A juice extractor is a small appliance designed for cold-pressing fruits and vegetables to produce juices that retain the nutritional properties and minerals of the original ingredients. There are two main types based on their shape and operating system: the classic (or vertical) juice extractor is ideal for home use and, in general, anywhere where space is limited. Horizontal models , on the other hand, take up more space on the countertop, which is why they are often chosen for professional use. More powerful and heavier, they process fibrous vegetables, such as broccoli, fennel, and carrots, better.
Difference between a juice extractor and a centrifuge
The main difference between a juicer and a centrifuge is their mechanism . But let’s start with what they have in common: both appliances separate the juice from the pulp of fruit and vegetables. This is done to produce actual liquid drinks, unlike blenders , which combine the peel, pulp, and juice. A centrifuge , however, uses a blade that rotates at high speed to chop the food and separate the solids from the juice. A cold-press extractor , on the other hand, uses a long, slowly rotating screw to push the fruit and vegetables against the filter and, by crushing them, extract the juice. In the first case, large amounts of heat and air are generated, causing the material to oxidize and causing the fruit and vegetables to lose highly nutritious minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. In the second case, however, the slow rotation preserves the integrity of the nutrients. Furthermore, the resulting juice is fuller-bodied and less prone to separating.
A look at how the extractor works
Using a cold press juicer to prepare many fresh recipes is decidedly simple. You start by slicing fruit and vegetables so that they fit easily into the inlet tube, the size of which varies from model to model. Juicers with a narrow mouth require you to cut the vegetables into small pieces, while those with a wider mouth allow you to insert them whole, saving time. Sometimes combined with a mini tray on which to place the portioned foods and a plunger to push them inside, the inlet tube conveys them towards the auger. This is where the actual pressing and subsequent extraction takes place , a process followed by the filtering phase . The type of filter used determines the consistency of our juice. A narrow-mesh filter, in fact, produces a very liquid drink, a wide-mesh one produces a thicker product. The more accessorized models also include special filters for making, for example, fresh sorbets or dried fruit drinks. The filter conveys the juice into a bowl , from which it can be transferred to a jug through a slanted chute with a drip-proof flap. It also traps the pulp and peel, which end up in the waste container . Most commercial juicers come with two different jugs, one for the juice and one for the waste.