"Does your wallet feel lighter than usual after you go through the supermarket checkout line these days? Don't worry. It is possible to feed your family healthy foods -- just leave some processed foods out of your cart and stock up on these five budget superstars instead. To save the most money, look for store brands and non-packaged produce..."
Best Cheap Juicer Reviews, Juice Extractor Reviews
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Cheap Juicers Buying Guide
Looking for a cheap juicer that lets you indulge with healthy drinks? The biggest challenge will be deciding how you like your juice: With or without pulp? Juice from fruit alone or from vegetables and leafy greens as well? Citrus only to complement breakfast just for you or for the entire family? Given the wide variety of inexpensive juicers priced at less than $50, you can choose your (nourishing) poison and easily stick within your budget.
Manufacturers offer a variety of models with a wide array of features at the lower end of the juicers category.
For the most enjoyment, remember that freshly-made juices, and vegetable juices in particular because of their low acidity, are bound to oxidize (when apples or carrots turn brown they have oxidized), so try to consume the juice within 15 minutes of preparation.
Back to top »What To Look For: Cheap Juicers Features
Bargain Juicers Type.
What are you planning to juice? Fruits, vegetables, and greens have vastly different properties and require distinct juicing methods. A citrus juicer is all you need to squeeze lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit. When it comes to adding other fruits and vegetables to the mix, you need a different machine altogether. Juicing leafy greens, for example, is most efficient in a low-speed masticating juicer, such as a single auger juicer. For any other vegetable or fruit combination, a centrifugal ejection juicer would do the trick.Citrus Juicers
. There's certainly no shortage of reasonably-priced citrus juicers. If you only prepare a small amount of juice every once in a while, a manual citrus press or reamer juicer should suit you just fine. You can find a variety of cheap manual juicers in almost any store, some priced as low as $2 (the Martha Stewart Everyday Citrus Reamer at Kmart, for example). However, squeezing a pitcher of OJ for the family every morning with a reamer is no picnic -- a juicer that does the job mechanically, such as the Black & Decker CJ525 CitrusMate Plus (starting at $20, Amazon
)or the Oster 3186 Juice-n-Serve Citrus Juicer (starting at $18, Amazon
), definitely makes the job easier.
Juice Extractors
. The choice of an inexpensive juice extractor also depends on the solids you want to turn into liquids. Both centrifugal juicers and centrifugal ejection juicers are useful for most fruits and vegetables. A centrifugal juicer, such as the Waring Pro JEX328 (starting at $49, Amazon
), uses a spinning motion to grind the fruit or vegetables into pulp and then push the juice out from the center of rotation into a filtering basket, through which the juice drains into a container; you'll probably have to empty the container every so often when making a lot of juice. Centrifugal ejection juicers, such as the Black & Decker JE2050 (starting at $34)and Omega O2 (starting at $99, Amazon
), follow the same general principle except that the pulp is automatically ejected into a separate container.
Masticating Juicers.
Masticating juicers work best on wheatgrass and other fibrous vegetables (think spinach and lettuce) and roots (think carrots). These juicers use a slow grinding-kneading motion to squeeze out the juice, which is more efficient than a centrifugal juicer for getting the most out of these foodstuffs. These juicers are also more expensive. Electric masticating juicers are high priced -- the Champion Juicer G5-PG710 (starting at $229, Amazon
), for example, is way beyond the Cheapism price range. One frugal solution is to opt for a manual wheatgrass juicer, such as the Lexen Healthy Juicer (starting at $43, Amazon
), which, like most common masticating juicer models, utilizes a single auger. Fruit and vegetables are pressed into the juicer's main body, or barrel, and the screw-like auger rotates and presses them towards and against a perforated disc or a strainer, sieving the juice and leaving the pulp. Other single auger juicers include the Lexen Electric Wheatgrass Juicer (starting at $145, Amazon
), Tribest Z-Star Manual Juicer (starting at $99, Amazon
), and L'Equip 308100 (starting at $212).
Inexpensive Juicers Activation.
Citrus juicers can be activated in either of two ways: with a toggle or switch, or through a pressure mechanism that starts the motor when half a fruit is pushed face down on the cone. On/off switches are typically found on commercial juicers, like the Hamilton Beach 96700 (starting at $315, Amazon
), while the pressure-activated reamer is more common on home juicers, like the Waring Pro JEX328, Black & Decker JC525, Cuisinart CCJ-100 Citrus Pro Juicer (starting at $18, Amazon
), and Tribest CitriStar (starting at $40, Amazon
). Some models, such as the Waring Pro PCJ201 (starting at $84, Amazon
), are equipped with both an on/off toggle switch and a pressure-activated reamer. Although some budget citrus juicers reviews say the pressure mechanism is safer, one method doesn't produce better juice than the other, so the choice is a matter of personal preference.
