Cold-Pressed vs. Centrifugal Juicing: Is There Really A Difference?
The juices you prepare at home using a centrifugal juicer may taste amazing, and are most certainly healthy, but did you know that that they can be even better if you use a different type of juicer?
If you’re into juicing, you most likely have seen the word “cold pressed” being thrown around, and if you didn’t know already, that term carries some extremely beneficial implications. Learn why juice recipes prepared with a cold-press device is different than those prepared with a regular juicer.
All fresh juices pack a nutritional punch, but if you look closely, there is a spectrum of nutrition among juice recipes. Centrifugal juicing is the most common way to extract juice. Centrigugal juicers use a spinning metal blade that rotates against a mesh filter, separating the juice from flesh. The juice exits the juicer and into a container for consumption while the pulp exits via a chute in the back. However, because of the spinning action of the blade, this type of juicers generates heat, which essentially “cook” off enzymes in the fruits and vegetables. This oxidizes nutrients and degrades their quality.
Cold-press juicers use a process of mastication, in which they first crush the fruits and vegetables and then press them to extract juice. The Norwalk Juicer is perhaps the most highly-acclaimed version. Because the heat generated during this process is low, nutrients and enzymes are intact and more bioavailable to the body. Cold press juicers are also more effective at processing green leaves, an essential in some of the healthiest juice recipes. Centrifugal juicers tend to struggle extracting juices from greens.
Making the switch from a centrifugal juicer to a cold press juicer isn’t easy, mostly because of the price attached to the transition. A centrifugal juicer is ideal for those who are not picky about receiving the maximum amount of nutrients from their juice recipes. For example, if fasting, either for a long period of time or for a certain part of the day, a centrifugal juicer will create a juice that isn’t necessarily valuable for its nutrients but for its high-water content and bulk that can replace a meal without the fiber. The centrifugal method makes fasting a lot easier to endure knowing that there is a juice on the way. A centrifugal juicer is also ideal when the juice is mostly used for cooking or baking. In this case, because heat is going to be applied anyway, there is no need to preserve the utmost amount of nutrients.
A cold-press juicer is ideal for those to whom nutrient content is particularly important. If you are using juice recipes to cure a health problem or want to take in as many nutrients as possible, cold-pressed juices are as good as it gets. Cold-press juicers also for those willing to spend money. The Norwalk Juicer, for example, costs nearly $2,500. If you juice numerous times per day, the cold-press juicer may pay off in the long term. However, the centrifugal juicer still provides your body with enough nutrients to make the practice worth it for your health. It really comes down to how seriously you take the craft. Either way, bottoms up!
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