How to choose a juicer? Expert recommendations.
The very first thing to think about when starting to buy a juicer is what you are going to squeeze this juice from. For your morning daily orange juice, a citrus juicer is the ideal choice. A centrifugal juicer is suitable for beets, apples, carrots and other hard fruits and vegetables.
To date, they have not yet come up with a juicer model that would equally easily and well squeeze all types of berries, fruits and vegetables. Therefore, when choosing a juicer, decide which juice you will squeeze more often, and settle for a compromise solution.
Citrus juicers
Citrus juicersCitrus fruits are oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, lemons, etc., and a juicer for them is a fairly simple, inexpensive and compact device. It consists of a rotating nozzle, a motor and a juice container. Such juicers are very similar in terms of design, they differ only in the materials from which they are made, and the presence / absence of some functions. The most useful additional options are: reverse rotation (reverse), pulp content regulator, holding lever, attachments for fruits of various sizes. Let's talk more about each of these options.
The reverse option implies that the appliance motor rotates alternately in different directions, which makes it possible to squeeze out more drink.
The pulp content regulator allows you to select the pulp consistency in the juice. The function is implemented in different ways: you can change the size of the slots on the nozzle or control the volume of pulp using fine and coarse filters.
Attachments for small and large fruits. Correctly selected diameter makes it possible to squeeze out fruits of various sizes as much as possible. As a rule, the set includes only one nozzle - a universal one, but some manufacturers complete juicers with several cones of different sizes.
With the help of a special lever (pressure mechanism), you can squeeze out the juice, almost without applying any effort, it is not a person who presses on the cone of the device, but the lever mechanism.
The beverage tank of citrus juicers is small. Indeed, during storage, citrus juice loses a significant part of its vitamins, therefore it must be drunk within ten minutes after pressing. Accordingly, a large tank is not needed - usually for a couple or three glasses.
Universal (centrifugal) juicers
A centrifugal juicer is often called universal because it is designed for almost any type of fruit and vegetable. Once in a centrifugal juicer, the fruits are first crushed into gruel with a disc grater, and then enter the separator, in which the juice gets rid of the pulp.
Universal juicersThe universal juicer also has the ability to process citrus fruits, but for this, the fruits must first be peeled from films, peels, selected seeds and cut into slices, which is quite tedious. In addition, universal juicers are available with citrus attachments.
When choosing a juicer of this type, pay attention to the presence of different rotation speeds, to the power of the device, to the size and shape of the neck for feeding the fruit.
The power of universal juicers ranges from 220 to 1300 watts. It makes sense to choose a device with a high power if you are going to prepare juice in significant volumes. If you plan to use a juicer to squeeze no more than three glasses of juice per day, then the large power characteristics of the device do not make sense.
Speed control is an important and useful function. The point is that different fruits require different optimal rotation speeds. Hard fruits require a higher speed, while soft fruits require a slower speed. The operating instructions for the appliance usually state the best rotation speeds for various vegetables and fruits. The correct speed increases the spin efficiency by about 5 percent.
The shape of the neck, intended for feeding the fruit, is made round or oval. The round shape is better because you don't have to cut fruits and vegetables to put them in the appliance. It is good if the set also includes a feeding tray of normal width, on which you can place the fruits "with a slide" before sending them into the neck of the juicer.
The container for collecting the beverage can be built-in or be a separate container. If you hate frothy juice, choose one that has a collection container with a skimmer.
The pulp ejection option in all universal juicers is realized with a conical separator. Most of the centrifugal juicers presented in stores are just of this design. In addition, there are juicers that have a cylindrical separator shape - they do not have the option of discarding the pulp. Such devices allow you to achieve an increased percentage of juice extraction, but you will have to constantly interrupt to clean the grid of the device, since it is constantly clogged.
And finally, evaluate how the device is equipped. If quick and easy care of the juicer is of great importance to you, make sure that a special sieve cleaning brush is included in the package, because without it it will be much more difficult to do this.
Drink fresh juice and be healthy!