What juicer gets the most nutrients?
Juicing has become an incredibly popular way to get more vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from fruits and vegetables. With the array of juicers on the market, it can be tricky to know which juicer is best for retaining nutrients. In this article, we’ll compare different types of juicers and factors that impact nutrient retention. We’ll also provide recommendations for the best juicers to maximize nutrients from your produce.
How Juicers Work
There are a few main types of juicers, each with a different mechanism for extracting juice:
- Centrifugal juicers: These are the most common and affordable juicers. They use a fast spinning metal blade to grind produce, then spin it through a strainer. Centrifugal juicers are fast but can expose juice to heat and oxygen.
- Masticating juicers: Also known as slow or cold-press juicers. They crush and press produce through gears or augers to “chew” up cell walls. Masticating juicers minimize exposure to air.
- Triturating juicers: The most high-end juicers with twin augers to fully grind produce. They run at lower speeds and keep air exposure to a minimum.
- Citrus juicers: Designed specifically for juicing citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit.
Factors Impacting Nutrient Retention
There are a few key factors that can determine how well a juicer retains nutrients from fruits and vegetables:
- Heat: Exposure to heat can degrade heat-sensitive nutrients like vitamin C and enzymes. High-speed centrifugal juicers tend to generate more heat.
- Oxygen: Exposure to air can cause oxidation of nutrients. Masticating and triturating juicers minimize contact with air.
- Fiber: Juicers that retain some fiber deliver more nutrients than those that fully strain it out.
- Speed: Fast juicers are convenient but can degrade nutrients more than slow juicers.
Best Juicers for Nutrient Retention
Based on these factors, below are the types of juicers that perform best to retain nutrients:
Masticating Juicers
Masticating or slow juicers are generally the best for maximizing nutrient retention, as they minimize heat and oxygen exposure. They also retain some fiber from the produce. Top models include:
- Omega NC800
- Tribest Slowstar
- Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer
- Hurom H-AA Juicer
Triturating Juicers
For ultimate nutrient retention, triturating juicers are superior since they fully grind up produce and run at very low speeds. Top models are:
- Super Angel Juicer
- Tribest Greenstar Elite
- Kuvings NJE-3580U
Citrus Juicers
For citrus fruits specifically, specialized citrus juicers retain nutrients better than centrifugal or masticating juicers designed for a variety of produce. Recommended models include:
- Tribest CitriStar
- Eurolux Electric Citrus Juicer
- Zulay Professional Citrus Juicer
Nutrient Retention by Juicer Type
To compare nutrient retention among different juicers, here is a table summarizing performance for key nutrients:
| Juicer Type | Vitamin C Retention | Mineral Retention | Enzyme Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centrifugal | Low | Medium | Low |
| Masticating | High | High | High |
| Triturating | Highest | Highest | Highest |
| Citrus | Highest for citrus | Highest for citrus | Highest for citrus |
As you can see, masticating and triturating juicers consistently retain more nutrients than centrifugal models. Citrus juicers are ideal for citrus fruits.
Maximizing Nutrients from Produce
Aside from the juicing method, there are some other tips to get the most nutrients from your fruits and vegetables when juicing:
- Use fresh, ripe produce. Frozen won’t yield as much juice and nutrients.
- Wash produce well but don’t soak it. Soaking can leach water-soluble vitamins.
- Juice produce soon after cutting/peeling to minimize air exposure.
- Aim for around 50% fruits and 50% vegetables in juices for balanced nutrient content.
- Drink juice promptly or store in airtight container in the fridge for up to 72 hours.
The Bottom Line
If you want to get the most vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients from your juices, masticating and triturating juicers are the best options. They retain more nutrients than centrifugal models by minimizing heat and oxygen exposure during juicing. For citrus fruits specifically, a dedicated citrus juicer is recommended to get the most nutrients. Plus, choosing fresh, ripe produce and handling it properly makes a big difference too. Drink your juice as soon as possible to get the maximum nutrient value.
Juicing with the right model provides an easy way to get a concentrated boost of nutrients from fruits and veggies. Consider a high-quality, slow juicer that yields juice with minimal nutrient loss. With a masticating, triturating, or citrus juicer in your kitchen, you can make nutritious, delicious juices part of your healthy lifestyle.