Juicing can be a great habit to help you live your ideal lifestyle. By having a high quality masticating juicer right in your own home, you can juice frequently and try new recipes. If you want to get right into our list in search of the Best Masticating Juicer of 2020, below is our list. If you want to learn more about masticating juicers and how to find the perfect juicer for you, continue reading!
Best Masticating Juicers of the Year
- Omega J8006HDS Nutrition Centre – Best Overall Pick
- Aicok Slow Masticating Juicer Extractor – Best Beginners Pick
- Tribest GSE-5000 Greenstar Elite Cold Press Complete Masticating Juicer – Pro’s Pick
- Mueller Masticating Slow Juicer – Handheld Pick
- Aeitto Slow Juicer – Space Saver Pick
What is a Masticating Juicer?
Good question. Why don’t we start with: what is masticating? A word that isn’t familiar to many, but an action that is familiar to everyone. Merriam-Webster defines masticating as: grinding or crushing (food) with or as if with the teeth: CHEW.
That’s right, masticating basically means chewing.
What does this mean in the context of juicing, then? A masticating juicer operates by “chewing” the fruit or vegetable you are juicing to turn it into delicious and nutritious juice. Masticating juicers do this with augers or gears that slowly turn whatever it is you’re juicing. The result is a pure juice coming out one end, and the remnants of your fruit of vegetable of choice coming out the other. These juicers are also sometimes referred to as cold pressed or slow juicers. The “slow” comes from the mere fact that masticating juicers gears or augers rotate anywhere from 40 to 120 times a minute to turn your food to juice. Given the slower rotations, no heat is generated by this process which helps keep your juice fresh.
This is quite different from the way centrifugal juicers work. Centrifugal juicers rotate at high speeds (6,000 to 16,000 RPM) to slice your fruits and vegetables so finely that juice flows free. Heat is also generated from these high speeds which can affect the foods you are juicing.
Why Should You Consider a Masticating Juicer?
If you have made it to this article, I will assume you are familiar with the wide range of benefits of juicing. But after you know you want to juice at home, why should you go with a masticating juicer? While they may not be the best type of juicer for every juicer, they are certainly a great option for many.
The Benefits of Masticating Juicers
- The slower juicing process protects the nutrients in the foods you are juicing. This results in higher quality juice compared to centrifugal juicing and blending
- Masticating juicers also result in less pulpy juice, which is more enjoyable to drink and absorbed better by the body
- Juice made from masticating juicers can typically last for 3-5 days if stored properly, making juice prep for the day or week possible. Juice made from centrifugal juicers typically needs to be drank within 20 minutes of being made
Disadvantages of Masticating Juicers
- Slow (masticating) juicers are… well… slow. It may take 2 to 3 minutes to juice 16 ounces of a vegetable compared to 30 seconds with a centrifugal juicer
- Masticating juicers have many different price points but are typically more expensive than centrifugal juicers
- Masticating juicers tend to be on the heavier side. This does not bother many juicers as they don’t typically travel with them, but definitely worth considering
What to Look for in a Masticating Juicer
Shopping around for a masticating juicer can be a bit overwhelming with so many options on the market. If you are looking to maintain or start a juicing habit, quality should be at the top of your list. By going with a quality option up front, you will save yourself the frustration of using a low-quality juicer down the line.
So, what makes a juicer high quality? With many different components going into a juicer, making sure they all fit together tightly is very important. Shopping online can obviously make this difficult, but with more well-known brands this is typically a given.
Another thing to look into is the material the juicer and its components are made from. Unless you are looking at the very high price points, much of the juicer’s components will be made from plastic. With these plastics being used to make the juice you will be drinking, you will want to make sure these plastics are food grade. Again, this is a given with reputable brands but something to look out for.
With some masticating juicers being quite expensive, it’s a good idea to see what kind of warranty the manufacturer offers. Some manufacturers have up to 15-year warranties, which can help ease some of the concern of making a high-priced purchase.
A great way to check just how good of a job a juicer does at juicing is to take a look at the pulp. If the pulp, or the food after it has been juiced, is dry then you know your juicer is getting the job done. If the pulp coming out of the juicer is not particularly dry, that means your juicer is not squeezing out as much juice as it could. This will obviously be difficult without actually using the juicer, but looking at product reviews will certainly help, and so will we!
