What are the Easiest Juicers to Clean?

Juicing is messy business. But it’s also healthy! So, when you’re looking for the best juicer to buy to start your juicing journey, an important part of that search is to pick one that is easy to use and simple to clean.
So, to that end, I’ve decided to write the one stop, end all article that will cover the problem of messy juicers and tell you in simple terms what are the easiest juicers to clean.

TL,DR

Here’s the quick takeaway for people who just want the picks. Go with an auger juicer, something like this really popualr model.

Just read the reviews on Amazon, people who juice everday don’t have the time for a hard to clean juicer, which is why Omega is such a popular brand. And now they come super affordable, like this model which is cheap but better than many expensive brands!

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You won’t find much here discussing slow vs fast juicers, or what is the cheapest juicer, or the benefits of an auger juicer vs a masticating juicer. No, the only thing I’m going to focus on here is how easy a juicer is to clean.
If the juicer isn’t easy to clean….It won’t be on my list.

That said, I do want to cover only the best juicers. I never like reviewing substandard juicers just to review them. If you don’t see me cover a juicer, odds are it’s not a good juicer. There are simply too many to cover and review, especially since the factories have started to capitalize on the popularity of Omega and Greenstar juicers.
I will cover a centrifugal juicer, simply because these juicers are so darn popular. They aren’t my favorites, and I’ve covered why I don’t like them at length. But I can’t argue that these machines are going to dominate the industry for some reason and so I’ve included what I believe to be the best made of the bunch that is also the easiest to clean.

Design Makes A Difference: Which Are The Easiest To Clean?

(My pick for the easiest to clean juicer)

My little tangent above makes a nice segue into a discussion on which juicers are inherently easier to clean. Simply stated, an auger juicer is always going to be easier to clean than a centrifugal juicer. It’s all in the design.

If you think about how an auger juicer extracts juice, it will be simple to understand why they are easier to clean. An auger juicer presses juice out of the fruit or vegetables. Augers squeeze/press or masticate (which is why they are often called masticating juicers in many adverts).

On the other hand, a centrifugal juicer is going to use small sharp blades in a cutting disc to chop up the vegetables and spin the juice out. It’s a more messy process.

That’s why for most people I recommend buying a masticating juicer. The only exception is if you’re planning on buying a top of the line brand such as Breville as opposed to some off-brand auger juicer made in a junky factory. I won’t mention the cheap brand auger juicers, but if you’re not getting Omega, Greenstar, or Kuvings…let’s just say you’re rolling the dice on product quality.

Does Brand Matter When It comes To How Easy It Is To Clean?

In some sense, yes, brands do matter when it comes to how easy a juicer is to clean. As far as I am concerned, the masticating juicers made by the top brands are easier to clean than the cheap brands that make centrifugal juicers. But not all of the top brand juicers are easy to clean.

Some brands make super durable machines that are excellent at extracting a lot of juice. But that doesn’t mean that they are easy to clean.

There are brands that make “self cleaning juicers”. While I’m not personally a fan of these juicers simply because I like the most streamlined process and less bells and whistles, they do have a place. Some people like to own complicated machines that have been heavily engineered. That’s not me, I prefer a simple hard working juicer like the Omega Vertical, but if you’re a fan of wipers (I’m looking at you Breville!)

But basically, the major brands are going to make better machines. They are going to be stronger, easier to clean, most often times dishwasher safe, and for all intents and purposes, an easier to clean juicer.

Are Masticating Juicers Easier To Clean?

I’m a big proponent of auger juicers because I find that masticating juicers produce a healthier juicer. They also produce more juice. And that’s important in the grand scheme of things. You want to maximize juice efficiency when you are pressing fruit and vegetables.

But besides all of the reasons that I normally recommend that you buy an auger juicer, the fact is that they are easier to clean. Masticating juicers are, by and large, the easiest to clean juicers on the market.

The reason that masticating juicers are easier to clean than standard juicers has everything to do with their design. A simple primer in how the two juicers extract juice will be helpful in illustrating the difference.

Masticating juicers extract juice by pressing it with extreme power. The auger crushes or presses the liquid out and then the pulp is pushed out of the juicer.

Standard juicers work by cutting the fruit and vegetables into tiny little pieces. These tiny pieces can get clogged in the filter screen. That’s why most standard juicers supply a scrubbing brush for you to use to clean them out.

Auger juicer, on the other hand, are simply to clean. You only have to take the auger and remove it from the juicer and wash it under running water. Or you can toss it in your dish washer if the manufacturer has designed it to be dish washer safe.

I own and use an Omega juicer. And I don’t use a dishwasher. All I do is rinse off the auger and the attachments under running water and then let them dry in the dish rack. It’s super easy (much easier than washing out a food processor or a blender).

The Easy To Clean Rankings and How I Chose

The list below is going to be my personal list of the blenders that are easiest to clean. So, it’s important to let you know how I chose them. I only own one of these blenders, but I wanted to spend as much time researching them, speaking with friends who have or had these particular models, and provide you with as much information as is possible to help you make an informed decision.

