We Tested 18 Juicers to Find the Best Ones for Pulverizing Fruits and Vegetables (2024)

Whether you're interested in its health benefits or simply like the idea of making your own blends (ginger-apple, anyone?), a juicer could be a worthwhile investment.

Available for as little as $50—approximately the cost of five store-bought juices—and reaching well above $500, the field of juicers is full of options. To help you find the best one, we put the squeeze on 18 popular models. We evaluated both centrifugal and cold press juicers, with prices ranging from $50-$700 ($170 on average). We took into consideration our findings from our past review, too. In our opinion, our previous top pick from Omega is still the best money can buy.

The Winners, at a Glance

Having come out on top of our tests before, The Omega was still a favorite, especially among the masticating juicers, with clean, low-pulp juices that held well in the fridge.

The Breville Juice Fountain Compact extracted the most juice of any machine we tested and did an excellent job separating the pulp.

With a few elevated features and a higher price than the Compact, Breville’s The Juice Fountain Elite featured two speed levels, allowing for greater flexibility when processing produce of different densities.

The Magic Bullet Mini Juicer had the smallest footprint among our winners and the price point was extremely budget-friendly.

We loved the Kuvings' overall operation, especially the flow control valve that held finished juice in the machine until we were ready to dispense it.

The Hamilton Beach was a great unbox-and-go juicer, featuring easy clip-into-place parts, a straightforward operation, and dishwasher-safe components.

The smallest of the masticating juicers in our lineup, the Nutribullet Slow Juicer was so quiet you could juice in the morning without waking anyone else up.

The Tests

• Sound Test: We juiced two carrots and recorded how loud each model was using a decibel meter.
• Produce Test: We juiced identical amounts of carrots, kale, apples, and ginger (separately) with each juicer. We recorded the amount of time taken to juice, the temperature of the completed juice, and the volume of juice and pulp. We made visual notes on the wetness of the pulp, froth presence, juice clarity, and separation.
• Oxidation Test: Juice from the apple and carrot batches were refrigerated overnight in airtight containers. Observations on separation and browning, in addition to loss of flavor and/or change in flavor or mouthfeel, were recorded.
• Cleaning Test: We disassembled and cleaned each juicer according to the manufacturer’s instructions, noting any difficulties.
  

A Brief Overview of a Juicer’s Parts

Centrifugal and cold press juicers start with similar components and diverge when it comes to how they break down produce.Here's an overview.

• Feed Chute: Also known as a hopper, this is the large tube that delivers produce to the cutting disk.
• Pusher: A long plastic piece, included with most juicers, that fits in the feed chute to help guide foods downwards.
• Auger: Cold press juicers have this corkscrew-shaped piece that slowly turns and crushes the produce against the chamber walls to extract the juice.
• Juicing Strainer: Cold press juicers have a screen-like piece that fits over the tip of the auger to separate the pulp from the juice.
• Strainer Basket and Cutting Disc: Centrifugal juicers feature a basket with micro-mesh sides and a base with tiny blades that turn at a high speed. The blades cut down the food while the mesh delivers the juice away from the pulp.

What We Learned

Speed Was Not as Important as Juice Quantity and Quality

Centrifugal juicers were hands-down faster juicers than the cold press models. But, in the end, speed didn’t correlate with quality or quantity. We favored machines, both masticating and centrifugal, that produced high-quality juice with a bright, clean taste and low amounts of foam, free from pulp and grit. We liked to see efficiently processed, dry pulp indicating all the available juice was extracted.

Masticating Juicers Did Not Necessarily Produce Colder Juices

Masticating juicers are also commonly called “cold-press” juicers, but that's not what we observed. By taking the temperature of each juice fresh from the machine using an instant-read thermometer, we debunked a popular (even by us) assertion that centrifugal models produced warmer juices because of the heat generated by the spinning blades. Some of the most tepid juices were from masticating models. For example, the kale juice from the Hurom H310 Easy Clean Slow Juicer topped out at 78°F, while the Magic Bullet Mini Juicer and the Breville The Juice Fountain Compact produced carrot juice at a low 54°F.

Centrifugal Juicers Were the Loudest

Our noise tests found cold press juicers were much quieter than centrifugal models. The Gourmia 6-Speed Digital Wide-Mouth Juicer, a centrifugal model, emitted sounds as loud as a gas-powered leaf blower. We much preferred a juicer that had just a soft mechanical buzzing.

