There is nothing like drinking a glass of freshly squeezed juice. Whatever the season, it is possible to enjoy fresh juice at home.
We have a large vegetable garden, and after canning and dehydrating, it’s great to do some juicing with all our home grown produce. The juice can be used in soups, baked goods, or casseroles. It can also be canned or frozen to use later. The pulp can also be saved. It’s a great way to sneak veggies into your family’s diet. But my favorite way to enjoy juice is to drink it fresh from the juicer.
At the end of garden season, when I am tired of canning or dehydrating vegetables, or even in the winter with my AeroGarden, I have been known to juice pretty much anything—beets, carrots, onions, sweet peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, you name it. I love to juice the ingredients for salsa, add some salt and pepper, and freeze or can the “salsa juice”. It is fantastic in a soup or added to spaghetti sauce; I even like to drink it straight!
What to Look for in a Juicer
- Cost. Juicers range in price from around $50 to over $1,000. For most people who are just juicing for home use, a less expensive option will work.
- Type. There are two main types of juicers: centrifugal and masticating. Centrifugal juicers have a blade that rotates at high speed to extract juice. A masticating juicer grinds the food at low speed to get the juice out. Typically, a masticating juicer produces less heat. Some people believe that means that juice from a masticating juicer retains more nutrients than a centrifugal juicer.
- Pulp processing. Some juicers leave a significant amount of juice with the discarded pulp. Look for a juicer that extracts the maximum amount of juice from the pulp.
- Amount of prep needed. Most people prefer to do less prep work if possible. If you are one of those people, look for a juicer that can handle juicing through seeds and peels. Also, I like a wide mouth juicer so I don’t have to cut my food into small pieces before putting it into the juicer.
- Juicing ability and power. If you are looking to juice only soft fruits and vegetables, most juicers will be fine. However, in order to juice harder foods such as apples or carrots, you will need a more heavy duty machine (a masticating juicer). A juicer with good power can zip through even the toughest foods quickly.
- Warranty. As with other small appliances, having a warranty on a juicer will give you more peace of mind. Check out the warranty before deciding whether or not to purchase a particular juicer.
With so many options and price ranges available, how do you know which juicer is best? Here are my top 8 juicers under $200, $100, and $50.
| Model | Features |
|---|---|
| Under $200 | |
Breville BJE430SIL Read Review | |
Breville JE98XL Read Review | |
AMZCHEF Masticating Juicer Read Review | |
Aobosi Masticating Juicer Read Review | |
| Under $100 | |
Breville BJE200XL Read Review | |
Mueller Austria Juicer Read Review | |
Aeitto Masticating Juicer Read Review | |
Jocuu Masticating Juicer Read Review | |
Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer Read Review | |
| Under $50 | |
BLACK+DECKER JE2200B Read Review | |
QCen Centrifugal Juicer Read Review |
Great Juicers Under $200
If your budget is $200 or under, you can get a great juicing machine. These juicers are some of the best available home juicers. You won’t be disappointed with these!
1. Breville BJE430SIL
In the price range, the Breville BJE430SIL the Juice Fountain Cold Plus 850-Watt Juice Extractor can’t be beat. Simply wash fruits and vegetables and let the juicer do the rest. Because of the extra wide loading chute, even larger foods like apples can be thrown in whole.
This juicer takes mere seconds to juice, and it separates the froth from the juice. Choose the “low” setting for softer foods like tomatoes and the “high” setting for harder foods like apples or carrots. This machine is very easy to clean, as the parts are dishwasher-safe. The large-capacity pulp collector and juice jug allow you to run a good amount of juice before having to empty them.
The one downfall of this juicer is the pulp ends up pretty juicy. I like to run the pulp through a couple times to get more of the juice out. The Breville BJE430SIL comes with a one-year limited warranty. All of Breville’s juicers come with BPA-free parts, so you can rest assured you are safe using them.
2. Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain
Another great option in this price range is the Breville JE98XL. Less pricey than the BJE430SIL listed above, this one still has most of the same great features. At 850 watts, this machine has a lot of power. It has a 3-inch feeder chute and a stainless steel cutting disc.
