If you juice regularly, you already know that leafy greens are one of the trickiest yet most desirable items to juice. These nutrient-dense vegetables put up a good fight, often wriggling their way past spinning centrifugal choppers without so much as a drop of liquid extracted along the way.
Don’t let their resilience fool you, greens are chock full of nutrient-dense juice that is just waiting to be squeezed from the leaves. However, it takes a powerful masticating juicer to effectively separate this green liquid gold from its stringy pulp. Since even some of the top-ranking fruit and vegetable juicers aren’t up to the task, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of our top five favorite leafy green juicers so that you can finally kick that pricey habit of store-bought liquid salads while maintaining a diet rich in what is, arguably, mother nature’s most fulfilling produce option.
Juicer Buying Guide
Here, we’ll break down some of the basic buying guidelines for purchasing a greens-specific juicer. If you’re new to juicing or haven’t had the opportunity to try out several devices, you may have yet to realize that not all machines are up to the challenge of juicing greens. We’ll point out some important product considerations to focus on when looking for a machine that turns out nutrient-rich green juices time after time.
How to Choose the Best Juicer for Leafy Greens
Many commercial juicers feature centrifugal blades or graters that chop up vegetables as they are offered through a feed tube, after which, the remaining juice is spun from the mechanism and dispensed into a pulp receptacle. These types of juicers are ideal for hard fruits and vegetables such as carrots, beets, and apples. However, they often fail to properly extract juice from soft, loose leafy greens.
Alternatively, masticating juicers press and chew vegetables at a slower pace. As such, they are the preferred option for leafy greens. By applying pressure and repeatedly “wringing out” greens, masticating juicers effectively separate the pulp from the liquid stores.
Centrifugal Juicers
As mentioned before, centrifugal juicers have a hollow feed tube located on the top. You insert produce into this chute and use a food tamper to push it toward the filter basket. The basket features a series of cutting blades located on the top and sides. As the produce travels downward, it hits the sharp edges of the basket and is rapidly shred into teeny tiny pieces. Meanwhile, the rapid rotating action of the basket sends the liquid into the center of the basket, allowing it to be properly filtered and extracted through a juice outlet. The remaining pulp then finds its way out an extraction tube or into a pulp container in the rear of the machine.
These machines are extremely efficient and fast, at least when it comes to juicing bulky fruits and vegetables. However, they often struggle to effectively juice greens. If you do settle on a centrifugal juicer, ensure that it maintains a high number of revolutions per minute (or RPMs). Speed and a high wattage motor are your friends when it comes to centrifugal appliances. They help to ensure your yield is abundant and pulp — mostly dry.
On the downside, centrifugal juicers don’t produce as high of a quality of juice as slow masticating juicers. What’s more, they’re pretty monotonous in their capabilities. While masticating juicers tend to cost more, they often double as nut butter makers and food processors.
Masticating Juicers
Masticating juicers come in quite a few varieties. They can be horizontal, vertical, or twin geared. Horizontal masticating juicers feature a horizontal auger that slowly crushes produce to separate the liquid from the pulp. Meanwhile, vertical masticating juicers feature a vertical auger that is aligned with the feed chute. It works in the same fashion as horizontal masticating juicers but features a juicing bowl instead of a drum. Meanwhile, twin gears squeeze produce through two gears before straining it for consumption.
Manual Juicers
Manual juicers rely on human power to rotate gears or masticating augers. While they may appear to offer less power than electrically powered appliances, many of them are surprisingly efficient. Greens require slow masticating movements to be juiced. Therefore, a hand-cranked juicing appliance with solid internal mechanisms is going to be just as efficient as an electronically powered one. With that being said, manually powered juicers often struggle with grainy or hard fruits and vegetables. Therefore, if you desire to develop complex juice recipes, an electrically powered masticating juicer is going to be your best option.
