, nutritious juices.
