The best juicers

A great juicer can help you get more nutrients, though nutritionists say that you should still be adding in vegetables to ensure a good balance of sugars and a broader range of nutrients.
The best juicer for most people is the Hurom HP Slow Juicer because it’s quiet, easy to use, extremely powerful, and juices slowly to help keep nutritious fibers intact and decrease oxidation, which can affect the taste.

The nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables are undeniable, but so is the financial hit of being a juice bar regular. If you go five times a week, we’re talking hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars a year. With a juicer, however, you can offset the cost of your habit by squeezing your own greens at home.

Juice, mind you, in all its varying recipes and degrees of quality, isn’t exactly the healthiest habit we might have ourselves thinking it is though. We spoke with registered dietician and co-author of “Sugar Shock” Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, who told us that the benefits of juicing aren’t really all that great on their own.

“Though fresh juice can be a good way to add more nutrients to your diet, it shouldn’t be your sole source of fruit and vegetables,” says Cassetty. “Even if you’re making it yourself, juice is still more processed than a whole fruit or veggie, and studies consistently show that it’s more beneficial to eat foods in their more natural state. Plus, it’s common to add multiple servings of fruit to make juice and this can lead to a drink that’s very high in sugars and carbohydrates. While these sugars are natural, it’s not natural to consume them in this way. Our bodies don’t register the calories we drink in the same way it registers calories from food, so you don’t get the same level of fullness from juice as you would from eating an apple or veggie.”

And a note for parents: “If you’re serving juice to kids, it’s important to cap it at no more than one cup a day (and less for younger kids),” says Cassetty. “Juice is naturally very sweet and kids who drink juice often prefer it over plain beverages, like water, which makes it harder to get them on board with regular water.”

If you’re set on juicing regularly, Cassetty suggests trying “to balance out the fruit with veggies, such as zucchini, carrots, or spinach. This will help cut the sugar levels and also supply a broader range of nutrients.”

And, while Cassetty finds that there's no huge difference between the benefits garnered from centrifugal juicers versus slow, or masticating, juicers, New York City-based dietitian Melissa Rifkin, MS, RD, CDN, says, "A centrifugal juicer removes a lot of the nutritious fibers that are beneficial to us." We break down the differences between the two types, along with what else you should consider before purchasing a juicer, over here.

No matter what kind of juicer you're looking for, there's a juicer for you in our guide below.

Here are the best juicers:

Best overall: Hurom HP Slow Juicer
Best centrifugal juicer: Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus
Best high-end juicer: Hurom H-AI Slow Juicer
Best citrus juicer: Hurom Citrus Juicer

Prices and links are current as of 8/11/20. We've tested a number of other juicers this year, and are still planning to test the Kuvings EVO820CG, but we stand by our previous picks for now. Our budget pick, the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro, has been discontinued; we will be researching for a replacement for our next update. We also spoke with two nutritionists on the benefits of and best practices for juicing, and added a section of what else we tested and considered below.

The best overall

The Hurom HP Slow Juicer is small, quiet, and much easier to clean than most other juicers. It also makes ice cream.

Our previous pick for the best overall juicer, the Omega NC800HDR Nutrition System, is a great model - and a top-notch producer of foods like nut butter, baby food, and ice cream - but, sadly, it's been discontinued.

Our replacement is the Hurom HP Slow Juicer, for a number of reasons. First, it's tinier, and vertically stacked, so it maintains a much smaller footprint than the Omega. It might be marginally slower than the Omega simply due to its size, but the chutes on the two models have similar dimensions.

It also has a self-cleaning brush that goes to work as the auger - the screw-like device that pulls fruits and vegetables into the juicing chamber and squeezes the liquid out - is spinning. That means a good portion of the pulp you'd be scrubbing out with the (pretty useless) toothbrush tool that most juicers come with will already be gone when it comes time to empty the thing. In other words, you now have one less excuse to avoid using your juicer.

The Hurom HP's auger spins at 43 rotations per minute as opposed to the Omega NC800HDR's 80 RPMs, meaning it generates less heat, which translates to higher-quality, less-oxidized juice. And because this is a slow juicer, it runs at only 150 watts, which means it's relatively quiet. High-speed juicers run at upwards of 750 watts and can be almost unbearably loud. We also like that Hurom's juicers come with multiple strainers, so if you want to get more fiber with your juice, you have the choice.