Why Juice Greens
Green juice seems to be an unavoidable health trend, but what are the benefits of drinking it? First of all, it is a quick, painless way of consuming your daily dose of fruits and veggies. Not to mention, you can consume loads of greens without adding any oils, salt, or flavoring agents. This saves you calories and helps you maximize the nutritional benefits of a diet rich in antioxidants, nutrients, minerals, and enzymes.
Many people utilize green juice to lose weight too. It allows you to consume a day’s worth of vitamins and minerals in a few gulps. Not to mention, you don’t have to worry about digesting loads of fats or fibers. While we don’t recommend sustaining a diet of pure juice, juice cleanses and meal replacements are a popular way to kick-start a diet, increase your energy, or improve your immunity.
Unfortunately, store-bought bottled green juices are often pricey and lacking in quality. The products are often subject to separation, oxidation, and inferior flavor. Purchasing green juice at a café is rarely sustainable either. The cost of freshly made juice is often inflated to offset the purchase of fresh organic produce. With all that being said, homemade green juice is easy to make and a viable cost-saving option, so long as you have the right equipment.
A poor juicer may fail to fully extract juice, leaving behind precious nutrients. It goes to show how important it is that consumers understand all the features and functions of juicers, especially if they have their hearts set on juicing greens.
What Leafy Greens Can I Juice
You can juice arugula, chard, kale, spinach, bok choy, lettuce, wheat grass, and more. There is really no limit to what greens you can or cannot juice so long as you have an effective juicer. It’s always a good idea to scout out high-quality organic greens when juicing. From there, look for a variety of leafy produce options that offer valuable nutrients. Of course, taste is another important consideration when developing green juice recipes. While not everyone appreciates the earthy flavor of freshly-squeezed kale, recipes can often be complemented with fruit juices and herbs.
What to Look for When Purchasing a Juicer
It is important to familiarize yourself with all the features and functions of juicers before setting out to make a purchase.
Auger
An auger is like a large plastic screw that slowly grinds down produce before it passes through a strainer. It is important that an auger is made from high-quality, BPA-free plastic. Inferior augers are susceptible to chipping, which could result in plastic particles being introduced into the juice.
Drum
Horizontal augers sit inside a drum. This is essentially a hollow tube that serves as a holding chamber for masticated produce before it exits through a juice nozzle.
Twin Gears
Some masticating juicers feature two closely aligned plastic or metal gears that are responsible for grinding down produce to separate the pulp from the juice. These features are extremely versatile, effectively crushing up everything from hard root vegetables to leafy greens.
Pulp Bin and Chute
The pulp chute is the tube from which the dry byproduct of the juice is extracted from a juicer. Many juicers feature integrated pulp bins that collect pulp from the juicing process. Others serve to guide the pulp into a trash receptacle. For many consumers, integrated pulp bins are an important feature as they eliminate mess and minimize cleanup.
Feed Tube
The feed tube is the chute, located on the top of the juicer. It is where produce is inserted. Most consumers prefer a wide feed tube. This minimizes the amount of prep you need to do before inserting produce into a juicer. The standard chute size is 3 inches.
Cutting Blade
Centrifugal juicers feature a rotating disc with multiple raised cutting edges. They resemble food graters. In such appliances, it is important that the exterior housings feature safety locks that prevent these blades from rotating when not properly protected.
Extractor Tube
Juicers feature two tubes: a juice extractor tube and a pulp extractor tube. Some juice extractor tubes feature optional stops that prevent juice from flowing out temporarily.
Filter Basket
This is yet another name for the rotating cutting blade located inside centrifugal juicers. Their rotations are measured in RPMs (or rotations per minute).
Food Plunger
It is important that a juicer features a food plunger or pusher. It needs to fit directly into the feed chute and effectively direct produce toward the internal cutting blade or auger.
Housing
Juicer housings are typically made from food-grade stainless steel or plastic. They vary aesthetically. Black, clear, brushed metal, and painted products all have varying appeals for consumers who are looking to match their appliances to their kitchens.
Rubber Feet
Juicers are powerful appliances. In order to maintain their balance and minimize vibrations, they are typically fitted with rubber feet. These prevent them from shifting on the counter.
