People who want to make fresh fruit and vegetable juices at home have several different types of machines from which to choose. There is no juicer that is designed only for juicing carrots. Instead, a carrot juicer can handle a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, from hard vegetables such as carrots to leafy greens, including spinach and kale. To find the best juicer, you should consider what type of juicer it is, how much horsepower it has, how easy it is to use and clean, and how easy it will be to maintain or repair.
Manual press juicers are usually the least expensive type of juicer since the user provides the pressure to squeeze juice from the food. This type of juicer is typically not recommended for carrots and other hard vegetables, but may work well for soft vegetables and fruits. At the other end of the spectrum are hydraulic press juicers that grind the food and apply pressure automatically to extract the most possible juice. These are suitable for almost any type of fruit or vegetable, and usually cost much more than other types of juicers.
The most common home carrot juicer comes in two basic types: centrifugal and masticating. Centrifugal juicers spin the food over blades to grind it up and extract the juice. Masticating juicers grind the food in a manner similar to the way people chew, without the spinning found in centrifugal styles. Less heat is usually generated in masticating juicers because they grind the food more slowly. Juicers that generate a lot of heat can change the taste of the juice, create a lot of foam and cause oxidation that decreases the nutrient content in the juice.
In general, the main differences in these types of carrot juicers are caused by the way they grind the food. Masticating juicers typically take longer, but they also make less noise because of the slower grinding action; this also can help preserve the quality of the juice. An extremely high-speed masticating carrot juicer, however, may be able to generate enough heat to lower the quality of the juice. A horsepower rating in the 450-watt range is considered a good medium-speed juicer that has enough power to handle hard foods without going so fast that the quality is compromised.
Other important features to consider when choosing a carrot juicer are such things as how easy it is to use and clean. Additionally, finding one with a larger chute will mean less preparation and chopping. Choosing a juicer with removable parts generally makes cleanup easier and is worth considering for those who plan to juice frequently. Finally, choosing a quality brand that has a warranty and readily available replacement parts means that it will probably be easier to repair or replace if it malfunctions.