Best Juicers

Is a juicer a good investment?

Consider buying a juicer if you find yourself agreeing with the following.

You'd like to increase your fruit and vegetable intake.

It's often difficult to eat the recommended two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables per day, especially if you're short for time.

To up your daily intake of vegetables and fruits, throwing them into your juicer is an easy and fuss-free way to satisfy more of your nutritional needs without having to think about it too much. If you're not a fan of vegetables, and the thought of buying a vegetable or green juicer is a little intimidating, it can be as simple as throwing in a handful of baby spinach. Often this way the other flavours are so overpowering that you don't even notice the taste.

You want to make life easier.

Resting at home on your day off and feeling too tired to leave the house? Switch on the juicer and make yourself a drink. Breville juicers are popular and reliable juicers that many people have added to their homes, as they are particularly known for their ease of use.

Along with having a coffee machine - it's almost like having a cafe in the convenience of your own home. You can save money that you would usually spend on a takeaway coffee or green juice from a juice bar or invite friends over to enjoy your set up. Plus, if you're looking to make a stylish kitchen arrangement, choosing a sleek finish on a juicer, such as effortless black can also be a good way to make your kitchen bench look more like a cafe.

You'd rather not have added sugars in your juices.

Most of the time, store-bought juices come packed with lots of added sugar and using your own fruit juicer is a great way to lower your sugar levels and increase your vitamin intake. By carefully choosing the fruits and veggies you put in your drink, you get to decide which vitamins and nutrients you have, resulting in a much healthier juice.

You can use your juicer to make apple or orange juice - the traditional choices. Or try something different with watermelon and rosewater, the options are endless! You'll discover more recipes and combinations over time.

Should I buy a juicer or blender?

Juicers and blenders can both be beneficial to your health and either can be used for dieting or living a healthy lifestyle. Juicers can be used for a juice cleanse and a blender can be used to make smoothies for meal replacements.

The main difference between a juicer and a blender is that a juicer will extract nutrients from fruits and vegetables, whereas a blender pulverises fruits and vegetables as a whole.

Most juicers have a pulp collection bin that stores the pulp - but it doesn't have to be destined for the bin. Once you've separated the pulp from the fruits and vegetables, you can then use the pulp to make a healthy, fibrous snack by adding it to granola bars. You can also turn the pulp into veggie broth or add it to baked foods like pasta and lasagne, for an infusion of nutrients.

Foods made using a blender, such as smoothies, are thicker because they include the pulp and fibrous cellulose. Since blenders are designed to produce food with thicker textures than a juicer, they can make food as well - healthy snacks like protein balls and meals like soups. If you don't mind pulp in your juice, a blender is a cheaper option that's also easier to clean.

Some popular juicers even come with a smoothie function, such as the Breville Froojie Juice Fountain, which might not be as effective as a standalone blender but might be a good compromise if you would prefer not to buy both a juicer and a blender.

Types of Juicers

Which is better, a masticating or centrifugal juicer?

Many cold press juicers are also multifunctional, compared to most centrifugal juicers, which mainly make juices. Cold press juicers can help to make baby food, salsa, nut milk/butter, and baby food. Although masticating juicers do tend to cost more than other juicers, they are also quieter and produce a high yield of good quality juice, so if you intend to juice frequently and don't mind the slower juicing time, a cold press juicer can be a worthwhile investment.

Twin gear juicers

Motorised manual-press juicers

Factors to consider when buying a juicer:

Material/Build

Stainless steel juicers are strong and durable and can handle being knocked around a little. If you're looking for a juicer that is long-lasting and won't break easily, then a stainless steel juicer is your best option. If you're new to juicing and just looking to try one out, then plastic juicers are usually a less expensive option but may be more vulnerable than a stainless steel juicer.

Speed

The centrifugal juicer makes juice fast. Quickly pop in some fruits and veggies like celery into a centrifugal juicer, and you've got yourself a quick and nutritious breakfast. Sip on it while getting ready for work or pack it into a portable cup.

But if you've got a few extra minutes on your hands, it's worth waiting for a cold press juicer to work its magic. Often the result will be higher quality juice, with more nutrition, less foam, and an increased thickness. With a bit of patience, a slow juicer can be worth the wait.

Noise

The speed of a centrifugal juicer creates vibrations which makes it sound louder than other juicers. However, most cold press juicers are so quiet that you might even forget that they're on. If you have friends over and you're trying to talk, you won't be interrupted by a juicer jumping around on the counter, or the loud whirring of a blade chopping up fruits.

Ease of cleaning

If you leave cleaning your juicer for later, you're probably going to be left with a sticky mess. Choosing a juicer that can be taken apart into individual parts can help speed up the cleaning process and encourage you to start cleaning sooner.

Many centrifugal juicers are compatible with dishwashing machines, which means that as soon as you're finished making your juice, you can disassemble your appliance and pop it in your dishwashing machine.

However, keep in mind most masticating juicers aren't dishwasher safe and will need to be hand-washed. A cleaning brush is usually best for a juicer - and bonus points if you find a juicer that comes with its own brush. The Breville Juice Fountain Plus and the Kuvings C7000 are both juicers which come available with a cleaning brush.

Price

The twin gear juicer is usually the most expensive type of juicer on the market. So if your goal is to extract all the nutrients you possibly can, or to use your new appliance for a juice cleanse, then it's worth investing in a higher-end model, such as the Greenstar Elite Juicer GSE-5000, which is available at a starting price of $625. This juicer is pricier because with its large chutes and twin gears it's able to produce larger quantities of juice. It's also easy to assemble and clean and is covered by a 12-year warranty.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a budget juicer, Kmart juicers are worth considering. Their cheapest juicer, the Kmart Anko 1L Citrus Juicer, is selling for as low as $15. A highly-rated centrifugal juicer is The Kmart Juicer Large, which is stainless steel, dishwasher friendly, and at only $59, will get your juice ready in no time.

Have a look through our juicer reviews and use the filters on the left and scroll through our top juicer brands, such as Hurom, Sunbeam and Smeg, to find the best juicer for you.