Masticating Juicer is a must for healthy nutrition. According to the National Institute on Aging or NIA, every person, especially seniors, should eat fruits and vegetables at least 5 to 6 times daily in order to maintaining a healthy body. When done right, juicing can be a quick and great source of fruit and vegetable nutrients. Although there are different types of fruit and vegetable juicers, most juicing professionals prefer using the masticating juicer.
What is a masticating juicer?
Also known as a cold press juicer, this is a type of juicer that was developed in 1954 to offer people with a new way of maintaining the flavor and nutrients of fruits and vegetables without compromising taste. This type of juicer features an auger that turns from 80 to 100 RPM’s, with a much slower and efficient process than a centrifugal juicer.
How does it work?
A masticating juicer features a single gear or auger that acts as the drilling devices. The auger or drilling device turns and crushes the produce inside while squeezing them against the outside walls. This side walls are lined with a wire mesh that holds the pulp while the juices are forced out. Since the whole process is done very slow, the juice produced is not heated thus the nutrients and enzymes are able to remain intact.
Features to look for in a masticating juicer
In order to know if a juicer is right for you, you have to understand all the important features of a masticating juicer. With this knowledge, you can set out to look for a brand that has many of these important features and is still within your budget. Below are some of the important features to consider:
Simplicity: If you want to enjoy all the health benefits of juicing, you will need to find a juicer that has a few simple parts and is pretty easy to use and clean.
- Speed and power: The slower the masticating juicer, the more the juice that is extracted from the fruit or vegetable.
- Size of the pulp container: The bigger the pulp container, the more efficient the juicer is since you will never have to stop in the middle of your juicing to empty it.
- Noise level: Some masticating juicers are extremely loud and this can be an issue when someone is sleeping when you want to juice.
What kind of recipes can be prepared?
Masticating juicers can be used to prepare highly-flavored juices from a variety of fruits and vegetables. Some of these fruits and vegetables include:
- Soft fruits e.g. pineapples, berries, citrus, kiwis, tomatoes, melons, grapes, plums, mangos, peaches, and nectarines
- Hard fruits: apples, pears, cranberries, and pomegranates
- Soft vegetables: Kale, spinach, cucumber chard, cilantro, mint, and parsley
- Hard vegetables: cabbage, carrots, ginger root, sweet potato celery, beets, and fennel
Fruits like avocado, banana, rhubarb, eggplant, and onions are either un-appetizing or do not contain enough water to enable them be juiced through a machine.
How to Clean and Maintain a Masticating Juicer
Fruit and vegetable pulp tend to get into unexpected places when juicing, leading to bacteria colonies. This is why it is advisable to clean your juicer after every use. To clean your juicer, wash the mesh strainer and run water through it all the way from the bottom. This helps in dislodging any residue or pulp fragments before they dry up. If there is any dried residue on the strainer, you should soak the juicer in hot water with a little soap before washing.
As much as juicing helps us live healthy lives, it is also important to consider the health of your juicer. The best way to maintain your juicer and give it a longer life span is by always cleaning it immediately after every use. By cleaning your juicer regularly, you will be able to maintain its life and keep it working efficiently for a long time.