Juicing has emerged as a healthy and easy way to consume fruits and vegetables. Because of this, there has been an increase in the number and variety of juicers, some of them being large and others small.
While large ones are considered the best for family use, at times you may want to make just a small amount of juice for breakfast or for refreshing after a long day at work. This is where small juicers come in.
Small juicers are basically mini versions of big juicers, but with fewer features. That said, this article looks at the best small juicers that you should consider buying.
Best Small Juicers Buying Guide
Before buying small juicer for your kitchen, you should check following things:
1. Centrifugal vs. Masticating Juicer
There are two main types of juicers to consider in this category and these are:
– Centrifugal
These utilize a fast spin mechanism to separate the juice from the pulp and this leads to some nutrition loss due to the generation of heat in the process.
The fast spin also aerates the juice thoroughly and this reduces its shelf life while also creating froth above the yield.
On the bright side, these units are usually very fast and cost a lot less than masticating juicers.
– Masticating
Masticating juicers crush fruits and vegetables into a pulp then squeeze the juice out of them in a process that does not produce heat or cause a lot of oxygenation.
The result of this is the production of a very nutritious yield with a longer shelf life. However, these units are usually very expensive and operate very slowly.
Our Tip: Masticating juicers such as Kuvings’ B6000S are the best ones to buy but if you are on a tight budget, a centrifugal juicer will do.
2. Size and Storage
For you to consider buying a small juicer, size must be a big factor to consider. As such, the smaller and lighter it is, the better, especially if you have you get it from storage then return it after juicing.
For this, check the one with the smallest dimensions and lightest weight and a perfect example is the Cuisinart CCJ-500. However, it is important to ensure that the unit’s size does not compromise its quality.
3. Speed
Of course, centrifugal juicers are faster than masticating juicers. Therefore, if speed is your main concern, you should forget about a small masticating juicer.
Within the centrifugal ones, check the one with the largest RPM value, for instance Breville’s BJE200XL, and probably the one with the most powerful motor (with the highest watt rating).
4. Noise Level
A noisy electrical appliance is always a nuisance to have in the house because it disturbs the peace. As such it is important to go for the juicer that is low in noise levels.
Generally, the faster the juicer’s speed, the noisier it and this means that centrifugal units are noisier than their masticating counterparts.
However, even within the masticating juicers, the one with the lowest RPM is most probably the most silent one.
A good idea would be to look for a product with an RPM of not more than 100 for the quietest experience.
5. Ease of Cleaning
Everyone is open to the idea of an easy to clean appliance. In this case, an easy to clean small juicer is considered as the one with dishwasher-safe removable parts, and Hamilton Beach’s 67608A is the best example.
This will ensure that you maintain hygiene on the product by easily cleaning its parts after every juicing.
6 Best Small Juicers Reviewed
IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES |
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1. Breville BJE200XL (Best Overall) |
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2. Cuisinart CCJ-500 (Best Compact) |
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3. Kuvings B6000S (Best Masticating Mini Juicer) |
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4. Gourmia GJ750 (2-Speed Settings) |
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5. Hamilton Beach 67608A (Large Pulp Bin) |
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6. Cuisinart CJE-500 (Adjustable Flow Spout) |
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1. Breville BJE200XL (Best Overall)
Photo: Breville
- Type of juicer: Centrifugal
- Speed: 14,000 RPM
- Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.8 x 16 inches
- Weight: 9.7 pounds
Breville’s BJE200XL is the top-rated small juicer because it has a very fast rotating speed, going up to 14000 RPM for maximum juice extraction. This is made possible by its powerful 700-watt motor, which ensures you get your full glass of juice in no time.
The high-speed juice extraction is enhanced by a stainless-steel cutting disc that is surrounded by a micromesh filter. This design ensures that the juicer extracts 30% more juice and up to 40% more vitamins from the fruits.
