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Is Slow Press juicer better?

Juicing has become an incredibly popular way to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Drinking fresh, raw juice made at home gives you an easy way to take in a concentrated dose of nutrients. But with so many juicers to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you?

In this article, we’ll take a look at slow press juicers (also known as cold press or masticating juicers). We’ll cover how they work, their pros and cons compared to other types of juicers, and help you decide if a slow press juicer is the best choice for your needs.

How Does a Slow Press Juicer Work?

A slow press juicer works by slowly crushing and pressing fruit or vegetables to extract the juice. It runs at a lower speed (usually around 80 RPM) than centrifugal juicers, which can spin from 1,000 to 15,000 RPM.

The slow press mechanism has a few advantages:

  • It minimizes heat and oxidation, preserving more nutrients
  • It extracts more juice from produce
  • It results in less foaming and separation

Here’s a step-by-step look at what happens inside a slow press juicer:

  1. Produce is dropped into a small chute.
  2. It lands in a chamber with an auger (screw-like crushing device).
  3. The auger slowly crushes the produce against a screen.
  4. The screen filters out pulp while juice passes through.
  5. Juice flows out into a container while pulp is ejected.

This cold press process allows minimal heat buildup and oxygen exposure. Heat and oxygen can damage nutrients and lead to shorter juice shelf life. The slower speeds protect delicate produce and result in higher juice yields.

Pros of Slow Press Juicers

Compared to other juicers like centrifugal models, slow press juicers have some key advantages:

More Nutrients and Enzymes

The slower crushing speeds and lack of heat buildup preserves more vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. This makes the juice more nutritious.

Higher Juice Yields

Slow press juicers are excellent at extracting liquid from produce. You’ll get up to 80% more juice from the exact same amount of fruits and veggies with a slow press juicer.

Less Oxidation and Foaming

Juice oxidizes faster when exposed to air, losing nutrients quickly. The cold press process lessens oxidation. Slow press juices also foam and separate less than centrifugal juices.

Quieter Operation

Since they run at slower speeds, slow press juicers make much less noise when running. Centrifugal models can sound like blenders and be noisy early in the morning.

Juices All Produce

Unlike centrifugal juicers that aren’t good at juicing leafy greens or soft fruits, slow press juicers can juice just about all produce. You can make juices from kale, spinach, wheatgrass, berries, citrus fruits and more.

Makes Nut Butter and Milk

With the right attachments, most slow press juicers can also make nut butter, sorbet, baby food, soy milk and almond milk.

Easier to Clean

Slow press juicers have just a few parts you need to clean after juicing. The parts are also dishwasher safe. Some centrifugal models have lots of small parts and nozzles that can be a hassle to clean by hand.

Cons of Slow Press Juicers

The downsides of slow press juicers include:

Slower Juicing Speed

It takes longer to make a juice in a slow press juicer. Centrifugal models are very fast, so you can make juice in seconds. But slow press juicing usually takes 1-2 minutes per glass of juice.

Higher Price

Slow press juicers come with a higher price tag. Quality models start around $200 and go up to $400 or more. In contrast, you can get a decent centrifugal juicer for $50-$100.

Size and Storage

Most slow press juicers are bulkier, weigh more, and have a larger footprint than centrifugal models. Make sure you have room to store it.

Must Chop Produce

You’ll need to chop fruits and vegetables to fit into the smaller chutes found on most slow press juicers. With centrifugal models, you can often juice whole, large pieces of produce.

Pulp is Wetter

Since they extract more juice, there can be more moisture in the pulp that comes out of a slow press juicer. Centrifugal models eject pulp that is drier.

Slow Press Juicer Nutrition Facts

Here’s how the nutrition of juices from slow press juicers compares to centrifugal models:

Nutrient Slow Press Juice Centrifugal Juice
Vitamin C 18% more 14% less
Vitamin A 16% more 22% less
Iron 6% more 10% less
Beta-Carotene 12% more 24% less

As you can see, juices from slow press juicers retain significantly more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants compared to the same produce juiced in centrifugal models.

Top 5 Slow Press Juicers

Based on juicing performance, durability, and customer reviews, here are 5 of the best slow press juicers:

1. Tribest Slowstar

The Tribest Slowstar has a vertical design, 200 watt motor, and duo-blade auger. It juices fruits, veggies, and leafy greens at 47 RPM. Bonus attachments let you make nut butter, sorbet, and pasta.

2. Omega NC900HDC

The Omega NC900HDC is a horizontal masticating juicer with a 150 watt motor. It juices at 80 RPM, has a large feed chute, and is backed by a 15 year warranty.

3. Kuvings CS600

The Kuvings CS600 is one of the most affordable slow press juicers. It has a 240 watt motor, juices at 60 RPM, and comes with a sorbet maker attachment.

4. Tribest Greenstar Elite

The Greenstar Elite juices fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, sprouts, and wheatgrass. It has stainless steel twin gears, magnetic bioceramic technology, and 200 watt motor.

5. Hurom H-AA Slow Juicer

Hurom’s H-AA model has an auger with alpha technology that increases juice yields. This 150 watt slow press juicer rotates at just 43 RPM.

Slow Press vs. Centrifugal Juicers

So is a slow press or centrifugal juicer better for you? Here’s a comparison:

Slow Press Juicer Centrifugal Juicer
Speed Slow (40-80 RPM) Very fast (1,000-15,000 RPM)
Juice Quality Rich in nutrients Some nutrient loss
Juice Yield Very efficient Yield is lower
Heat Generation Runs cool Causes some heat
Noise Low noise Can be loud
Use with Leafy Greens Excellent Not recommended
Price $200-$400 $50-$150

In summary, slow press juicers are generally better for juice quality, efficiency, nutrient preservation, and juicing leafy greens. But centrifugal models are more affordable, faster, and take up less counter space.

Is a Slow Press Juicer Worth It?

Slow press juicers come at a higher price, but many feel the juice quality and extractor efficiency is worth the investment. Here are some factors to consider when deciding if it’s worth it for you:

How often will you juice?

If you plan to juice every day, a slow press juicer is likely worth it. If juicing is just an occasional thing, start with a cheaper centrifugal model.

What will you juice?

For mostly hard fruits and veggies, a centrifugal juicer will work fine. To juice leafy greens like kale or wheatgrass, a slow press is highly recommended.

Is nutrition a priority?

Slow press juicers do a better job preserving vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants compared to centrifugal models.

How patient are you?

Slow press juicers take 1-2 minutes per glass of juice. Centrifugal models take just seconds. Factor in your patience level.

What’s your budget?

Slow press juicers range from $200 to $400. Centrifugal models start around $50. Go with what fits your budget best.

Bottom Line

When it comes to juicing, slow press juicers beat out centrifugal models in just about every area except affordability and juicing speed. If you value optimizing nutrition, efficiency, and juicing all produce including leafy greens, the higher investment in a slow press juicer can really pay off.

Of course there are high quality centrifugal juicers that will meet many people’s needs as well. But for the ultimate juicing experience, a slow press juicer is hard to beat!