In this guide we’ll evaluate the best juicers for juicing softer fruits like citrus including…
- Oranges
- Tangerines
- Clementines
- Nectarines
- Mandarins
- Grapefruit
- Pummelos
- Lemons
- Limes
Contents
Yield
Slow (cold press) juicers – vertical/horizontal masticating and twin gear juicers
Out of juicer yield
Our testing showed that slow juicers extract between 10 and 11 oz. of juice from 16 oz. of soft fruits for a percent yield between 60 and 70%.
This means that for every 1 lb. of (peeled) soft fruit (e.g. oranges) you put into the juicer, it will extract 60 to 70% of that weight as juice (a liquid containing a small amount of foam and pulp). The rest (40 to 30%) of the 1 lb. will be extracted as foam and pulp.
There was little variance in terms of total yield among all of the slow (cold press) juicer models we tested regardless of subtype. For example, the Tribest Solostar (a horizontal slow juicer) extracted 10.3 oz. of juice while the Tribest Slowstar (a vertical slow juicer) extracted 10.6 oz. of juice. The difference in yield was negligible – only 0.3 oz in this example.
The one exception was the Champion juicer. It was the one outlier in our testing with a yield of only 8 oz. (compared to the 10 to 11 oz. for most other models).
After sieve yield
The raw juice extracted by these juicers contained mostly liquid but also contained some amount of foam and pulp. To remove the foam and pulp from the mixture we ran the initial raw juice mixture (out of juicer yield) through a fine sieve. The resulting liquid (pulp and foam free juice) was weighed to find the “after sieve yield”.
Our testing showed a drop in yield of approx. 1 oz. (compared to out of juicer yield). The after sieve yield varied between 9 and 10 oz. for most models we tested.
This means that for every 1 lb. (16 oz.) of soft fruit (e.g. oranges, lemons, limes, etc.) you put into a slow juicer you can expect between 9 and 10 oz. of pulp and foam free juice – a percent yield of approx. 60%.
Once again there was little variance among individual slow juicer models. Regardless of which exact slow juicer you choose to buy, it should yield approx. the same amount of pulp free juice from soft produce as most other models on the market.
The one exception, once again, is the Champion juicer. It garnered an after sieve yield of only 6.6 oz. (compared to 9 to 10 oz. for most other slow juicers).
Centrifugal juicers
Most centrifugal juicers we tested had an out of juicer yield for soft fruits in the 10 to 12 oz. range. There were some exceptions. For example, the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro garnered a yield of 12.4 oz. The Juiceman JM250 only yielded 8.9 oz. But, as a general rule, most models garnered a yield in the 10 to 12 oz. range.
This means that centrifugal juicers, on average, are able to get about 1 more ounce of juice (containing liquid juice, foam, and pulp) from soft fruits on the upper end of the range as slow juicers. In terms of percentages, this equates to about 7% more juice.
Once that juice is put through a sieve, the difference in performance between centrifugal and slow juicers remains the same. The centrifugal juicers we tested tended to have an after sieve yield between 9 and 11 oz. compared to a 9 to 10 oz. range for slow juicers.
This means that while the “floor” for yield (the low number of the range – 9 oz.) is the same for both types of juicers the “ceiling” for yield (the high number – 10, 11 oz.) for centrifugal juicers is higher (at 11 oz.) than it is for slow juicers (at 10 oz.).
The bottom line? Centrifugal juicers tend to garner a higher yield than slow juicers when it comes to juicing soft fruits but the difference in yield (approx. 1 oz. or 7%) is negligible. You really can’t go wrong buying either a centrifugal or slow juicer if yield is important to you and you want to primarily juice soft fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons.
Prep Time
We just showed that there’s only a small difference between the yield of juice extracted by centrifugal vs. slow juicers. So, how else can you determine which type of juicer is the better option for juicing soft fruits like oranges?
The first way to do it is by looking at preparation time.
Before the soft fruit can be put into the juicer for juicing, it has to be prepared.
Part 1 of this preparation involves removing the peel of the fruit. This part of the preparation involves the same amount of work regardless of juicer type or the specific model juicer used for juicing.
Part 2 involves cutting the fruit so that it fits into the juicer’s feeding chute. This part will take shorter or longer depending on the juicer’s type and model.
The biggest factor affecting how much cutting will be required is chute size. The larger the chute, the less cutting required.
Centrifugal juicers usually have large chutes. Most are about 3 inches in diameter. Most soft fruit won’t even need to be cut at all before being put into the feeding chute of these juicers.
Slow juicers tend to have smaller chutes. There are some exceptions. For example, the Kuvings B6000S, like most centrifugal juicers, also has a 3 in. wide feeding chute. However, most slow juicers have a feeding chute that’s much smaller – usually in the 1 in. to 2.5 in. range.
While the Kuvings and most centrifugal juicers can accept the average orange whole, most slow juicers require that it be cut into eighths or at least quarters before it can be placed into their feeding chutes.
So, in summary, if you’re trying to limit preparation time, look for a wide mouth slow juicer or a centrifugal juicer. If you don’t mind spending a little extra time on preparation (cutting the produce) then a slow juicer is still a strong option for you.
Time To Juice
Cutting fruit takes time but so does the actual juicing process itself.
