Which squeezer to buy?

Producers of juice squeezers make sure that customers have something to choose from. Horizontal and vertical extruders are available on the market. They differ not only in design, but also in the availability of specific functions. Which appliance works best in our kitchen?

Buying a juice squeezer costs a lot. The high price of the device is perfectly compensated by the quality of juices made in it. However, the health resulting from the prepared drinks is not the only value that we should enjoy. The devices offer a variety of functions, which we should choose according to our own preferences. So let's take a closer look at the extrusion machines.

What types of food can be prepared in the squeezer?

The number of available options depends on the type of device.

Vertical squeezers are used to squeeze juice from fruit and vegetables, including roots and leaves. They also make it possible to prepare milk from soya, nuts, coconuts, almonds, etc. Tested vertical extruders include: Hurom HU-100, HU-400 and HU-500, Omega VRT-350 as well as Polish production of Zelmerow JuiceMaker.

Vertical extruders allow for a wider range of activities. Thanks to them it is possible to prepare not only juices and milk, but also sorbets, ice-cream, baby meals, peanut butter, almond butter and homemade pasta. Noteworthy among these machines are single-screw extruders: Champion 2000, Omega 8004 and 8006 and twin-screw extruders Green Star Elite and Angel 5500, 7500 and 8500.

Speed and convenience of using the device

Horizontal extruders offer more features to choose from, but as in many other cases, so here too there is a principle, something for something. These devices, their basic task - juicing, take a very long time to complete. Another disadvantage is the small batch opening. This results in the need to cut fruit and vegetables into smaller pieces and makes it more difficult to throw prepared raw materials into the squeezer. Gravity does not support our work on horizontal squeezers, so you need to use a pusher that leads fruit and vegetables to the working slug.

The work of a vertical extruder looks completely different. Here, in exchange for the loss of several additional functions (preparing pasta or peanut butter), we gain in the speed of juicing. Vertical extruders are equipped with much larger worms, they have not only a larger diameter, but also a larger crushing area. This makes your work more efficient. These machines have larger batch openings, which means that smaller fruits do not need to be cut at all, and larger ones only need to be cut into two or four parts. You don't need to use a pusher, because the law of gravity works here. All our work is therefore about adding more fruit or vegetables.

Screw rotation speed

This parameter should be taken into account when deciding to purchase a horizontal (vertical) extruder. In vertical extruders, the speed is so decent that the speed of their work is not a problem.

The advantage of juice squeezers is that they extract juice "cold". As a result, the beverage is not impoverished by valuable substances as a result of increased temperature in the device or aeration of the juice.

In order to achieve such an effect, the optimal rotation speed of the device should not exceed 200 rpm. Extruders meet this requirement with more than enough force, as their average speed does not exceed even 100 rpm.

However, the problem may be that the horizontal squeezers work too slowly. Therefore, some manufacturers offer hybrid extrusion machines. These machines are equipped with additional knives, which shorten the extrusion process by faster shredding. Knives enable work speed equal to that of vertical extruders.

Some models have grates instead of knives.

The juice obtained from a hybrid squeezer is similar in consistency and taste to products obtained from a traditional squeezer, but is slightly foamed (aerated), preliminary friction and shredding also slightly affects the properties of the beverage.

Extruder sieve

The sieve has a decisive influence on the amount of pulp and juice obtained. In horizontal extruders, manufacturers most often use two types of screens. The first one - with larger meshes, initially separates the pulp from the juice. Another one, with smaller diameter meshes, allows for final draining of the juice and separation of the remaining pulp.

Often, the devices are also equipped with exchangeable screens, i.e. screens that allow to adjust the holes in the screens to the type of fruit and vegetables.

Slightly worse issue of screens is presented in vertical extruders. Manufacturers pay less attention to this problem, although it is not a standard.

Warranty and service of the device

Juice presses are relatively expensive. It is not an option to dispose of it in a rubbish dump in case of an accident. It is very important, from this point of view, to check how long the device is covered by the warranty and how service looks like. It is worth paying attention to where the service is located and who bears the shipping costs of the damaged device.

It is worth knowing that there are manufacturers who give up to 10 years of warranty on their extrusion machines. It can be a certain indication as to the durability of these devices and a source of peace of mind that, if necessary, we can count on the help of professionals.

Cleaning the extruder

In the case of vertical equipment, cleaning is efficient and does not require too much time. Some of the squeezers (models equipped with a special plug) can be rinsed during operation and washed, e.g. at the end of the day.

Horizontal extruders, due to their construction, require more time than in juice extractors. The most difficult to maintain cleanliness are twin-screw and hybrid extruders, equipped with grinders.

Operating time of the device

As a rule, the time allowed for uninterrupted operation of an extruder is 20 - 30 minutes. After this period, a break of up to one hour is recommended. Considering the fact that in 5 minutes the machine produces about 1 litre of juice on average, in one session it is possible to obtain about 5 litres of beverage.

Dimensions of extruders

Parameters such as size and weight are not without significance for the comfort of using the device. Horizontal extruders take up a lot of space on the kitchen worktop and weigh a lot. An example is the Champion 2000 model, which weighs about 11.7 kg with dimensions 42 x 19 x 29 cm.

Vertical extruders are smaller and much lighter. The Hurom HU-400 extruder weighs 5.2 kg with dimensions 40.2 x 25 x 17.3 cm.