Things to Avoid When Looking to Juice Greens
Juicers are pretty basic appliances. As such, a higher price tag often represents superior materials and a better design. When shopping for a green-specific juicer, watch out for the following common pitfalls of home juicers:
High Heat Transfer
High wattage motors and powerful internal mechanisms are great for extracting the big juice yields, but a common adversity is heat transfer. This makes for a less than appetizing cold-pressed juice and staves off precious nutrients and enzymes. To avoid this common issue, opt for a single auger or twin gear masticating juicer. Or else, stick to a completely manual juicer for assuredly uncooked juice.
Assembly and Cleanup
One of the most frustrating parts of home juicing is the cleanup. If you’re looking for convenience, ensure that the juicer of your choice has easy to remove, dishwasher-safe parts. Some juicers even come with tailor-made cleaning brushes that make cleanup quick and painless.
Wet Pulp
Wet pulp is a surefire sign that your juicer is not effectively extracting juice from the produce. If you are generating damp pulp, you’re losing money on produce and probably failing to consume the essential nutrients you’re after. Efficient juicers may be extensive but spending extra money on a solid device ensures you’ll waste less on produce purchases down the line.
Noise
If you juice regularly, you may want to ensure that your juicer is quiet and minimally disruptive. While masticating juicers tend to produce no more than a dull hum, centrifugal juicers can generate quite a racket. Be sure to read through available customer reviews to ensure your home doesn’t sound like a construction site every time you get the cravings for your green goddess puree.
Top Five Juicers for Leafy Greens
Aobosi Electric Slow Masticating Juicer Extractor
The Aobosi Slow Masticating, 80mm (3.15inch) Wide Mouth Juice Extractor is an affordable masticating juicer that offers tremendously high yields. It grinds down everything from citrus fruits to wheatgrass, turning up to 90 percent of the fruit into superior cold-pressed juice. The remaining byproduct is an extremely dry fibrous pulp.
One of the juicer’s greatest features is the wide mouth (3.15 inch) feed tube. This allows users to insert large, minimally prepared fruits and vegetables without issue. Not only does this save the user precious time, but it also reduces the amount of oxidation in the juice produced. There is also a small mouth feed tube for greens and heavily diced produce.
The Aobosi is backed by a generous 2-year warranty. What’s more, all the parts are made from BPA-free, baby-safe materials. It also features a locking mechanism that prevents small hands from accessing any moving parts. The kit contains one juicer, a juice glass, a pulp glass, brush, and a manual. The appliance can be bought in various colorways, including stainless steel & black, brushed silver, and rose gold. Some colorways cost more than others.
The juicer contains a vertically aligned auger that rotates at 47 to 60 revolutions per minute. This slow process churns out nutrient-dense, vitamin-rich juices. The masticating auger is capable of grinding down vegetables of varying consistencies. In fact, the pulp is equally dry after juicing both handfuls of kale and diced apples.
It is also extremely easy to take apart. The parts can be removed easily and rinsed in warm soapy water. As such, this is an appliance free of hassle and one you won’t mind using every day. While it doesn’t offer any extra functions, it’s an efficient machine that produces consistently large yields of juice.
Many masticating juicers cost hundreds of dollars. However, this one costs just over $100 and offers considerable power thanks to the 200-watt motor. It also features a sealed easy-release juice space that is drip-free and prevents oxidation. In addition to its sleek design, it features a smart LED display with easy push-button controls.
PROS
- This juicer features a generous 2-year warranty. All parts are also backed by a safety guarantee. The product is also ETL qualified.
- All parts are made from baby-proof, BPA-free plastic and stainless steel.
- The juicer features a sleek, low-profile design that works well in most kitchen spaces.
- Churns out dense nutrient-rich juices that are filled with healthy vitamins, minerals, and unbroken enzymes.
- The wide mouth feed tube allows users to insert minimally prepared fruits, veggies, and greens. It also helps to reduce oxidation in the final juice products.
