We Put the Best Cold Press Juicers to the Test | Food & Wine

2022-05-14 06:06:47 By : Ms. Erin Tan

Whether you're craving a breakfast mocktail or a midday pick-me-up, here's nothing more refreshing than diving into a glass of freshly-squeezed juice. However, fresh fruit and vegetable juices can be expensive or a hassle to make without the right tools. Even if you're a green juice superfan, costly and finicky gadgets can make juicing at home exhausting—but it doesn't have to be. 

When shopping for a juicer, keep in mind that there are two types: Centrifugal juicers use a high-speed blade to chop produce and often give off heat that can damage or strip the nutrients in foods. Alternatively, cold press masticating juicers rely on a mechanism to crush and press produce, resulting in fresh juice packed with all of its original nutrients. These gadgets are also known as slow juicers because they take more time to extract every last bit of juice properly. 

To find the best cold press juicer for home cooks, our team of expert product testers put a selection of leading models to the test by whipping up carrot-orange juice, strawberry-pineapple juice, and green juice. Overall, we were most impressed by the Nama Cold Press Juicer for its ability to effortlessly produce flavorful, consistent juice with minimal clean-up. It's a low-maintenance machine that delivers quality at an affordable price. Read on for more of our favorites.

Pros: Easy to clean, assemble, and use, this gadget produced the most consistent, smooth juice that was free of pulp.

Cons: Our testers noticed that this machine occasionally made a slight squeaking noise when processing tougher ingredients.

Thanks to a larger feeding chute, this juicer helps cut down on prep time because it doesn't require you to cut fruits and vegetables into super small pieces. We found it easy to assemble because each part is clearly labeled. Our testers loved how smooth and consistent the juice came out, and each glass was flavorful and fresh with minimal pulp. It felt sturdy throughout each test, and the no-drip spout made clean-up easier. This cold press juicer comes with three different strainers that add layers of versatility, allowing you to make nut milk, smoothies, and sorbet. Despite how easy this machine is to use and clean, we noticed it makes some squeaking noises when processing more dense ingredients (like apples). 

Pros: This dishwasher-safe machine has a large chute, so it requires minimal prep work before getting started.

Cons: Some juice recipes came out with a thicker, more pulpy consistency than others. 

Unlike some juicers, this model features a masticating auger rather than a mesh strainer. As a result, it's straightforward to clean, making it a great choice for new or occasional users. This low-maintenance gadget performed exceptionally well in all of our tests, and our testers loved how flavorful and smooth each glass of juice was. We did notice some pulp come through in our strawberry test, which gave it a thicker viscosity. We found it very easy to assemble, which is helpful for juicing novices that aren't as familiar with complex gadgets. The parts are dishwasher-safe and it operates with minimal noise. 

Also available at Best Buy.

Pros: This intuitive juicer provides a hands-off experience, so it's super user-friendly and efficient. 

Cons: This is the most expensive juicer on our list and it is a little heavier than other models. 

This juicer features an extra-wide feeding chute, a juicing strainer, a cleaning tool and brush, and added safety features for easy, no-mess juicing. Thanks to the larger chute, there's no need to prep fruit or vegetables ahead of time—simply drop ingredients into the basket and let the powerful yet surprisingly quiet motor do the work. Our testers observed that this juicer produced thick, smooth juice with zero pulp and a consistent viscosity from recipe to recipe. Overall, we love how easy it is to use—the strong motor and large feeding tube mean you don't have to stand over it and forcefully plunge ingredients the whole time, making for an easy, hands-off juicing experience. Though we found this model easy to assemble, we noticed that it is quite heavy compared to some other models. 

Related: The Best Kitchen Tools and Gadgets That Are Worth the Splurge

Pros: This simple juicer produces excellent juice at an affordable price.

Cons: This machine doesn't feature a no-drip spout, so we noticed a little dribble between uses. 

This juicer comes with an instruction manual that is easy to read and makes assembly super simple, which can be one of the biggest barriers that home cooks have when using complicated gadgets. Our testers found that although this juicer doesn't have any extra features, it is a solid choice for the money and performs its basic functionalities with precision and ease. All juices were good quality, and the machine is sleek, lightweight, and easy to take apart. However, we found that dense vegetables are difficult to push down, and this machine felt slower and a bit more unstable than some others. 