What Can You Juice with Centrifugal and Masticating Juicers?

Because their rapidly spinning blades are able to efficiently break things down, the centrifugal juicers worked very well with dense vegetables like carrots. Conversely, the slower, pressing augers of the masticating models made them better suited to produce with higher water content, such as apples.

This being said, both types of juicers will juice a variety of fruits and vegetables. You'll likely base your decision, instead, on criteria like size and price, as cold press juicers are typically pricier.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Juicer

A good juicer should be able to extract the most juice from fruits and vegetables, efficiently separating the pulp from the juice and leaving the discarded pulp fairly dry. It should be able to keep the juice separated from any other particulates like fiber and skins, so the final product has a uniform color, minimal foam or pulp, and no grit. For denser vegetables like beets, kale, and carrots, the juicer should be able to break them down without straining the motor or clogging. For items with a higher water content like berries and melons, the juicer should press out all the pulp's moisture, without transferring the softer pulp to the juice.

Other factors to consider include size, ease of cleaning, and price. Juicers come in many sizes, most fairly large. Take into consideration any movement limitations as some units are also quite heavy. For cleaning, almost all the juicers we tested had dishwasher-safe removable parts.

Our Favorite Juicers

What we liked: The Omega Vertical Square Low-Speed Juicer performed at the highest level on every test, consistently producing large quantities of juice and discarding small amounts of incredibly dry pulp. There was no separation on any of the freshly-made juices and the foam was minimal. The bright, clean taste of the carrot and apple juices held when stored overnight, making this machine a good option for make-ahead juicing.

We liked the juice control flap that allowed the user to dispense the juice with no spillage. The straightforward controls (only on, off, and reverse) left no room for confusion. The Omega stood out in our noise test and was super quiet. The level of sound the machine made, even during juicing, allowed us to carry on a conversation.

Additionally, we found it easy to clean the Omega by running a few quarts of water through the machine. It came apart easily and all removable parts were top-rack dishwasher safe.

What we didn’t like: The small size of the feed chute was disappointing. We had to break down everything except the carrots, which we could add whole. The kale took longer to process because we had to roll it into small bunches and use the pusher. Though not the most expensive juicer we tested, the Omega is pricey.

Key Specs

• Weight: 11.5 pounds
• Warranty: 15 years
• Blade material: Stainless steel
• Wattage: 150 Watts
• Care instructions: Non-electric parts are dishwasher-safe
• Special features: Automatic pulp ejection
• Dimensions: 9.14 x 15.67 x 9.49 inches
  

What we liked: The mesh strainer in the Breville Juice Fountain Compact did a fantastic job separating the pulp from the juice. The carrot juice had a velvety mouthfeel with no grit and a bright, earthy flavor. The apple juice came with a fair amount of foam but had a clean, tart taste and sweet finish.

We loved the large feed chute that allowed for all the fruits and vegetables to be added whole, reducing prep time. When assembled, the Breville Compact had one of the smallest footprints of all the units, about the dimensions of a standard piece of paper. With only on and off controls, it's also easy to operate.

To make cleaning the cutting disc and micro-mesh filter easier, Breville includes a cleaning brush to remove smaller particles before washing. All the removable parts were top-rack dishwasher safe, too. For the modest price, we felt this juicer was a great value.

What we didn’t like: The pulp from the carrots was quite damp, allowing us to physically extract a small amount of juice—not ideal. The ginger test, which challenged most of our juicers, caused the motor on this machine to run hot and it spit out several small pieces of whole ginger. The Breville Compact was also quite loud.

Key Specs

• Weight: 9.68 pounds
• Warranty: 1 year
• Blade material: Stainless steel
• Wattage: 700 Watts
• Care instructions: Non-electric parts are dishwasher-safe
• Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.8 x 15.7 inches

What we liked: The Juice Fountain Elite offered both high and low processing speeds, which we found very helpful when moving from softer foods to denser produce. On high, the machine required less plunging to process the produce, which could be added whole, thanks to the large food chute. Also big was the 1-quart juice cup, making this an excellent choice for a large family or someone who likes to juice in batches.

The Breville Elite extracted juice very well, especially on the apples and carrots, leaving snow-like, dry pulp. The apple juice maintained a see-through consistency while the carrot juice was bright orange, having both bold and bright flavors. On day two, very little oxidation occurred and flavor loss was minor.