- This is an extremely quiet machine. It barely puts out 60 decibels of sound.
- The parts are easy to assemble and disassemble. The machine even comes with a brush to assist in the cleanup.
CONS
- The pulp bin is not integrated into the juicer and, therefore, susceptible to messes.
- The machine is rather tall. Therefore, it does not fit well under low-lying cabinets.
- You need to use the small feed tube for lightweight produce, including greens and celery. This requires more prep.
- The machine may jam if you add lightweight produce to the wide mouth feed chute.
Hamilton Beach 67601A Juicer
The Hamilton Beach 67601A Juicer is our budget recommendation for an efficient centrifugal home juicer that works well with leafy greens. It boasts 800 watts of power that churn out fresh juice through a micro-mesh cutter and strainer. The system is highly efficient, ensuring that everything from root vegetables to wheatgrass makes it into your juice cup.
Hamilton Beach produces this machine using BPA-free plastic. It features your standard 3-inch diameter feed tube with a durable plastic auger. The big mouth can fit surprisingly large whole and pieced fruits and vegetables. With that being said, very little prep is required.
If you’re looking for a juicer that can do more, you’ll be happy to discover that this Hamilton Beach device is also capable of producing soy, nut, and rice milks too. Not to mention, it is truly capable of juicing everything from leafy greens to hard vegetables and even grainy roots like ginger.
Another great feature is the integrated pulp bin. It has a high capacity and locks in place to ensure a mess-free juicing process, each and every time. It also comes with a lightweight ergonomic food pusher that helps you guide produce toward the rotating filter basket without risking injury to your fingers.
All parts are dishwasher safe and easy to disassemble. Meanwhile, the device is backed by a 3-year comprehensive manufacturer’s warranty. Hamilton Beach also boasts a consumer-friendly help hotline that is available around the clock.
Cleaning the Hamilton Beach juicer is a breeze too. All parts are dishwasher safe and it comes with a cleaning brush designed to help lift stubborn pulp build-up out of the strainer. If you’re looking to add juicing to your morning routine, but don’t want to fuss over prep and cleanup, this juicer is worth consideration. According to the manufacturer, standard use time is typically under 15 minutes.
PROS
- All of the juicer’s parts are BPA-free and dishwasher safe.
- It is extremely powerful and quick, churning out freshly squeezed juice in a matter of seconds.
- It yields high output from tough fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, beets, ginger, and apples. Meanwhile, it is one of the few centrifugal juicers that are capable of extracting juice from both tough and soft leafy greens.
- It features easy assembly with a two-part safety lock system that helps to prevent injuries or misuse.
CONS
- Users note that you will have to occasionally reinsert the pulp to fully extract juice.
- The machine has a high decibel output that is consistent with home blenders.
The machine is prone to subtle shaking. - There is a slight transfer of heat because of the fast-moving centrifugal blade system and motor.
The Original Healthy Juicer (Lexen GP27) – Manual Wheatgrass Juicer
While you might be skeptical about a manual juicer, the Original Healthy Juicer (Lexen GP27) – Manual Wheatgrass Juicer is one of the easiest to use and most efficient cold-press juicers when it comes to extracting all sorts of green juices. In fact, it is capable of juicing beefy fruits and vegetables, too. Nevertheless, we’d recommend an electrically powered machine for users who intend to regularly juice fruits and vegetables of varying consistencies.
The machine is designed to sit on the edge of a counter and is held in place with a clamp and suction cups. Greens can be inserted into the wide mouth feed tube. Then, users must utilize the manual crank to circulate the greens through the machine. The juicer features a secure-locking section base as well as a table clamp to ensure that it stays in place. It also boasts a BPA-free auger with a stainless steel top and stainless steel end cap.
According to the manufacturer, it takes just 30 seconds or less to completely masticate your greens and generate a tall glass of juice. What’s more, you can prep your greens, hand crank them into juice, and completely clean the juicer in just a few minutes’ time. Many consumers are skeptical about the reduced power output of manual machines. Nevertheless, greens yield preferable juice when consistent pressure is slowly applied.
