You may have begun your search for a juicer and found yourself confused by the different levels of motor wattage that are available. I know I felt confused when I first began researching. “I easily understand wattage when it comes to batteries and light bulbs, but what does it mean when it comes to juicers?” I thought to myself.
Some of the first juicers I looked at boasted about their 400 and 600-watt motors. The marketers worked hard to make it sound as if a 400-watt motor was the best kind of motor you could ask for in a juicer. Those marketers were good – they almost convinced me. I am, however, the eternal skeptic; I make it my mission to uncover the truth about a product before I purchase it.
I have learned the hard way not to trust a commercial or any other form of advertisement. I hate to admit it, but I have actually learned the hard way more than once. Hence, I have made a commitment to myself not to allow it to happen again. Hopefully through websites such as this one other people can learn to avoid those mistakes.
So, what do you need to know about motor wattage to help keep you from making a mistake with your juicer purchase? First, it is important to know what options you have. It is also important to know how wattage relates to processing different types of food and how much food can be juiced without the device overheating. Finally, it is important to consider cost.
The Options
Most juicers are available with one of seven different levels of motor wattage: 400, 600, 700, 800, 850, 900 or 1000. As you may have guessed, 1000-watt motors are the most powerful option and 400-watt motors are the least powerful.
Soft Foods Versus Hard Foods
The harder a food is to chew, the more difficult it is for a juicer to break it down and extract juice from it. Higher wattage is required for more difficult tasks, such as breaking down hard foods. Therefore, although a 400 or 600-watt juicer would be capable of breaking down soft foods like berries and oranges, you will likely require something over 800 watts if you intend to juice hard foods such as carrots or apples.
The type of juicer is also an important consideration in this equation – centrifugal juicers require more power to do the exact same task as a masticating juicer. Therefore, while you may require an 850 to1000-watt motor to break down hard foods in a centrifugal juicer, a masticating juicer may only require a 700 to 900-watt motor to do the same task.
Bulk Concerns
Even if you intend to juice only soft foods such as berries or oranges, the amount of juicing you intend to do should also be considered. Low-wattage motors can easily overheat if you run them for extended periods of time. Occasionally creating a glass of juice for yourself with a 400-watt juicer is of no concern, while juicing in large quantities may require a higher-powered motor.
Cost
Many people gravitate toward low-wattage juicers because they are considerably cheaper than high-wattage juicers. Some people gravitate toward high-wattage juicers because they believe that more is better. I invite you to consider your intentions before doing either. If you plan to use your juicer to make only single glasses of juice created from soft foods, you do not need to spend the extra money on one with a high-wattage motor. If you intend to create large batches of juice and/or plan to juice hard foods such as carrots and apples, you should consider spending the money to purchase a higher-watt juicer which will not overheat.
