Centrifugal juicers: a glass of juice in a minute, whole fruit down the chute
A centrifugal juicer shreds produce against a spinning disc and flings the juice through a mesh basket at several thousand revolutions a minute. Wide chutes make these machines quick to feed, and they usually cost less than slow juicers. It foams, it is loud, the pulp comes out wet, and it does little with leafy greens. For apples, carrots, oranges, pineapple and beets, drunk soon, it is the right tool.
What the words mean
These features help you judge how a centrifugal juicer will fit your routine.
3 or 3.5 inches
Chute
A 3 in chute takes a whole small apple; 3.5 in takes most apples and a fistful of carrots. Below 3 in you are cutting everything, which is the prep a fast juicer was supposed to save you.
700 to 1200 W
Power and speeds
More watts and a second, lower speed matter for soft fruit and for hard produce in quantity. For a glass of apple juice a 700 W single-speed machine is fine.
Cold Spin and friends
The mesh basket
The filter decides clarity and foam. Breville's "Cold Spin" is a centrifugal design that keeps the juice cool as it passes the basket.
Jug, bin, footprint
Where things go
A sealed jug means juice for later; a froth separator means less foam in the glass; a pulp bin behind the base means a narrow footprint, inside the body means more emptying.
Quick picks
The short answer for common situations. Each links to the full card below.
800 W, a 3 in chute, an 80 oz pulp bin and a three-year limited warranty from Hamilton Beach.
Compare the seven
Chute, jug and motor from each maker's page where it publishes one; Cuisinart and Dash show the listing's figures and say so. Pulp behind the base means a smaller footprint; pulp inside the body means emptying more often.
Product links on this page go to Amazon. If you buy through them, Upgrade My Juicer earns a commission. How we pick and earn
Breville's mid-size fast juicer: a 3.5 in chute for whole apples, two speeds, Breville's Cold Spin design with an Italian-made mesh filter, a sealed 70 fl oz jug for a batch, and the pulp bin tucked behind the base so the footprint stays small.
Chute
3.5 in, whole fruit
Power
1000 W, 2 speeds (listing)
Jug
70 fl oz, sealed for the fridge
Filter
Italian-made precision mesh; Cold Spin
Size
8.6 × 13.15 × 17.64 in; 13.6 lb (listing)
In the box
Cleaning brush, recipe book (listing)
Suits: A quick glass of fruit juice or a family batch, with whole-fruit feeding to reduce prep.
Weigh: Centrifugal machines foam, run loud, and leave a wetter pulp than a slow juicer; drink the juice soon. Hand wash per the listing.
The big one: a 3.5 in chute, a 1200 W motor, the 70 fl oz jug, and a Quiet setting Breville says cuts mechanical noise by 40 percent. Breville's own line is that it extracts juice up to five times faster than a cold press machine.
Chute
3.5 in, whole fruit
Power
1200 W (listing)
Noise
Quiet setting, 40 percent less mechanical noise (Breville)
Jug
70 fl oz
Size
8.7 × 13.39 × 17.44 in; 15.5 lb (listing)
Filter
Italian-made precision mesh; Cold Spin
Suits: A household that juices whole bags of produce in one session.
Weigh: The largest and dearest centrifugal here; the same foam and wet pulp as any fast juicer. Hand wash per the listing.
The small Breville: a 3 in chute that still takes whole fruit, a titanium-reinforced disc and stainless micro-mesh basket, a 25 oz jug with a froth separator, pulp collected inside the footprint, and a cord that wraps under the base.
An 800 W, two-speed centrifugal with a 3 in chute, a 1.5 L pulp basin that lifts off and goes to the sink, a 27 oz sealing pitcher with a froth separator, and a sieve, basin and pitcher that go in the dishwasher. One-year warranty from nutribullet.
Power
800 W, 2 speeds
Chute
3 in
Pitcher
27 oz, sealing lid with froth separator
Pulp
1.5 L basin, lifts off
Warranty
1 year (nutribullet)
Cleaning
Sieve, basin and pitcher dishwasher-safe
Suits: Fast juice for the least fuss: the pitcher goes in the fridge, the parts go in the dishwasher.
Weigh: A plastic body and the usual centrifugal foam; nutribullet's Juicer Pro adds a third speed and 1000 W if you want it.
The long-running budget centrifugal: an 800 W motor, a 3 in chute that takes a whole apple or a handful of carrots, an extra-large pulp bin, dishwasher-safe removable parts, a strainer brush in the box, and a three-year limited warranty from Hamilton Beach.
Power
800 W, 1 speed
Chute
3 in
Pulp
Extra-large bin, about 80 oz (listing)
Size
14.4 × 7.8 × 11.5 in
Warranty
3-year limited (Hamilton Beach)
Cleaning
Removable parts dishwasher-safe; brush included
Suits: An inexpensive way to try juicing firm produce, or a second machine for a cabin or office.
Weigh: One speed, a plastic body, and the foam and noise of any fast juicer. The juice goes directly into your own glass.
A die-cast and stainless centrifugal with five speeds on a dial, a 3 in chute, an anti-drip adjustable spout, a foam-reducing filter basket, a 2 L pulp container and a 1 qt pitcher. 1000 W.
Power
1000 W, 5 speeds (listing)
Chute
3 in (listing)
Spout
Anti-drip, adjustable flow
Containers
2 L pulp, 1 qt pitcher (listing)
Body
Die-cast and stainless housing
Cleaning
Dishwasher-safe parts, brush included (listing)
Suits: The person who wants speed settings for soft and hard produce and a heavier, metal-bodied machine.
Weigh: An older design that has been in and out of stock; check the listing. Five speeds matter less than the chute and the filter.
The small, inexpensive fast juicer: a 350 W two-speed motor (speed 1 for oranges and grapes, speed 2 for carrots, celery, apples and ginger), a 2 in chute, a juice container with an anti-drip spout, a pulp container, and dishwasher-safe removable parts.
Power
350 W, 2 speeds (listing)
Chute
2 in (listing)
Containers
Juice container with anti-drip spout, pulp container
Capacity
0.8 L (listing)
Size
About 9.5 × 3 × 10.25 in (listing)
Cleaning
Removable parts dishwasher-safe (listing)
Suits: Trying juicing where counter space is limited, such as a dorm or an RV.
Weigh: The 2 in chute means everything is cut; 350 W is slow on hard produce and leaves wetter pulp. The listing's spec table and bullets disagree on the wattage (400 vs 350); Dash's own copy says 350.
Breville's own copy for the Cold XL says it extracts juice up to five times faster than a cold press machine, and that is the whole argument for a centrifugal: speed and ease. What the slow-juicer makers say back is also true: a fast juicer leaves more juice in the pulp, makes more foam, and the juice separates and browns sooner. If you drink it at the counter and your juice is apple, carrot and orange, none of that costs you much. If it is kale and celery and you want it to keep until tomorrow, read the cold press page instead.
