AUGER AND CENTRIFUGE
Previously, many were stopped by the need to disassemble, clean and wash a huge unit after a minute of preparing juice from a couple of apples and oranges. The advent of auger juicers has partially simplified this problem: compared to centrifugal juicers, they are compact and less dirty. But how many consumers know what auger devices are?
Educational program among readers “Consumer. HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES” was conducted back in the fall of 2013
Let me briefly remind you what the essence of the matter is.
The central part of the auger juicer is a large auger with grooves-paths along which vegetables or fruits descend in a spiral. And “on the way” down, the products are crushed and ground. In the bowl, at the very bottom, there is a special outlet for the pulp, and a little higher there is a hole for the juice to flow out. To prevent the juice from irrigating the squeezed pulp, the two substances are separated by a silicone “cap”.
The auger rotates very slowly. If we compare with centrifugal juicers: in auger models there are no traces of thousands of revolutions per minute, it’s good if it reaches a hundred. What are the advantages of a “slow” spin? As a user, I can say: the pulp in auger juicers is unusually dry, and more juice is obtained – this can be seen from the filled glasses.
Three years have passed, and auger juicers have now become an equal position in the market and are in the line of every major company. And now experts have become participants in a new discussion: which juice is more healthy and correct – one obtained at low speeds in a screw device or one that is instantly prepared in a centrifugal one.
To increase interest in their technology and tip the scales towards the auger, many companies began to talk about “cold-pressed juice”, drawing an analogy with olive oil. To be honest, this seems like a marketing ploy to me. One thing I can say for sure.
as an experienced juicer who has tested twenty to thirty juicers in my life, including citrus presses: auger juicers are suitable for everyday preparation of small quantities of juice, while centrifugal ones, especially with a loading hatch into which a whole apple is placed, indispensable during such a “disaster” as the apple year.
This summer, for example, my sister became the owner of a bucket of apples every day for a couple of months. In such a situation, it is no longer clear whether to rejoice at what is happening or, as in one of the cartoons, exclaim: “Enough!”
But! She has a centrifugal juicer, which became the main household appliance in the house during this period. Without her it would have been completely miserable. But on winter days she, forgotten, gets bored on the mezzanine.
It is ideal when there are two juicers in the house: one – large – for summer preparations, the second – small – for every day.
Does a small juicer have to be an auger? Basically no. In the assortment of some manufacturers you can find compact centrifugal models (there is one of these in our test), which you don’t mind getting dirty for a small amount of products.
SLOWLY BUT SURELY
Screw juicers are still crowding out centrifugal juicers. What are their advantages from the consumer’s point of view?
The most important thing, in my opinion, is that they are omnivores: tomatoes, grapes, carrots, currants, pomegranates – everything can be turned into juice, there are practically no restrictions on products. It was the ability to fearlessly prepare grape and pomegranate juices that at one time became the decisive factor for me when choosing a screw juicer.
However, there is an important limitation: auger devices prepare juice with pulp. It is clear that some amount of it is also present in the juice from centrifugal devices. But there the pulp is crushed “into dust”, and its quantity is minimal, but here there is many times more of it, and you can feel it. Interestingly, only one of the manufacturers (see our test) thought to equip their model with a strainer, which is attached to the juice container and can be used to filter it.
YOUNG GRANDMOTHERS AND MATURE GRAND DAUGHTERS
In general, if we talk about auger juicers as a type of equipment, I will take the liberty of saying that we are now dealing with the third generation of these devices.
The first, at least on the Russian market, were auger juicers from South Korean brands. There were few of them, a sort of curiosity, and not cheap. One company did not display its product in stores at all, but sold it through presentations and demonstrations.
But the monopoly was destroyed when they learned to make augers in China. There were a lot of auger juicers, and most of them were similar to each other, like twins. Perhaps, at that time, only Moulinet tried to come up with something of its own, the rest copied the prototype. Thanks to the massive breakthrough, auger juicers have become significantly cheaper and become available to a huge number of people.
And now the third generation. Structurally, little has changed: auger, filter, one control button. Ergonomics have improved: 2016 juicers are faster and easier to assemble and disassemble. The devices have become even more compact and quieter. Many manufacturers now have the ability to wash most accessories, including the filter and auger, in dishwashers. Some change the controls: use sensors, sound signals, etc.
All juicers are now equipped with an anti-drip system: an accessory that, simply put, plugs the spout so that the last drops of juice remain inside and do not drip onto the countertop or tablecloth.
And now auger juicers sit side by side with centrifugal models, allowing consumers to choose not between brands, but between devices, based on their preferences.
