How powerful should a juicer be?

For people looking to add more fresh fruit and vegetable juices to their diet, choosing the right juicer can be an important decision. The power of a juicer determines how quickly and efficiently it can extract juice from produce. More powerful motors can generate more torque to grind through tougher fruits and veggies with less strain. However, more power often comes with a higher price tag. So how do you decide what level of power is right for your juicing needs?

What to Consider

Here are some key factors to think about when deciding how powerful your juicer should be:

• Types of produce you’ll be juicing – If you plan to juice mostly soft fruits like oranges or grapes, you may not need a very powerful motor. But for crunchy veggies like carrots or kale, look for more wattage.
• Frequency of use – Will you be juicing every day or just occasionally? Frequent juicers may want a more heavy-duty motor that can handle repeat use.
• Speed – More powerful motors spin faster, which extracts juice more quickly. Look for RPMs of at least 12,000 or higher for efficient juicing.
• Versatility – Higher powered juicers can juice both soft and hard produce. Less powerful ones may struggle with tough items.
• Noise level – More powerful motors tend to be louder. If noise is a concern, consider a less powerful centrifugal juicer or a quieter masticating model.
• Budget – Juicer prices go up along with motor power. Figure out how much you’re willing to spend for the functionality you need.

Juicer Types by Power

Knowing the major styles of juicers and how they compare in motor power can also help narrow your options.

Centrifugal Juicers

These are the most common and affordable juicers on the market. They use a fast spinning blade to shred produce against a mesh basket. Juice spins out through tiny holes in the basket while pulp stays inside until ejected.

• Motor power: 400-1000 watts
• Speed: Up to 15,000 RPM
• Best for: Most fruits and veggies
• Pros: Very fast, affordable price points
• Cons: Loudest type, doesn’t get as much juice from greens

Masticating Juicers

Also called slow or cold press juicers. A spinning auger crushes produce into pulp to squeeze out juice. Juice comes out one spout, pulp out another.

• Motor power: 150-400 watts
• Speed: 40-100 RPM
• Best for: All produce, especially greens
• Pros: Quiet, juices greens efficiently, minimal oxidation
• Cons: Slow, can jam with some fruits

Triturating Juicers

The most powerful and efficient, with twin augers that fully crush produce. Yields more juice than other types.

• Motor power: 400-500 watts
• Speed: 80-120 RPM
• Best for: All produce, highest juice yields
• Pros: Best juicing performance, juices wheatgrass
• Cons: Most expensive juicers

Citrus Juicers

Designed specifically for juicing citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit. Use a cone, press, or reamer to squeeze the juice out.

• Motor power: 25-65 watts
• Speed: N/A
• Best for: Citrus only
• Pros: Specialized for citrus, affordable prices
• Cons: Doesn’t work with other types of produce

Juicer Power Recommendations

So considering all these factors, what is the ideal power range to look for in a juicer? Here are some recommendations based on your juicing needs:

If you…	Look for…
Only juice citrus fruits	Citrus juicer, 25-65W
Juice occasionally or only soft produce	Centrifugal, 400-600W
Juice daily, mostly hard produce	Centrifugal, 700-1000W
Want to maximize juice yields	Triturating twin gear, 400-500W
Prefer a quiet motor and minimal oxidation	Masticating, 150-250W

As you can see, the recommended wattage can range widely depending on the type of juicer and your personal preferences. The right balance for most people is likely a centrifugal juicer in the 600-800 watt range. This provides enough power for daily juicing of moderate amounts of produce without jumping to the higher price points of commercial grade models. Masticating juicers also offer quiet operation and versatility across produce types at moderate wattages.

Other Power Considerations

Aside from the main motor, here are some other power-related features to look for in a juicer:

• Multiple speed settings – Allow you to adjust power for soft or hard foods.
• Reverse function – Helps clear jams by reversing auger or cutting blade direction.
• Overload protection – Prevents motor burnout from stalled objects.
• Safety interlocks – Juicer won’t operate if correctly assembled to prevent injury.

Top Juicer Picks by Power

Here are some of the best juicers at different power levels to consider:

Under 100 Watts

• Tribest Citristar ($49) – Affordable and efficient citrus juicer.

150-250 Watts

• Omega J8006 ($299) – Versatile horizontal masticating juicer.
• SKG Slow Masticating Juicer ($259) – Vertical masticating for lower counterspace.

400-600 Watts

• Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus ($149) – Durable centrifugal with 850 watts.
• Hamilton Beach Juicer 67650A ($54) – Budget 800 watt centrifugal.

700-1000 Watts

• Breville BJE830BSS Juice Fountain Cold XL ($299) – 1,100 watt centrifugal with cold spin technology.
• Mueller Austria Juicer Ultra 1100W ($149.97) – Affordable 1100W centrifugal.

1000+ Watts

• Omega Jade Commercial Masticating Juicer ($590) – Dual-stage auger delivers high juice yields.
• Tribest Greenstar Elite GSE-5000 ($529) – Twin gear triturating model with stainless steel gears.

Conclusion

When it comes to juicer power, wattage requirements can range from 25 watts for simple citrus juicers up to 1,000+ watts for heavy-duty commercial models. For most home juicers, a centrifugal model in the 600-800 watt range provides a good balance of juicing performance and price. Masticating juicers offer quieter operation and versatility across produce types at lower wattages of around 150-250. And for maximum juice extraction, twin gear triturating juicers with 400-500 watts deliver unbeatable yields. Consider your own juicing needs and produce preferences to decide what power level is right for your new juicer.