Choosing Between Masticating vs. Centrifugal Juicers

Commercial juicers come in two main forms: centrifugal and masticating. The former units are designed with blades that separate juice from its body by spinning against a mesh filter before separating the juice and pulp into two containers; the latter units crush and press juice from ingredients with a slow rotating auger and screen. Centrifugal juicers are desirable for their quick speeds, though they're known for making disruptive noise during use. These units are often constructed with two speeds for produce of various densities. However, they're not optimal for soft fruits or leafy greens, such as strawberries or kale. Masticating juicers are capable of extracting higher yields of juice from the same ingredients, and they operate more quietly than centrifugal units because of their slow turning speed.

The Difference Between Masticating and Centrifugal Juicers

When it comes to masticating vs. centrifugal units, the differences in their juicing capabilities boils down to variance in operation. Centrifugal juicers are great if your business needs fast equipment that's easy to operate. They usually consist of the following components:

• Base with spinning motor
• Pulp container
• Mesh filter tray with blades
• Lid with pusher
• Chute

Some centrifugal juicers even come with a pitcher you can directly hook up to the nozzle, reducing product loss when pouring. Once the juicer is set up, switch it on, feed ingredients through the chute, and press the lid's extended base against the ingredients so they're pushed against the blades and mesh for extraction.

Masticating juicers largely have the same components as centrifugal juicers, but masticators have a slow-rotating auger in place of blades. The first step to using these units is cutting up ingredients before feeding them through the chute. Pushing soft ingredients – such as peach or pineapple – against the auger and screen often isn't necessary since they've already been sliced.

The Best Ingredients for Masticating and Centrifugal Juicers

Due to their different speeds and configurations, centrifugal and masticating juicers work best with different foods.

Masticators and Time

One of the biggest differences between centrifugal and masticating juicers is their speed of extraction. When it comes to juicing, the latter is always celebrated as being the slow and thorough option, but exactly how long does it take to juice with a masticating juicer?

The answer varies by model and ingredients, but if you want to compare the speeds of centrifugal juicers and masticators, consider the difference in their RPM (revolutions per minute). Masticating juicers have a maximum RPM of 80 – tortoise-like in comparison to centrifugal juicers' capabilities of 10,000 RPM.

Centrifugal Juicers and Nutrients

There's a persisting belief that masticating juicers have greater health benefits because their extraction process retains nutrients and enzymes, optimizing juice quality while extending its shelf life, but do centrifugal juicers destroy nutrients?

Because centrifugal juicers operate more quickly than masticators, some claim they produce heat that breaks down enzymes and nutrients in juice, reducing nutritional value. However, there's no evidence that suggests centrifugal juicers actually do produce significantly worse juice than masticators. The resulting juices are observably different based on the quality of your machine, but their nutritional value isn't significantly affected¹. Because centrifugal juicers operate so quickly, there isn't enough time for the heat produced to destroy nutrients, and many vitamins remain stable when heated.

Types of Masticating Juicers

While centrifugal and masticating juicers are the main juicer categories, the process of picking the best unit isn't as simple as choosing between the two. Masticators are further divided into three subcategories:

• Twin gear juicers, or triturating juicers, grind produce between two stainless steel interlocking augers at a slower RPM than masticators with one auger. This provides an efficient and thorough extraction process with minimal aeration and oxidation, extending juice's shelf life while retaining nutrients.
• Vertical masticating juicers combine the benefits of masticators and centrifugal juicers into one unit. These units produce juice quickly, and their large feeding chute means ingredients don't need to be prepped before extraction. Because produce travels directly through the feed chute into contact with the auger, frequently pushing ingredients isn't necessary.
• Horizontal masticators perform extraction more slowly than their vertical counterparts. These units work best with leafy greens, such as wheatgrass and spinach, though their small feeding chute means you'll need to cut up ingredients beforehand. Many horizontal masticating juicers include extra attachments that enable mincing meat and making sorbets.

Masticating Juicer vs. Cold Press

Cold presses and masticators perform the same function of extracting juice from ingredients, but is a masticating juicer the same as a cold press?

Although masticators are sometimes referred to as cold press juicers, the two are not the same. Unlike masticators, cold presses aren't equipped with an auger. Extracting juice from ingredients with these units calls for a two-stage process. First, produce is chopped or ground into a chunky consistency, then it's slowly extracted by pressing the pulp under high pressure. This process optimizes the shelf life of juice while minimizing separation.

Sources

1. Effect of cold-pressed and normal centrifugal juicing on quality attributes of fresh juices: do cold-pressed juices harbor a superior nutritional quality and antioxidant capacity? National Center for Biotechnology Information. Assatarakul, Kitipong; Khaksar, Gholamreza; and Sirikantaramasa, Supaart. Accessed December 2020.