Also available at Hurom and Bloomingdale's.

Pros: This model features a mesh-free filter that makes it incredibly easy to clean.

Cons: This juicer struggled with leafy vegetables, and the green juice in our test came out on the chunky side.

This user-friendly blender is on the simpler side and a great choice for users looking for an easy option for daily juicing. The gadget comes with a cleaning brush, ice cream strainer, smoothie strainer, and no-drip juice spout. Although it's not dishwasher-safe, the parts of this machine are easier to clean than all the others we tried, regardless of the fact that it has to be done by hand. This juicer is quiet, sturdy, and lightweight, and it requires minimal manipulation of produce before use (the less prep work, the better). Our testers found that it produced flavorful, fresh juice with minimal bits of pulp in each recipe. 

Also available at Sur la Table and Williams Sonoma.

Pros: This powerful machine has a large feeding chute and extra-large capacity, so it's ideal for someone looking to prep a big batch of juice for the week.

Cons: Although it's easy to set up, it's a bit bulky and can take up a lot of space on the countertop. 

Juicing can be time-consuming, so if you're going to do it, why not make a big batch? This extra-large and super powerful machine is ideal for someone looking to make juice in bulk for the week. Our testers noted how sturdy and stable it felt and were impressed by how quickly it produced large batches of juice compared to some of the other machines. We love how the extra-large feeding chute allows you to add big chunks of fruit with minimal prepwork and found it particularly easy to assemble. Our testers also appreciated that the machine is strong enough to process whole fruits, and there's no need to plunge them down the feeding chute. Although this machine is strong and powerful with a large capacity, it can feel bulky, so we don't recommend breaking it out for a single glass of juice.

Overall, the Nama Cold Press Juicer produced consistently high-quality results across all of our tests. Our testers loved the smooth juice that it effortlessly produced and had no trouble assembling or cleaning it. This is a great option for people who like to have fresh juice on hand regularly. 

Before selecting a juicer, users should know there are different aspects that determine how efficiently a machine works. Make sure to choose one powerful enough to process bits of produce but sturdy and stable while in use. The feeding tube size will determine how much prep work is necessary and how much the ingredients need to be manipulated before use. Larger chutes allow for foods to be plunged in whole, while smaller ones will require you to chop, peel, or core the produce in advance. Additionally, certain juicers require the user to repeatedly shove the ingredients through the chute using a plunger, while others can operate independently with more of a hands-off approach. 

Most home cooks can agree that to use a gadget frequently, it has to be easy to clean. Juicing can be a messy job, so you'll want to keep cleaning requirements in mind before you invest in one. These gadgets also come with many parts that need to be properly assembled to work, so be sure to assess whether they're dishwasher-safe or if each one has to be cleaned by hand. Having a lot of parts can make storage and cleaning a hassle, so be sure you have sufficient storage space to properly house the type of juicer you plan to buy. If you're going to invest in a high-quality juicer, make sure it's something you'll actually use. Be mindful that if it's too difficult to assemble, clean, and store, those inconveniences could counteract the true value of the machine.

To determine the best cold press juicers for use in home kitchens, our expert product testers put some of the leading models to the test by making three different types of fresh juice. We first assessed how easy each machine was to assemble and examined whether or not the parts felt sturdy and reliable when in place. We made three different juice recipes in each machine and observed how easy or difficult each one was to operate. We noted how easily fruits and vegetables were broken down and observed things like noise, mess, and functionality. Finally, we noted how much prep work was necessary before using each. For example, could each juicer handle large pieces of produce, or did they need to be cut into small pieces before using? Did larger pieces need to be pushed down with a plunger, or did they feed into the chute easily? These factors helped us assess overall ease of use and efficiency.

