Are Juicers Worth It? Pros and Cons

You’ve decided to adopt healthier habits and start making real changes. But your kitchen’s already packed with gear you barely use. Will a juicer end up the same? Is it worth buying? Is it even healthy?

I’ll answer all those questions. In this guide, I’ll break down the real benefits of juicing, especially how slow masticating juicers preserve nutritional value by protecting beneficial enzymes. You’ll also learn what to look for in a kitchen juicer that fits your needs and budget, so you don’t waste money or counter space.

Is Juicing Worth It?

Juicing is definitely worth it when you weigh its benefits against some drawbacks.  But like most things in nutrition, its impact depends on what you’re juicing, how often you do it, and how it fits into your overall diet.

In general, well-balanced, homemade fresh juices are great for your health. Depending on the ingredients you use, you may get important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

I often juice fresh fruits and vegetables to meet my daily recommended intake of key nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and folate. 

Pros and Cons of Juicing

To better understand whether juicing is worth the effort, let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of juicing. 

Pros of Juicing

• Easy, quick nutrition: Homemade juices, the ones without added sugars, offer an easy way to get nutrition from multiple fresh or frozen ingredients. They’re a convenient option for busy people who struggle to hit their daily nutrition goals.

• Easy to digest: For people with digestive issues, juicing can be an easy and quick way to digest fresh fruits and vegetables, especially fibrous ones like leafy greens. A study found that short-term juicing diets can positively impact the gut microbiome, which is crucial for a healthy digestive system. 

• Makes vegetables easier to consume: Not a fan of spinach, kale, bitter greens, or fibrous veggies? Juicing them with sweet fruits like apples, citrus fruits, or cranberries can mask the flavor. It’s a creative way to increase vegetable consumption without forcing it.

• Helpful for weight management: Low-calorie, nutrient-rich juices can help you stay in a calorie deficit if used wisely. Some juice-only diets, when done short term and under the guidance registered dietitian, may help kick-start weight loss. 

Cons of Juicing

• Loss of fiber: Fruits and vegetables are a good source of fiber, which typically gets lost in juicing. However, some juicers, like Hurom’s, can retain some pulp, which is basically fiber. 

• Not a full meal replacement: Juices don’t offer the protein, fat, or fiber needed for a balanced meal. Relying on juice instead of whole foods, especially over the long term, can lead to blood sugar spikes, nutrient gaps, or fatigue. Juicing should complement a well-rounded diet, not replace real meals.

Is a Juicer Worth It?

A good kitchen juicer can be a smart investment, given the convenience and health benefits of fresh juice. Juicers help you get essential nutrients from whole fruits, vegetables, and even herbs. With the right juice extractor, you can even prepare large batches in advance, store them in air-tight containers, and drink them throughout the week to meet your nutrient or calorie goals. 

Benefits of a Juicer: Are Juicers Good for You?

Let’s look at the benefits of having a juicer in your kitchen: 

• Convenience: Juicers make it easy to extract nutrients from fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens, all in one glass. With a good juice extractor, you can mix different ingredients and unlock their health benefits without much effort.

• Time-Saving: Some juicers, especially wide-mouth models with large feed chutes, let you juice whole fruits without extra prep. Many are also quick to clean, which makes it easier to enjoy the scientific benefits of juicing without the time drain. Hurom’s H400 Easy Clean Juicer is a great example.

• Cost Savings: Bottled juices and juice bar blends, particularly cold-pressed ones with no added sugar, can be expensive. Juicing at home helps you save money and avoid plastic bottles.

Not All Juicers Are Worth It

We’ve talked about the benefits of juicers, but now let’s get into what really matters: not every juicer is worth your money.

Some offer great performance. Others fall short.

Juicers vary a lot when it comes to juice yield, ease of use, and nutrient retention. And this distinction becomes more apparent when you compare cold-press juicers with centrifugal juicers. 

Cold-press or slow masticating juicers help retain the maximum amount of nutrients by pressing ingredients at low speeds. Centrifugal juicers, on the other hand, use high-speed blades that generate heat and oxidation. This leads to the loss of heat-sensitive vitamins like C and B.

Even if you look beyond the nutrient loss, the juice yield and quality also differ. Because slow juicers press the ingredients slowly, you usually get a better texture and more volume from the same amount of ingredients. Centrifugal juicers, in contrast, produce less juice and more foam.

Then there are manual options, like hand-crank citrus juicers. While they avoid heat and oxidation, they require time, effort, and cleanup. That kind of hassle undermines the whole convenience factor of having a kitchen juicer.

Even among slow juicers, not all models perform the same. Design, motor strength, and feed chute size all affect juice yield, texture, and overall ease of use.

Juicer vs. Blender: Which Is Healthier?