Juice extractors likewise have two modes of activation. Electric juice extractors usually have an on/off switch; manual juicers are, obviously, manual, so you'll need to rely on muscle power for the juicing action. According to juicer reviews of the manual Lexen Healthy Juicer on Amazon, most leafy greens require little effort, while fibrous vegetables require more force and should first be cut into smaller pieces.
Cheap Juicers Fruit Size Compatibility.
Squeezing small limes and lemons with a cheap citrus juicer is not the same as squeezing large oranges and grapefruit. Some models, including the Black & Decker CJ525, the Kalorik FP-5609 (starting at $25, Amazon
), and the DeLonghi KS500 (starting at $19, Amazon
), come with two different-sized cones to fit the reamer.
Tube chute sizes vary in inexpensive juice extractors, so figure on doing some slicing and dicing to ensure the fruits and vegetables will fit. Both the Waring Pro JEX328 and the Hamilton Beach 67650H Big Mouth Pro Juice Extractor (starting at $49, Amazon
Cheap Juicers Capacity and Size.
The point in buying a citrus juicer is having fresh juice, but that doesn't mean you want to make a separate glass of orange juice for each family member's breakfast. Some cheap juicers save you from that task by offering relatively large pitchers; the Black & Decker CJ525 features a 34-ounce pitcher that holds enough for the entire family and the pitcher on the Oster 3186 has a 27-ounce capacity. Most inexpensive citrus juicers don't take up much space in the cupboard or on the countertop (the footprint is typically smaller than one square foot) and weigh just a couple of pounds. Making storage even easier, the Black & Decker CJ525 has a slot around the base for the cord and it comes with a cover.Juice extractors and masticating juicers are generally sold without a juice container; a glass or bowl is meant to fit under the spout to collect the juice. Centrifugal juicers are more complex in this regard, and different models offer different design solutions. Centrifugal ejection models usually come with two separate and detachable containers: one for the juice and one for the pulp. The centrifugal Waring JEX328 has a spout and a 32-ounce cup, as does the Black & Decker JE2050.
Cheap Juicers Design.
Regardless which type of juicer you settle on, it should feel like a durable appliance and not a toy. If at all possible, disassemble and reassemble the unit and test the ease and comfort of doing this. Make sure the parts fit together snugly. And because the end product is a sticky liquid with a natural tendency to find all the nooks and crannies, pick a juicer with as few slits, depressions, and hard-to-reach areas as possible. The Black & Decker CJ525 and JE2050, Waring Pro JEX328, Oster 3186 Juice-n-Serve, and Lexen Healthy Juicer all earn top marks from most juicer reviews by users for designs that prevent too much spillage on and around the unit when juicing.Inexpensive Juicers Attachments.
One other option to consider is an attachment or accessories for an existing kitchen appliance. Here, the possibilities include the KitchenAid Citrus Juicer (starting at $24, Amazon
) or the Cuisinart SM-CJ Citrus-Juicer Attachment (starting at $37, Amazon
). While this approach means one less appliance in the kitchen, juicer reviews by consumers express mixed opinions about their value. Budget juicers reviews on Amazon of the KitchenAid juicer note that this vertical attachment can be messy and the strainer is too small to be of much use. The Cuisinart SM-CJ attachment, which is mounted atop a Cuisinart mixer, wins positive reviews on Chefscatalog.com for its ease of use and multiple juicing speeds.
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What To Expect: Cheap Juicers Performance
Budget Juicers Efficiency.
The amount and quality of juice produced is a critical performance dimension. Many inexpensive citrus juicers, including the Black & Decker CJ525 and the Oster 3186, have a reamer that automatically reverses its spin to extract more juice. The Black & Decker CJ525 also has two additional features that affect the output: a stirrer that presses juice from the pulp sitting in the strainer and a control that regulates the amount of pulp in the juice. According to a juicer review by a satisfied user on Epinions, the Black & Decker CJ525 produces nearly eight ounces of juice from two naval oranges; the user parenthetically adds that she looks for the heaviest fruit when shopping.Since some of us like pulp and others don't, pulp control can be very handy. Once again, the Black & Decker CJ525 scores with user reviewers on Epinions for its adjustable pulp control; by way of contrast, the pulp adjuster on the Toastmaster 1109 (starting at $11, Amazon
Pulp ejection is more common in juice extractors, particularly expensive models. Having a juicer with automatic pulp ejection means you don't need to stop juicing to empty the pulp because it's removed from the juice and stored in a separate container; instead, you only need to empty the container once, when the juicing job is finished and you're ready for clean up. According to user posts on Pricegrabber.com, the Waring Pro JEX328, a centrifugal juice extractor, yields plenty of clear juice and leaves dry pulp behind. The Lexen Healthy Juicer, a masticating juicer, neatly separates the pulp from the juice but Lexen juicer reviews on Amazon differ regarding the amount of juice: some wheatgrass juice drinkers bemoan the small amount of juice while other users are quite satisfied with the output.
