If you’re into juicing, then you know that there are different types of juicers for different purposes. Juicers that work for citrus fruits won’t be able to juice leafy greens like spinach or kale. Masticating juicers are the best juicer for leafy greens as they are slow and use a spinning mechanism, so, are able to extract more juice.
Despite the choice for the best juicer boiling down to masticating juicers, you have to be able to distinguish between the different models and you should compare and contrast important features. Based on our research encompassing customer opinions, reviews and trials, we believe that it is important to consider the speed of processing, the build of the juicer, ease of cleaning as well as other features before settling for one option. The speed of processing is quite important as low speed is required to extract more juice while retaining the nutrients so centrifugal juicers aren’t even an option but even masticating juicers come with different speed options so you should pay attention to this factor. The build of the juicer can be plastic, stainless steel or even a mixture of both as long as it is safe and durable. Ease of cleaning is another feature to consider as time spent cleaning can add up and a juicer that takes longer to clean might not be the right one for someone who has little time to spare.
If you are in a hurry, just take a look at the comparison table below, summing up five of our top picks for the best juicer for leafy greens. We have followed that up with in detail reviews of each product with their pros and cons. And finally, there is a buying guide at the end to reduce your efforts to find the best juicer for leafy greens.
More features: complete mastication, proprietary stainless steel twin gears, exclusive magnetic and bioceramic technology, pressure adjustment, 200W, 12-year household warranty
The Tribest GSE-5050 is a masticating juicer which is so much more than just a juicer. Alongside juicing, it can also finely grind nuts and grains. It’s a proprietary stainless steel twin gear juicer which makes sure that everything that goes in through the feed chute comes out as only juice and a very dry pulp. While the Tribest GSE-5050 is a modern juicer, it’s not heavy and it’s quite easy to move around because of its grip. Contrary to the centrifugal juicers which rely solely on speed, the Tribest being a masticating juicer relies on crushing and squeezing the juice out of the produce. This juicer also restricts airflow inside it while juicing so that there’s little to no oxidation in the process, saving valuable nutrients. The Tribest GSE-5050 is easy to clean as it can be disassembled easily. It also has a pulp ejection feature to make cleaning that much easier.
While this juicer is one of the best for leafy greens, it’s quite an investment costing a little over $500. And, while most of its parts are easy to clean, the mesh screen is a bit difficult to clean.
More features: dual-stage extraction, automatic pulp ejection, gear reduction equivalent of 2 HP motor, 6 nozzles and 1 juicing screen included, 200W
The Omega J8007S is a masticating juicer which contains a 2-horsepower motor which makes it so powerful that it can easily juice produce, from soft to hard and even leafy greens. As the J8007S operates at 80 RPM, the motor stays cooler for a longer period of time and it efficiently extracts the juice while saving the vital nutrients at the same time. This juicer also features an automatic pulp ejection system which saves you valuable time as you won’t have to stop and clean the pulp inside the juicer in the middle of your business. The food tray of the Omega J8007S is also large which makes it more convenient while juicing. If you’re worried about cleaning this juicer, rest assured because all the parts are dishwasher friendly. The Omega J8007S also comes with a brush that can be used to help clean and remove pulp on the strainer.
The Omega J8007S lets some pulp into the juice, so you need to strain the juice if you want less pulp. The juicer also has a smaller feed chute so you need to take time prepping the fruits and veggies before juicing them.
More features: reverse function, automatic pulp ejection, auto cleaning system, 1/5 HP condensed motor, exclusive Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) Household Approval
The Omega VRT350 is a dual stage masticating juicer which uses an auger to slowly crush the fruit and squeeze the juice out of them, obtaining the highest possible yield in the process. While extracting the juice, it also removes the pulp. As the Omega VTR350 has a vertical design, it is way easier to push the produce down. Its condensed motor is one of the most powerful ones in the market. The Omega VRT350 is also easy to clean as it features a self-cleaning function. And, if your juicer is ever clogged, you can always use the reverse feature to unclog your juicer.