Juicers and blenders serve different purposes, and neither is healthier than the other. It all depends on your goals and ingredients.

Juicers extract liquid from fruits and vegetables while removing most of the fiber in the process. This results in a lighter drink packed with vitamins and minerals. Blenders, on the other hand, retain the whole ingredient, skin, pulp, and fiber, which gives you a thicker, more filling smoothie. That’s why smoothies offer more fiber than juice.

However, it’s worth noting that high-performance blenders use fast-moving blades, which can destroy some heat-sensitive nutrients, similar to centrifugal juicers. 

By the way, you don’t necessarily need a blender to make smoothies. Some advanced juicers, like the Hurom H320 Slow Juicer, come with a coarse strainer that lets you make smoothies too. 

Personally, I find smoothies heavier, while juice feels lighter and easier to digest. In the end, both can be healthy choices. It really comes down to how you use them and what you put inside.

P.S. Still not sure which one fits your routine best? Check out our detailed guide on blending vs. juicing.

What to Look for When Buying a Juicer?

By now, you probably know a juicer can be worth the investment. But how do you choose the right one? Let’s see what to look for:

• Type: The type of juicer makes a big difference. Centrifugal juicers are common, budget-friendly, and fast, but they usually produce lower juice yield and quality. If you care about preserving nutrients and getting the most out of your ingredients, a slow masticating juicer or cold-press juicer is a much better choice.

• Size: The size of the juicer depends on your juicing needs and the kitchen or cabinet space available. If you’re juicing for family, go with a big juicer that makes multiple servings in one go. Pay attention to feed tube diameter, hopper opening, size (if there’s one), and chamber capacity. Look at the assembled dimensions to see how much space it will take. 

• Price: Juicers come in a wide range of price points, so set a budget and clear priorities for yourself. A high-quality juicer may cost more upfront, but it’s often a better long-term investment. Make sure to compare the price with the features offered and check the warranty for added value.

• Assembly/cleaning ease and time: No one wants to spend 20 minutes cleaning a juicer. Look for models that are easy to take apart, rinse, and reassemble. For example, Hurom’s Easy Clean juicers can be cleaned in under a minute.

• Quality and texture of juice: A good juicer should extract maximum liquid while preserving taste and freshness. While it’s hard to judge this without using it, you can get a sense from customer reviews and real user feedback.

Should I Buy a Juicer?

For me, the answer is a clear yes. I’ve been using a slow juicer to add more vegetables and fruits to my diet without spending too much time. It helps me stay energized and get the nutrients I need to feel my best.

A good juicer makes healthy habits easier. Juicing offers real benefits and can fit into almost any diet or lifestyle with ease.

Hurom has been a leader in slow juicing, offering models that can handle just about anything. Whether you’re juicing for yourself or your whole family, there’s a Hurom model that fits.

Discover Hurom’s Slow Juicers Today!

FAQs

Are juicers healthy?

Yes, juicers can be a healthy addition to your routine when used to increase your intake of fruit and vegetables. Juicing provides concentrated nutrients from a variety of ingredients. However, most of the fiber is removed during the process, so it’s best to pair juicing with whole foods too.

Which juicer is best for the home?

A cold-press masticating juicer is the best juicer for home use due to its higher juice yield and nutrient retention. Models like Hurom H400 offer durable builds and quiet operation, and are ideal for leafy greens and hard ingredients as well. 

What are the disadvantages of a juicer?

Common disadvantages of juicers include high cost, fiber loss, and time-consuming cleanup. Most juicers extract juice while discarding the pulp, which reduces the fiber content of the drink.

But you won’t find these drawbacks in Hurom juicers. Hurom juicers are easy to clean. Models like the H400 and H70 are easy to clean and retain some pulp, and help preserve more fiber. Plus, they’re competitively priced and backed by long warranties.

Are juicers expensive?

Yes, some juicers, especially masticating or hydraulic press models, can be expensive. However, the long-term health benefits and higher juice yield can make them worth the investment. There are also more affordable options, though they’re usually centrifugal juicers with lower efficiency.

Are cold-press juicers better than centrifugal juicers?

Cold-press juicers are better than centrifugal juicers for nutrient retention and juice yield. They operate at lower speeds and minimize heat and oxidation, which preserves enzymes and vitamins. In contrast, centrifugal juicers are faster but produce lower-quality juice with shorter shelf life.

Which Hurom juicer is best for families?

The Hurom H400 Easy Clean Slow Juicer is the best choice for families. It’s a large juicer with a 550 ml chamber, generous hopper, large opening, and feed chute. It also has a nesting pulp container, which prevents a mess. It’s built for convenience and capacity, and even won the Forbes Best Product Award in 2024.