Juicer Comparisons: Hand-Operated Or Electric?
A vegetable juicer or fruit juicer is a conical-shaped kitchen tool used just for squeezing, or extracting, liquid from different foods, specifically fruit and veggies, for the purpose of drinking or adding flavor to other foods. The juicer is simple to use, however because of the possible risks involved, must be handled with care, caution, and expertise.
A couple of varieties of juicers exist - a manual, or hand-operated, type and a power model.
Manual/Hand-Held Juicer
Juicing involves inserting fruit wedges or vegetable slices cut side-down in the center of the juicer and then pressing down to squeeze the foodstuff and moving it back and forth so the juice will run out of the rind and away from the pulp. The pulp and seeds are collected along the edges of the juicer, and the rind is then discarded.
Electric Powered Juicer
A power or electric juicer mechanically removes juice from fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc. A proper procedure comprises of putting the article of food within and depressing the switch. The juicer then mechanically squeezes juice out of the vegetable or fruit. Due to its mechanical nature, power juicers are typically much more hazardous than hand-operated types, and thus it is very important that users be taught how to properly make use of them.
Two varieties of electric juicers are on the market:
Centrifugal juicers - these contain a blade and filter to separate liquid and pulp from peels or external shells or casings. Centrifugal juicers are not able to break fibres in food, thus their use is somewhat limited.
Masticating juicers - these "chew up" the entire piece of food before, or so as to, squeeze juice from the inside. When the food becomes mangled, the liquid naturally flows out. Masticating juicers can break fibers in food, so they have a much broader use than centrifugal juicers.
Incidentally, power juicers and blenders are very different in function and purpose. Electric powered (masticating) juicers are able to separate liquid from fibres, whereas blenders, like centrifugal and manually operated juicers, cannot.
The theory is that since fast-moving mechanical components of an electrical juicer blow air into the food, triggering greater and speedier oxidation to essential nutrients, power juicers, especially those having variable speeds, are accepted to be of better quality than manual juicers. This has not been proven, although it's a popular belief.