How to Pick the Best Masticating Juicer for You
Picking the best masticating juicer for you will come down to how you plan to use your juicer and what you value. There are 2 main types of masticating juicers: vertical and horizontal.
A vertical masticating juicer will take up less space on your counter, but typically will need food to be chopped more before loading into the hopper (top of the juicer). If you don’t want to spend too much time prepping your fruits and veggies before juicing, a horizontal juicer may be a better pick for you. Many juicers also prefer a horizontal juicer for leafy greens as they can handle them a bit better.
Both vertical and horizontal juicers come in single and double auger options. The auger is the “gear” inside the juicer that does the actual juicing. With 2 augers, juicers can really squeeze out as much juice as possible from your fruits and vegetables. However, 2 augers typically come with a higher price point and more components to take care of.
After you have an idea of vertical vs. horizontal and how many augers you want to go for, the next 2 questions are: price and cleaning.
Juicers need to be kept very clean to make sure they produce high quality juice for a long time. By choosing a juicer with cleaning convenience in mind, you can save hours of precious time over your juicing journey.
Typically, these convenience factors add to the cost which is yet another reason the price points can vary so widely. Masticating juicers can go from $100 all the way up into the thousands, so having an ideal price range in mind can help you narrow down your options.
With the basics covered and a few things to look for on your quest to the best masticating juicer for you, here are our top 5 Best Masticating Juicers of 2020!
Best Masticating Juicer Reviews of 2020
Omega J8006HDS Nutrition Center – Best Overall Pick
Omega has been in the juicer game since the mid 1980s so they certainly know what they are doing when it comes to making a great product. The J8006HDS proves that by being one of the best overall juicers on the market today. The J8006HDS is called a nutrition center because it goes beyond just juicing with its capability. With the available attachments you can make sorbets, nut butters, pasta, baby food, and grind your coffee, just to name a few options.
At 14.5 x 6.5 x 15.5 inches and 13 pounds, this Omega Nutrition Centre isn’t small but also won’t take up your whole kitchen. This juicer has a single auger but does have 2 stages. The first stage crushes the food with the auger and the second stage squeezes the new juice through the stainless-steel screen. This screen helps to filter out the pulp, so the result is delicious and nutritious juice with minimal pulp.
This Omega J8006HDS is powered by a 2 horsepower motor that rotates 80 times per minute. This slow juicing won’t generate any nutrient killing heat. As far as convenience, this Omega juicer is easy to take apart and put together. The parts are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning and suction cups on the bottom of the base make it stay put while in use.
What we liked:
- Very high juice yield
- Powerful enough to process anything you would want to juice
- 15 year warranty gives you peace of mind
- Easy to clean and dishwasher safe
What we didn’t like:
- Higher cost
- Not all BPA free, but certainly only food grade plastics are used
Aicok Slow Masticating Juicer Extractor – Best Beginners Pick
Aicok is a newer brand that has quickly made a name for themselves in the juicing world. The model we chose is the AMR521 which takes the cake as our beginner pick. With over 2,000 4- and 5-star reviews on Amazon, juicers are really liking this option. With an accessible price point, this is a great juicer for those looking to get started.
This Aicok slow masticating juicer is 16.1 x 7.9 x 11.6 inches and weighs in at 8.23 pounds. Even though it is relatively lightweight, it certainly has a solid feeling construction. There is a single auger with 7 sections that creates an excellent juice yield in its 80 rotations per minute. The motor is powerful enough to handle any typical juicing task and won’t wake up the neighbors as it generates about 60 decibels of sound. If you, like me, have no idea what that means at first glance, it’s about the volume of a normal conversation.
When it comes to getting to work, this Aicok juicer uses BPA free plastics to ensure safe juicing. The slow rotation prevents heat from being generated to make sure you get the most out of your juice. Once you’re ready to move on for the day, cleanup is a breeze and all the components are dishwasher safe.
What we liked:
- Intuitive design is easy to put together and take apart
- Dishwasher safe for easy cleanup
- Quiet motor
- Great juice yield
- Affordable option for anyone looking to continue juicing or start for the first time
- BPA Free
What we didn’t like:
- May not filter out all the pulp
- Replacement parts are difficult to get
Tribest GSE-5000 Greenstar Elite Cold Press Complete Masticating Juicer – Pro’s Pick
If you are looking to take your juicing to the next level, the Greenstar Elite from Tribest is the option for you. This “Ultimate Juicer” has a complete mastication system that slices, cuts, and crushes. These 3 stages ensure the maximum nutritional value of your fruits and veggies are turned into juice and not left in the pulp.