Generally speaking, the drier the residual pulp, the higher the quality and quantity of the juice extracted. Some experts say heat destroys the enzymes in juice and recommend that fruits and vegetables be exposed to as little heat as possible in the preparation process. Manual and low-speed juicers generate less heat than high-speed models, and the masticating juicers don't create as much friction as the centrifugal juicers. The centrifugal Black & Decker JE2050 lets you choose between fast juicing action and a lower speed/lower heat option that retains more of the food's nutritional value. A juicer review on Amazon suggests using the low speed for pulpy fruits and vegetables and the high speed for hard or fibrous ones.
Cheap Juicers Durability and Safety.
Most budget citrus juicers are made from plastic and have a few metal parts. The shell on some lower-cost models, like the Cuisinart CCJ-100, are a combination of plastic and stainless steel, and the motor is comparatively strong. Others, however, are relatively flimsy and may break on first use or from a small fall. Users of the Hamilton Beach 66332 Juicit Citrus Juicer (starting at $14, Amazon
) complain on Amazon about the motor jamming and on Cooking.com about easy breakage. A juice extractors review of the Waring Pro JEX328 by one consumer on Reviewstream.com says the refurbished machine holds up quite well but for the pulp basket, which broke in the dishwasher despite instructions stating it was dishwasher safe. The Hamilton Beach 67800 receives low marks from two frugal juice drinkers posting juicer reviews on Epinions who complain about the plastic parts that broke, even when washed by hand.
Juice extractors should all have one indispensable safety feature: a safety lock that prevents activation unless properly assembled and securely closed. If the juicer does not come with this feature you might want to consider another model. Even with the heavier and stronger models, make sure the unit is equipped with a no-slip rubber or silicon grip to keep it from dancing and spinning while you juice; alternatively, you can place a cupboard liner under the juicer. This is especially useful with tall and narrow units, like the Cuisinart CCJ-100, that have a tendency to tip over, say juicer reviews on Amazon. The manual Lexen Health Juicer comes with suction cups and a clamp that attach to most any surface.
As an aside, the instruction manual for most low-cost electric citrus juicers tells you to let the motor rest a bit after each four to five minutes of continuous juicing. This is not much of an issue for most users, as it is a good time to slice open more fruit and empty the seed/pulp strainer.
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Best Cheap Juicers
Black & Decker CJ525 CitrusMate Plus
Convenient features include small and large cones for different fruits, self-reversing reamer, adjustable pulp control, and quart-sized detachable pitcher; easy to use and clean, users appreciate the motor being housed in the base, which keeps it free of sticky juice.
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Good Cheap Juicers
Oster 3186 Juice-n-Serve Citrus Juicer
This unit includes pulp-and-seed strainer, detachable 27-oz pitcher, and reverse-action reamer; users find the design and convenient cord storage are reasons to keep it handy on the counter top.
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Black & Decker JE2050 Juice Extractor
A small and powerful centrifugal ejection juice extractor featuring one-handed operation and safety features, two juicing speeds, and stainless steel cutter and strainer; despite lack of pulp control, users still get pulp-free juice.
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Lexen Healthy Juicer - Manual Wheatgrass Juice Extractor
Intended mostly to juice wheatgrass, this single auger, masticating juicer also accepts leafy greens and fibrous vegetables; easy to disassemble and clean, with suction cups and a clamp for stability, users like the relatively high juice yield and ease of use.
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Inexpensive foods
Cheap Organic food
Mission impossible: organic produce that doesn't break your budget. Never fear, the mission can be accomplished. Consumer Reports Health tells you how.
Inexpensive Bordeaux wine
Deflate those smarmy wine snobs at your next dinner party with budget Bordeaux wines. Read this piece from The Epoch Times and discover which labels pass the test--for $15 or less.
Products Mentioned in This Review
Cuisinart CCJ-100 Citrus Pro JuicerHamilton Beach 67800H Juice Extractor 350W
Oster 3186 Juice-n-Serve Citrus Juicer
Black & Decker JE2050 Juice Extractor
Lexen Healthy Juicer - Manual Wheatgrass Juice Extractor
Black & Decker CJ525 CitrusMate Plus
Waring Pro JEX328
Thrifty Resources
Article Sources
Consumer Reports Consumer Search Juicing.com Living-Foods.com Wize.com DiscountJuicers.com Juicingbook.com EZineArticles.com Amazon.comFrugal Advice
Frugal VillagePrice Comparison
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