Why buy a masticating juicer (also called a single gear juicer, or single auger juicer)?
If you are not yet certain of the qualities of a masticating juicer, and what they have to offer that centrifugal juicers do not, then read on.
Here I will explain why masticating machines produce top-quality juice with the greatest benefits for health. Then I will share my top 5 best masticating juicers list to help you find the best masticating juicer for you.
Masticating Juicers - The Benefits of 'Slow Juicing'
There are essentially 2 types of electric juice extractors:
Centrifugal juicer machines that operate at very high speeds, typically between 3,500 and 14,000 RPM (revolutions per minute)
Masticating juicer machines that run at very slow speeds, typically about 80 RPM
So why does this matter you may ask?
Essentially this matters because high-speed means heat and a less thorough extraction of juice; this is what you get with centrifugal juicing.
Masticating, which means 'to chew', is a slow almost cold-press and thorough way to extract juice and nutrients from fruits, veggies, and grasses.
Masticating juicers use a gear (also called an auger) that rotates slowly to effectively crush the cell walls of fruits and veggies to release extra juice and nutrients.
Breaking through the cell walls is important for greatly increasing the amount of antioxidants and other nutrients in produce. See the pic just above, food goes into the vertical tube and hits the slow-turning gear and gets thoroughly crushed.
This is why masticating juicers provide a better juice and nutrient yield, and therefore greater health benefits than those of their centrifugal juicing counterparts. So if greatest quality of juicer is your priority, then the best slow juicer using mastication is the way to go.
But wait, there is more to the picture. Heat also causes some oxidation with kills some antioxidants and creates a frothy/foamy juice. With the slow-press method of the masticating juicer, you don't get this problem, so you get even more antioxidants and foam-free juice.
Let's move on to my pick of the top 5 best masticating juicers.
And let me just preface by saying that I find it very hard to pick THE number 1 best masticating juicer because there are several of them that are quite awesome. So in no particular order, well I have a slight personal bias for the first one listed here... What is the best juicer machine?
The 5 Best Masticating Juicers
#1 - The Omega 8006 Nutrition Center
For some reason, out of all the masticating juicers that I own, this is the one I find myself using the most. Is it the nice shiny chrome finish? Maybe. Is it the fact that it does so much more than just make juice? Very likely. Besides juicing, the Omega 8006 also:
Minces and chops
Makes baby food
Makes nut butters
Makes frozen desserts
Extrudes soy milk and pasta
Grinds
So yep, besides juicing, you can make healthy baby food, frozen sorbets, pasta and awesome home-made nut butters among other things.
#2 - The Omega 8005 Nutrition Center
The previous model of the Omega 8006 juicer, the Omega 8005 is a cheaper alternative if you want to save yourself about $50. It is 99% the same as the Omega 8006, the difference is that you get a longer warranty and a more 'battle hardy' auger with the 8006 model.
In fact, this 8005 is the actual model I own, and it has been working great for me for the past 2 years. So I have no reason to upgrade yet.
The following 3 masticating juicers reviewed are all a specific type of masticating machine called a vertical juicer.
You will notice their difference in shape compared to the Omega 8005 and 8006 reviewed above. The benefit of a vertical masticating juicer is that you just drop the food in the chute and it does the rest, no need for plungers to push down fruit, veggies and wheatgrass.
However, the Omega juicers are a little more effective at extracting juice from leafy greens and wheatgrass. There is not much in it, and all masticating juicers are great for wheatgrass and leafy greens, but the Omega 8006 and 8005 have a slight lead.
#3 - Breville BJS600XL Fountain Crush
This is the first offering by Breville to the masticating juicer market, before now they have produced excellent centrifugal juicers. You can learn more about these Breville juicers in my post compare breville juicers.
I don't own this juicer personally and have not tried it first hand, but it does have all the key benefits of the vertical style masticating machines; namely that you don't need a plunger it just pulls the food in itself.
#4 - Omega VRT350 Heavy Duty Slow Speed Juicer
Juicers #1 and #2 on this list are the Omega 8005 and 8006 models, both of what you might term 'horizontal' masticating machines.
However, Omega has created a vertical masticating juicer that features all the quality we have come to expect from this company. Being a big fan of the Omega machines, I use the Omega 8005 and this Omega VRT350 HD regularly.
I have a slight bias towards the Omega 8005/8006 because it gets a little extra juice out of leafy greens and wheatgrass.
However, this Omega VRT350 is still great for leafy greens and wheatgrass (and other veggies and fruits of course!), with the upside of being a little easier to use.
A plunger is not needed, so you don't need any pressure to push food into the machine. Just drop your produce in the chute and let the Omega do the rest. Heaven.
#5 - Hurom HU-100 Slow Juicer
I cannot put together a best masticating juicer list without adding the Hurom Slow Juicer. An excellent vertical juicer that echos the quality of the Omega VRT350.
In fact, I would go as far as to say they are practically the same machine. Both produce great juice yields and nutritious juice free from foaming. They both produce the same amount of juice.
So, how to choose between them?
My advice - they are both great, so just get the one that you like the look of best. Simple.
There are so many health benefits to juicing fresh fruits, vegetables, grasses & herbs regularly. They provide us a mega-dose of phytochemicals, antioxidants, living enzymes, vitamins and minerals in every glass; helping protect us from a myriad of diseases, reducing inflammation, boosting the immune system and much much more. A daily glass of juice goes […]
The Convenience Of A Blender and Juicer In One Now that the power of fresh juice, whether blended or juiced, is becoming ever more clear with the advent of great documentaries like "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead", and even infomercials such as the Jack LaLanne Juicer machine, more of us are inspired to add fresh […]
The Breville juice fountain elite juicer machine, also known as the 'Breville die-cast juice fountain elite' and the 'breville juice fountain elite 800jexl' is one of the most popular and well reviewed of juicers. It is next to impossible to find a bad review about this machine, and I can attest to this first hand. […]
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.