The best juicers to help you get your five a day
Starting the day with a freshly prepped juice is not only delicious and refreshing but also provides you with an important doses of nutrients. And with a juicer on your kitchen counter, it’s even easier to pack fruit and vegetables into your diet, getting you closer to that five a day with one quick drink.
Often you don’t even need to peel or chop your ingredients of choice. You just chuck them into your juicer and it does the rest, grinding them down, removing the pulp, and creating a refreshing drink within minutes.
Yes, it’s an investment, but it could even save you money in the long term, as juices are a handy way of using up leftover veg. And it’ll cut down on your plastic consumption too, as you won’t need shop-bought bottles. We’re struggling to see the downside.
There are a few different types on the market though, including centrifugal and slow juicers, which is where we come in. Here at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we’ve used our expertise to put a range of designs to the test, so you can invest in a model that’s right for your needs and budget.
Check out our top picks below as well as more on why we consider juicers a key bit of kitchen kit.
What are the benefits of juicing?
If you still need convincing that this appliance is worth your money (and precious cupboard space!), here are a few other advantages to making your own juices.
For a start, you have greater control over what goes into your drinks, meaning there’ll be no added sugars or artificial sweeteners hidden within. And according to Michaella Mazzoni, a BANT registered nutritionist, making fresh juice at home is a huge plus as they’re "typically more nutrient dense than those you get in the shops".
"Some nutrients also degrade faster than others in response to light, including vitamin C, so juice made at home should have the highest amount of nutrients available," she adds.
Plus, by experimenting with the fruit and vegetables you use, you can easily add more variety to your diet. Mazzoni recommends trying to eat the rainbow: "Each colour vegetable and fruit typically has a different set of benefits. For example, a green juice will support detoxification organs such as the liver and kidneys, whereas a red juice with beetroot and pomegranate will be more supportive of the hormones."
Of course balance is key, and Mazzoni explains that one of the tricky things about juice is that it contains less fibre than eating fruit and veg whole. So if you’re looking to up your fibre intake, a smoothie maker may suit you better.
What type of juicer should I buy?
There are three main types of juicers: centrifugal, citrus and slow juicers.
Centrifugal juicers have fast-spinning metal blades which slice the fruit before separating the juice from the pulp. They tend to be faster and more affordable, but their speed can result in a frothier juice.
Alternatively, slow juicers – which are also known as cold press and masticating juicers – crush produce slowly (hence the name), keeping the fruit and vegetables at a low temperature to lock in their flavour. They are typically the most expensive option.
You may have heard that centrifugal juicers destroy enzymes and other nutrients with the heat and friction created, but UK Juicers claims there’s no scientific evidence to back this up. However, if you do want to maximise your vitamin intake, it’s thought that slow juicers extract slightly more from the plant fibres through the mastication process.
Finally, there are citrus juicers. And yes, they’re made specifically for oranges, lemons and limes. You can usually opt to either remove or keep the pulp and they are often the smaller choice.
What to consider when buying a juicer
Before you stock up on apples and oranges, you need to find the right juicer for you. Here’s what you should consider:
Noise
If you’re planning on using a juicer for your morning glass of orange juice, look for one that doesn’t make lots of noise in use. Below, you’ll find the noise level for each one in this list to help direct you.
Speed settings
Different produce requires different speed settings, so look for a good variety if you want to keep your menu varied. According to appliance brand Philips, use lower speeds for softer fruits like berries and higher speeds for harder fruit and veg like apples and carrots. Leafy greens like kale will need lower settings still, as they’re more delicate.
Speed is measured in RPMs (revolutions per minute) and centrifugal juicers will have a higher RPM, while slow juicers will have a lower one.
Capacity
If you have a busy home or want to make a bigger batch of your favourite juice, make sure you get a capacity to match. The juicers in this list range from 600ml to 4000ml.
How we test juicers
Yes, you’ve guessed it; our experts tested juicers by preparing a host of fruit and veg-packed drinks. Every machine made apple, carrot, berry and green juices, and if there’s a citrus press, we also tried orange, lemon and lime.
After each test, our experts measured the amount of juice produced relative to the amount of fruit used. They also noted any froth produced, scoring it down if there’s a lot.
They recorded the noise level of each juicer at its highest setting, and assessed design, ease of use, and any accompanying instructions.
These are the models that impressed us the most.
F1900 Whole Fruit Juicer
Score: 86/100
The ultimate in faff-free juicing, this top-scorer has an angled chute big enough for you to easily feed in whole produce without any chopping. As a result, it's fairly large, but worth the space if you have room.
Testers appreciated the included sieve which lets you choose the amount of pulp you want in your drink. Removing the leftovers from the collection container was also straightforwards and while the parts aren’t dishwasher-safe, the handy accompanying cleaning brush banished any sticky residue meaning they’ll hand wash in an instant.
So what of the finished drinks? Well, each of our juices impressed, as the machine delivered high yields in little time – our berry juice was ready in just over one minute and had no foam. Just what early mornings need.
