By Megan Krigbaum

When you shop for an electric juicer, you'll find a few different types, including citrus, masticating and centrifugal. We polled top bartenders on the models they rely on now to produce fresh juices on demand.

While Sunkist's citrus juicers have an undeniable and devoted following among bar pros, we focused on testing masticating and centrifugal juicers. You can use both to juice peeled citrus, and they have broader applications, too, processing everything from cucumbers and ginger to fresh herbs and peak summer peaches into juice you can use in cocktails and non-alcoholic mixed drinks--or just guzzle on its own. Many of today's juicers can also be used to make nut milks -- which certainly seems virtuous but can also be a pathway to homemade orgeat syrup for your Mai Tais.

Our list of standouts came down to these three juicers, each at a different price point.

Omega All in One Nutrition System Cold Press Juicer ($250)

This masticating juicer has many parts, but it's relatively easy to clean -- much of it can go in the dishwasher. And since it's blade-less, you won't risk slicing your hand. Of the juicers we tested, this was the quietest and slowest, an important trait when it comes to cold-pressing. The yield impressed us, especially with ingredients like apples and cucumbers. This is the machine used at New York's Le Veau d'Or and the key to its Trou Normand cocktail, made with Granny Smith apple juice and freezer-cold Blanche Armagnac.

The Breville Juice Fountain Cold XL (From $400)

Breville cold-press juicers have found a following among bartenders both for their speed and the way they aerate juices. At Public Parking in Madison, Wis., co-owner JR Mocanu swears by this one for juicing limes for daiquiris, among many other uses. "We peel the fruit and throw the whole lime in. It gets a little bitterness from the pith and adds a ton of air to give the cocktail a frothy, pillowy texture," he said. While most juicers require you to do a lot of chopping, this one's chute is so wide we found we could drop in whole beets, apples and even a quartered pineapple. Available in a variety of different colors, it lives up to its XL name with a 70-ounce pitcher, nice for entertaining.

Goodnature Hummingbird Pro ($2,900)

Produced by a family-run company in Buffalo, N.Y., the Hummingbird is an appliance to keep on the countertop. Large, heavy and incredibly efficient, this computer-run machine has found its way into many top juice bars around the country. "I'm convinced [it] could even juice a rock," said Natasha Bermudez, bar director for the new Printemps in New York City. She's relying on custom-made Hummingbirds to create both healthy "elixirs" and cocktail syrups made from pineapple, celery, ginger and more. Its two-step process -- grinding, then cold pressing -- results in very fresh, flavorful juices and nut milks, too. Since all the pulp is pressed into a compostable, disposable bag, clean-up is simple.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 03, 2025 15:00 ET (19:00 GMT)

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