The parts are dishwasher safe and are high quality. The JE98XL can make 8 ounces of juice in 5 seconds. It has a 1-liter juice container with a separator for the foam. The pulp container is huge. A 1-year limited warranty makes this option a no-brainer.
Our family has loved this juicer. As with most juicers on this list, I find I need to run the pulp a second time in order to get all the juice out. Compared with other options, however, this one does a better job separating the pulp and the juice and getting more juice out.
3. AMZCHEF Masticating Juicer
The AMZCHEF is a popular every day masticating juicer that comes in 5 colors. It has a small feeding tube with safety in mind. It has a 7 segment, low speed, slow masticating motor for fine grinding.
This model has a large 1 liter pulp cup, and it produces dry pulp and only a minimal amount.
This juicer has a warranty of one year under the manufacturer and an option for extended warranty, and it includes technical support. It is BPA free, dishwasher safe, and comes with a cleaning brush.
4. Aobosi Slow Masticating Juicer
For a quality but reasonably priced juicer, check out the Aobosi Juicer. This cold press masticating juicer comes in two color options (gray or red.) It has a 150W motor but is less than 60 decibels. This juicer is easy to clean due to its reverse function.
The feeder chute on this machine is fairly small, so you’ll need to chop the food before juicing. There is a foam separator for the pulp, which tends to be pretty wet and will need to be reprocessed.
It comes with a measuring bin for juice and a container for pulp, as well as a cleaning brush. It also has a 12-month manufacturer warranty and tech support.
The Best Juicers Around or Under $100
At this medium price level, you’ll find fewer bells and whistles but still some nice options to produce fantastic juice!
5. Breville BJE200XL
If you are looking for a good green juice machine, this is another good option. It is slightly less powerful than the JE98XL, at 700 watts compared to 850. With an extra-large feeding tube, you don’t have to cut food up before juicing it.
This is a good choice for a juicer if you are doing juicing less quantity. It does not come with a separate pulp collector. The pulp is stored around the base of the juicer. You have to clean it out occasionally during juicing, depending on how much you are juicing. This machine does not have varying speeds, only an on and off switch.
The speed on this juicer is quite high, so be careful when juicing softer foods or you may end up with juice all over your kitchen. This Breville BJE200XL contains dishwasher-safe parts and comes with a one-year limited warranty.
6. Mueller Austria Juicer
The Mueller Austria Juicer is another good option in this price range. At 1100 watts, this is the most powerful juicer on this list. It has a 3-inch feed tube and 2 speeds which range from 12,000-18,000 RPM. That’s some serious rotating going on!
With a stainless steel cutting disc, this machine does a good job of juicing. It has a safety locking arm which has to be in place before the machine turns on. It also comes with a 2-year warranty.
So, what separates this juicer from the competition? Unfortunately, pulp ends up in the collection cup and juice often leaks out, leaving a mess. If you go with this juicer, expect to strain your juice unless you like some pulp in it.
7. Aeitto Masticating Juicer
If you are looking for a budget masticating juicer, the AICOK is a good choice. This cold-press juicer doesn’t heat up like many juicers do, meaning you don’t lose nutrition due to heat. Unlike the centrifugal juicers, this one goes low speed on “soft mode”, at 85 RPM. That means it takes longer to juice, but you can juice harder foods and end up with less foam. There is also “hard mode” which starts at 95 RPM and is for harder foods.
This machine is pretty quiet, running at less than 60 decibels. It has on, off, reverse, hard, and soft options. The parts are dishwasher safe. It automatically turns off after 20 minutes of use.
Now for the downsides. The feeder hole on this machine is small so you have to cut up your food into small pieces or the machine clogs. Also, after running food through the machine, the pulp is still quite wet.
8. Jocuu Masticating Juicer
For a masticating juicer under $100, consider the Jocuu Juicer. With three color options (gray, blue. or white), this machine looks sleek and sophisticated. It has three speed options–soft, hard, and reverse. Easy to assemble, the Jocuu Juicer is also easy to clean.
