Quick Answer
America's Test Kitchen tested 9 electric juicers on more than 95 lbs of produce and found the real decision isn't oxidation — it's what you're juicing (americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2315-electric-juicers). Centrifugal juicers out-yielded masticating on dense produce like carrots (7.9 oz vs. 6.5 oz from the same batch), while masticating juicers crushed centrifugal on leafy greens like kale (5.6 oz vs. just 2.8 oz). ATK's centrifugal winner is the Breville Juice Fountain Cold (about $178 as tested, commonly $199.95+ today), and its masticating winner is the Omega VSJ843QS (about $399.95 as tested, often $599.95+ now). One real safety note: PowerXL recalled roughly 479,900 self-cleaning juicers in June 2023 after 261 rupture reports.
This is the eighteenth stop in our countertop-appliance series, after the countertop convection oven, the countertop microwave, the deep fryer, the bread maker, the waffle maker, the electric griddle, the electric skillet, the espresso machine, the pressure cooker, the coffee maker, the rice cooker, the toaster, the stand mixer, the panini press, the sandwich maker, the food processor, and the blender. This time the marketing claim being tested is "cold-press" itself.
Quick Comparison: Best Juicers of 2026
| Model | Type | Best For | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breville Juice Fountain Cold | Centrifugal | Dense produce (ATK winner) | $178 tested / $199.95+ now |
| Omega VSJ843QS | Masticating (vertical) | Leafy greens (ATK winner) | $399.95 tested / $599.95+ now |
| NutriBullet Juicer | Centrifugal | Budget everyday juicing | $99.99 |
| Breville Citrus Press | Citrus reamer/press | Lemons, oranges, grapefruit | $199.95-$276.99 |
| Cuisinart Pulp Control (CCJ-500P1) | Citrus reamer | Budget citrus | $39.95 |
The 5 Best Juicers
1. Breville Juice Fountain Cold (BJE430SIL) — Best Overall / ATK Centrifugal Winner
America's Test Kitchen's centrifugal winner (americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2315-electric-juicers) was "fast, powering through a pound of carrots in 34 seconds" and produced smooth juice while containing debris well — a common complaint with cheaper centrifugal machines. ATK's tested price was $178; current retail listings (Crate & Barrel and others) run closer to $199.95, so shop around before assuming the tested price is what you'll pay. It uses a spinning mesh basket to shred and fling juice out by centrifugal force, which is why it's fast on hard produce but weaker on leafy greens (more on that below).
Type: Centrifugal · Speed: ~34 sec/lb on carrots
Best For: Apples, carrots, and other dense produce, fast turnaround
Check Breville Juice Fountain Cold Price on Amazon →
Whatever's going in the juicer still has to come from the store first — try Amazon Fresh for produce delivery instead of another trip.
2. Omega VSJ843QS Vertical Square Low-Speed — Best for Greens / ATK Masticating Winner
ATK's masticating winner was "the fastest masticating juicer" in its test group and produced "silky-smooth juice," at roughly 1.5 minutes per pound of carrots — slower than centrifugal, but that slow crush is exactly why it more than doubles juice yield from leafy greens like kale compared to a centrifugal machine. ATK's tested price was $399.95; an authorized Omega retailer currently lists it at $599.95, a meaningful jump worth confirming before you buy. A single auger presses rather than shreds produce, which is gentler on fibrous greens and wheatgrass.
Type: Masticating (single auger) · Speed: ~1.5 min/lb on carrots
Best For: Leafy greens, wheatgrass, daily juicing
3. NutriBullet Juicer — Best Budget
Confirmed directly on NutriBullet's own site: an 800-watt centrifugal juicer priced at $99.99. It won't match the ATK-tested Breville on speed or contained-debris cleanliness, but it covers the basics of everyday apple- and carrot-style juicing at roughly half the Breville's current street price, without stepping up to a masticating machine's cost or slower pace.
Type: Centrifugal · Motor: 800W
Best For: Occasional juicing on a tight budget
Check NutriBullet Juicer Price →
4. Breville Citrus Press (BCP600SIL) — Best Citrus Juicer
Citrus is a different juicing problem entirely — no shredding or crushing, just reaming and pressing — and ATK's citrus-juicer winner "pressed citrus of all sizes smoothly and effortlessly," pulling a 38.45% juice yield from lemons in 3 minutes 23 seconds using a pointy reamer and pulp-pushing tabs. ATK's tested price was $199.95; current listings range as high as $276.99 depending on retailer. Notably, Breville's own pricier Citrus Press Pro (about $279.95) was slower and yielded less juice in ATK's testing than this cheaper model — a reminder that a higher price tag doesn't automatically mean better extraction.
Type: Citrus reamer/press · Yield: 38.45% from lemons (ATK)
Best For: Lemons, oranges, grapefruit — not whole-produce juicing
Check Breville Citrus Press Price →
5. Cuisinart Pulp Control Citrus Juicer (CCJ-500P1) — Best Budget Citrus
At roughly $39.95, this is a fraction of the Breville Citrus Press's price for shoppers who only need citrus juicing occasionally rather than daily. A pulp-control dial lets you choose how much pulp makes it into the glass — useful if the household is split on preference. It's not ATK-tested, so treat it as a manufacturer-sourced budget alternative rather than a lab-verified pick.
