What does a Ninja cold press juicer do?
Juicing has become an increasingly popular way for health-conscious people to get more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients into their diets. Cold press juicers like those made by Ninja offer a great option for making fresh, nutritious juices at home. In this in-depth guide, we’ll take a look at what exactly a Ninja cold press juicer does, who can benefit from using one, and how it compares to other types of juicers.
How a Cold Press Juicer Works
A cold press juicer, also known as a masticating juicer, works by first crushing fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens into a pulpy mush. This is done through a crushing and grinding process with a rotating auger at a very slow speed. The auger squeezes out the juice, separating it from the pulp. The juice then passes through a strainer while the dry pulp is ejected into a separate container.
This slow, grinding process minimizes heat and oxidation, preserving more nutrients and enzymes as compared to fast juicers that work at high speeds using blades that generate heat through friction. The resulting juice from a cold press juicer is extra rich, viscos, and intense in flavor.
Benefits of a Cold Press Juicer
There are several key benefits that make a cold press juicer a great kitchen appliance for juice enthusiasts:
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Nutrient Preservation | The gentle, slow crushing process minimizes heat and oxidation, preserving more vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. |
| Juice Yield | Cold press juicers extract the maximum amount of juice from fruits and vegetables, leaving dryer pulp. |
| Juice Quality | The juice is extra rich and intense without foaming or separation. |
| Oxidation Prevention | Minimal exposure to air prevents oxidation, so juices last longer. |
| Versatility | Most cold press juicers can juice all kinds of produce from soft fruits to leafy greens. |
In addition to juice, some cold press juicer models offer extra functionality like the ability to make nut milk, sorbet, and pasta.
Who Can Benefit from a Cold Press Juicer?
Here are some of the people who stand to benefit most from investing in a cold press juicing machine:
- Health-conscious individuals seeking more nutrients from fresh, raw juices.
- Anyone looking to increase their fruit and vegetable intake.
- People following a juice cleanse or detox diet.
- Individuals who want to reduce produce waste by juicing pulp and skins.
- Fitness buffs and athletes looking to supplement their diets.
- People with digestive issues who find juices easier to break down.
- Cancer patients undergoing treatment and needing extra nutrition.
- Those seeking juices with natural enzymes and probiotics.
Comparison to Other Juicers
There are a few other main types of juicers to consider besides cold press models:
| Juicer Type | How it Works | Benefits | Downsides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centrifugal | Produce is shredded at high speeds with a rapidly spinning blade. Juice is separated by centrifugal force. |
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| Masticating | Auger crushes and grinds produce into juice while ejecting pulp. |
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| Triturating | Two augers work together to fully grind up produce and extract juice. |
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Cold press juicers offer a middle ground between centrifugal and triturating models. They juice at slower speeds than centrifugal models to preserve nutrients better but not as slow as triturating juicers. This makes them a versatile, high performance option.
Ninja Cold Press Juicer Overview
Ninja is a popular brand that makes different kitchen appliances like blenders and food processors. Their cold press juicers stand out for their versatility, performance, and durability.
Some key features of Ninja cold press juicers include:
- Large chutes – Fit whole apples, beets, etc to minimize prep.
- Powerful motors – Up to 400 watts for efficient juicing.
- Multiple speeds – Adjustable speeds for soft and hard produce.
- Large capacity – Jugs and pulp bins hold a lot of juice and pulp.
- Dishwasher-safe – Parts conveniently clean up in the dishwasher.
- Compact design – Sleek look takes up minimal counter space.
Ninja offers both entry-level and higher-end cold press juicer models ranging from $100 to $400. The more expensive models include features like a higher watt motor, more speed settings, and better noise reduction.
How Much Juice Can You Extract?
One of the biggest advantages of cold press juicers is that they can extract large amounts of juice from fruits and vegetables, while also ejecting very dry pulp.
According to testing, here is some data on approximate juice yields you can expect from a Ninja cold press juicer:
| Produce | Juice Yield |
|---|---|
| Apples | 60-75% |
| Beets | 65-80% |
| Carrots | 75-80% |
| Celery | 55-65% |
| Kale | 55-60% |
| Lemons | 25-30% |
| Oranges | 50-60% |
| Pineapple | 60-70% |
| Spinach | 45-55% |
| Tomatoes | 65-75% |
These yield rates make juicing with a cold press machine very efficient and economical.
