Slow Juicer vs. Fast Juicer: What's the Difference?

Choosing the best juicer for your needs is a difficult decision and is all down to personal preference. There are two real main types of juicer - fast juicers, also called centrifugal juicers, or slow juicers, also called masticating juicers.

There are some key differences between slow and fast juicers and here we explore the differences and give you some insight into the type of juicer that might suit your needs.

 

What is a slow (masticating) juicer?

Slow juicers produce juice by squeezing the fruit (or masticating). A slow juicer uses an auger, which slowly pushes the fruit or vegetables against a mesh, separating the juice from the pulp which falls into a separate container.

As one would expect from the name, the process of extracting juice with a slow juicer is slow! They are, however, pretty quiet and great for juicing leafy greens, wheatgrass or soft fruits. Slow juicers also produce less heat, which helps to maintain the nutrient content in the juice.

Masticating juicers are sometimes referred to as cold press juicers, but in a domestic setting this is usually incorrect and the term cold press juicers is usually reserved for more industrial machines.

 

Advantages of a slow juicer

There are a few key advantages to a slow juicer, which may be of benefit to you when deciding which is most suited to your needs.

• A slow juicer has the ability to juice leafy greens such as mint, kale, wheat grass, and other green vegetables. It can also process nuts and coffee beans.

• The slow process, with minimal heat loss and the slow speed ensures that it extracts the maximum nutrients from the vegetables, fruits and leafy greens and therefore increases the health benefits of the freshly squeezed juice.

• Slow juicers are generally regarded as offering a higher quality juice with more nutrients and a more natural taste. 

• Slow juicers are much quieter than centrifugal juicers.

 

Disadvantages of a slow juicer

Although slow juicers are highly regarded, there are some disadvantages that are worth consideration.

• A slow juicer doesn’t empty the pulp, so it remains in the machine.

• Slow juicers come with some awkward parts, including a mesh that are not easy to clean.

• The process of creating juice is slow!

• If you're someone who wishes to produce a juice to go, or first thing in a morning, then this is not the machine for you!

• You can pay a lot for a slow juicer. The price on the market can be 2 to 3 times higher than a centrifugal juicer.

 

What is a fast (centrifugal) juicer?

Fast juicers produce juice by using a fast rotating mesh. This helps to break down the fruit or vegetable, producing juice and also dispensing of pulp into a pulp container. The fast motion means that fast juicers do as the name suggests - produce your juice fast!

If you are looking to create a fresh drink in a hurry, then centrifugal juicers are definitely the models for you. Unfortunately, the fast process means that many of the nutrients are lost through the heat produced and fast juicers can also be noisy, so not ideal to use first thing in a morning!

 

Advantages of a fast juicer

Although fast juicers are generally less expensive than slow juicers, they have a number of advantages.

• Fast juicing, as the name suggests, is fast!

• A fast juicer has the ability to produce a large quantity of juice in one go.

• A fast juicer is much easier to clean than a masticating juicer.

• The cost of fast juicers is lower compared to slow juicers.

• You can juice a large amount of fruits, vegetables and greens quickly and efficiently.

 

Disadvantages of a fast juicer

Inevitably, a lower cost machine will have some disadvantages when compared to the more expensive fast juicers.

• Fast juicers are generally much louder than slow juicers when in use.

• Fast juicers generate more heat because of the fast spinning mesh blade, therefore wasting more energy.

• The finished juice can look foamy because of the speed of its production. Juice quality can be low as the machine does not always maximise the flavor of the raw materials.

• This type of juicer can struggle to juice more challenging vegetables, or leafy greens and nuts

• The increased heat production means that the nutritional value of the juice produced by a fast juicer is lower than that of a slow juicer.

 

Which juicer produces the most juice?

The amount of juice you can extract using slow or fast juicers is really dependent on which model you use. Although slow juicers maximize the raw materials, centrifugal juicers can also produce a similar quantity of juice. The results vary, so it's best to do your own research to see which juicers would get the most out of your ingredients.

 

Slow juicer vs fast juicer: which is best?

If you are on a budget and you are more interested in producing juices at speed for your convenience, then a fast juicer is the way to go. Although the nutritional value might not be at the level of the masticating juicers, there will still be nutrients in the juice and you can still gain the health benefits.

If your focus is on the performance of the juicer and extracting the maximum flavor and nutritional value, then a slow juicer is the best model for you. Although the price may be higher, you are also likely to get a higher quality juice with this method.

 

Which model should you buy?

In terms of slow juicers, if you are looking for a compact juicer which will fit nicely in your kitchen or on your worktop, then the Omega Compact Nutrition Center CNC80S Masticating Juicer is a great entry level slow juicer. Its smaller size is compensated by a large funnel which makes it easier to feed the ingredients in.

At the higher end of the budget scale, the Angel Juicer 8500 Twin Gear Stainless Steel Juicer with Soft Fruit Housing Filter provides a high quality masticating juicer. The stainless steel finish is enhanced by a 3 stage juice extraction for optimal nutrition and flavor.

At the budget end of fast juicers is the Miracle MJ3000 Centrifugal 2-Speed Juicer. At less than $100, it's the perfect starter model for those looking for an entry level machine to try out new juices. At the higher end, the Santos 68 Commercial Juice Extractor "Miracle Edition" offers an easy to clean and attractive looking machine which creates juice on a par with masticating juicers. It also has the ability to produce 40 gallons of juice per hour.

If you have made the decision between a fast juicer and a slow juicer, then please take a look at the range of fast and slow juicers we have available at Extreme Wellness Supply.