Is Cold-Press Juice Better for You?

Sorry to break it to you: The bottle of OJ you pick up from your corner store is loaded with sugar and almost devoid of nutrients. If you’re looking for a healthier option, making your own cold-pressed juice is the way to go. But what exactly does cold-pressed mean?

Cold-Press Juicers vs. Centrifugal Juicers

Cold-pressed juices are made by chopping fruit and/or vegetables and squeezing them between two metal plates. This process uses hydraulic pressure rather than speed to extract liquid, which may keep vitamins and nutrients intact. Centrifugal juicers chop fruit and throw it into a fast spinning screen to separate pulp from liquid. But the sheer force of this type of juicer causes a lot of friction, and therefore heat, which may promote oxidation of the produce and thereby potentially damage its nutrient content.

Are Cold-Press Juicers Better?

Possibly. Juice extracted via cold-press is touted as more nutrient-dense and more shelf-stable. While some experiments have reported cold-pressed juices to have a higher retention of vitamins A and C over a 72-hour period than centrifugal juices, there isn’t any strong scientific proof that they do. However, due to the method of extraction, you can expect cold-pressed juice to be smoother and free of rogue fruit or veggie chunks that sometimes sneak in when using a centrifugal juicer. And it goes without saying that consuming fresh juice from any type of machine is a healthy choice.

Now that that’s settled, consider getting yourself one of the 10 best cold-press juicers below.

Related: Just Buy the Vitamix Already