Wheatgrass Juicers

Juicers for wheatgrass

Although the most popular juicers employ the use of centrifugal force to extract juice, they cannot effectively break down the tougher plant fibers of wheatgrass and similar fibrous greens. For wheatgrass juicing, you want something with an auger and gears, which crush and grind wheatgrass (called masticating) to separate out the juice.

The Omega 8005 juicer (*Est. $260) is a single-auger, masticating juice extractor that crushes produce to a pulp before squeezing out juice. Experts say this kind of extractor is also great for making pasta, baby food and nut butters. These juicers are generally quieter than centrifugal juicers, too. The low grinding speed ensures smooth nut butters and pastes. Although it is more expensive than some other models, the 8005 performs some functions nearly as well as a food processor. It has a stainless-steel housing and a 10-year warranty.

Another popular pick is the Green Star GS-1000 juicer (*Est. $450). In VitalityPlus1.com's tests, juice from the Green Star did a great job with carrots and spinach. What's more, juice from the Green Star remained fresh after several days in the refrigerator. Juice from other machines, by contrast, began to separate. The Green Star juicers press juices by slowly squeezing produce through two gears, a process The Wall Street Journal likens to an "old-fashioned clothes wringer." The process also requires the user to force food through the juicer, which is shaped like a meat grinder. Experts say twin gear press juice extractors work best with leafy green vegetables and fibrous vegetables, such as celery. All models sold by Green Star consist of the same juicer, but come with different attachments and add-ons.

Like the Omega 8005, the Green Star juicer can be fitted with attachments for nut butter, baby food, frozen desserts and pasta. Many natural food enthusiasts use it to make wheatgrass juice and mochi (a type of soft rice cake). Although the Green Star ships with fruit juice attachments, the machine doesn't do as good a job with fruit. If you only want to juice citrus fruits, the Green Star is clearly overkill. And, according to The Wall Street Journal, the Green Star is tough to clean.

Strapped for cabinet space? The Lexen Healthy Juicer Manual (*Est. $45) is a smaller, solid, hand-powered unit. The machine clamps onto a countertop and you turn the handle to crush and juice wheatgrass. Users say this manual juicer is fine for personal use, but we did read some complaints that it's not as efficient as more expensive models, and it's not meant for making large quantities of wheatgrass juice.

We saw some conflicting reports on the Champion Household Juicer 2000+ (*Est. $235), another masticating juice extractor. In tests at VitalityPlus1.com, the Champion did a good job with carrots, but it failed to extract all the juice from leafy greens. Cleanup was quick, however. Reviewers at Cooking.com like this juicer and praise its continuous-feed chute. This versatile juicer can also make sorbets, butters and even specialty flours (using the optional grain mill attachment). It's not recommended for juicing wheatgrass, however. While EatVeg.com recommends the Champion juicer, Juicing.com's editors say it's difficult to operate and clean and note that it heats juice, resulting in oxidation. Others complain about the bulk and heaviness of this single-speed unit.