On the upper side, the juicer has an extra-large, 3-inch feeding tube that can allow large fruits such as full apples to fall inside. This minimizes the prep work required before making your juice.
After extraction, a pulp collection container enables you to continue juicing by holding a capacity of up to 1.6 quarts of pulp. This lets you maintain hygiene on your kitchen countertop because it holds all your waste so that you can dispose of it cleanly later on.
These parts are held securely in place by a safety locking arm, which also ensures that the juicer does not operate without it in place in order to protect you from any accidents.
On the downside, the unit’s high speed creates heat, which lowers the nutritional content of the juice. Also, a lot of foam is formed, but it comes with a froth separator that enables you to pour more of the juice than froth into your glass.
Pros:
- Fast rotating juice for quick extraction
- Stainless steel cutting disc and micro mesh filter for more juice and vitamins extraction
- Large 3-inch feeding tube
- Large pulp collection container
- Safety locking arm holds everything securely in place
Cons:
- Fast speed creates heat that destroys some nutrients
- Oxygenates the juice to form a lot of foam
2. Cuisinart CCJ-500 (Best Compact)
Photo: Cuisinart
- Dimensions: 6.8 x 7.9 x 12.2 inches
- Weight: 4 pounds
If you want a very compact juicer, then this is the best option to consider because it measures 6.8 x 7.9 x 12.2 inches and weighs only 4 pounds, which makes it very portable.
On operations, this product is neither a centrifugal nor a masticating juicer, but instead, it has a rotating juicing cone on the upper part. This cone features an adjustable reamer that allows you to control the juice’s pulp content to have a low, medium or high pulp.
The only problem with this design is that it is made to extract juice from citrus fruits only and this limits you to the juices that you can make. However, the unit very affordable and thus, you get what you paid for.
Regardless of this limitation though, the unit has other impressive features such as an auto-reversing feature, which rotates the juicing cone on one direction during one press then reverses this direction as you press the next citrus fruit for efficiency purposes.
Additionally, a final spin feature ensures that the accumulated pulp is completely squeezed off any remaining juice to produce the maximum yield. This makes it the best portable juicer.
Other features include an extra-long snap-out snout that eliminates dripping on your countertops and accommodates more glasses while a brushed stainless-steel design and dishwasher-safe removable parts make it easy to maintain.
Pros:
- Compact design
- An adjustable reamer for regulating the pulp content in your juice
- Affordable
- Auto-reversing feature for efficient juicing
- Final spin feature for maximum juice production
Cons:
- Limited as a citrus juicer only
- No pulp collection container
3. Kuvings B6000S (Best Masticating)
Photo: Kuvings
- Type of juicer: Masticating
- Speed: 60 RPM
- Dimensions: 9 x 8.2 x 17.6 inches
- Weight: 14.11 pounds
Kuvings’ B6000S is the most expensive product in this review and this is because it is a masticating juicer. Basically, what this means is that it produces more nutritious and less oxidized juice as compared to centrifugal juicers.
To achieve this, the unit has a slow rotating speed of only 60 RPM, in which it generates less heat and thus, does not destroy nutrients in the juice.
This speed also ensures that there is less aeration and thus, the yield is less foamy and has a longer shelf life, making the B6000S one of the best small juicers in the market.
Regardless of the speed, this juicer is capable of crushing tough and fibrous fruits and this is made possible by a powerful 240-watt motor, which runs quietly behind the scenes to help extract your juice.
Design wise, a wide feeding tube is featured at the top and this reduces the required prep time. In general, Ultem Tritan ABS is used to make the juicer in a PC premium design, which makes it look good. However, it is quite heavy as compared to other small juicers.
Pros:
- A slow speed of 60 RPM generates less heat and minimizes yield oxidation
- Powerful 240-watt motor
- Wide feeding chute
- Constructed using Ultem Tritan ABS in a PC premium design
Cons:
- Quite heavy
- Very expensive
4. Gourmia GJ750 (Best 2-Speed Settings)
Photo: Gourmia
- Type of juicer: Centrifugal
- Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 15.2 inches
- Weight: 10 pounds
Gourmia’s GJ750 is a small 2-speed centrifugal juicer that can be used to turn soft fruits such as tomatoes and tough veggies such as carrots to juice at low speed and high speed respectively, which makes it very versatile.
