What is the best juicer? There is no right or wrong answer. There is only an answer that is right or wrong for you.
Before buying a juicer, ask yourself these questions:
- Are you more concerned with cost, or with value?
- What will you be juicing? Will you be juicing primarily hard fruits and root vegetables (such as carrots and beats), or leafy greens (like kale and spinach)?
- Do you intend to juice for the next 2, 3, 5, and 10 years?
Best Juicer: Cost or Value?
With juicers, you get what you pay for. The pricer juicers tend to be worth the money. (I’ll explain why later in this post.)
However, if you’re new to juicing, you may not be willing to shell out $200 or $300 for a top-of-the-line juicer. Perhaps you want to get your feet wet and not fully commit to juicing.
In that case, the best juicer is either:
- Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor (buy it here);
- Breville BJE200XL Compact Juice Fountain (buy it here).
I go into more detail at this page, “Best Juicer Under $100.” Read the page for full details. The short story is that both are efficient, easy-to-use and easy-to-clean juicers that tens of thousands of people have used.
Best Juicer: Juicing Carrots, Apples, or Leafy Greens and Kale?
What will you be juicing more of: carrots, apples, and beats or will you be juicing a lot of kale, spinach, and other leafy greens? If you juice a lot, that question is very important.
A masticating juicer like an Omega (J8004, J8006, VRT 350) or an Angel or Green Star Elite will get up to 3 times more juice out of kale than a centrifugal ejection juicer like a Breville will.
I explain why on this page, “Best Juicer for Kale and Spinach.”
A pricer juicer will pay for itself within a few months. (Remember, with juicers you get what you pay for.) Think about how expensive kale can be.
A bungle of organic kale often costs between $1.99 and $2.99. If you were able to triple the amount of juice you were able to get out of kale, consider how much money you would save.
The best place to buy a masticating juicer is from one of these links:
- Omega J8004 (click here)
- Omega J8005 (click here)
- Omega J8006 (click here)
- Omega VRT350 (click here)
- Green Star GSE-5000 Elite Jumbo Twin Gear Juice Extractor (click here)
- Super Angel All Stainless Steel Twin Gear Juicer- 5500 (click here)
Once you’ve bought a juicer, check out our Juicing Recipes page.
Best Juicer: How Long is the Warranty?
Omega juicers come with long warranties. Omega stands behind its products.
An Omega J8006 may cost up to $299 new. Since the warranty is 15 years, the real cost of an Omega J8006 is only $19.99.
An Omega J8004 has a 10 year warranty. The Omega J8004 costs up to $239 and has a 10 year warranty. Thus the real cost of an “expensive” blender is really only $23.99 a year.
When you consider how much more juice you will get out of kale and spinach and factor in a longer warranty, an Omega or Angel Star juicer starts to seem much more affordable, don’t they?
Best Juicer: Want to Make Banana Ice Cream?
With an Omega juicer, you can do much more than juice. You can also make banana ice cream.
Banana ice cream (there’s no milk or added sugar; it’s really a sorbet) is a healthy alternative to real ice. Banana ice cream made in an Omega juicer is as smooth and creamy as Ben & Jerry’s.
Best Juicer: Conclusion
In my opinion, the best four juicers are:
- Omega J8004 (click here)
- Omega J8006 (click here)
- Omega VRT350 (click here)
- Green Star GSE-5000 Elite Jumbo Twin Gear Juice Extractor (click here)
Once you’ve bought a juicer, check out our Juicing Recipes page.
Great write up! Just an FYI for those looking at buying the Omega J8006 – the Omega J8004 is the exact same machine, only it comes in white and costs $40 less. You are paying $40 more for stainless steel on the exterior of the juicer.
Excellent. Thank you. I will update most post.
The 8006 is black and chromed plastic, it isn’t metal at all.
Thanks for the write-up. A family member gave me her unused Breville but, when I buy a new juicer, I’ll definitely opt for the masticating variety.
I’m curious, how would your life be fundamentally better if you had started juicing earlier?. After juicing for only three weeks, I’ve noticed an increase in energy.