The feeder chute on this machine is relatively small, which requires chopping food a lot smaller than you need to for other machines. Although this is a masticating juicer, it does better with softer foods. Harder foods (like carrots) make the motor struggle and the unit shake.
Another issue is that with this machine you have to process the pulp several times. Also, the plastic housing isn’t great quality and likely won’t last as long as that on other machines.
While there are some good points with this juicing machine, I would recommend one of the other options in this price category.
9. Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer
At 800 watts, the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer is a powerful centrifugal model for a relatively low price. It has an extra chute for whole (pit-less) fruits and veggies, as well as an extra large pulp bin. That means you won’t have to chop foods before processing them.
This machine often leaves the pulp wet, so you will likely want to run it through at least one extra time to get more of the juice out.
Hamilton is a popular brand, and this model offers a 3-year limited warranty with customer support. The BPA-free parts to this machine are easy to assemble, disassemble and clean in the dishwasher.
Also included are a recipe book as well as a cleaning brush, although if you rinse the components after use, they are pretty easy to clean.
Good Juicers Under or Around $50
At around or under $50, these juicers are a nice option for those on a tighter budget.
10. BLACK+DECKER JE2200B Juicer
If you are looking to try out juicing at a minimal cost, the BLACK+DECKER JE2200B is a good option. However, it will require more work on your part. Because of the small chute, you will need to cut fruits and vegetables before juicing (the chute can fit 1/4 of an apple).
Like the other juicers on the list, this one has dishwasher-safe parts. It comes with a 2-year limited warranty. At only 400 watts, this juicer is much less powerful than the others.
Also, the pulp ends up very wet, and this juicer does not separate the froth from the juice. This is a good option if you aren’t sure if you want to juice long term. If you are serious about juicing, pay a little more and go with a Breville.
11. QCen Centrifugal Juicer
This centrifugal juicer from QCen effectively extracts juice, even if the produce is not removed. The stainless steel, detachable parts are easy to clean, which is a big deal if you ask me! Messes can be averted with its overload protection and locking arm systems. It also features a wide 3″ opening so you don’t have to cut everything into super small pieces.
The only down side is its size; it can only make one drink at a time. However, it fits perfectly into compact kitchens. Some feel prefer to make big batches, but if you don’t mind single servings this economical juicer is for you.
Salsa Juice Recipe
1 1/2 large tomatoes
1/4 large onion
1/2 bell pepper
1/4 jalapeño, seeded (adjust to taste)
1 1/4 teaspoon diced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
1 1/4 teaspoons vinegar (distilled or apple cider)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Add remaining ingredients and enjoy!
Our Recommended Juicer to Buy
Juicing is a great way to boost your nutrition and save money over buying pre-made juices. Any of the above listed juicers will give you a good juicing experience, but if you are looking for long lasting quality and excellent performance, I recommend purchasing the Breville BJE430SIL or the Breville JE98XL. They will save you money in the long run and will give you everything you expect out of juicing.
FAQs
What is the difference between a centrifugal and a masticating juicer?
Both centrifugal and masticating juicers force produce against a sharp screen, just in different ways. While a centrifugal juicer spins very fast using centrifugal force, a masticating juicer grinds food at a low speed with a slow turning screw. This means that masticating juicers generate less heat than centrifugal juicers.
How much food prep needs to be done before using a juicer?
The amount of food prep required to juice produce depends on the type of juicer used. For instance, less food prep is needed for juicers powerful enough to accept seeds and peels since users won’t need to seed or peel the food. Also, juicers with wide mouths save time in that the food doesn’t need to be chopped into extra small pieces.
What foods can be juiced?
All sorts of fruits and vegetables can be liquidized in a juicer. Popular options include apples, carrots, berries, tomatoes, and greens. You can find delicious recipes online which pair multiple foods together to make a savory blend of juices. Vegetables can be juiced and used in salsa, soup, or spaghetti sauce. The options are endless!
