Cold-Pressed juice has been around for decades; most recently, it started to trend farther than enlightened yogis after 2012. This process is still a household name, but do we know what it means or just nod in agreement when people ask? It's time to go back to the basics and find out why this juicing method is center stage.
Cold-Pressed juice has been around for decades; most recently, it started to trend farther than enlightened yogis after 2012. This process is still a household name, but do we know what it means or just nod in agreement when people ask? It's time to go back to the basics and find out why this juicing method is center stage.
There are three main types of juicing you may have seen or heard about: centrifugal, masticating, and cold-pressed. The first two, centrifugal and masticating juicers are much more popular because of their accessibility. These two types of juicers are much faster at extracting juice, and much less expensive than a juice press. Whether you're in the market for juicers or want to know what to look for when visiting a juice bar, read through this guide to determine what matters most to you.
A typical centrifugal juicer is a good option for those just getting into making juice at home, don't need large amounts, aren't concerned about maximum extraction and will drink it as soon as it's made.
Centrifugal Juicers
The centrifugal force juicer is the fastest in-home juicer. Generally speaking, this juicer is the most popular at-home juicer because it allows the user to get their product instantly. This method uses blades and speed to extract juice products promptly. The fruits and vegetables will go through a feeding tube that forces them against the fast-moving edge (~12,000 RPM). Then the blade cuts the produce and pushes it against a mesh filter to produce the juice.
The problem with this method is the introduction to heat and oxygen, which can (and will) destroy some enzymes from the fruit and vegetables. You'll have to consume juice processed with this method within 20 minutes. Unfortunately, storing is not possible with centrifugal if you want to keep nutritional content. However, because this juicer is the cheapest on the market, this can be your best option if you're trying to save cash or if you're not entirely picky about getting the most quality and abundant nutrients from your produce. Drink fast!
Masticating Juicers
Also known as 'slow juicing,' this process crushes the produce at a slower speed (80-100 RPM), and then it's pushed through a stainless steel filter. This process doesn't introduce as much heat and oxygen as the Centrifugal Method, so it provides you with a more nutritious product.
While this method allows for more juice and more nutrients compared to a centrifugal juicer, they still aren't the best solution if you're looking for optimum benefits and a high quality juice. Masticating juice separates from the nutrients quickly, and the pulp leftover still has some of the nutrients you were looking to gain. If you don't mind a little bit of nutrient loss and a pulpier juice, this method can hold for up to three days.
Although these juicers are a step above centrifugal, they aren’t the best solution for those who are trying to make very high quality juice. Similar to a centrifugal juicer, the juice made from a slow juicer contains a lot of “solids” and separates quickly.
A hydraulic cold-pressed juicer is the best type of juicer on the market. This is an example of a suitable at-home option. Most cold-pressed juice bars use machines much larger than this to produce large batches efficiently.
Cold-Pressed
Cold-Pressed juicers are two-stage juicers. The two stages consist of: first cutting the produce down, then grinding it down into a pulp (like chunky salsa!), from there the juice can be extracted by pressing the produce flesh under thousands of pounds of pressure. The highlight of cold-pressed vs. masticating is the pulp from the juice will be completely dry after cold-pressing; this means 100% of the nutrients end up in the juice! #NoVitaminGetsLeftBehind
When produce goes through this juice press, it can extract the most well-bodied nutrients from the fruit and vegetables. Since the process is much, much slower, the juice doesn't go through heat or oxygen to break down the nutrients, giving it longer shelf life, well-bodied texture, as well as the best flavor possible for juicing.
Bonus! This method gets an average of 3x the nutrients than the other juicing methods and can allow a shelf life up to 7 days. Go ahead... savor and sip slowly.
A slow juicer, or visiting a local juice bar that offers real, cold-pressed juice is for you if you're into cleansing, like fresh juice, and want to pack the most nutrients into your body as possible!
Since 2013, our mission has been about getting the garden to glass, making clean, unprocessed, and real nutrition accessible to everyone. Here at Vive, we believe that you don't have to sacrifice health for convenience. We specialize in the cold-pressed process because we choose quality over quantity. While this method is the most time consuming, we are pioneers for not cutting corners when it comes to health (or life really!). With this local juice bar just around the corner, eating nutrient-dense, wellness-promoting fruits and vegetables can be easier than picking the recipe to make at home.