What Can You Juice with a Ninja Cold Press?
The versatility of a Ninja cold press juicer allows you to juice all different types of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and more. Here are some of the top options:
| Produce | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Apples | Rich in antioxidants, source of vitamin C |
| Beets | Heart health, blood pressure support |
| Carrots | Beta carotene, vision health |
| Celery | Hydration, electrolytes |
| Citrus Fruits | Immune boosting vitamin C |
| Cucumber | Hydration, antioxidants |
| Ginger | Anti-inflammatory, digestion aid |
| Kale | Calcium, vitamins A, C, K |
| Leafy Greens | Nutrients like iron, folate, magnesium |
| Pineapple | Bromelain helps digestion |
| Tomatoes | Lycopene antioxidant |
You can also juice things like mangos, berries, melons, pears, and herbs. Some models even allow juicing of nuts to make non-dairy milks.
What Types of Juices Can You Make?
A cold press juicer opens up an endless number of juice recipe options. Here are some of the most popular types of juices people make:
- Fruit Juices – Juices made purely from fruits like apples, oranges, pineapples, etc.
- Veggie Juices – Juices using vegetables like carrots, kale, spinach, beets, etc.
- Green Juices – Made by juicing leafy greens and vegetables, sometimes with fruits added.
- Root Juices – Using root vegetables like carrots, beets, ginger, turmeric.
- Citrus Juices – With lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges as the base.
- Fruit/Veggie Blends – Mixed combos like apple, carrot, lemon or pineapple, kale, apple.
Other creative options include juice cleanses, detox juices, nut milks, juices for specific health benefits, and more.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of a Ninja Juicer
Here are some helpful tips and tricks for maximizing the performance of your Ninja cold press juicer and the quality of your juices:
- Prep produce into smaller pieces to fit feed chute size.
- Alternate juicing soft and hard produce.
- Juice in batches for highest juice yields.
- Keep chilled produce in fridge for juicing.
- Mix up produce for different nutrients and flavors.
- Juice softer fruits/veggies first, harder produce last.
- Rinse parts after each use.
- Disassemble and wash with dish soap after each use.
- Consider a produce-washing sink attachment.
- Drink juice immediately for best taste and nutrients.
Simple Juice Recipes to Try
Here are a few simple juice recipe ideas you can try with a Ninja cold press juicer:
Refreshing Green Juice
- 1 cucumber
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 apples
- 1 lemon
- Handful of spinach
Carrot Apple Ginger Juice
- 5 carrots
- 2 apples
- 1 inch ginger
Beet Orange Juice
- 2 oranges
- 1 beet
- 2 carrots
Tropical Delight
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 1 orange
- 1 cup mango chunks
- 1/2 lemon
Get creative and try out different produce combos to make your own signature juices!
How to Clean and Maintain a Ninja Cold Press Juicer
Properly cleaning and maintaining your Ninja cold press juicer will help keep it running smoothly for a long time. Here are some tips:
- Rinse – Rinse all parts with water immediately after juicing to prevent drying and staining.
- Disassemble – Take apart all removable parts so they can be thoroughly cleaned.
- Scrub – Use a soft brush and dish soap to gently scrub and clean all parts.
- Soak – Consider soaking very stained parts in warm soapy water before scrubbing.
- Dry – Air dry all parts fully before reassembling juicer.
- Descale – Periodically descale the juicer using cleaning solutions to remove mineral deposits.
- Wipe – Keep the outside housing wiped down after use.
Always refer to the instruction manual for full cleaning details. With proper maintenance, your Ninja juicer can handle years of juicing!
Conclusion
Ninja cold press juicers provide an efficient, high-quality option for homemade, nutritious juices. They extract maximum yields while preserving heat-sensitive nutrients thanks to slow crushing and grinding. The versatility allows juicing all types of produce. Models range from affordable entry-level options to high-powered machines with extra features. Cleaning and maintaining a Ninja juicer properly ensures you’ll enjoy fresh juices for years to come.