Assembling and operating the Elite was very easy, Thanks to the brush and spatula included with the juicer, clearing the fibers from the blades required just a few swipes. All the removable parts of the Elite were top rack dishwasher-safe.

What we didn’t like: Juicing ginger was more challenging for this model, producing more pulp than juice. The motor was loud when on, sounding like a commercial air conditioning unit. It’s large, heavy, and pricey.

Key Specs

• Weight: 15.54 pounds
• Warranty: 1 year
• Blade material: Titanium-reinforced steel
• Wattage: 1000 Watts
• Care instructions: Non-electric parts are dishwasher-safe
• Special features: 2 speeds
• Dimensions: 12 x 13.1 x 10.6 inches

What we liked: The Magic Mini yielded very little pulp overall. The pulp was bone-dry on the ginger and just slightly damp on the apple and carrot juices. The only foam we noticed was on the apple juice, which happened with most of the models.

The low price and small size of the Magic Bullet Mini Juicer were refreshing compared to the bulkier juicers we tested. It was easy to assemble and operate, with clips that locked the parts in place, a single control switch, and removable, dishwasher-safe parts.

What we didn’t like: The Magic Bullet Mini’s instructions indicated flow could be controlled by turning the valve upside down, however, we found it just spewed juice and made a mess. The Mini did not do well with the kale, leaving much more pulp than juice. It was noisy and felt more cheaply made.

Key Specs

• Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Warranty: 1 year
• Blade material: Stainless steel
• Wattage: 400 Watts
• Care instructions: Non-electric parts are dishwasher-safe
• Dimensions: 7 x 6 x 11.5 inches

What we liked: The Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer was one of the quietest juicers we tested and, even when processing denser produce, the motor was never overworked. This model featured a large ingredient chute capable of processing whole apples. A flow control flap held the juice in the machine until we were ready to dispense it, a real plus. Overall, this is a streamlined, reliable juicer for those looking to make the investment.

What we didn’t like: This juicer was the priciest model we tested. The carrot and apple juices were not as bright in color and flavor as the competition and lost a lot of flavor to heavy oxidation overnight. At over 16 pounds, this juicer is bulky. Adding more work to the process, the Kuvings had only hand-wash parts.

Key Specs

• Weight: 16.5 pounds
• Warranty: 15 years
• Wattage: 240 Watts
• Care instructions: Hand wash
• Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 19 inches

What we liked: The Hamilton Beach Slow Masticating Juicer was a strong performer with a low profile. It operated with a simple switch and the auger did a fantastic job breaking down most of the produce. Unlike other machines, it was not necessary to bunch the kale for juicing. The juice we got from the carrots was bright with a velvety mouthfeel, while the apple juice was a striking green. Neither the apple nor carrot juices separated immediately and the latter was still intact after storing overnight.

Although we could not test this function, we liked that the Hamilton Beach could also process rice, almonds, and soybeans for various alternative milks. All of the removable parts were dishwasher-safe and a cleaning brush was also included.

What we didn’t like: Where most machines had trouble with ginger or kale, the Hamilton Beach struggled with the carrots more, fumbling with the broken-down pieces before properly juicing. Spoiled by all the larger chutes, we didn’t enjoy cutting down the larger produce for this juicer's small chute.

Key Specs

• Weight: 9.92 pounds
• Warranty: 3 year
• Wattage: 150 Watts
• Care instructions: Removable parts are dishwasher-safe
• Dimensions: 13.46 x 12.6 x 7.44 inches

What we liked: This moderately priced machine from Nutribullet featured a narrow footprint and sturdy design. The large intake chute allowed all of our fruits and vegetables to go in whole. Along with the standard on, off, and reverse functions, the Slow Juicer had a reset button on the bottom that could be used if the motor seized. Once the machine was cleared, pressing the button returned all of the functions to normal.

Although there is a pusher included, the Slow Juicer operated easily without us needing to use this in our testing, a bonus for the user. A flow-control flap made dispensing the juices easy and the removable parts were dishwasher-safe.

What we didn’t like: The Slow Juicer, though narrow, was tall and could be difficult to store on a counter with an upper cabinet. It would most likely have to be disassembled to store in a standard cabinet, too. This machine was not as effective at separating the pulp from the juice and our juices quickly separated and oxidized, making it best suited for someone looking to juice and drink right away.

