What is a cold press juicer?

June 20th, 2012

Appliance Questions

Most of us are aware that fresh juice is better than store-bought juice. But why is that? A bit of research reveals that it’s a lot more complicated than it would first seem.

There has been a lot of attention in the press recently of people who have overcome serious health problems by incorporating fresh juice into their diet. The main arguments for fresh juice are:

•    It makes it easier for your body to absorb all the nutrients from fruit and vegetables
•    It’s a lot more efficient than eating large amounts of raw food (so much chewing!)
•    A wider variety of vegetables can be added to your diet (this is especially relevant if there are certain vegetables you don’t enjoy eating)

Store-bought juice can contain not only added sugar, but other artificial additives and preservatives. Plus there’s the environmental issue – store-bought juice needs to be shipped to the supermarket in plastic containers, which increases its carbon footprint.

It’s a no-brainer really – making your own fresh juice at home using locally-grown produce is a much more eco-friendly option.

But what I didn’t realise was that different juicing methods produce different nutritional results:

Low-speed cold press juicer

This style of juicer (e.g. the Coway JuicePresso) is arguably the best, as extracts juice slowly and without heat. Gently pressing the juice out of fruit and vegetables will keep the nutritious enzymes, minerals and vitamins alive and well.

Grater

Using a grater to extract juice is good because it is slow enough to maintain the nutritious elements of fruit and vegetables. The drawbacks of course being that it takes forever, and it’s a lot of effort. Plus it’s virtually impossible to extract juice from hard vegetables such as carrots using only a grater.

Blender

Blenders use a high-speed blade which gives off heat – destroying nutrients. This process also oxidises the fruit, which makes the juice frothy and also, over time, degrades the nutrients.

Ordinary juicer

Juicers that use a rotating blade at high speed can ruin the fruit cells, destroying vital nutrients in the process. These types of juicers tend to product a layered effect, which shows the deterioration of the cells.

What are the health benefits of juicing?

Fresh juice makes an awesome addition to any healthy diet because it has:

•    No added salt
•    No added sugar
•    No refined fats
•    No artificial colours
•    No artificial flavourings
•    No preservatives

Juice evangelists such as Jason Vale and Joe Cross both claim that fresh juice helped them to overcome serious medical problems and give them a new lease on life.  But you don’t necessarily have to start talking like a motivational speaker to enjoy the benefits of juice – rather, just treat it as a quick, easy way to get a hit of vitamins and nutrients to keep you perky.

Check out some easy juice recipes from the man himself Jason Vale (who is the brand ambassador for the Philips QuickClean Juicer) here:

And if you thought Jason was one energetic dude, check out the TRUE master in action, the Juice Weasel!