Cold-Pressed (Slow Juicer) vs Centrifugal: Which Should You Buy?

With Singapore set to experience rising temperatures in the next few months, there’s no better time to invest in a juicer if you don’t have one already. Even if you’re not affected by the heat, there are health benefits to drinking juice, including gaining access to important vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. If you’re new to the whole buying a juicer thing, here’s a quick guide to help you get started. Source: Pixabay In general, there are two main juicers in the market – the centrifugal juicer and the cold pressed juicer, otherwise also known as the slow juicer or the masticating juicer. Whether you select one or the other is very much dependent on what your juicing habits are or will be.  

Centrifugal Juicer

You will probably be more familiar with this type of juicer, which is more common compared to the cold-pressed/slow juicer. It extracts juice by using a blade that spins via a centrifugal force against a filter or a sieve. This separates the flesh (of the fruit) from the juice. The pulp and juice then gets channelled into two separate containers. There are usually several speeds to choose from, depending on what fruits you are using. It’s a great option if you don’t have the patience to cut your fruits or vegetables into small bits before juicing because a centrifugal juicer’s blades are able to cut into larger chunks of produce. The other advantage is that they are (usually) more affordable than a cold-pressed juicer. The main issue with a centrifugal juicer is the heat from the blades, which oxidises the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables you’re juicing, so you’re getting a less nutritious juice than you would if you’re using the same amount of fruits and vegetables in a cold-pressed/slow juicer. Also note that if you want to be juicing leafy vegetables like kale or wheatgrass on a regular basis, you shouldn’t get a centrifugal juicer as it doesn’t juice them well. Get this if you… aren’t too concern about taking in nutrients from your juices and just want to down a cup of juice fast before you head out in the mornings. Centrifugal juicers are for fuss-free folks, who want a non-fancy, low-cost, and low-maintenance appliance that can juice a selected number of fruits.   Keep your cool with these centrifugal machines: Kenwood Centrifugal Juicer (JE680) $169, Tangs This juicer has a large feeder tube that allows you to put in whole pieces of fruit in it. The 700W machine runs on two speeds, and is able to collect up to 1.5L of pulp and 0.75L of juice.   Philips Viva Collection Juicer (HR1855/31) $199, Courts This Philips appliance has a 700W motor and can hold up to 2L of juice. What we like about this juicer is that the pulp container is completely transparent, so you can see when the container needs to be emptied. Cleaning up is a breeze too, as the surfaces of the sieve are smooth so pulp fibre can be removed easily.   Bosch Juicer (MES25C0) $169, Courts Set in a sweet cherry hue, this 700W juicer comes with a 1.25L juice container. A brush is included with the juicer to clean the pulp fibres. Like the other two juicers, it also has a large feeding tube that fits a whole apple so no pre-cutting is necessary. It is also equipped with a stainless steel microsieve that makes for optimal juice extraction.  

Cold Pressed Juicer/Slow Juicer/Masticating Juicer

The cold-pressed/slow juicer is a newer form of juicer, although it's increasingly common nowadays thanks to the purported benefits of the juice it extracts. It is believed that the juice from a cold-pressed juicer has more nutrients, owing to the fact that it moves at a much slower pace, which generates less heat and therefore has a lower risk of oxidation. This slower pace also means there is less foam produced, so you get a less foamy juice. A cold-pressed juicer uses one or two augers to slowly crush and grind your fruits and vegetables, pressing them through a screen to release the juice. They are great for juicing leafy greens and nuts, which centrifugal juicers typically cannot. Because a cold-pressed juicer extracts more juice per fruit and vegetable than a centrifugal one, you’re acquiring lesser wastage, and a slow juicer might therefore be more value for money in the long run despite its initial higher price point. Nevertheless, cold-pressed juicers tend to be a lot slower than centrifugal juicers. Plus, they will require you to chop your produce into fine bits before juicing as they have a tendency to clog due to the nature of how these juicers work. Get this if you… can take the time to chop your fruits and vegetables into itty-bitty bits before throwing them into the juicer and if the nutrient level of your juice is very important to you. The cold-pressed juicer is also for folks who likes juicing leafy vegetables and want a juicer that can also multitask.

PRO TIP 1: A cold-pressed juicer with two augers is also called a triturating juicer or a twin gear juicer. It is more premium than a single gear, cold-pressed juicer and it will cost more, but it is said to extract more juice from your produce. PRO TIP 2: Cold-pressed single-gear juicers also come in either a vertical or horizontal form. The former is a newer invention, and was intended to mesh the benefits of the centrifugal machine with the cold-pressed juicer. Some vertical slow juicers have larger feeding tubes than horizontal ones which makes prep time less of a pain. Vertical slow juicers also tend to be faster than horizontal ones and they take up less space on a countertop. But if you prefer juicing leafy vegetables rather than soft fruits or if you want a juicer that more than just juices, horizontals are your best bet.

  Keep your cool with these slow juicers: Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer (B3000) $599, Courts This vertical cold-pressed juicer spins at a slow 60rpm, so it is really quiet. The large feeding tube (3 inches wide) means you can fit whole fruits in it, although we recommend that you still cut up more fibrous fruits and vegetables (like celery!) to prevent clogging. The pulp gets channelled into a separate container outside the juicer so it makes it really easy to clean up. The B3000 also comes with a smoothie and frozen dessert maker so it functions more than just a juicer.   Hurom HA 2600 Slow Juicer $668, Harvey Norman With such a high price tag comes high expectations. And thankfully, this juicer delivers. This slow juicer from Korea operates at a gentle 43rpm using its twin-wing auger, a design which helps to minimise clogging. It comes with a spinning brush that envelops the auger and runs at a speed of 17rpm, helping to reduce foam build-up so you have clearer juice. The semi-transparent hopper also means you can see if your produce went down the chute properly. Available in a gorgeous rose gold colour.   Omega NC802S Horizontal Juicer $739, Lazada If you tend to juice leafy vegetables, get a horizontal slow juicer like this one. It runs at a speed of 80rpm. There are five speed settings to choose from; level one for softer fruits like citrus and five for tougher produce like wheatgrass. The chute is larger than those in the older 8000 series, and you can also make frozen desserts with this one.

PRO TIP 3: With slow juicers, there isn’t a need to push your fruits forcefully down the juicer using the plunger like in a centrifugal one. Too much pushing may actually cause the produce to get stuck and remain in the strainer.

  Here’s a table summary of a cold-pressed/slow juicer versus a centrifugal juicer:

	Centrifugal	Cold-pressed/Slow Juicer
Price	Affordable	More expensive
Speed	Fast	Slower
Wha can be juiced	A number of fruits and vegetables, but not nuts or leafy greens	Most fruits and vegetables, including nuts and leafy greens
Prep work	Large chunks of produce can be fed into the feeder tube and processed	Requires cutting of produce into small-sized pieces
Amount of juice	Lesser juice	More juice
Nutrition Level	High risk of oxidation, so lesser nutrients retained during juicing process	Lower risk of oxidation, so more nutrients
Maintenance	Easier to clean	More intricate parts so requires longer to clean
Noise Level	Loud	Near silent

There are pros and cons for each type of juicer and what you choose depends on your lifestyle needs, juicing styles and budget. Will you go for a centrifugal juicer or a cold-pressed one? Let us know in the comments!  

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