What Is a Masticating Juicer?
Juicing fruits and vegetables requires devices ranging from simple wooden reamers to mechanized models that separate the pulp from the juice. A masticating juicer grinds fruits and vegetables and squeezes the juice out in the process. Unlike other types of juicers, masticating juicers are able to press the maximum amount of juice from the pulp as well, leaving little waste and making use of the significant amounts of nutrients contained in fruit and vegetable peelings. Does this Spark an idea?
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The Juicing Process
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Fruits and vegetables are powerhouses of important nutrients, and many of these are contained in the parts that are not usually consumed, such as orange peel or peach skins. The juice of some fruit, such as all citrus fruits, is abundant and easily obtained by simply squeezing it, while the juice of other foods such as apples and carrots is more tightly bound within their cells. The only way to get at this juice is to crush the food, and a masticating juicer does this by pulverizing the food to the point where little or no liquid is left behind.
Types of Juicers
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Mechanized juicers come in two basic types: centrifugal and masticating. A centrifugal juicer operates on the principle of fruit moving around at high enough speed to force the juice from it. A motor turns the food at a high speed, and the juice drips into a clean receptacle while the pulp is ejected into a separate unit for discarding. A masticating juicer uses gears to essentially chew the foods to a pulp, which is a slower, less noisy process.
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Features
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Unlike juice extractors or centrifugal juicers, a masticating juicer grinds fruit and vegetable plant cells and extracts the juice by forcing the resulting pulp through a screen. The juice is extracted slowly, at speeds of roughly 80 to 100 revolutions per minute, creating less heat that can break down the product's nutrients. It extracts more juice, and its slow speeds mean less wear and tear, resulting in a juicer that lasts longer than other machines, and is able to process produce that others can't such as wheat grass.
Considerations
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Masticating juicers are equipped with a single gear or twin gears, and in some models, the pulp is processed more than once for maximum juice yields. Manufacturers include companies such as Sampson, L'Equip, Omega, Kuvings, Champion, Hurom, Lexen and Green Power. Prices range from $180 to $500, as of August 2011, and the length of warranties runs from five to 15 years depending on the model. Juicers such as the Omega J8003 to J8006 line also grind coffee, make baby food and grind nuts into butters.
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References
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