Key Specs

• Weight: 11 pounds
• Warranty: 1 year
• Blade material: Stainless steel
• Wattage: 150 Watts
• Care instructions: Removable parts are dishwasher-safe
• Dimensions: 7 x 6.25 x 17 inches

The Competition

• Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Electric Juice Extractor: This machine produced some tasty juice, but it didn’t extract well.
• Nutribullet Juicer Pro: Although the large feed chute allowed for whole produce, the strainer spit whole bits of food out of the chute during juicing.
• Kuvings Centrifugal Juicer: During our kale test, large amounts of pulp from the kale were caught in the juicing blades and the machine seized.
• Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor: This model didn’t come with a juice container or flow control, resulting in issues with spilling, splatter, and leakage.
• Mueller Ultra-Power Juicer: Though outfitted with two juicing speeds, this model was not recommended for fibrous vegetables, which significantly limited its capabilities.
• Gourmia 6-Speed Digital Wide Mouth Juicer: The number of speed options was a huge win for this juicer, but the poor juice yields and its struggles with kale were disappointing.
• Dash Compact Centrifugal Juicer: A great size for easy storage, this model had subpar pulp separation, producing gritty juices.
• Dash Compact Cold Press Power Juicer: The juice from this Dash model was very good, but the model was too tall to beat our Best Compact winner and not cost-effective enough to win Best Budget.
• Elite Gourmet Compact Slow Juicer: This machine was very unstable during testing.
• Hurom H310 Easy Clean Slow Juicer: The quietest of all the juicers tested, the Huroom lacked a pusher, which it needed.
• Tribest - Shine Kitchen Co. - Easy Cold Press Juicer with XL Feed Chute: We liked the simple, slim design of this juicer but it clogged frequently during our tests.

FAQs

What’s the difference between a centrifugal juicer and a masticating juicer?

The most common types of juicers are centrifugal and masticating juicers, with the latter also known as cold-press juicers. Centrifugal juicers use fast-spinning disks with tiny blades that turn at high speeds and break ingredients down. Masticating juicers crush produce using an auger that turns slowly (hence the name cold press).

Which type of juicer is the healthiest?

To get the best answer, we consulted a certified athletic trainer, registered dietitian nutritionist, and author of Healthy, Quick & Easy Juicing, Dana Angelo White, MS, RDN, ATC. She notes, “There are claims that the fast speed of centrifugal machines produces more heat which can degrade nutrients and change the flavor of some juices, but these nutritional differences would have to be very slight.” She then adds to “keep the peels on most fruits and veggies to get the highest yield of nutrients” and to replace the missing fiber in fresh pressed juices with other foods in your diet.

How do you clean a juicer?

Though some juicers have hand-wash-only parts, we found they were all very easy to clean with warm water and a soft, soapy sponge. Many juicers included brushes and picks to remove bits of pulp and fiber. Almost all had some—if not all—removable parts that were top-rack dishwasher-safe.

Can you use a blender in place of a juicer?

Though it is a bit more cumbersome, you can get some juice by using a blender in combination with a fine mesh strainer. The amount of juice will be far less than that of a juicer, it will be messier, it will take more time, and it might retain more fine bits of pulp.

What fruits and vegetables shouldn’t you juice?

With so many options for great fruit and vegetable juice, it is imperative to avoid a few things that could damage the juicer or won’t juice well. Stay away from starchy produce like avocado and banana, as they lack any water content and will not juice at all. Dense, high-fiber fruits like pineapple can be tough on the motor, and figs especially will yield very little juice. Coconut, in any form, is too dense for a juicer and best avoided. Ice and icy frozen fruits and vegetables can dull the blades and clog the juicer, and hard pits from stone fruits or large seeds (apple seeds are fine!) should be removed before juicing. Lastly, if you are juicing oranges and like fruits with a real rind, those should be removed before adding the flesh to the juicer.

Why We're the Experts

• Tiffany Vickers Davis is a freelance commerce writer and product tester for Serious Eats.
• Her background includes 14 years in a culinary test kitchen, stints in high-end commercial kitchens, and running her own prepared foods company.
• For this review, we tested 18 juicers—evaluating how well they worked with a variety of produce, how easy they were to clean, and more.
• We first tested juicers in 2021 and have since reevaluated our top picks, comparing them to new products.