I developed a rare autoimmune disorder in my 30s that juicing is controlling and will ultimately cure. I was always fit. But I did not give my body the proper raw materials it needed, i.e., fruits and vegetables.
So when my DNA went through its replication process, there were defects.
Had I juiced from a younger age my body would have had the materials it needed to keep me healthy.
i know what disorder you are talking about. it runs in my family. my mother, sister and grandmother get it on their elbows. my uncle gets it on his scalp.
funny thing is, every time any of them go to like a tropical place or swim in the ocean it goes away within a couple days. its kinda wierd. im somewhat convinced that its related to your environment.
I have never had any issues with it though. but im not in my 30s yet. i figured that i just wouldnt get it, but you saying you did… i was already wanting to start juicing, now i think i better start asap. will be following this site. prolly buy a juicer through your affiliates.
D&P, thanks for all of the great posts. I just bought a Hamilton Beach after using my buddy’s juicer a few times. I’ve always enjoyed eating vegetables and fruit, but this seems like a great way to create a superabundance of good nutrients for workouts and general health.
Do you know of any hacks to increase the yield for kale or spinach in a centrifugal juicer? I may just cook it in a cast iron or blend it instead and add it to the juice afterwards, because I’d hate to miss out on one of my favorite superfoods.
I have a post on that subject in the works.
Let us know how juicing works for you.
If you want to know the diferences between the 8004/8006/VRT350, check out videos on Youtube by the user “rawfoods”. It’s the guy that does http://www.discountjuicers.com and he does in-depth reviews on juicers.
What is your opinion on Vitamix for juicing?
I’ve been juicing with the Omega J8004 for over a week now. There is a significant taste difference between what came out of my Breville and what comes out of the omega juicer. Extremely significant. You are right, the juice does taste better. I’m convinced that there is an oxidation problem with centrifugal juicers, and that oxidation does more than sap the nutrients away – it saps the deliciousness of the juice away.
I love this site, and I love that there are people like you guys promoting juicing in this way. This has changed my life, for the better, and I thank you guys. Keep up the good work.
Good to hear bro.
I recently had a juice made with a Norwalk. It was even better than an Omega, though just slightly. At $2,500, a Norwalk won’t be in my crib for a while.
Got a Omega VRT350 the other day, It’s awesome, couldn’t believe how much juice it makes
Don’t cook your greens! You destroy all the nutrients abd enzymes. What I like to do, when I’m in the mood for them, is juice the stalks and hard veiny parts and cook the leafy greens. No more than 3 minutes or you destroy the very reason we eat them~nutrition! The stalks of all leafy Greene are great for juicing…even beet and carrot tops.
Carrot and beet tops are too bitter for my tastes. Thanks for your tip, though, as some readers will be able to put that into practice.
Will the Green Star or any masticating juicer make banana ice cream?
The Green Star is a twin gear juicer and yes it makes banana ice cream just like the Omega masticating juicers.
One more question, please:
I am willing to spend the bucks on a top-rate juicer, but I want to spend more time making a decision.
I’m thinking about buying a Tribest Z-star manual single auger juicer just to get me started.
It’s just over a hundred bucks.
Would this be a suitable short-term juicer while I learn a bit about juicing and what direction I’m going with it?
Thanks.
Thanks Mike. Recently started following your blogs. Great stuff. First heard about you on RVF.
What’s your opinion on the Nutribullet? Sounded interesting to me since it’s only $100, and instead of throwing away the pulp, it’s all mixed in with the juice. I’ve heard good things from friends but would be interested in your expert opinion. Thanks!
I like it. I had been meaning to review it. It got lost in the cracks. Thanks for the reminder!
Of the cold press juicers advertised in Australia, one makes mention of the blank plate being used for making ice cream / sorbet.
Is this just a marketing gimmick and it can be done by the perforated plate? Or is it necessary?
I love my Nutri Bullet. I had several juicers and this one wastes nothing!
So if I were interested in juicing both types such as kale and carrots, would it be recommended to buy two different juicers?
Just the Omega juicer, as the Omega juicer is great with kale and carrots.
so, which one for carrots?
A centrifugal juicer is fine if you’re juicing mostly carrots.