Best Juicer NZ: Which One to Buy
Centrifugal juicers are fast and cheap. Cold-press juicers cost more and take longer to clean. Here's what's genuinely true about the difference, and what's marketing.
Centrifugal vs cold-press: what's actually true
Centrifugal juicers spin produce against a mesh blade at high speed (often 6,000-13,000 RPM), separating juice from pulp quickly. Cold-press (masticating) juicers crush and press produce slowly, usually under 100 RPM. The marketing claim is that cold-press retains more nutrients and enzymes because it avoids heat and oxidation from the fast spinning — this has some real basis but is often overstated. The nutrient difference is measurable but modest for most fruits and vegetables, and it matters more for how long the juice stays fresh (cold-press juice oxidises slower and can keep 2-3 days in the fridge, centrifugal juice is best drunk immediately) than for the nutrition in a glass you drink right away.
Yield: this is where cold-press genuinely wins
The clearest, least disputable advantage of cold-press juicers is yield — they extract noticeably more juice from the same amount of produce, especially from leafy greens and softer fruits, where centrifugal juicers leave a lot of liquid behind in the wet pulp. If you're juicing expensive produce regularly, this efficiency difference adds up and can offset the higher upfront cost of a cold-press machine over time.
The factor nobody mentions in reviews: cleanup time
This is the single biggest reason juicers end up unused in a cupboard after a few months. Centrifugal juicers have fewer parts and are quicker to rinse. Cold-press juicers have more nooks — augers, fine-mesh strainers — that take real scrubbing time, often 5-10 minutes per use. If you're not realistically going to clean a juicer daily, factor that in before spending $300-$600 on a premium cold-press model. A juicer you stop using is worse value than a cheaper one you actually keep using.
Practical buying advice
- Occasional use, mostly hard fruit/veg: a $60-$150 centrifugal juicer from JB Hi-Fi or Noel Leeming is enough.
- Daily use, leafy greens, longer shelf life needed: cold-press is worth the extra cost and cleanup time.
- Noise: centrifugal juicers are noticeably loud; cold-press machines run much quieter, useful for early mornings.
- Feed chute size: wider chutes mean less pre-chopping — a real time saver day to day.
- Warranty on the motor: cold-press motors are a bigger investment; check the warranty length before buying.