What is an auger juicer?

Juicing has become an increasingly popular way for health-conscious consumers to get more fruits and vegetables into their diets. Freshly pressed juices retain most of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes of whole fruits and vegetables in an easy-to-digest liquid form. With a wide variety of juicers on the market, from centrifugal to masticating models, one lesser known but effective type is the auger juicer.

How Auger Juicers Work

An auger juicer, also known as a slow juicer or cold press juicer, uses a drilling auger to crush and press produce to extract juice. Here’s an overview of the auger juicing process:

• Fruits or vegetables are fed into a chute.
• A corkscrew auger in the chamber spins and crushes the produce against a screen.
• The auger’s pressure squeezes out juice from the pulp into a container.
• The dry pulp is expelled into a separate container.

This cold press method generates minimal heat, preserving more nutrients compared to fast juicers. The auger turns at a slower 80-100 RPM speed compared to centrifugal models spinning at up to 15,000 RPM. The slower crushing and pressing makes auger juicers quieter as well.

Auger Juicer Components

Auger juicers have a simple design with just a few main parts:

• Feed chute – Top opening to insert fruits and vegetables.
• Auger – The screw or drill that crushes and presses the produce.
• Screen – Filter that separates juice from pulp.
• Juice bowl – Container where extracted juice collects.
• Pulp container – Catches the ejected pulp.

Higher end auger juicer models may also have a reverse function to help clear jams.

Types of Auger Juicers

There are two main types of auger juicers:

Horizontal Auger Juicer

As the name suggests, a horizontal juicer has an auger situated horizontally. The auger spins and crushes produce against a horizontally-aligned screen.

Benefits:

• Compact size with a smaller footprint.
• Lower cost than vertical juicers.

Drawbacks:

• Can be prone to jamming.
• Smaller feed chutes require more prep and cutting.
• Can be noisy.

Popular brands: Omega J8004/J8006, Kuvings NJE-3580U

Vertical Auger Juicer

In vertical auger juicers, the auger drill and screen run vertically. Gravity helps guide produce downwards as the auger crushes it.

Benefits:

• Larger feed chutes minimize pre-cutting.
• Higher juice yields.
• Easy to assemble and clean.
• Quieter operation.

Drawbacks:

• Larger size and footprint.
• Higher cost.

Popular brands: Tribest Slowstar, Omega VSJ843

Auger Juicer Pros and Cons

Here is a summary comparing auger juicers vs. other common juicing methods:

	Auger Juicer	Centrifugal Juicer	Masticating Juicer
Speed	Slow (80-100 RPM)	Very fast (3,000-15,000 RPM)	Slow (80-100 RPM)
Juice Quality	Excellent. Minimizes oxidation.	Good. Exposes juice to air.	Excellent. Minimizes oxidation.
Heat Generation	Low	High	Low
Noise Level	Low to medium	High	Low
Prep Time	Medium to high. Need to pre-cut.	Low. Large chutes.	Medium to high. Need to pre-cut.
Price	$$$	$	$$

Pros

• Slow speed minimizes oxidation for superior juice quality.
• Preserves more nutrients and enzymes compared to centrifugal juicers.
• Quieter operation than centrifugal models.
• Dual-stage juicing is thorough and efficient.
• Horizontal models take up less counter space.

Cons

• Smaller chutes require more pre-chopping of produce.
• Higher price than centrifugal juicers.
• Not ideal for juicing leafy greens.
• Horizontal models can jam more easily.
• Parts require hand washing.

Ideal Produce for Auger Juicers

Thanks to their crushing augers, auger juicers can juice most firm fruits and vegetables. Here are some top picks:

• Apples – A classic juicing fruit. Leave skin on.
• Carrots – Sweet and nutrient-rich. Can juice carrots alone or with fruits.
• Beets – Augers can juice tough beets well. Cut into chunks to fit feed tube.
• Citrus – Lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits. Peel before juicing.
• Pineapple – Core and slice into chunks first. Use juice immediately before browning.
• Grapes – Seedless grapes make a mild, sweet juice.
• Pomegranate – Deseed and juice with other fruits. Tart flavor.
• Watermelon – Cut rind off, juice flesh and seeds for benefits.
• Ginger – Anti-inflammatory. Peel before juicing with other produce.
• Celery – Stringy so cut stalks into shorter lengths.

Softer fruits like berries, mangoes and stone fruits are not ideal since too much can get stuck in an auger juicer screen.

Tips for Using an Auger Juicer

Follow these tips to maximize performance and yields when using your auger juicer:

• Cut produce into smaller pieces – This allows you to fit more into the vertical or horizontal feed tube at once.
• Alternate hard and soft produce – For example, follow carrots with oranges. The softer oranges will help push the carrots through.
• Juice fruits/vegetables separately – Then combine juices for a more balanced flavor. For example, juice apples and carrots separately, then mix juices.
• Rinse parts after use – This prevents stains and residue buildup. Hand wash parts with mild detergent.
• Store juice properly – Pour into airtight containers and refrigerate up to 72 hours. Freeze for longer storage.
• Scrub screen periodically – Use a nylon brush to remove any stuck pulp in the fine mesh screen.
• Use pusher – The pusher helps guide food down into the auger. Apply even pressure for best results.

Conclusion

In summary, auger juicers provide exceptional juice quality thanks to their dual-stage cold press extraction method. Both vertical and horizontal auger models are versatile kitchen appliances that can juice a wide variety of firm fruits and vegetables. Their slower juicing mechanism generates less heat and oxidation compared to centrifugal juicers, preserving more nutrients. Auger juicers require produce to be pre-cut to fit the feed tube, and have a higher cost than centrifugal models. But for cold-pressed, nutrient-rich juices, they are an excellent investment for juicing enthusiasts.