Juicing has given me a whole new appreciation for the benefits of raw nutrition and nourishing my beauty from the inside out! The summer season is my favorite time to get into it and preparing fresh-pressed juices straight from the convenience of my own kitchen is the best part.
If you’re looking to start juicing from home but aren’t sure where to begin, check out my easy guide below:
Step 1: Find a Juicer that Fits Your Needs
Centrifugal vs. Masticating: Which juicer is the best?
I have both. Last summer, I really got into juicing when my mom gifted me an affordable centrifugal juicer and encouraged me to start juicing… as my starter juicer, it worked great! After juicing consistently for almost a year, my hubby and I decided to upgrade to a masticating one for efficiency. Both juicers are great for the price and certainly get the job done, so if you’re in between both, check out this basic (no-nonsense) pro and con list I made below:
Centrifugal juicer (under $100)
This type of juicer works by feeding whole or larger cut pieces of fruits and vegetables into the “big mouth” and pushing them down as the juice quickly dispenses.
Click here for the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer (paid link)
Pros:
- Super affordable machine for a good quality juice
- “Big mouth” easily fits larger sized fruits and veggies, so you don’t have to spend time precutting them into smaller pieces (for example, a whole carrot can be pushed down just as is)
- Rapid turnaround time
Cons:
- More pulp waste (Eco tip: You can add this fiber to salads or hummus, aka beet hummus)
- Noise level is noticeable
- Cleanup takes about 5-10 minutes (reduce this by placing a bag into the pulp bin and you can simply, remove and throw it away when you’re done!)
Masticating Juicer (under $500)
This juicer works by dropping smaller cubed pieces of fruit and vegetables into the mouth (a few at a time) and allowing it to press the juice out.
Click here for the Omega Slow Masticating Juicer (paid link)
Pros:
- Limited waste and pulp, this machine does a fantastic job of squeezing out every bit of juice
- Noise level is very minimal and sounds like quiet crunching or “chewing” lol
- Easiest 3 minute cleanup ever
Cons:
- Juicing takes a *little* more time as you have to feed a few cubes into the machine at a time
- You need to precut veggies into small pieces before juicing
- More expensive
Which is the best?
IMO, I believe any juicer is better than no juicer! Last year, when I was gifted a juicer from my mom, my centrifugal juicer was my best intro to juicing. I absolutely loved it, and after using it for some time, I figured it was probably best to get a masticating one to eliminate waste and have a quieter experience.
Either way, I love that juicing has helped me fuel my body anytime I want… without having to pay a hefty price tag any time I want a little fresh juice.
Step 2: Plan accordingly
Now that you have a juicer… when is the best time to juice? Anytime is the best time, but you always want to have your ingredients at hand! Find a few recipes you like and always make sure stock up on those ingredients on your next grocery trip.
Also, if you know you’re going to have a busy week, try dedicating one afternoon to juicing; this way, you can make a larger batch and save a few juices that’ll be ready to go when you want them! I like to store them in mason jars (for 2-3 days) it makes it super easy.
Pro tip: If you end up with a masticating juicer, buying precut fruit or vegetables is always a good idea if you’re on a busy schedule.
Step 3: Have fun!
I think it’s important to dispel any myths about juicing before we end this blog post because on the internet we can see a lot of claims of juicing being miraculous or certain juice cleanses as the end all be all to health. I see juicing as valuable yet complimentary nourishment, just like any other food. Juicing is not something I use as a weight-loss technique, (I personally find that that takes the fun out of everything).
An Easy OO Recipe
A juice I always end up coming back to is this multi-veggie recipe. I like it because it’s a very well-rounded juice as it hits a couple of bases (fruit, veggie, bitter root, etc.). And because I am very mindful of glucose spikes, I like when my juices have a decent balance when it comes to sugar.
Ingredients:
One whole cucumber, one whole celery bunch, one apple, one carrot, one lemon or lime, one knob of ginger.
Cheers!
Goldie W.
