What is a centrifugal juicer?

What is a centrifugal juicer, no wonder that you ask! It is the most common you see in stores and on TV. Just as the name suggests, these are juicers with a rapidly rotating container that applies centrifugal force around its axis to ingredients that are inserted via the feed chute – watch your fingers!

Because these are manufactured for household use, they are usually quick, easy to use, and affordable. You can choose a centrifugal juicer from a variety of brands, designs and models – but to get one that suits your needs, you should keep the following things in mind:

7 things to consider when buying a centrifugal juicer

1. Price: Though centrifugal juicers are more affordable as compared to other types e.g. masticating or triturating juicers, some models can cost you as much as $350 (excluding some commercial-grade models that are worth two thousand dollars or even more). On the flip side, there are some models as cheap as $50. (Our recommended 50 dollar juicer). Depending on your budget, you can pick any of these but those costing around $150 are the safest bet. (Our recommended 150 dollar centrifucal)
2. Housing: Cheaper juicing machines are usually made of plastic, which makes them prone to stains and cracks. So you should pick a juicer that has metal housing; they are sturdier, easy to clean and more beautiful.
3. Design: Always prefer a simpler design; it not only looks more elegant but also makes clean-up a snap. Two things you need to watch out for are the size of pulp catcher, and feed chute. To make your juicing experience less hectic, both of them should be big. A feed chute of 3 inches is ideal, smaller chutes will force you to cut the produce in much smaller pieces. Most of the Hamilton Beach’s juicers come with extra-wide feed chutes and are very affordable. Position of the spout is also very important, as a low positioned spout can be a huge hassle if you want to collect the juice in a large carafe.
4. Motor: Since centrifugal juicers rely on the rotation per minute of the shredder blade, juicing machines with a more powerful motor (closer to 700 watts) offer a higher yield and take less time.
5. Multispeed/Singles Peed: Most centrifugals come with a single switch to turn the juicer on and off; they will do a fine job if you will be juicing harder items only. But there are some versatile models that come with dual or even multiple speeds that allow you to juice hard as well as soft items at an appropriate speed.
6. Size and weight: If you have a smaller kitchen, you can’t afford to buy a gigantic machine. Likewise, if you’ll be moving your juicer around, go for a model that doesn’t weigh too much.
7. Warranty: Some come with a warranty of up to 15 years, while for others you have to purchase the warranty separately. Provided you are willing to send a few extra bucks, juicers with longer warranty give you a peace of mind for a long time to come.

How do centrifugal juicers work?

You have to push the produce down into the feed chute with a plunger. The cutting blades spin the produce at a very high speed to extract the juice. Pulp goes into a pulp bin, while, depending on the model, juice can either go into a bin or into your glass/carafe through a spout. These juicers are very fast and need minimal work i.e. you don’t even have to peel off the fruits or remove their seeds, just cut them into smaller pieces and shove them into the chute, and the juicer will do the rest.

Produce you can juice with a centrifugal juicer

Centrifugal juicers are ideal for juicing harder fruits, vegetables and roots, though some models do an ‘okay’ job with softer veggies. They, however, can’t extract juice from leafy greens or wheat grass as efficiently as masticating juicers.

Types of centrifugal juicers

Basically there are two types of centrifugal juicers: Non ejection centrifugal juicers and automatic ejection centrifugal juicers. Non-ejection juicers are obsolete now and most of the juicers you see on the market these days are automatic ejectors. Non-ejection juicers would keep the pulp inside the shredder disc and need periodic cleaning while automatic ejection juicers expel the pulp either into a pulp catcher or through a spout right into your trash bin.

Benefits of centrifugal juicers

The biggest advantage centrifugal juicers offer is their affordable price. Good quality juicers have a good yield, and also offer a decent nutritional value. What’s more, these types of juicers are most readily available, have a compact footprint, and are very quick.

Shortcomings of centrifugal juicers

The biggest issue with a centrifugal is the heat produced because of the very fast rotation. This hotness actually deteriorates the quality of the juice and oxidizes it, so you can’t store the juice for too long. These juicers are noisy as compared to their competitors and relatively difficult to clean. There are many things to consider, but we hope this article sufficiently answers the question: What is a centrifugal juicer?