The juice yield for greens is extremely generous. You can break down everything from hard leaves like kale to softer varieties such as wheat grass or sprouts. No matter the starting consistency, the end result is almost always flawlessly separated thick juice and consistently dry pulp byproduct. We highly recommend you use this product with vibrant organic veggies and greens to guarantee a healthy, enzyme-rich end product.
It is important to note that the Healthy Juicer company set out to create a high quality and affordable manual juicer. As such, consumers have ranked it one of the best wheatgrass juicers over the past 14 years. According to the manufacturer, it easily pays for itself in as little as two weeks. This is because store-bought juices are extremely expensive. Store-bought juices are often pasteurized (meaning many of the health benefits have been essentially cooked-away) and may even contain preservatives or inferior produce fillers.
When you juice your own greens using the Healthy Juicer, you have direct control over what raw produce you use. Wilted leaves and nutrient-free stems can be transferred to the compost pile, while fresh vibrant green leaves can be used to yield bright, tasty juices with minimal oxidation and long shelf lives (not that we actually believe they’ll sit long before being consumed).
PROS
- The manual mechanism utilizes zero electricity and provides a slow masticating motion that breaks down fruits and vegetables while maintaining their enzyme content.
- Weighs just over two pounds and fits in tight counter spaces.
- All parts are quick and easy to disassemble and rinse.
- The entire process takes only a few minutes from prep to clean up.
- The suction cup and clamp pairing ensure that this device does not falter when you crank it.
CONS
- While it is capable of grinding down large, hard veggies and fruits, motorized juicers work best for a long-term solution.
- You’re better off sticking to purely green juices when using this device.
- The pulp collection bin is small, and the slightest movement sends messy pulp onto your counter.
Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Quiet Dual-Stage Slow Speed Masticating Juicer
The Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Quiet Dual-Stage Slow Speed Masticating Juicer is our premium choice when it comes to home devices that master the art of juicing greens. The 150-watt motor churns out 80 powerful masticating revolutions per minute. It also happens to be the most efficient system on our list when it comes to turning small amounts of fruits, veggies, and greens into abundant supplies of fresh, nutrient-rich juice.
While many homeowners often fret about adding another one-purpose appliance to their limited counter space, the Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Quiet Dual-Stage Slow Speed Masticating Juicer offers a variety of unique food processing options. In addition to cold-pressed juices, you can use it to make nut butter, plant-based milk, minced herbs, pureed garlic, baby foods, frozen desserts, and much more. Don’ t worry, clean-up is easy too. All parts are easy to disassemble, and the juicer can be used multiple times before it is cleaned.
When it comes to its main function, making juice, it turns out a thick, quality product while extracting a super dry pulp. The pulp is automatically discharged via an extraction tube. It’s important to note that the appliance resembles industrial juicers you’d find in high-end cafes and coffee shops. It has a centered wide mouth feed tube with a slow-moving durable plastic auger.
This is a horizontal masticating juicer. So, produce is inserted through a feed tube on the top and pulp byproduct is released via a chute on the side. There is an integrated ergonomic handle that makes moving and storing the machine an easy process. There is also a wide hopper mounted to the feed tube. This serves as a convenient means for storing prepped produce before sending it through the machine. The machine sits atop four skid-free rubber feet. It is an extremely quiet appliance.
Despite its heavy-duty industrial look, the Omega is user-friendly. Produce requires minimal prep and cleanup is easy enough. Fruits and vegetables tend to retain their natural flavor, color, and nutritional benefits without yielding chunky or easily separated juices.
The machine even includes pasta nozzles and food processor attachments, because who doesn’t want some homemade fettuccini, linguini, or pasta primavera after a 7-day juice cleanse? Plus, you can use it to grind your coffee beans in the morning. With all that being said, the only downside of this product appears to be the fact that you can only use one of its handful of amazing capabilities at once.
