Best Juice Extractors

Juice extractors are the most flexible juicers

Juice extractors, which range in price from about $75 to $400 or more, use a grater or shredder to reduce vegetables and fruits to a pulp. The most popular and common models also use centrifugal force to remove the juice from the pulp by spinning it in a mesh basket at a high speed. Centrifugal ejection models discharge the leftover pulp into a separate container, allowing you to juice continuously without emptying the basket. The leftover pulp winds up in a holding bin that can be lined with plastic for easy cleanup; from there, it's easy to discard the pulp or add it to the compost pile. Dry pulp indicates that the maximum amount of juice is being extracted. Most new juicers use this centrifugal ejection technique.

The top-rated juice extractor in both professional and user reviews is the Breville Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL (*Est. $290) . It boasts a 1,000-watt motor, a 3-inch-wide feed chute and dishwasher-safe parts. Unlike cheaper machines, which are mostly plastic, the sleek Juice Fountain Elite features die-cast metal construction. Its two-speed motor allows for more power when juicing hard foods, including beets and carrots, and the low speed is suitable for softer fruits and leafy green vegetables. The Juice Fountain Elite, like all Breville products, carries a one-year limited warranty.

The Breville Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL performs well in professional tests. Choice magazine rates this juicer fourth out of 19 centrifugal juicers, saying it performs well, is easy to use and comes with comprehensive instructions. Reviewers at 3Luxe.com praise this model's speed and power, saying it can make an 8-ounce glass of juice in just five seconds. Users also say the Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL is efficient and easy to use. This model receives near-perfect scores from hundreds of owners at Amazon.com, Cooking.com and Epinions.com. Owners admire this juicer's looks, durability and juice yield. They also say it is easy to clean. However, there are a few complaints about the juicer's tendency to leak or splatter. As we've mentioned with most juicers, professional juicer reviews are not particularly common and most of those we found for this particular model are at least a few years old. Still, more recent positive user reviews confirm the Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL's status as one of the best performing centrifugal juicers on the market.

Although the Juice Fountain Elite stands alone as the top-of-the-line juicer, it is possible to get a very good juicer for far less money, especially if you mainly want to juice soft fruits rather than hard fruits and vegetables. With its dark plastic housing, the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro 67650 (*Est. $75) isn't as sleek as the Breville juicers, but it did earn the top spot in Food & Wine's 2008 guide. Editors praise its wide chute, large pulp container and handy cleaning brush. The reviewer at ConsumerGuide also gives this model a perfect score, saying it is fast, powerful and easy to use and clean.  In tests performed by a leading consumer magazine, the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro came in second out of 11 models -- beating even the impressive Juice Fountain Elite -- even though it was one of the least expensive models tested. Unfortunately, all of the reviews that we found recommending this product are several years old.  

Still, this juicer continues to perform quite well with consumers. At Amazon.com, the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro 67560 earns generally positive ratings from nearly 500 users. A few users say the motor gets bogged down when attempting to juice hard veggies like carrots and beets, but most conclude that the juicer performs as promised. Owners like its wide feed tube, which reduces the need for chopping. They also say the juicer offers a lot of value and is easy to clean.  However, a few say the pulp comes out wet, a sign of incomplete juice extraction, and we read some durability complaints about plastic parts breaking. The Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro 67650 has an 820-watt motor, dishwasher-safe parts and a one-year limited warranty. Similar Big Mouth models are available in black or white.

The Breville Juice Fountain Compact BJE200XL (*Est. $100) is a less powerful and less expensive sibling to the Breville Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL. Like the more expensive model, it has a large chute and a contemporary look. It includes a silver plastic housing, dishwasher-safe parts and a one-year warranty. Unlike the Juice Fountain Elite, it has only one speed. Choice magazine gives the Juice Fountain Compact the same overall score as the more expensive Juice Fountain Elite for juicing performance, and editors say it is equally easy to use.

Interestingly, this less expensive model also receives more reviews than any other juicer at Amazon.com, with nearly 700 users rating the machine 4.5 out of 5 stars. Owners posting to Amazon.com, BestBuy.com and Epinions.com love this machine, which they describe as powerful, compact, easy to use and very efficient at juice extraction. The pulp is much drier than that produced by many other juicers. Another highlight is that this juicer is more vertical than comparable models, meaning it takes up far less countertop space. A few note it is hard to clean by hand, especially the internal pulp container, which has a tendency to trap juice and pulp in its seams. Some users express concern that this problem could pose a health risk.

Another well-respected line of juicers comes from Omega. The brand offers several centrifugal juicers for both home and commercial use. Of these, the Omega 4000 (*Est. $220) is the most popular with professional reviewers. Unfortunately, that does not hold true when it comes to consumers. The Omega 4000 juicer boasts heavy-duty components and an impressively long warranty (15 years). Its parts are not dishwasher-safe and it has a narrow chute, which makes it necessary to chop fruits and vegetables prior to juicing. Reports of the Omega 4000's efficiency are mixed. Food & Wine magazine says that it "juices fruit so completely that there's no pulp left on the blade."

However, tests performed by VitalityPlus1.com and by a leading consumer magazine both find its juicing performance no better than average. The machine earns an average 4 out of 5 stars from nearly 40 Amazon.com users, but the more recent reviews are mixed. Several say that the ejector malfunctions, spraying pulp everywhere. Others are disappointed with the quality of the machine, citing problems with parts breaking. 

Although most reviewers favor centrifugal ejection models, a few older models also earn recommendations, including the Waring Pro PJE401 (*Est. $200) , also sold as the Acme Supreme Juicerator 6001. These models store pulp in the straining basket, which means you have to empty the basket periodically during juicing. The tradeoff for this minor inconvenience is greater juice extraction. By holding onto the leftover pulp, the Waring Pro PJE401 can increase juice yield up to 30 percent and produce pulp-free juice. Cleaning the internal basket is fairly easy because it comes with disposable filters and the pulp left in the basket is so dry. The Wall Street Journal praises the Acme, naming it the best juicer overall in its 2003 review and saying it provides "more juice for your money." Editors at 3Luxe.com and Juicing.com recommend it as well. Only about 30 owners have reviewed this juicer at Amazon.com, but most reviews are positive.

While the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer line does not fare particularly well with either professional or consumer reviewers, they are worth noting. These seen-on TV machines helped bring widespread national attention to juicing as a health-focused practice. The Power Juicer line includes four models ranging in price from $100 to $150. While the company says the four models are different, users conclude they are essentially the same. The more you spend, the more bonus accessories you get: such as an extra blade and cleaning brush. While some reviewers say that, for the price, the machine functions quite well and is relatively quiet, others say that it is not very durable, it doesn't handle leafy vegetables well and is tricky to clean. You can read more about this and other as-seen-on-TV products in our Infomercial review section.