Juicer Types Explained: Centrifugal, Masticating & Triturating

Quick verdict: There are three main juicer types — centrifugal, masticating, and triturating — and they differ in how they extract juice, which directly affects speed, yield, juice quality, noise, and price. Centrifugal juicers are fast and affordable; masticating (slow) juicers extract more and run quieter; triturating (twin-gear) juicers are the specialist top tier. This guide explains exactly how each works and who each one is for. For our curated picks across all three types, see the Best Juicers guide.

Why Juicer Type Is the Most Important Decision

Before resolution of price, brand, or attachments, the extraction mechanism is what determines everything that matters about a juicer: how fast it works, how much juice it gets from your produce, how long that juice lasts, how loud it is, and how much it costs. Get the type right for your produce and routine, and the rest is fine-tuning. Get it wrong, and even an expensive machine will frustrate you.

Centrifugal Juicers

How They Work

A centrifugal juicer uses a flat cutting blade spinning at high speed — typically 6,000 to 14,000 RPM — to shred produce against a mesh strainer basket. Centrifugal force then flings the juice through the mesh while the pulp collects separately. It is the same physical principle as a spin dryer: spin fast enough and the liquid separates from the solids.

Strengths

• Speed. A glass of juice in under a minute, start to finish.
• Wide feed chute. Many models swallow whole apples and large carrot pieces, cutting prep time.
• Lower price. The most affordable category, with capable models under $100.
• Fewer parts. Simple to assemble, and many parts are dishwasher-safe.

Weaknesses

• Poor with greens. Leafy greens, herbs, and wheatgrass yield very little and tend to wrap around the blade.
• More heat and air. The high speed introduces friction heat and oxygen, accelerating oxidation, so the juice is best consumed within about 24 hours.
• Wetter pulp. Lower extraction efficiency means more juice left in the discarded pulp.
• Loud. The high-speed motor is comparable to a blender.

Best For

Occasional juicers, hard-fruit and carrot fans, and anyone who prioritises speed and low cost over maximum yield or green-juice performance.

Masticating Juicers (Slow / Cold-Press)

How They Work

A masticating juicer uses a slowly rotating auger — typically 40 to 100 RPM — to crush and press produce against a screen, squeezing out the juice much like a hand press. “Cold-press” refers to the fact that the slow speed generates minimal heat. They come in two layouts: horizontal (often more versatile for greens, wheatgrass, and food-processing attachments) and vertical (smaller footprint, gravity-assisted feeding).

Strengths

• Higher yield. The slow press extracts substantially more juice, especially from greens and celery — industry testing has shown up to 92% extraction on some produce versus around 47% for centrifugal.
• Excellent with greens and celery. Handles leafy greens, herbs, and wheatgrass that centrifugal machines struggle with.
• Longer juice shelf life. Less heat and air means slower oxidation; the juice commonly keeps well for around 72 hours refrigerated.
• Quiet. The low-speed motor is far quieter than a centrifugal machine.
• Versatile. Many models add attachments for nut milks, sorbets, and more.

Weaknesses

• Slower. The press takes longer than a centrifugal spin.
• Narrower feed chute. Most require produce cut into fingers, adding prep time.
• Higher price. Costs more than comparable centrifugal models.
• More parts to clean than a simple centrifugal unit, though the screens are often easy to rinse.

Best For

Daily juicers, green-juice and celery-juice drinkers, anyone who batch-juices and stores, and households that want quieter operation. For getting the most from one, see our masticating juicer tips for maximum yield.

Triturating Juicers (Twin-Gear)

How They Work

A triturating juicer uses two interlocking gears that turn slowly and press produce through a tight gap, grinding and pressing in a single pass. This is the most thorough extraction method available in a home machine, and it runs at low RPM like a masticating juicer.

Strengths

• Highest yield and driest pulp of any home juicer type.
• Best with the toughest produce — wheatgrass, hard roots, and dense leafy greens.
• Excellent juice quality with minimal heat and oxidation.
• Very durable and built for heavy or near-commercial use.

Weaknesses

• Most expensive category by a wide margin.
• Slowest and most hands-on to operate.
• Most parts to assemble and clean.
• Overkill for casual users who do not juice tough produce daily.

Best For

Serious daily juicers, wheatgrass enthusiasts, and small juice businesses who want maximum extraction and can justify the price and effort.

Side-by-Side Comparison

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How “Cold-Press” Fits In

Walk into any kitchen shop and you will see the term “cold-press” plastered across slow juicers and bottled juices alike, which causes genuine confusion. To be clear: cold-press is not a separate fourth type of juicer. It is a marketing-friendly description of how masticating and triturating juicers work — pressing produce slowly without the friction heat of a high-speed blade. So a “cold-press juicer” is simply a masticating (or sometimes triturating) juicer. The “cold” refers to the absence of heat, not to refrigeration. When shopping, treat “cold-press,” “slow juicer,” and “masticating” as the same category and compare the actual specs rather than the label.

Vertical vs Horizontal Masticating Layouts

Within the masticating category, machines come in two physical layouts that affect how they perform. Vertical models stand upright, use gravity to assist feeding, take up little counter space, and juice slightly faster — but can be inconsistent with wheatgrass and stand tall enough to clash with low cabinets. Horizontal models lay the auger flat, excel with leafy greens, wheatgrass, and herbs, and usually accept food-processing attachments for nut butters, sorbets, and pasta — at the cost of a larger footprint and often more chopping. Choose vertical for a compact fruit-and-veg setup, horizontal for greens-heavy juicing and multi-purpose use.

