Best Centrifugal Fruit and Vegetable Juice Machine Under $55

When it comes to juicers, there are basically three types. Centrifugal, Vertical Masticulating, and Twin-Screw Horizontal Masticulating. We will briefly discuss the differences between the three here.

1. Centrifugal Juicers-Typically have a top-loading feed tube, a mesh screen with cutting blades at the bottom, a pulp collection container, and a juice collection container. These juicers generally have a motor that turns the screen and cutting blade at several thousand RPM. These are the least expensive type of juicer.
2. Vertical Masticulating Juicers-Typically have a top-loading feed tube, a mesh screen, a pulp collection container, and a juice collection container. These juicers have a vertical screw (or auger) that chews the fruits and vegetables as they travel through the system. These juicers have motors that generally turn the screw at under 100 RPM. One of the great benefits of the slow RPMs is that there is no heat generated and there is no degradation of the final juice. These are moderately priced juicers.
3. Twin-Screw or Twin-Auger Horizontal Masticulating Juicers-Typically have a top-loading feed tube, a mesh screen, a pulp collection container, and a juice collection container. These juicers have twin screws or augers and your fruits are vegetables are feed down in between the two screws or augers and squeezed and chewed. The augers are typically made from highly durable plastic or stainless steel. This type of juicer has a relatively large footprint and is usually heavier than the other two types. The motor is designed to turn the twin augers at under 100 RPM. Some can be used to make nut butters and pastas also. These are the most expensive type of juicer.

Our vote for the best inexpensive centrifugal juicer under $55 is the Hamilton Beach 67608 Big Mouth Juice Extractor

If you want a nice juicer that won't break your bank this is a nice entry level model centrifugal juicer that you can get (as of this writing 11/4/2013) for under $55.00. It is best for juicing fruits and vegetables that have a high water content; however, it can still be used for juicing leafy greens too. The downside is that you will not get as much juice from leafy greens and fruits that don't have a high water content as you would get with a masticulating juicer. Also, if you use fruits, such as bananas, in your juice drinks, it is better to puree them in a blender, because they do not juice well in centrifugal juicers.

I recommend lining the pulp container with a small plastic grocery shopping bag. This will make your final clean-up much easier. You can freeze the pulp and use it later for baking certain things or you can use it as compost in your garden.

PROS

1. Inexpensive
2. Works great for fruits and vegetables that have high water content.
3. Easy to clean
4. Fairly Sturdy
5. Small countertop footprint
6. Comes with a nice cleaning brush for cleaning the screen and blades.

Cons

1. Doesn't work well with low water content fruits and vegetables. You will still get juice, but not as much as with a masticulating juicer.
2. Fairly Loud
3. High RPMs generate heat which may degrade some beneficial enzymes in the final juice.

Summary: I highly recommend this juicer as an entry level juicer for someone who is just starting out and wants to find out if juicing is for them. This is a good stepping stone before going into the larger investment that a masticulating juicer requires. This juicer gets used nearly every day in my house, and overall, we are very happy with it.

14 oz of Fresh Spinach Leaves (you can buy in a 28 oz bag and use half, or buy fresh)

14 oz of Fresh Kale Leaves or Fresh Collard Greens (same as above)

1 Good Sized Red Beet

All of the Leafy Greens from the Beet Above.

2 Carrots

3 or 4 Stalks of Celery

2 Apples With Skin Left On

1 Orange-Peeled

1 Piece of Fresh Peeled Ginger About 1" to 2" long.

1 Tomato

All together in the Hamilton Beach 67608 Big Mouth Juice Extractor this recipe will yeild about 24 to 30 oz of juice, so you will have use two separate collection containers, combine the juices together at the end and stir them for a good mixture. The ginger adds a bit of tanginess to the juice and the apples add some sweetness. You can add a few leaves of cabbage also if you desire.

The Omega VRT350HD Single Auger Vertical Masticulating Juicer

Our vote for the best Single Auger Vertical Masticulating Juicer is the Omega VRT350HD, hands down!!

PROS

1. Very Sturdy
2. Small Counter Top Footprint
3. Quiet
4. Easy to Clean
5. Very Durable
6. Capable of Juicing Wheatgrass
7. Works Well With Low Water Content Fruits and Vegetables
8. Yields About 20% More Juice When Compared With Centrifugal Type Juicers
9. Low RPMs (80) Don't Produce Heat So Beneficial Enzymes Are Not Degraded
10. 10 Year Manufacturer's Warranty on New Machine, 7 Year on Refurbished Machine.
11. Can Run Water Through Machine In-between Ingredients for Intermediate Cleans to Make Final Clean-Up Easier.
12. Contemporary Styling
13. ULTEM Screen is Virtually Industructible.
14. Juice Can Be Stored Up to 72 Hours Without Adverse Impact to the Quality of the Juice.
15. Auto Cleaning System.

CONS

1. More Expensive Than Centrifugal Juicer
2. Somewhat Heavy.

"Editorial Reviews:SynopsisThe Omega Factory Certified Reconditioned VRT350X Low Speed Juicer is designed to be compact, modern and efficient. The Vert is an innovative product featuring the high productivity of a masticating style juicer in a revolutionary vertical design.... . What is a Certified Reconditioned Omega product? Our reconditioned products are carefully inspected by the manufacturer to ensure the same quality and durability you'd expect from a brand new machine. Thorough testing is done on all machine parts and functions. Any parts that do not meet our high quality standards are reconditioned or replaced with new parts. Includes a 7 year manufacturers warranty."Source:http://www.santastoolsandtoysworkshop.com

Green Star Elite Deluxe Jumbo Twin Gear Juice Extracor with Past Maker Set (GSE-5300)

This Green Star Elite wins our vote as the best Twin Auger Horizontal Masticulating Juicer in the under $600 category.

Pros

1. Three Stage Extraction System Results in More Juice

• "Stage 1: Crushing Stage - As the produce enters the stainless steel portion of the twin gears, crushing and mastication occurs. This process breaks apart the cell membranes in the produce so that juice can be extracted.
• Stage 2: Mixing & Rubbing Stage - A New Patent Pending feature! Upon passing the stainless steel area, the produce passes through the first half of the acetal screw and the produce is mixed and rubbed together so the cell membranes can be easily opened. This is a revolutionary process only available with the Green Star Elite's Jumbo Twin Gears.
• Stage 3: Squeezing Stage - The second half of the acetal screw applies extra pressure on the produce and further increases the number of opened cell membranes."Source:Tribest.com

2. Low RPMs Prevent Degradation of Valuable Enzymes

3. Jumbo Twin Gear Set

4. Easy to assemble and disassemble

5. Safety Switch which shuts power off when hood is removed.

6. Easy Clean-up.

7. Manual controls for pressure inside the machine to juice a larger variety of produce

with differing densities.

8. Excellent Juicer for Soft Fruits Such as Bananas.

9. Lightweight.

Cons

1. Large Counter Footprint

2. Expensive