Related: 5 Chef-Approved Kitchen Tools for Vegetable Prep

This super sturdy juicer feels powerful and stable at the same time. It has a basket feature that allows for a hands-off experience, so you don't have to stand in front of it throughout the entire process. It features large and small feeding chutes with a quiet motor, and can even handle whole fruit, thanks to its big squeeze technology. This juicer produces smooth, grit-free juice. Although it has a lot of parts, it doesn't take up too much space once it's assembled. However, keep in mind that this is a tall juicer, so you might have trouble fitting it under cabinets.

This is the smallest and most compact of all the juicers we tested. It's quick to assemble and disassemble, and super easy to clean. However, it didn't feel particularly sturdy and could not accommodate a lot of juice. The pulp basket fills quickly and needs to be emptied often. For occasional or beginner juicing fans, this is a great option that doesn't take up a ton of space in the cabinet or on the countertop.

This extra-large juicer is the biggest one we tested, and that's because it's a complete one-stop-shop. In addition to juice, it can make pasta, bread, frozen desserts, and more. Added functionality means it takes up more counter space and is a bit more complicated, so our testers don't recommend this for novice juice makers.

Our testers found this to be a solid, basic juicer for home cooks. It produced flavorful juice with some pulp, and the texture wasn't as smooth as some of the other models. This option is moderately sized, so it's not too bulky and won't take up too much space in your cabinets, sink, or counter. Overall, our testers felt that this juicer lacked the versatility that some other similarly priced models offered.

Also available at Best Buy.

This juicer produced results that were on the thicker side, but were flavorful and smooth nonetheless. However, we noticed some rocking and swaying when the machine was powered on. It didn't feel completely stable, and it dripped a bit which made the process messy. However, our testers liked how easy it is to assemble and appreciated that each part is dishwasher-safe.

This compact, lightweight juicer doesn't take up too much space. However, this juicer struggled in all three of our tests. We found that the juice and pulp would rise back up the shoot, and pulp created frequent blockages. There were pulp and seeds in the finished juice product. Overall, we didn't find this to be an easy machine to use.

Our testers were thoroughly impressed with this juicer and love that you can preload the basket for a completely hands-off experience. It's very easy to put together and provides a simple, straightforward user experience. The piece includes an extra-large feeding chute, a fine strainer, and a smoothie strainer to more efficiently control the texture of your finished product. However, it's on the pricier end, so make sure you plan to use it regularly before making the investment.

This easy-to-use juicer produced smooth, flavorful juice that was fresh and consistent. Our testers were impressed by both the juice's quality and how sturdy the piece felt throughout the juicing process, and noted that it's a solid juicer for the price. We did notice that this juicer required a good bit of plunging, so make sure to prep your produce in advance—cutting each piece into smaller bits will help this machine run more efficiently.

Although our testers liked the quality and flavor of the juice this machine produced, we found it difficult to assemble. It was also louder than some others and was a bit messy. We also noticed that the carrot juice stained the interior and plastic parts.

Overall, our testers found this juicer to be a solid option for daily juicing. It's powerful and sturdy and provides flavorful juice with minimal wobbling. We found it to be slightly challenging to assemble, with a few parts that were difficult to click into place. If you plan to juice every day, this is a viable option that doesn't take up too much space. However, keep in mind that it is on the pricier side.

This piece was written by Laura Denby, a food writer and former professional chef who focuses on finding functional kitchen equipment for home cooks. She uses her years of experience cooking in professional kitchens along with her degree in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education to guide her thoroughly tested product reviews. You can find more of Laura's work at FoodNetwork.com, Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, and Taste of Home. 

These juicers were tested by our expert product testers Marianne Williams and Melissa Gray. Marianne is a recipe tester and developer in the Dotdash Meredith test kitchens. She holds a degree in Culinary Arts from the International Culinary Center in NYC and has experience cooking under Michelin-starred Chef Peter Brunel of Borgo San Jacopo in Florence, Italy. Melissa is a recipe developer and food stylist in the Dotdash Meredith food studios. She holds a degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America, where she was trained in traditional French-style cooking, restaurant, and front-of-house management. Since transitioning to recipe development and food styling in 2015, Melissa has developed over 1,500 original recipes and styled over 300 photoshoots.