What is a commercial juicer?
A juicer is a kitchen appliance which is designed to extract juice from fruits and vegetables. Most juicers can also be used to make fruit drinks, and a high-quality juicer can be a very useful addition to any kitchen. There are many types of juicers available out there, because there are so many kinds of fruits and vegetables that have vastly different characteristics. The juicing method that is effective for one, may not work well with another. Many fruits require a gentle extraction method. Other fruits can be juiced with the peel and all, like apples, pears, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Other fruits like oranges and grapefruits have bitter rinds that would make the juice too bitter to drink if juiced “whole”. Vegetables on the other hand, require a more aggressive mechanical juicing method.
In today’s market, there are many styles of juicers available. Some are better suited for juicing certain kinds of produce than others. It’s important to evaluate your individual needs to help you find the right juicer for you. In this article we will explain they various styles of juicers on the market today, how they work, and a brief overview of their advantages and disadvantages. It’s important to keep in mind several factors when reading this article. Is the juicer easy to clean? What is the juicer’s operating speed, as well as the noise levels? Also keep in mind what types of produce you will be juicing, as well as the quality of the juice. First, we will explain the difference between a blender and a juicer.
What’s the difference between a juicer and a blender?
Although blenders and juicers are similar, a juicer is not quite the same. A blender is used for making smoothies, and other blended drinks that retain all of the parts of the fruit or vegetable. A blender can pulverize foods, which makes them easier for hand juicing later, but they cannot product juice. Blenders are more versatile and perform a variety of functions such as crushing ice, making baby food, smoothies, alcoholic beverages, and more. A juicer has one basic function, making juice. A juicer extracts the juice while leaving much of the fiber of the product behind. Juicers have a blade similar to a cheese grater to quickly and efficiently shred fruits and vegetables into tiny bits. These bits are then spun to remove the liquid from the pulp, similar to the way a washing machine spins to pull water from the clothing. There are actually two basic kinds of electric juicers, centrifugal and masticating. There are also a wide variety of manual juicers. Let’s explore all three types now.
Centrifugal Juicers
One of the oldest juicer designs, a centrifugal juicer uses a shredder disc or blades similar in design to a grater that spin around at high speeds (3600 RPM). These blades are designed to quickly extract juice while routing the pulp out the back of the juicer into a waste container. Usually the blade is covered by an enclosure with a hole to feed fruits and vegetables through. Centrifugal juicers are better suited to whole fruits and vegetables and do not work well with leafy greens. The juice tends to be light and tasty, without the fiber content.
Good for juicing most fruits and vegetables
Makes 1-2 quarts of juice before cleaning
Produces moderate noise
Masticating Juicers
Masticating juicers are designed to first grate the product, and then it masticates or chews the pulp which further breaks it down. Then it mechanically squeezes the pulp to extract the juice. This means that any fruits and vegetables that are pushed through it will have the juice extracted while retaining some of the fiber as well. Masticating juicers are slower than centrifugal types, but this is because it extracts as much usable food material. These juicers are great for producing fruit sorbets, nut butter, and pureed foods such as applesauce, tomato sauce, and baby food. These juicers can efficiently juice most vegetables, leafy greens, wheat grass and carrot juice as well. Even though they take longer to produce juice, many maintain that the juice quality is better using a masticating juicer.
- Produces higher quality juices and purees
- Good for juicing leafy greens and vegetables
- Produces low to moderate noise
Manual Juicers
Manual juicers are great for use in homes, bars, and restaurants. They are a relatively inexpensive alternative to electric juicer models and require no power source other than a little exertion on the part of the operator. Manual juicers consist of a body that includes a lever, crank, or press in order to exert as much as 2,000 pounds of pressure on the fruit or vegetable and force the juice into a container. Manual juicers are great for pubs or bars that serve mixed drinks and cocktails. They are also great for use in homes for extracting lemon or orange juice. Since they don’t require any electricity, these juicers can be taken anywhere, such as camping trips and so forth. There are a variety of manual juicers as well, ranging from small squeezers that fit in the hand, to upright juicers that require physical pressure to operate. These juicers have non-skid feet in order to prevent slipping during the juicing process.
Popular Juicer Brands
Waring offers heavy duty, quiet juicers in a variety of styles. They have ultra-fast juicers that spin at speeds ranging from 1,600 to 16,000 RPMs to quickly extract juice. Several models feature a pulp-ejection system that allows for uninterrupted use, making them ideal for high volume bars, restaurants, and health stores.
Hamilton Beach offers a wide variety of electric juicers that are backed by a three-year warranty. These top-rated models are reliable with powerful motors, able to juice a range of fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, oranges, apples, kale, beets, and more. Most parts are dishwasher safe, and the ones that aren’t are easily rinsed free from pulp and fiber buildup