You don't get the same 15-year warranty that Omega offers on most of their juicers (Hurom offers 10 years on the motor), but you do get two years on all other parts as opposed to Omega's one. - Owen Burke

Pros: Small, quiet, easy to clean, slow juicer produces high-quality juice

Cons: Shorter warranty than Omega

The best centrifugal juicer

Foto: Source: Breville

The Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus is a sleek juicing machine with a powerful motor and easy-to-use design.

The Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus is a centrifugal juicer with a long list of great features, including easy assembly and disassembly, dishwasher-safe parts, and a wider-than-average mouth, meaning you'll spend less time chopping fruits and veggies into tiny pieces.

Equipped with an 850-watt motor, this model gives users the option of toggling between high and low speeds depending on the toughness of the produce you're juicing. There's also a froth separator, to ensure your drinks go down smooth.

Of course, the juicer isn't perfect; it's not the best at juicing greens like kale. The powerful centrifugal force created to separate the juice also introduces a good bit of air and heat into the process, meaning the juice oxidizes quickly killing some nutrients and leaving your juice a bit less pure-tasting than a masticating juicer would.

While it's less expensive than similar machines, it is still a good chunk of change. Breville does throw in a one-year warranty but compared with the 10-year warranty offered by others, it's not great. If you want higher-quality, nutrient-packed juice from a machine that's guaranteed for 10 years, look to our pick from Hurom above.

Regardless, we think it's a great option because it's adept at squeezing the juice out of most fruits and vegetables without any problems, and it's relatively affordable for a juicer of this caliber. - Christian de Looper

Pros: Easy to use, easy to clean, two speeds, large mouth

Cons: Isn't the best with thin produce kale, juice oxidizes quickly, short warranty

The best high-end juicer

Foto: Source: Hurom

Hurom's H-AI Slow Juicer is quiet, user-friendly, takes up little counter space, and yields the most juice and the least waste of any juicer we've tested.

While I love fresh juice, I look at them as a nuisance: loud, clunky, counter-space hogs that are a pain to clean. Then a beautiful, streamlined, vertically integrated device appeared before me, and I've been off to the races ever since.

The past few months have seen me juicing just about everything one can juice - and a few things, evidently, that one cannot. Another masticating juicer from the same brand as our top pick, the H-AI is a more powerful machine for the devout juice fiend.

Assembly was quick, which is good because juicers are things that require disassembly and reassembly with every use. I also made note of how little counter space the Hurom H-AI Slow Juicer took up. Because it's vertically built, its footprint is only as large as a tea kettle, which is something even the most limited countertops can usually bear.

In use, the Hurom H-AI Slow Juicer delights even further. A self-feeding hopper means all you have to do is load the thing up with your selection of fruits, vegetables, and whatever else you'd like to run through it, twist the lid into place, turn it on, and walk away - just make sure that the basin is there to catch your juice first. This saves me a ton of time in my morning routine which would otherwise be spent feeding fruits and veggies into the machine one by one. Plus, if you have any members of the household you don't want to disturb, this is the quietest juicer I've ever heard.

Slow juicers like this one really excel at leafy greens, which can leave behind some tough-to-clean pulp. Pro tip: clear out the pulp and soak your juicer in hot, soapy water the moment you're done; cleanup will be exponentially easier if you don't give those juice-scraps a chance to solidify. This juicer also comes with multiple strainers to give you the option of including pulp.

Hurom has been around since 1974, and has had a loyal following since. With the H-AI Slow Juicer, though, the company has outdone itself. There's no denying that it's an investment, but this thing pays off in dividends, and using it daily justifies the expense. You'll also get a 10-year warranty on the motor and a two-year warranty on all other parts. - Owen Burke

Pros: Convenient to use and clean, takes up little counter space, extremely quiet, self-feeding hopper

Cons: Produce can get stuck in the self-feeding hopper

The best citrus juicer

Foto: Source: Hurom/Instagram

There's nothing like starting the day with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, and the Hurom Citrus Juicer makes every morning feel like Sunday brunch.

You don't need a citrus juicer (a hand press will do just fine) if you're only juicing citrus sparingly. But if you're making orange juice every morning for the whole family or prepping a pitcher of mimosas each week, you might find good reason in justifying the purchase of a machine.