While the Omega VRT350 gives good yield on all products, while juicing leafy greens, it gives a slightly wet pulp. And with fibrous produce like onions, leeks, kale and so on, the Omega VRT350 has a chance to get clogged.
More features: 40–60 dB, cleaning brush included, dishwasher-safe removable parts
The Aicok Juice Extractor is one of the cheapest masticating juicers in the market. But don’t think that just because this juicer is cheap, it lacks quality. In fact, the Aicok juice extractor actually produces above-average yields for leafy greens. This juicer is easy to assemble and cleaning is also a breeze as its removable parts can be kept in the dishwasher and as an added courtesy, it comes with a cleaning brush. Because the Aicok juice extractor operates at a slow 80 RPM, it prevents the motor from heating up and stops the juice from losing its nutritional value. The noise level of the juicer is also low, and you won’t wake up the entire household while doing your early morning juicing. The Aicok juice extractor also has an excellent strainer which reduces pulp and foam in your juice.
However, as the Aicok juice extractor is made up of plastic, it’s not as durable as other higher end juicers. And while it does do well with leafy greens, it doesn’t do as well with soft and hard produce.
More features: safety lock system, 150W, self-cleaning system
The Hurom HH-SBB11 Elite is a slow masticating juicer. It’s a vertical juicer so you’ll have an easier time pushing down the produce. The parts of the Hurom HH-SBB11 are made of BPA-free plastic and stainless steel so you won’t have to worry about your freshly made juice having any harmful toxins and chemicals. Because the Hurom HH-SBB11 is a masticating juicer, it’s great for leafy greens. It slowly crushes and squeezes the juice out of the produce by putting it through a tough Ultem strainer (which is approximately 8 times stronger than normal strainers). Its slow squeezing technology ensures that you get every last drop of juice. And, not only can it juice through produce both hard and soft, you can also use it to process nuts and even soybeans to make milk. The Hurom HH-SBB11 also has safety features which ensure that the motor remains cool for a longer period of time. Another safety feature is that the juicer won’t start unless both latches are secured.
While this juicer is efficient and meets your juicer needs, its plastic parts are a bit flimsy so you need to be careful while using it. However, this juicer is covered by a 2-year warranty which makes it worthwhile.
Scouting the market for the right type of juicer can be a tough task and it can be even more difficult if you don’t understand how each feature of the juicers determine whether or not that juicer is the perfect fit for you. There are so many products out there so take your time to understand each aspect of the juicer. If you know your product well and how it functions before you start using it, you will have a much pleasant juicing experience. With this buying guide, we are here to help you find the perfect juicer that is built to meet all your personal needs.
Although juicing in itself is a great way to incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet, juicing with leafy greens is even more recommended. Leafy greens are amazing sources of amino acids so they can provide you with protein and they help battle insomnia, colds, and other deficiencies. Because we can find many vitamins and antioxidants in leafy greens, drinking green juice will improve your overall health by removing toxins from your body. Other added benefits include weight loss, healthy skin, and improved energy.
There are numerous key features you should look for in an ideal juicer for leafy greens to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your juicer as well as your greens. You want to make sure that you’re not only getting the maximum juice with minimal effort but also that the juicer is squeezing every single drop out of your leafy greens. To take care of all that, you should consider the following features.
When looking to juice leafy greens, you should be looking at masticating juicers and not centrifugal juicers. While centrifugal juicers are fast, convenient and easy to use, they are quite inefficient at juicing leafy greens. Centrifugal juicers use a blade which rotates at a very high speed to separate the juice from the pulp. It basically spins the juice out of the pulp. This works for harder and dense produce but because leafy greens are light and need to have the juice pressed out of them, a centrifugal juicer would just fling the greens around without extracting any juice.
[wpsm_box type=”blue” float=”none” text_align=”left”]A masticating juicer uses an auger to separate the juice and the pulp and rotates at a very low speed to slowly extract juice. In doing this, it also retains the nutrients. Thus, masticating juicers are a better option as they can easily process leafy greens.[/wpsm_box]
Masticating juicers are also some of the best juicers for wheatgrass, as their slow motion preserves all of this superfood’s beneficial nutrients and live enzymes.