This Greenstar Elite juicer is certainly not the most compact option on the list at 18.6 x 6.8 x 12.4 inches and 17.2 pounds. The twin augers with stainless steel construction make this juicer the heaviest on our list by a few pounds. With the gears rotating at 110 RPM, this is also one of the faster juicers on our list. While this may seem confusing at first, the efficiency of this juicer allows for more rotations AND a higher juice yield. This means your juicing doesn’t take as long. If you juice frequently and are in a hurry, this could add up to quite a bit of time saved.
The Tribest GSE-5000 is easy to use AND easy to clean with the components being dishwasher safe. As this is a very versatile juicer, is also comes with quite a few things included in the box. First, there are 4 screens to use depending on what you are juicing and how much pulp you want in your juice. Also included are a glass pitcher, wooden plunger, plastic plunger, cleaning brush, and scraper tools.
What we liked:
- Very versatile with solid construction and dual stainless-steel gears
- 110 RPMs make for faster juicing than some other masticating juicers without losing nutritional value
- Homogenizing accessories included
- 15-year warranty
What we didn’t like:
- High price point
- Large and heavy can make it inconvenient if you plan to move it around a lot
Mueller Masticating Slow Juicer – Handheld Pick
Want to get an intro to juicing or simply don’t want to have to rely on electricity to make your juice? The Mueller Manual Masticating Juicer is the choice for you. Operated completely by hand, all you need to do to get high quality cold pressed juice is load it up with fruits and veggies and start turning. While it may not be as fast or effortless as an electric juicer, this juicer still gets the job done.
With no motor involved here, this is the smallest masticating juicer on the list. Measuring 11 x 9 x 5.5 inches and weighing 3 pounds, it’s easy to find a place around your kitchen for this juicer. If you want to make it even easier to store, you can take it apart and store it right inside a drawer.
This Mueller juicer is easy to use and easy to care for with its dishwasher safe components. The construction is BPA free for all the pieces that come into contact with your food. With a suction cup on the base, you won’t worry about the juicer moving around when in use.
What we liked:
- Allows you to introduce juicing into your life at an affordable cost
- Lightweight and does not require electricity to use, making it great for travel
- Dishwasher safe parts make clean up a breeze
What we didn’t like:
- Not automatic juicing
- The juice made from this juicer may have higher levels of pulp compared to electric masticating juicers
Aeitto Slow Juicer – Space Saver Pick
So far all of our top masticating juicers have been horizontal juicers. For those of you who may have smaller kitchens and need to make the most of your space, we wanted to include a vertical juicer. This Aeitto slow juicer is a great option as the base is only about 5 inches by 5 inches. This juicer also has a large feeding chute for a vertical juicer, so you won’t need to spend a ton of time prepping to make your juice.
At speeds of 47 to 60 RPM, you can be sure the maximum nutritional value is being squeezed out of your fruits and vegetables. With BPA free plastics and a quiet motor, you won’t have to worry about the quality of the construction or waking up your family.
The Aeitto slow juicer has a reverse function which helps to prevent clogs and keep things juicing smoothly. With dishwasher safe components, clean up couldn’t be easier. Worried about things going wrong? A 2-year warranty keeps you covered there, too.
What we liked:
- Vertical design keeps this juicer from taking up too much space
- Large chute for a vertical juicer minimizes the food prep requirement
- Low revolutions per minute keep your juices full of nutrients
- At under 60 decibels, the quiet motor won’t disturb your family or neighbors
What we didn’t like:
- Not as versatile as some other horizontal juicers
- The mesh filter can be difficult to clean
Wrapping Up
No matter what you juicing goals are, a masticating juicer can help you get there. Having your own masticating juicer will allow you to create your favorite juices right in your own home. You will also be able to juice more often and share delicious and nutritious juice with your friends and family. The amount of juicer options available may still seem a bit overwhelming. By learning the basics and thinking about what you want out of your juicer, you can narrow down the options and pick the best masticating juicer for you! If you aren’t sure which one would be the best for you but just want to get started, you can’t go wrong with our best beginner’s pick!