The Hurom Citrus Juicer is also the top pick in our guide to the best electric citrus juicer because it's the easiest way to get every last drop of juice out of your orange, grapefruit, or citrus of choice thanks to the machine's one-size-fits-all finned juicing cone. When you press the handle down, the motor works automatically to mimic the motion of a hand squeezing citrus, while your hands are free to do other things.

There's a drip-stop outlet, which can quickly be flipped open or closed so you can start or stop the torrential downpour of juice at will. This way, if you forget to put a cup to catch the juice again, you won't flood your kitchen countertops.

Juicers are notoriously hard to clean, but the parts quickly disassemble and the machine is as good as new after a quick rinse and dry.

Despite the power of the 120V motor, which spins the juicing cone at an impressive 120 RPM, the juicer is extremely quiet. Hurom also claims that your juice can last up to 72 hours, which is much shorter than the shelf-life of store-bought varieties, but longer than something you might get fresh at a local farmers' market.

The secret behind that extended expiration date: the body and filter of the Citrus Juicer are made of stainless steel, while the juicing cone and chamber are comprised of Styrene acrylonitrile resin (SAN), a type of plastic known for its thermal resistance. These materials ensure that there is minimal oxidation, so your OJ maintains its natural taste and maximum nutritional value.

The CJ is available in two shades - pastel pink and pastel blue - making it stand out from a sea of silver kitchen appliances. - Lulu Chang

Pros: Extremely effective for any type of citrus, quiet yet powerful motor, small footprint, has a drip-stop outlet to control the flow of juice

Cons: Only meant to juice citrus

Read our full guide to the best citrus juicers.

What to look for in a juicer

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As anyone who has entered the world of home juicer shopping knows, there's a lot to think about. Like, what kind of produce will you be juicing - soft fruits, tough greens, or roots, like turmeric and ginger? If you're making celery juice or juicing salad greens, you might be able to get what you're after with a simple blender and not a juicer. How often - and how quickly - will you want to make juice? And how much counter space are you really willing to give up?

A few more points to consider:

Type of juicer: Slow, or masticating juicers, if you can spring for them, are king. They slowly pulverize fruits and veggies, leaving a lot of the fiber intact, instead of mulch, obliterate, and ultimately oxidize the produce. This means that the juice stays fresh longer. These juicers usually come with different-sized strainers to get the most out of your juice. Centrifugal juicers are generally cheaper and higher speed, making for faster juicing, but they also produce a slightly lower yield, are noisier than masticating juicers, and the juice they produce oxidizes more quickly due to the introduction of heat and air thanks to the blades used in this juicing process.
Noise level: The machinery inside of a juicer can be a little noisy at times, and that's problematic if you're planning on juicing early in the morning before work. You wouldn't, after all, want to wake up your entire household. In general, high-speed juicers with a centrifugal design are the noisiest, while masticating juicers are quieter.
Ease of use: If you're just getting into juicing and don't necessarily know if it's a habit you'll keep long-term, you may want to get a juicer that's easier to use rather than a more complex model with advanced features.
Warranty: No matter what kind of juicer you're getting, you want it to last. You should always get small appliances with some level of warranty, but normally the longer the warranty, the better. Not only does it show that a company is confident in its product, but it also means that if something does break, you won't have to shell out any extra cash. Some brands, like Hurom, offer 10-year warranties on the motors and two years on all other working parts. Others simply offer a limited one-year warranty, which isn't very encouraging when you're spending hundreds of dollars on an appliance.

What else we tested and considered

Foto: Source: Omega

Breville's 3X Bluicer and 3X Bluicer Pro: A blender and a juicer in one, the Bluicer is an excessively powerful machine that does a great job of blending, but even on its lowest setting seemed to be too high-speed for juice. We ended up with about equal parts pulp and juice, which tastes fine, but is heavily oxidized and probably not very nutritious. We ended up using the blender more, but found the sheer size of the device, along with its arsenal of containers and other accessories, was just not practical for most homes. And the Pro model, while a little more technical, isn't necessarily worth the price jump.

Omega Cold Press 365: We tested and approved of this machine, especially for the price, but a short warranty makes us wary in the end. It's also a bit higher-speed than the Hurom slow juicers we recommend above, but it gets the job done well while still not oxidizing too much juice. Still, we'd recommend you put in the extra money for something with a better warranty - a one-year limited warranty is not enough time for a juicer, especially from Omega, which offers up to 15-year warranties on other juicers.

Check out our other kitchen appliance guides

Foto: Source: Amazon

The best juicers