The juicing speed for leafy greens is usually quite low as it takes a while to thoroughly break down the produce. Most masticating juicers are low-speed juicers. Apart from the lower noise level, there are many advantages to using vertical slow juicers. The lower the speed of the machine, the better the juice will be as lower rotational speed gives juices that are higher in nutritional value. Higher speed juicers tend to destroy enzymes and other nutrients like fiber due to friction, heat production, and oxidation. When you use a low juicing speed, there is fiber retention which aids in digestion. Slow juicing also gets you a juice with a much higher yield which can last up to 72 hours as opposed to having to be consumed immediately.
[wpsm_box type=”red” float=”none” text_align=”left”]Conventionally, masticating juicers come with a low RPM to ensure the highest possible yield without compromising on the taste or the nutrient value. However, if you are someone who juices frequently, you can opt for masticating juicers that have different juicing speed options or that come with a slightly higher RPM than others such as Tribest, which has an RPM of 110.[/wpsm_box]
Generally, everyone prefers juicers that are easy to take apart and clean. Masticating juicers use a slow juicing process and produce less pulp while doing so, which is one of the main reasons why they are easy to clean.
While considering the ease of cleaning for the juicers, you should also keep in mind ease of assembling and disassembling, whether or not they are dishwasher safe and if these juicers have additional accessories. Because of the way they are designed, most masticating juicers are easy to take apart for cleanup while cleaning centrifugal juicers can take quite some time. Most of our picks from the table are also dishwasher safe so if you have a busy schedule, you can save a lot of time by not hand washing them and just popping them in the dishwasher. If your juicer comes with additional accessories, then we advise purchasing a cleaning brush to clean the screen properly. Some models of masticating juicers like the Hurom HH-SBB11 Elite even have innovative self-cleaning systems that prevent pulp build up and some models like the Omega VRT350 have an auto cleaning system.
Masticating juicers for leafy greens can be made out of stainless steel, plastic or even carbon components. If you plan to regularly use your juicer for an extended period of time, we recommend getting a juicer that is mostly metallic as it is sturdy and will be more durable because plastic isn’t as durable and can also contain harmful chemicals. But you should keep in mind that stainless steel juicers are generally on the higher end of the price range so if you want something that is of a good quality and is also cost effective then you can get one with a ceramic exterior or plastic finishing. A tough and durable masticating juicer will also be able to power through harder vegetables, making this a great juicer for carrots.
Many juicers these days use different types of materials and substances, all of which may not be healthy or safe. A certification is a seal or document that attests that the set standards and requirements have been met for that product. So, we recommend purchasing juicers that are certified as it means that the product has met the set standards and you won’t have to worry about your health. If your juicer is certified by FDA, UL, ETL, or other similar certifications, then you can be assured that you’re purchasing a quality product.
The typical price range for the best juicer for leafy greens is between $200 to $1000 although it also depends on the durability, the number of features, and the quality of materials used. Most masticating juicers have a very long warranty period, often 10-15 years. This is because they are much more expensive than regular juicers so the longer warranty period acts as a reliability to protect the product.
Whether you’ve only just started juicing or if you’re only looking to update your current juicer, we understand how tough it can be to find a juicer that is just right especially when there are so many strong contenders, which specialize in leafy greens, available in the market right now. However, at the end of the day, the best juicer for you will depend upon the features that you value the most. We hope that after going through the Buying Guide, the comparison table, product descriptions as well as the ratings, we have made it easier for you to decide exactly what you want.
I go vegan at least two days a week for detoxing. And making juice are my big thing as I avoid buying “juice” from supermarkets. They are really high in sugar level. I am looking for something practical and affordable. Nothing fancy. Which one of them is your top recommendation for me?
Hi Kevin, thanks for your question! I’d recommend Hurom Elite slow juicer, which offers great quality and features for its current price of around $400. But if affordability is your primary concern, the slow juicer from Aicok would be a perfect fit for you. It’s budget-friendly and works great for vegetable and even leafy greens.