An 850-watt motor is used to power the unit and its speed is controlled via a simple dial with quiet and max extraction settings labeled as 1 and 2 for the soft and tough fruit juice extraction.
Other features include a large 3-inch feed tube that is large enough to allow most fruits through without any preparation and a stainless-steel cutting blade minces the fruit into a pulp while a micro-mesh filter separates the juice from the pulp.
Pros:
- 2-speed settings to tackle soft fruits as well as hard veggies
- Powerful 850-watt motor
- Large 3-inch feed tube
- Stainless steel cutting blade and micro mesh filter for crushing and separation
Cons:
- Consumes a lot of energy (850-watt rating).
- Not suitable for juicing greens.
5. Hamilton Beach 67608A (With a Large Pulp Bin)
Photo: Hamilton Beach
- Type of juicer: Centrifugal
- Dimensions: 11.5 x 7.8 x 14.4 inches
- Weight: 7.8 pounds
Hamilton Beach’s electric juicer is a very powerful product because it features an 800-watt motor that has the power to easily turn a carrot into juice in no time.
However, what stands out most about this juicer is its extra-large pulp bin, which allows you to crush multiple fruits and vegetables continuously without requiring to get rid of the pulp frequently.
The only problem with this large bin is that it increases the size of the juicer, although its benefits greatly outweigh this minor problem.
On the upper part, the juicer features a large 3-inch feed tube that fits whole fruits such as apples, peeled oranges or even carrots and this reduces the prep work required in cutting these foods before juicing them.
In terms of maintenance, all the removable parts, including the large pulp bin and feed tube, are dishwasher safe and this makes it easy to clean.
Additionally, all these removable parts are easy to reassemble and are also BPA-free, which means that the product is safe and healthy to use.
Pros:
- Powerful motor for fast juicing
- Extra-large pulp bin
- Large 3-inch feed tube
- Removable parts are dishwasher safe
- Safe to use BPA-free removable parts.
Cons:
- Relatively large in size due to its large pulp bin
6. Cuisinart CJE-500 (Adjustable Flow Spout)
Photo: Cuisinart
- Type of juicer: Centrifugal
- Dimensions: 11.5 x 11.8 x 14.2 inches
- Weight: 9.48 pounds
Rounding up the list is Cuisinart’s CJE-500, which features and is a good centrifugal juicer that features an adjustable flow spout for preventing dripping onto the kitchen counter.
A 500-watt motor runs a blade assembly, which cuts and grinds the fruits while a mesh filter separates the pulp from the extracted juice.
After grinding, the included pitcher holds up to 16 ounces of the extracted juice and it can be easily replaced with a bigger jar to hold more juice for uninterrupted juicing.
You also get a pulp container that can accommodate up to 40 ounces of the residue as you continue juicing. This container is easily removable for cleaning when you are done juicing.
Other features include a safety locking arm and a start-stop button that gives a single speed setting.
On the downside, being a centrifugal juicer means that it aerates the yield and forms a lot of foam on it in the process.
More Detailed: Cuisinart CJE-500 Review
Pros:
- Adjustable flow spout
- Powerful 500-watt motor
- 16-ounce pitcher for holding the juice and a 40-ounce pulp container
- Safety locking arm for securing every removable component in place
- Simple to use start/stop button
Cons:
- Aerates the juice, reducing its shelf life
- Forms a lot of froth
Conclusion
From the review above, it is quite clear that you can work with small juicers alone because they are not as weak or as limited as their “small” name suggests.
With that in mind, Breville’s BJE200XL is highly recommended as the best small juicer because it has a bit of everything in one.