Matching Type to Common Produce

A Note on Citrus and Manual Juicers

Beyond the three motorised types, dedicated citrus juicers — manual reamers and powered citrus presses — exist purely for oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit. If your only goal is fresh orange juice, a citrus press is cheaper, simpler, and easier to clean than any of the three machines above. The three main types are for whole-produce juicing across fruit and vegetables.

Common Myths About Juicer Types

A few persistent misconceptions trip up first-time buyers, so it is worth clearing them up.

• “Centrifugal juice is unhealthy.” Not true. It oxidises faster and is best consumed sooner, but fresh centrifugal juice is still nutritious. The difference in nutrient retention is modest, not dramatic.
• “Masticating juicers are always better.” Only for the right user. For someone juicing mostly hard fruit occasionally, a centrifugal machine is faster, cheaper, and perfectly adequate.
• “More watts means a better juicer.” Wattage matters for centrifugal speed but is misleading for masticating juicers, which run on low-speed torque. A higher number is not automatically better.
• “Triturating juicers are worth it for everyone.” They offer the highest yield but are expensive, slow, and involved to clean — overkill unless you juice tough produce daily or commercially.

Which Type Should You Choose?

Start from your produce and frequency. If you juice occasionally and mostly use hard fruit and carrots, a centrifugal juicer is the sensible, affordable choice. If you drink green juice or celery juice regularly, a masticating juicer is the right tool — it handles greens, yields more, and keeps juice fresher. Only step up to a triturating machine if you juice tough produce daily or commercially and want the absolute maximum extraction. For a full walk-through of every spec to weigh, see our complete juicer buying guide.

Speed, Noise, and Cleanup Compared

Beyond extraction, the day-to-day experience of each type differs in ways that matter as much as yield for many owners.

Speed of use. Centrifugal juicers are by far the fastest — wide chutes and high RPM produce a glass in under a minute with minimal prep. Masticating juicers are slower, both because the press itself takes longer and because narrower chutes require more chopping. Triturating juicers are the slowest and most hands-on. If mornings are rushed, this is a real consideration.

Noise. The high-speed motor of a centrifugal juicer is loud, comparable to a blender. Masticating and triturating juicers run at low RPM and are far quieter — a genuine advantage for early-morning juicing in a shared home.

Cleanup. Centrifugal juicers have fewer parts but a fine mesh basket that must be brushed clear every time. Masticating juicers have more parts to disassemble, though the screens are often easier to rinse. Triturating juicers have the most parts of all. Whichever you choose, cleaning immediately after juicing — before pulp dries — keeps it to a few minutes.

Which Type Holds Its Value and Lasts

Durability tracks roughly with price and complexity. Centrifugal juicers, built around a high-speed motor and plastic parts, generally carry shorter warranties and are the most likely to need replacing under heavy use — though they are also the cheapest to replace. Masticating juicers, especially premium ones with Ultem augers and stainless screens, commonly carry 10- to 15-year motor warranties. Triturating juicers are built like workhorses for near-commercial duty and are the most durable of all. If longevity and getting the most produce per dollar matter to you, the slower types reward the higher initial outlay over many years of use.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between centrifugal and masticating juicers?

A centrifugal juicer shreds produce with a high-speed blade (6,000–14,000 RPM) and uses centrifugal force to separate the juice. A masticating juicer slowly crushes and presses produce with an auger (40–100 RPM). Centrifugal is faster and cheaper but yields less and is noisy; masticating extracts more, runs quieter, handles greens well, and produces juice that lasts longer.

What is a triturating juicer?

A triturating juicer uses two interlocking gears that grind and press produce in a single pass at low speed. It delivers the highest yield and driest pulp of any home juicer and excels with tough produce like wheatgrass and hard roots. It is also the most expensive, slowest, and most involved to clean, making it best for serious or commercial users.

Which juicer type is best for leafy greens?

Masticating and triturating juicers are best for leafy greens. Their slow auger or twin-gear action crushes and presses greens efficiently, while high-speed centrifugal juicers tend to fling greens around without extracting much and let strands wrap around the blade. For daily green juice, choose a masticating juicer at minimum.

Are slow juicers and cold-press juicers the same thing?

Yes. “Slow juicer,” “cold-press juicer,” and “masticating juicer” all refer to the same category — machines that use a slowly rotating auger to press juice. “Cold-press” emphasises that the low speed generates minimal heat, and “slow” refers to the low RPM. Marketing uses the terms interchangeably.

Which juicer type lasts the longest?

Triturating and premium masticating juicers tend to last the longest, often backed by 10- to 15-year motor warranties and built with durable materials like Ultem augers and stainless-steel screens. Centrifugal juicers are generally less durable, with shorter warranties, though they are also cheaper to replace.

Final Verdict

The three juicer types exist because they solve different problems. Centrifugal juicers win on speed and price for hard fruit; masticating juicers win on yield, quiet operation, and green-juice performance for daily users; triturating juicers win on maximum extraction for the most demanding users. Match the extraction mechanism to your produce and routine, and you will choose well regardless of brand. For our full ranked picks across all three types, see the Best Juicers guide.

Last updated: June 2026

See our main guide: Best Juicers.