Type: Citrus reamer · Feature: Adjustable pulp control
Best For: Occasional citrus juicing on a budget
Check Cuisinart Citrus Juicer Price →
Centrifugal vs. Masticating: The Real Difference Isn't Oxidation
Cold-press marketing leans hard on a claim that masticating juicers preserve more nutrients because they don't heat or oxidize the juice the way a fast-spinning centrifugal juicer supposedly does. America's Test Kitchen tested that claim directly and it didn't hold up: centrifugal juicers "did not produce notably warmer juice" than masticating ones, and juice quality in storage declined at a similar rate for both types within 4 days. The real, testing-verified difference is about produce, not oxidation — centrifugal's high-speed shredding beats masticating on dense produce like carrots (7.9 oz vs. 6.5 oz of juice from the same batch), while masticating's slow crush more than doubles the yield from leafy greens like kale (5.6 oz vs. 2.8 oz). Same pattern this series flagged with blender wattage claims: the number in the marketing isn't the number that predicts the result.
Citrus Juicers Are a Different Machine Entirely
Don't run oranges and lemons through a centrifugal or masticating juicer built for whole produce and expect citrus-juicer results — the mechanism is different. Citrus juicers ream or press fruit against a cone or grate rather than shredding or crushing it, and ATK tests them as a wholly separate category (americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1577-electric-citrus-juicers). If citrus is most of what you juice, a dedicated citrus press like the Breville above will out-yield a general-purpose juicer built for carrots and kale.
Have Juicers Been Recalled?
Yes — this is a category with a real, current recall worth knowing about. PowerXL recalled about 479,900 Self-Cleaning Juicers (models SHL90-SC and SHL96) in June 2023. The juicers were sold between September 2020 and August 2022 at Walmart, Amazon, BJ's, CVS, Kohl's, Marshalls, Target, and TJ Maxx for $65-$100. The hazard: the juicer could rupture during operation, causing lacerations and debris-ingestion risk. CPSC logged 261 rupture reports, 47 of which required stitches or emergency care. None of the models recommended in this guide are PowerXL units. This is a different category from the portable bottle-blender recalls (BlendJet 2, Vivitar Blender Bottle) flagged in our blender guide — don't conflate the two when checking whether a specific appliance you own is affected.
How to Choose (4 Steps)
1. Decide what you're juicing most. Mostly apples, carrots, and dense produce — go centrifugal, it's faster and cheaper. Mostly leafy greens or wheatgrass — go masticating, the slow crush more than doubles your yield on that produce.
2. Ignore "cold-press" oxidation claims as a health argument. ATK's own testing found no meaningful heat difference between juicer types and similar juice-quality decline in storage regardless of which one you use. Choose based on produce yield, not oxidation marketing.
3. Keep citrus juicing separate from your main decision. If lemons and oranges are a big part of your routine, budget for a dedicated citrus press rather than expecting a whole-produce juicer to do that job well.
4. Factor in cleanup before you buy. ATK found "every juicer in our lineup takes some elbow grease to clean thoroughly" — filter screens trap pulp and dishwashers are often not fully effective. A juicer you don't want to clean is a juicer that ends up in a cabinet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best juicer in 2026?
America's Test Kitchen tested 9 electric juicers on more than 95 lbs of produce (americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2315-electric-juicers). Its centrifugal winner is the Breville Juice Fountain Cold (about $178 as tested, commonly $199.95+ today), and its masticating winner is the Omega VSJ843QS Vertical Square Low-Speed (about $399.95 as tested, often $599.95+ at current retailers).
Is cold-press juice actually less oxidized and healthier?
Not the way it's usually marketed. America's Test Kitchen directly tested this claim and found centrifugal juicers did not produce notably warmer juice than masticating ones, and stored juice quality declined at a similar rate in both types within 4 days. The oxidation-and-heat pitch behind cold-press marketing did not hold up in their testing.
What's the real difference between centrifugal and masticating juicers?
It comes down to what you're juicing, not oxidation. ATK's testing found centrifugal juicers extracted more juice from dense produce like carrots (7.9 oz vs. 6.5 oz from the same batch), while masticating juicers extracted roughly double the juice from leafy greens like kale (5.6 oz vs. 2.8 oz). Centrifugal is faster and cheaper; masticating is slower but far better with greens and wheatgrass.
Have juicers been recalled?
Yes. PowerXL recalled about 479,900 Self-Cleaning Juicers (models SHL90-SC and SHL96) in June 2023 after 261 reports of the juicer rupturing during use, 47 of which required stitches or emergency care. None of the models recommended in this guide are affected. Always check a specific model against cpsc.gov before buying a used or discounted unit.
What's the best budget juicer?
The NutriBullet Juicer (about $99.99, 800W centrifugal) is a solid budget pick confirmed directly on NutriBullet's own site. It won't match the ATK-tested Breville Juice Fountain Cold on speed or yield, but it covers the basics of apple- and carrot-style juicing without the higher price of a masticating machine.
Do I need a separate citrus juicer?
If citrus is most of what you juice, yes — a dedicated citrus juicer (a reamer or press mechanism) outperforms running lemons and oranges through a centrifugal or masticating machine built for whole produce. ATK's citrus winner is the Breville Citrus Press (about $199.95 as tested), with the Cuisinart Pulp Control Citrus Juicer (about $39.95) as a budget alternative.
The Bottom Line
Buy the Breville Juice Fountain Cold ($178 tested / $199.95+ now) if you're mostly juicing apples, carrots, and other dense produce and want speed. Buy the Omega VSJ843QS ($399.95 tested / $599.95+ now) if leafy greens and wheatgrass are a regular part of your routine. Buy the NutriBullet Juicer ($99.99) if you just want an affordable entry point. And if citrus is the real use case, skip the whole-produce juicers entirely and get the Breville Citrus Press ($199.95-$276.99) or the budget Cuisinart Pulp Control ($39.95) instead — just don't buy into "cold-press" as a health claim on its own.