PROS
- The slow masticating juice auger rotates at around 80 RPM, effectively grinding down everything from root vegetables to full batches of pasta dough in a matter of minutes.
- The sleek stainless steel and black outer shell resembles the style of many popular industrial and/or professional juicers. It works well in almost any kitchen space and takes up minimal space.
- This juicer is more than just a juicer. It features a wide variety of additional nozzles and can be used for a number of food processing tasks. It’s efficient at them all too!
- The appliance produces thick, nutrient-rich juices and a dry pulp byproduct. We’d say the end product is on par with restaurant-quality juices. Unfortunately, it is not approved for commercial use. Otherwise, we might have to consider selling these out of our home kitchen!
CONS
- It features a small, cylinder-shaped feed tube that requires maximum produce prep.
- Minimal heat transfers to end juice product. While we don’t think you have to worry about the heat breaking down the natural nutrients, it does alter the taste of the product.
- The auger’s filter screen is brittle and prone to occasional breakage.
Argus Le Slow Masticating Juicer, Slow Juice Extractor
The Argus Le Slow Masticating Juicer features a pulsing auger technology that helps cut, squeeze, and filter green juice in one fell swoop. This ensures that the juice retains all of its enzymes, nutrients, and minerals while ensuring no liquid is left behind. The 110/120-volt juicer generates 47 RPMs (revolutions per minute), ensuring slow, continuous movement that turns out minimally oxidized juice products with less foam and minimal separation.
If you’re not a green juice purist, but don’t want to eliminate the option altogether, you’ll be happy to discover that the Argus juicer offers a number of additional food and juice-making functions. You can sufficiently squeeze the liquid from both hard and soft fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, you can also make frozen fruit sorbets and a multitude of cold-pressed drinks.
The entire device is made from eco-friendly BPA-free plastic, can be cleaned in 2 minutes, and has a drip-free design to prevent oxidation. Consumers can try out the product risk-free, thanks to the convenient 1-month trial period. It is also backed by a 20-year warranty and subject to 24-hour customer support.
PROS
- Features a LED chromed knob for easier functionality.
- Compact design.
- Easy to disassemble and can be cleaned in 2 minutes.
- The clear window to the internal filter provides a mesmerizing view into the masticating juice process.
- The appliance only puts out 50 decibels of sound, making it nearly silent.
- Runs at an ultra-low speed of 47 RPMs.
- Drip-free design, which minimizes foaming and helps prevent oxidation.
CONS
- You must purchase a juice catch container on your own, or else, utilize a food-safe glass or pitcher. However, the high clearance between the extractor and glass may result in some splashing and messes.
Final Thoughts
After careful consideration, we’re happy to name the Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Quiet Dual-Stage Slow Speed Masticating Juicer as the best juicer for greens. This affordable household juicer resembles commercial horizontal masticating juicers and performs similarly with a far more approachable price tag. It slowly masticates fruits, veggies, and greens to generate thick, nutrient-dense juices time after time. Meanwhile, it boasts minimal heat transfer, ensuring that each cold-pressed juice maintains its enzyme-rich makeup. What’s more, it is capable of producing everything from fresh nut butter to frozen sorbets with the flick of a switch.
The appliance also comes with an industry-leading 10-year warranty. Plus, it offers conveniently easy assembly and cleanup. Users can choose between six unique nozzles. Juice is funneled into a 32-ounce glass juice bow while the remaining pulp is extracted into a posterior pulp bin. All parts must be hand washed, though that’s not a lot to ask in return for consistently thick and tasty cold-pressed juices.
While many people opt for fast-moving and affordable centrifugal juicers when purchasing their first home juicer, these products often fall short when juicing soft produce and leafy greens. Meanwhile, there are plenty of highly efficient bargain-rate masticating juicers on the market. We hope that this article helped to break down (pun intended) the features and functions of juicers and guide you toward making the best purchase for making an abundance of homemade green juice.
Happy juicing!
