What is a triturating juicer?

Juicing has become an increasingly popular way to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet. With the array of juicers available, it can be confusing to determine which type is best for your needs. Triturating juicers, also known as twin gear juicers, are one option to consider if you want to maximize the nutrients and yields from your produce.

Introduction to Triturating Juicers

Triturating juicers are characterized by having two augers or gears that work together to extract juice. The gears are made of stainless steel and contain small teeth that grind, crush, and “triturate” produce to break down fiber and release juice. This twin gear system applies gradual pressure rather than high speed spinning, resulting in minimal heat buildup and oxidation that can degrade nutrients and enzymes. Triturating juicers are cold press juicers that operate at low speeds, usually around 80-120 RPM.

Benefits of Triturating Juicers

Triturating juicers offer several advantages over other types of juicers:

• Maximize Nutrient Extraction – The twin gears thoroughly break down produce cellular walls to ensure maximum extraction of vitamins, minerals, and plant nutrients.
• High Juice Yields – The dual gears allow a high juice yield from fruits and vegetables. You’ll get up to 5-10% more juice from produce than a single auger masticating juicer.
• Juice Quality – The gentle pressing action results in very little heat buildup or oxidation, preserving nutrient quality.
• Juice Storage – Juice made with triturating juicers can be stored for up to 72 hours without degradation.
• Versatility – Triturating juicers can process leafy greens, sprouts, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grinding coffee.
• Easy to Clean – The twin gears come apart for easy cleaning compared to the mesh filter designs of centrifugal juicers.

Types of Triturating Juicers

There are a few different types and designs of triturating juicers:

Horizontal Triturating Juicers

In these juicers, the dual augers sit horizontally side by side and rotate inward to crush and press produce. Examples include:

• Tribest Greenstar Elite
• Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer
• Sana EUJ-707

Vertical Triturating Juicers

The gears are positioned vertically on top of each other in this design. Examples include:

• Super Angel Juicer
• Tribest Slowstar

Manual Triturating Juicers

These juicers have a hand crank to power the augers rather than an electric motor. They include:

• Manual Healthy Juicer
• Z-Star Manual Juicer

What to Look for in a Triturating Juicer

Here are some key factors to consider when selecting a triturating juicer:

• Auger Design – The augers should be made of GE Ultem, a durable food-grade plastic that won’t corrode or leach chemicals. Stainless steel augers are also acceptable.
• Power – Look for juicers with 200+ watt motors to handle dense produce.
• Speed – The best juice quality comes from speeds around 80 RPM. Choose juicers with adjustable speed if possible.
• Chute Size – Larger produce chutes allow bigger pieces of fruits/veggies to be juiced without pre-cutting.
• Pulp Ejection – An external pulp container makes it easy to see when the basket needs emptying.
• Easy Assembly – Juicers that are simple to assemble, use, and clean will encourage daily juicing.
• Warranty – Look for 10-15 year warranties to ensure a quality machine.
• Budget – Expect to pay $300-$500 for a high performing triturating juicer.

Top 5 Triturating Juicers

Based on the above criteria, here are 5 of the best triturating juicers currently available:

Juicer	Key Features
Tribest Greenstar Elite	Durable ultem augers, 200W motor, 110 RPM, 12 year warranty
Super Angel Juicer	Stainless steel twin gears, 10 year warranty, whisper quiet operation
Tribest Slowstar	Vertical design, 200W motor, min/max speeds, 10 year warranty
Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer	240W motor, 3″ wide chute, 10 year warranty, reverse function
Sana EUJ-707	Durable nylon gears, 150W motor, 110 RPM, 3 year warranty

How Triturating Juicers Work

Understanding how triturating juicers operate helps explain why they’re so effective:

1. Produce is dropped into the large feed chute.
2. It enters the pocket between the twin gears.
3. The gears rotate inward, trapping food and grinding it against the teeth.
4. The crushing/grinding breaks open plant cells, releasing the juice.
5. The pulp remains inside the housing until ejected into the external container.
6. The extracted juice flows out of the front of the juicer.

The grinding and crushing from multiple directions results in very high juice yields. The dual augers essentially mimic human chewing to break down fiber and access nutrients.

Triturating vs Centrifugal Juicers

Centrifugal juicers are the most common and affordable option, using a high speed spinning mesh basket to separate juice from produce. Here’s how triturating juicers compare:

Triturating Juicers	Centrifugal Juicers
Run at 80-120 RPM	Operate at high speeds of 1,650+ RPM
Gentle pressing action	Shred produce at high velocity
Minimal heat and oxidation	Heat and oxidation degrades nutrients and enzymes
Higher juice yields	Lower juice yields
Juice lasts 72 hours	Juice degrades rapidly
Versatile for all produce	Not ideal for leafy greens
Higher price $300-$500	Lower cost $50-$150

While more expensive, triturating juicers are undoubtedly the better choice for maximizing nutrients, juice yields, and juice shelf life.

Triturating vs Masticating Juicers

Masticating juicers, also known as cold press or slow juicers, use a single auger to crush and press produce. Here’s how they compare to triturating juicers:

Triturating	Masticating
Dual augers	Single auger
Higher yields	Lower yields
Juice lasts 72 hrs	Juice lasts 48 hrs
Easier to clean	More challenging to clean
Better for leafy greens	Can jam with fibrous greens
$300-$500	$200-$400

Triturating juicers perform better than single auger masticating juicers, especially for leafy greens and maximum extraction. The price difference is minimal.

Ideal Foods for Triturating Juicers

Thanks to their versatility, triturating juicers can process a wide array of foods:

• Leafy greens – kale, spinach, chard, lettuce
• Wheatgrass and sprouts
• Root vegetables – carrots, beets, ginger
• Fruits – apples, citrus, berries, melons
• Herbs – mint, parsley, cilantro
• Nuts – almonds, walnuts, cashews
• Soy – soymilk, tofu

When juicing, aim for 60% vegetables and 40% fruits to reduce sugar and maximize nutrients. Combining greens and fruits often yields the most palatable juice.

Precautions with Triturating Juicers

While triturating juicers provide major advantages, there are some precautions to heed:

• Carefully monitor when juicing fruits/veggies with seeds or tough skins like apples, berries, peppers, etc. The twin gears are powerful but too many hard seeds/skins could cause damage over time.
• Alternate soft and hard produce when juicing. Don’t overload the juicer with a batch of hard or stringy items.
• Avoid extremely hard items that could break the augers like nuts in the shell or frozen foods.
• Resist packing produce down into the chute. Drop it in gradually.
• Be diligent about cleaning. The gears and mesh screens require thorough scrubbing.
• Don’t overload the pulp container to avoid jams.

With proper care and usage, a triturating juicer can provide many years of high performance juicing.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to take your juicing to the next level, a triturating juicer is worth the investment. The twin augers thoroughly grind and crush produce to maximize nutrition absorption. You’ll enjoy higher juice yields, longer lasting juice, and more versatility than single auger or centrifugal juicers. Triturating juicers open the door for juicing greens, sprouts, nuts and other fibrous foods. With proper usage and maintenance, a triturating juicer will be juicing for years to come and help you live a healthier lifestyle.