BEFORE YOU BUY

Work out which model best suits your needs

Centrifugal juicers mimic a blender by shredding fruit or vegetables with spinning blades, before straining them against metal mesh to separate out seeds and pith. As well as being speedy, they are well suited to handling hard fruit and veg, such as ginger, apples and carrots. They’re also good for cutting down on food prep time as many have large feed chutes that can take whole apples and veggies. However, as the process adds more air into the juice, you may find that it doesn’t store for more than a day or two.

Masticating juicers, also known as slow juicers or cold press juicers, work by ‘chewing’ fruit and vegetables before crushing or squeezing out the juice at a gentle rate. This provides a high yield and maximum nutritional content plus the juice may have a longer shelf life. Many ‘slow’ juicers are almost as speedy as centrifugal juicers and they are quieter while in use.

Citrus juicers are the most basic and limited in their use, suitable only for those who want freshly squeezed oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes, with a spinning reamer that takes all of the hard work out of making fresh juice.

Power is another consideration. If you choose a centrifugal machine it should have a wattage of at least 400W so that any fruit hitting the blades won’t slow it down. More than one speed, or automatic adjustment, is also useful as centrifugal juicers handle hard fruit at high speed, but need a slower one for softer fruit. Masticating machines will be lower wattage, usually 150-240W as the slower process doesn’t require the extra power. One speed should do for all, with a reverse to clear blockages.

The best juicers will have a good guarantee. Choose one with at least two years on parts and several on the motor.

Useful accessories include a lidded jug for making and storing juice that’s made ahead of time, and storage for spare parts.