Have you decided to introduce juicing to your business? If you’re starting, you’ll need a quality commercial juicer. There are several types of juicers available, and it can be confusing to pick the right one. Think about why you’re introducing juicing to your business. Are you making nutrient-dense cold press juices? Check out the Masticating Juicer. Or, are you looking to add some fresh orange juice to your breakfast menu? Look at a Citrus Juicer. We’ve laid out three of the main types of juicers to help you narrow down your search.
Know Your Commercial Juicers
There’s a variety of juicers on the market and each serves a special purpose. You’ll need to understand the types of juicers before you commit to buying one.
Citrus Juicers
A citrus juicer is made to extract the juice from citrus fruits like lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit. The juicer is designed to extract the juice using a reamer, which is the conical part that you press the fruit into. They’re ideal for breakfast menus, bars, or any restaurant looking to add some healthy options to their menu. Citrus juicers are also great for use in concession stands to make orange or lemon shake-ups – high-margin beverages sold mostly at fairs and festivals.
- Easy to use and clean
- Simple design – Quickly train your employees to efficiently make juice
- Perfect for smaller operations
- Can’t be used with non-citrus fruits
Centrifugal Juicer
The centrifugal juicer is designed with heavy-duty blades to chop up fruits and vegetables into small pieces. These pieces are then passed through a strainer to produce delicious juice and leave behind the pulp. They are an ideal commercial juicer for continuous use in larger operations.- High juice volume – some electric models can produce up to 220-265 lbs. per hour
- Juices large fruits and vegetables allowing for more menu variety
- Deposits pulp into a separate container to allow for continuous use
- Heat and friction from the blade oxidize juice, reducing the number of nutrients in the juice
Masticating Juicers
A masticating juicer will crush and press fruits and vegetables for the highest yield of juice. These juicers will take longer to produce juice but create little to no foam/froth, making for a more enjoyable drinking experience.- Ideal for use with almost any fruit, vegetable, or herb
- Produces little to no heat or friction which limits oxidation
- Can use for making nut butter, baby food, mincing herbs, and more
- Lower speed
Comparing Models: What Kind of Commercial Juicer is Best?
Every type of juicer available has its strengths and environments that they work best in. When prepping in a commercial setting, some juicers will stand up better than others to heavy-duty use. Whether you’re a first-time juicer looking for a good starter model or are experienced and need a professional-grade machine, there is a juicer for you.| Juicer Type | Manual or Electric? | Best For | Not For | Popular Juices |
| Citrus | Both |
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| Juice Extractor | Both |
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| Centrifugal | Electric |
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| Zumoval (European-Style) | Electric |
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| Masticating | Electric |
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| Squeezer | Manual |
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Ready to Juice?
Once you’ve picked out the perfect commercial juicer for your business, you should know some of the basics of juicing. These tips and tricks can save on food costs and juicer replacement parts.What Can’t I Juice?
Don’t juice anything that needs cooking before being eaten. Think potatoes, peas, squash, and corn. Make sure also to remove any pits, tough skins, and peels from the fruits you’ll be juicing. Avoiding these will keep your machine running efficiently and avoid some mishaps. Finally, avoid very soft textured fruit like bananas or avocado as they tend to clog the filter in your juicer.What Produce is Good to Juice?
There is no shortage in combinations of fruits and vegetables that you can juice. Think about what customers would want to drink and start with the basics. Once you’ve mastered the basics, consider adding things like herbs and milk for added taste and health benefits. Here are some ideas to get you started.- Oranges
- Carrots
- Apples
- Lemons
- Berries
- Kale
- Spinach
- Pineapple
- Mangoes
- Cherries
- Celery
- Wheatgrass
- Any in-season fruit!
Get Ready to Juice
- Wash your produce to remove dirt and preservatives.
- Cut any large or dense produce into smaller pieces to make it more manageable for your juicer.
- Wait to cut up produce until you’re ready to juice. Produce begins to oxygenate immediately after being exposed to air and letting cut up food sit too long can cause it to lose nutrients.
- Make sure to have a big enough container to catch the juice you’ll be making.
- Read the instructions for your juicer to ensure correct setup, operation, and cleaning.
Serving Your Juice
You’re ready to create delicious combinations of fresh juices! Juicing fresh produce allows you to give your customers a new and easy way to get their vitamins and antioxidants. Remember that you should try and serve juice immediately after making. The longest it should sit is 24 hours in an airtight container. If you don’t plan on serving your juice immediately, try packaging it for sale later!
Looking for more information on why juicing is the way to go?
Read more on juicing and get juice recipe ideas here.
Kelsey Moriarty is a Content Specialist at Central Restaurant Products. Her focus at Central is in the Food Prep and Furniture areas. Kelsey’s background is in technology and marketing with particular experience in SEO and E-Commerce. She enjoys helping customers make better decisions as well as working on her copywriting skills!
