How Does a Juicer Work: The Secret Behind a Nutritious Drink

Last Updated on January 10, 2023

Drinking fresh juice is not only delightful, but it is also an easy way to consume lots of vitamins and minerals that you may be lacking in your regular meals. If you have been thinking about purchasing a new juicer, or you already own one and wanting to learn more about it, we have got you covered.

So, how does a juicer work? Before you start juicing everything in your fridge, we think it is important to know how these things go about producing your favourite refreshments. This article explains how masticating juicers, centrifugal juicers, twin gear juicers, and cold press juicers work so you can find out exactly what happens to your fruits and leafy greens once the juicing process begins.

Different Types of Juicers and How They Work

Each type of juicer has a distinctive feature and functions differently. The following sections will give you an overview of the most common variety of juicers. We will also discuss some of the main differences between these types and explain how each one of them works during the juicing process.

Centrifugal Juicers or Speed Juicers

Relatively inexpensive, fast, and easy to use, centrifugal juicers are the most popular type of juicer used at home because they produce decent juice quality and are great for beginners.
Centrifugal juicers feature a blade that functions similarly to a blender but with the added benefit of centrifugal force. The centrifugal force spinning method is used to extract the juice from the pulp and plant fibres resulting in a decently sized juice yield.

Using a centrifugal juicer, fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens are fed into a tube located on the top of the device, leading to a fast-spinning blade below. The blade then chops the produce rapidly and throws the juice and pulp at the sides of the machine’s basket.

The basket on the centrifugal juicer catches the particles and spins them at a high of 3,000 to 6,000 RPM. This spinning motion can be compared to a washing machine cycle, only much faster. At such speed, it can effectively separate the pulp’s juice. The juice then falls from the centrifugal juicer walls and is strained through a filter to remove any leftover pulp. The juice comes out of a spout below the filter on the centrifugal juicer. Then, it is caught by a glass or container of your choice to complete the process.

Depending on your centrifugal juicer model, the excess pulp will either be forced out to another chute or will gather in the basket. In the latter case, it will need to be manually removed after you are done juicing, and the spinning ceases.

Masticating Juicers or Slow Juicers

A masticating juicer or slow juicer isn’t designed for high speed juicing but instead works similarly to a food processor and aims to give you 100% of the vegetable juice or fruit juice. Capable of producing the highest yield possible, these devices provide excellent juice quality that contains great enzyme activity and is packed with vitamins and minerals. They are a great choice if you are dealing with both harder and softer fruits.

During the juicing process, the masticating juicers work by using a single gear or auger to crush fruits and vegetables from above, similar to a drill. These single auger juicers run at a slow speed of about 80-100 RPM and don’t produce much heat during operation, which is good for preserving the juice’s integrity.

After you add your fruits or vegetables to a masticating juicer, the gear slowly presses the pulp several times to extract all possible nutrients until it is crushed into a pulp. Next, the juice and pulp are forced through a sharp screen underneath to strain it, which further aids the juicing process. The juice then flows out chute located at the bottom of the masticating juicer and into a container of your choice.

Masticating juicers feature either an upright or horizontal orientation. Regardless of what type of masticating juicer you plan on using, both juicers work in the same way even though they often look fairly different.

Twin Gear Juicers AKA Triturating Juicers

You may have already guessed, but twin gear juicers work using two gears or augers to crush and press produce into juice. These juicers work at a slow speed and can make a large quantity of juice. Additionally, with a twin gear juicer, you can expect very dry pulp. This juicer is also the best choice when dealing with hard, fibrous produce but is not ideal for softer fruits.

The dual gears on twin gear juicers work by spinning and pulling produce into the machine, where it is chewed up and ground down into fine pieces. The fruits and vegetables are then forced through a sharp screen located below, and your juice is complete.

It is good to note that twin gear juicers are more expensive and require a more involved cleaning process. When paired with its slower speed, these are often the reasons why people turn away from this option for at-home use.

Cold Press Juicers

Cold press juicers make the highest quality juices possible and are most often used by juicer manufacturers and juice businesses. They are also considered a slow kind of juicer, and they don’t use any heat to create smooth, pulp-free juices.

After dropping fruit and vegetable products into a cold press juicer, they are chopped into a fine consistency by a fast-spinning blade. Next, a cold press juicer uses either pneumatic or hydraulic press technology to apply extreme pressure to the chopped produce. The pressure extracts the juice, and any remnants of pulp are strained through a filter.

Other Common Juicer Questions Answered

The following sections aim to answer lingering questions you may have. It will be exploring how juicers and how the juicing process differs from other common appliances in your home.

What is the Difference Between a Juicer and a Blender?

A blender is a great tool that can finely chop vegetables and fruits into a consistency similar to a thick juice, like a smoothie with all the pulp and juice blended. Most juicers begin their process the same way, but juicers take it a step or two further than a blender by grinding or pressing the food and straining it through a sharp filter to separate the pulp from the juice.

Which is Better, a Juicer or an Extractor?

At this point, you should have a pretty good understanding of what a juicer is and how it works, but what about a juice extractor? The main difference is that an extractor makes smooth juice from puree and doesn’t extract juice from the entire piece of fruit or vegetable itself.

So, which is better? It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. An extractor is generally used to separate the juice from citrus fruits. It mashes the entire food product without separating larger chunks. So if you want to use lemons to make a pitcher of fresh lemonade, then the extractor may be for you. On the other hand, a juicer can easily handle both vegetables and fruits and separates the pulp from the juice. If you want something with increased versatility and separation capability, then the juicer is for you.

Time to Juice Up

Now that you know the answer to your question, ‘how does a juicer work?’, what will you do with your newfound information? Maybe you will use it to determine which type of juicer you want for your home. Will it be a masticating juicer with its focus on extracting every possible mineral and vitamin? Will you choose a centrifugal juicer because of its speed and low cost? Or maybe you’ll go for a twin gear juicer because you don’t care about the lengthier cleaning process.

What’s your favourite juice recipe? What type of juicer will you need to make it?