Centrifugal Juicers: review and compare popular models

Centrifugal juicers are the most common juicing machines available in stores.

Are you looking for an inexpensive way to get you a quick glass of fresh fruit and veggie juice?  Take a closer look at how they work and see if they are the right fit for you.

What is a centrifugal juicer and how do they work?

This class of juicers get their name “centrifugal” from “centrifuge.” This means that the internal system to extract pulp uses a spinning technique, operating at a high RPM.

Inside of this juicer there's a round shredder disc with sharp blades. This disc spins at high speeds while grinding and grating the fruits and vegetables into tiny pieces to extract the pulp. These juicers are on the lower end spectrum of all juicers,

due to this centrifugal process. Many think is it sub-par to the single and twin gear because it does not grind up and get the full nutrients from the fruit and vegetable cells as effectively.

It is essentially spinning the juice out of the produce versus grinding and/or squeezing.

While this has truth, they are more inexpensive and do the job just fine. Some points to consider are that they only can do one thing- juice.

The single and twin gear juices can homogenize nut butters, baby food and sorbet, among other things.

These juicers also typically produce a more watery pulp, as the centrifugal system can only spin out so much liquid.

For those only going to use a juicer “once in a while” and only have an interest for juicing, this is the best option. The very inexpensive models (under $50) are not recommended as a good investment.

I have seen a significant difference between the higher end models and the lower end models of centrifugal juicers.

What's the upside of a centrifugal juicer?

• Extracts fresh juice quicker then twin and single gear juicers.
  
• Most are simple to clean compared to its counterparts.
• They are more inexpensive then the other categories of juicers.
• It does a pretty good job at juicing citrus fruits.
• Does the job well for those juicing infrequently.

What's the downside of a centrifugal juicer?

• Some models tend to be extremely loud.
• They produce more pulp, as well as a more watery pulp..
• Strainer discs and blades can get worn and dull quickly, depending on use and model.
• Provides a less nutritious juice and juice cannot be stored as long as it can with single and twin gears juicers.
• Pulp can clog up the machine rather quickly, depending on the model (not with higher end models).
• Cannot be used for anything else but juicing.
• Life span tends to be less then single and twin gear types (again, with higher end models this is debatable).
• Not good for juicing leafy greens, or wheatgrass.

I have had a few of these juicers over the years and do feel they fulfilled my needs just fine at the time, so don’t let these con’s scare you.

I am being overly critical for the benefit of those researching their juicer options.

They do work well, and are very good for beginners. Just be sure to get a good model- which you might not find in stores. If you can spend at least $200 I would recommend looking at single gear juicers

Average price range: $25 - $300

Save yourself some time and check out my reviews of the Omega Juicer 1000 ,The Jack LaLanne JLSS Deluxe and the Breville JE900 if you think you are interested in this type of juicer.

Review Juicers > Centrifugal Juicers