Generally, centrifugal juicers are much faster juicing than slow juicers. For juicing soft fruits like oranges it took us anywhere between 30 seconds and a minute to juice 1 lb. of oranges with a centrifugal juicer. It took us between 1 and 4 minutes to do the same with a slow juicer. Those slow juicers that required the oranges be cut into smaller pieces took longer because there were a greater number of pieces to slowly feed into the juicer.
Other Considerations
In addition to everything we’ve discussed so far you may also want to consider factors like
- Cleaning difficulty
- Ease of use
- Versatility
- Durability and
- Value
before buying a juicer for juicing soft fruits. For more insight into these general considerations (nonspecific to whether you’re juicing soft fruits or not) see our general buyer’s guide.
Recommended Models
#1 – Breville Juice Fountain Compact
If we had to pick one model as the best juicer for juicing soft fruits like oranges, we would pick the Breville Juice Fountain Compact. The Compact garnered an out of juicer yield of 11.8 oz. and an after sieve yield of 11.5 oz. juicing 1 lb. of oranges. These results are both at the upper end of the general range of results for centrifugal juicers (10 to 12 oz. for out of juicer yield and 9 to 11 oz. for after sieve yield).
With a yield of 11.5 oz., the Compact garnered the best after sieve yield among all of the centrifugal juicers we tested. This result is also at least 1 to 2 oz. better than what most slow juicers were able to muster. The best performing slow juicer was the Omega VSJ843QS with a yield of 10.8 oz. – a full 0.7 oz. less than the Compact.
In addition to juicing soft fruits like oranges very well, the Compact can juice hard fruits like apples and hard vegetables like carrots better than most other juicers on the market also. It’s also very easy to clean and a great value at a retail price of approx. $100.
#2 – Omega VSJ843QS
The best slow juicer for juicing soft fruits like oranges is the Omega VSJ843QS. It garnered an out of juicer yield of 10.8 oz. and an after sieve yield of 10.3 oz. Its after sieve yield of 10.3 oz. was the best after sieve yield among the slow juicers we tested. Most other slow juicers garnered an after sieve yield in the 9 to 10 oz. range. For example, the Kuvings B6000S garnered an after sieve yield of only 9.1 oz. The very popular Omega 8006 garnered a result of 9 oz.
Unlike the Kuvings, the Omega VSJ will require you to cut larger soft fruits like oranges into smaller pieces before you can juice them. However, we feel that this extra prep work is well worth the extra yield that this juicer produces.
#3 – Kuvings B6000S
If you want a great slow juicer option for juicing soft fruits and don’t want to spend any time prepping the produce before you juice it, the Kuvings is our recommendation. Its out of juicer yield of 10.1 oz. is on the lower end of the range for slow juicers (most got a result in the 10 to 11 oz. range) and so is its after sieve yield of 9.1 oz. (most slow juicers got a result in the 9 to 10 oz. range). However, these results are better than any other wide mouth slow juicer we tested. The SKG Wide Chute juicer, for example, garnered an out of juicer yield of only 9.5 oz. and an after sieve yield of only 8.3 oz. – 0.8 oz. less than the Kuvings.
The Kuvings is also a very good juicer otherwise. It’s easy to clean, versatile, and durable. If you want to buy a very easy to use slow juicer with reasonably good performance juicing soft fruits the Kuvings is a great option.
Orange Juice Yield For All Tested Models
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Raw Out of Juicer Yield | RAW |
| Pulp Free After Sieve Yield | NOPULP |
| *Each numeric value listed below is a final juice weight in ounces after a starting produce weight of 1 lb. (16 oz.) |
| Slow Juicers | RAW | NOPULP |
|---|---|---|
| GSE | 10.2 | 9.2 |
| Champion | 8 | 6.6 |
| NC800 | 10.4 | 9.2 |
| NJE-3580U | 10 | 9.5 |
| Solostar 4 | 10.3 | 9.5 |
| HB 67950A | 10 | 9 |
| J8004/J8006 | 10.2 | 9 |
| BJS600XL | 11.1 | 10.1 |
| Slowstar | 10.6 | 9.8 |
| VSJ843QS | 10.8 | 10.3 |
| HU-100 | 10.9 | 9.1 |
| B6000S | 10.1 | 9.1 |
| SKG | 9.5 | 8.3 |
| VRT350 | 11.3 | 9.7 |
| Centrifugal Juicers | RAW | NOPULP |
|---|---|---|
| JE98XL Plus | 11.4 | 11.1 |
| BJE820XL Duo | 10.8 | 10.3 |
| 800JEXL Elite | 11 | 10.7 |
| BJE510XL M-Speed | 10.2 | 9.6 |
| BJE200XL Compact | 11.8 | 11.5 |
| Cuisinart CJE-1000 | 9.8 | 8.9 |
| Jamba 67901 | 10.5 | 8.4 |
| HB Big Mouth Pro | 12.4 | 10.1 |
| Dash | 11.7 | 9.6 |
| Big Boss | 10.9 | 10 |
| Bella | 11.8 | 9.8 |
| VonShef | 9.5 | 8.6 |
| Juiceman JM400 | 11.9 | 10.6 |
| Juiceman JM250 | 8.9 | 8 |
| B+D JE2200B | 9.5 | 8.3 |
| Jack Lalanne | 11 | 10 |
| Jason Vale Fusion | 11 | 9.1 |