CJF01 Citrus Juicer
Score: 86/100
If you’re after something more compact and don't mind more limited functionalities, then a citrus juicer is a good bet – and this one excelled on test. There’s just one easy pressure sensor to push down to begin juicing and it comes with excellent instructions and diagrams to help you make the most of the machine.
Our orange juice was beautifully smooth, extracting a total of 405ml from five oranges in just over three minutes. A 600ml capacity means you could juice a couple of portions before needing to empty it, and clean-up was a breeze thanks to dishwasher safe parts. Whether you’re prepping brunch or a margarita night, this is one trusty aid.
Juice Expert 3
Score: 84/100
Boasting a 4000ml capacity, this is a great option for large juice-loving households. There’s no prep needed to get started either – simply put whole fruits into the extra-large feeding tube and you’ll have fresh juice within minutes.
Testers raved about their refreshing berry drink, awarding it full marks for speed, lack of foam, and high juice yield. They had to wait longer (nearly three minutes) when trying apples, and the results were mixed, with a 1.85cm layer of foam. Our green juice also took over five minutes to prepare.
But the citrus attachment (which not all slow juicers have) was a hit for its easy-to-use design, even though it’s not suitable for limes as they’re too small for the press.
J2 Cold Press Juicer
Score: 83/100
Unlike other juicers where you need to push the produce through the feeding tube, this premium juicer has an automatic hopper that you can load up with ingredients. There’s a rotating blade inside it that automatically chops and moves them along, so you simply turn a dial and let the juicer take over. Generally, this worked fantastically, but testers noted that some fruits and vegetables need to be cut down beforehand to fit comfortably inside.
The carrot juice was just how our testers like it, as was the green juice (although there was quite a bit of foam). There was a relatively low yield from berries though, but it was still quick, and the drink was foam-free.
Design Digital Plus Multi Juicer
Score: 81/100
Gastroback’s digital juicer is billed as a four-in-one tool that's a blender, juicer, mini chopper, and coffee grinder, making it a versatile bit of kit at a reasonable price. The powerful 1300W motor easily crushed whole produce, impressing our testers with its speedy apple, carrot and berry juices, which were all ready in about a minute.
There was a fair bit of foam on our apple and green juices though, and the pulp and liquid in each drink separated quite quickly which isn’t ideal. If you’re drinking the juice as soon as it emerges, however, this shouldn't be a problem.
Plus, its digital display tells you which of the five power levels you need for each ingredient – making it a good option for beginners and sleepy early mornings.
Viva Collection Juicer
Score: 79/100
This compact centrifugal juicer makes up to 2000ml of juice in one go. On test it worked quickly – our green juice was the longest wait, at just over a minute. There was a slight sacrifice though, as the yield from our produce was lower than some of the other juicers we tried. Given its affordable price tag, however, the trade-off is perhaps worth making.
And it was after the juicing where this machine really shone thanks to its QuickClean technology. It starts with a pre-clean function which pushes water through the appliance, rinsing away unwanted fibres from the lid and sieve. Plus, all the parts are designed with smooth, curved edges for easy rinsing, and they’re dishwasher safe, saving you precious time if you're whipping up a morning juice before heading out to work.
Centrifugal Juicer 01515
Score: 78/100
Testers found this juicer simple to put together and get to grips with thanks to the clear instructions and well-labelled controls. There was ample room to fit a whole apple down the chute and the transparent pulp container made it easy to see when it needed emptying.
Each juice was processed quickly but our berry juice separated a little and needed a mix before drinking. Foam topped all of them too, however, the collection jug lid includes a froth remover, so it shouldn’t make its way into your glass.
Auto10 Self-Feeding Juicer
Score: 77/100
Just like the Nama juicer above, this slow juicer has an auto hopper, so you don't need to feed produce through a tube – just load, turn a dial, and await your fresh drink. Testers were a little disappointed that it couldn’t fit a whole apple though, meaning some prep was still required before the juicer worked its magic.
As a slow juicer, it took longer to produce each drink; apple juice took almost four minutes while the green one took five. Foam was minimal though and the jug fitted easily under the spout for mess-free collection.
8006 Nutrition Centre Slow Juicer
Score: 77/100
Omega’s Slow Juicer put in a mixed performance on test. Its apple juice was beautifully smooth, and our berries were juiced quickly.
However, both its green and carrot juices took longer than expected, and the ingredients had to be chopped into small pieces so they didn’t get stuck in the feeding tube. The included plunger was easy to grip when pushing the fruit down though, helping with any stragglers.
The verdict on juicers
To create a wide range of drinks, we’d recommend Fridja’s F1900 Whole Fruit Juicer. There's little prep required before juicing, and we love the reasonable price given its functionalities and design.
If you just want to juice oranges, lemons and limes, you can’t go wrong with Smeg’s CJF01 Citrus Juicer while our top centrifugal juicer and best budget pick is the Philips Viva Collection Juicer HR1855/70.
Why you should trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
Here at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we’ve been testing products for 100 years, putting thousands of kitchen appliances to work in the search for the ones worth your money.
Our homes team has used this expertise on a range of market-leading juicers, putting each one through its paces in our test kitchen. The results were then passed to our homes writer, Megan Geall, who picked out all the information you need to find the right product for your home.
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