I looked at the following:

How fast it is to disassemble the juicer to clean it.

If you can clean the juicer in a dishwasher.

If the juicer can be cleaned off using simple running water.

If you have to scrub the juicer in any way or if the juice and pulp simply slide off.

Basically, the more effort required to clean the juicer, the lower the ranking.

 

Omega Vertical Juicer- Easiest Juicer to Clean

This is my personal juicer and it’s the one I think is the easiest to clean. The simple reason that I have listed this model up top as the easiest to clean juicer is due to it’s simplicity.

The Omega has the fewest moving parts, the strongest build, and is the fastest to take apart.

Besides that, the simplicity of the omega design creates for an unusual juicing process. There is almost never pulp that requires hard scrubbing to come off the auger or mesh screen. I can simply wash off the pieces under running water. Then I let them air dry in the dish rack.

The Omega juicers do come with a small brush (the one that came with my juicer resembles a very sturdy toothbrush) that you can use to scrub the juicer and auger with soap.

While I don’t scrub the juicer every time, I do it occasionally so that there is no bacteria stuck on parts of the juicer.

Overall, the Omega juicer is the fastest and easiest to clean. It makes it super easy to juice, which is important since the more time it takes to clean your juicer, the less likely it is that you’re going to take it out again and juice with it.

And yes, you can use a dishwasher, even though I handwasher my Omega.

 

Tribest Greenstar- 2^nd Easiest Juicer to Clean

I’m listing the Tribest line as the second easiest to clean dishwashers simply because they have a double auger design…so they have twice the auger to clean. In all actuality, it only takes a few extra seconds. Otherwise, it could rank on par with the Omega.

The Tribest juicers are the priciest juicers on the market, but you get what you pay for. They are for people who like Rolex watches, Porsche automobiles, and bespoke suits. Basically, if you want the best crafted and highest functioning juicers, you will want to walk over to the Tribest section.

My Omega I would consider a super workhorse, but it doesn’t cost as much or have as much “glamour”. The double auger design of the Tribest puts it in the Rolls Royce.

But when it comes time to disassemble and clean the Tibest, it’s rather straightforward. The entire juicer can be taken apart and cleaned super fast. And you can clean the washable parts in a dishwasher as well.

(Never wash the actual motor/body in a dishwasher, it should go without saying).

 

Kuvings Slow Juicer- 3^rd Easiest Juicer To Clean

The Kuvings slow juicer is one of the best and most popular masticating juicers on the market. It was one of the first brands to come out with a vertical design, which many others copied. And it also pioneered the wide mouth design. However, those two designs which are so helpful for juicing also add a bit of time when it comes to cleaning the juicer.

First, the Kuvings has a unique straining technology. This is great for juicing, but it does make for more than a fast rinse. You will want to take the straining basket out and use the brush to remove any pulp.

That said, if you’re looking for vertical juicer that can make smooth sorbets and juices, then this would be a great option. Just be aware that it will take a few extra seconds (literally, it’s seconds we are talking about with most of these juicers) to clean.

It’s also dishwasher safe! I give this (and the Omega and Tribest) all 5 stars.

Breville 800JEXL – 4^th Easiest Juicer to Clean

 Ok, so by now you know that I am not the biggest fan of juicers that are not using a masticating technology. Basically, if the juicer isn’t an auger juicer that utilizes a press method, than I would not recommend using it. But…people still buy standard juicers and I don’t want to totally neglect them.

So, that said, I figured I would review the standard juicers and pick out the one that is the best of the bunch and then also let you know how the clean up goes.

So, the Breville juicer is actually pretty good as far as standard juicers go. People tend to like how efficient it is. And honestly, these juicers have come a long way from when I was using them years and years ago. Simply put, the juice that you get from a Breville is going to be pretty good when you compare it to other basic juicers.

Breville is an excellent brand. There’s nothing to complain about regarding the quality of their product. The only thing you can complain about is that they still focus on the classic centrifugal juicers. That’s not my personal preference, as you are likely tired of hearing by now.

But Jay, how does it clean up? Ok…ok.

So, I have to admit, the Breville juicer is actually pretty easy to clean up when you get right down to it. Most people tend to toss the washable parts into their dishwasher when they are through.

I have fond memories of washing out the cutting wheel under the sink and using a brush to clean it. My old standard model never took too long to clean (maybe two minutes tops!) and the most time was spent making sure that there was no juice on the juice spout ( I went through too many paper towels to count).

The modern designs, including the Breville, make it so that you won’t have much spillage and no mess.

So, this is my personal favorite of the standard juicers (the fact that it has two speeds, a slow one for slow juicing, is the main reason I endorse the Breville over other standard juicers).

 

The Zulay Citrus Juicer-Easiest To Clean Citrus Juicer

Even though my focus is on green juices (hence the reason I named by site BEST JUICER FOR LEAFZY GREENS….really subtle) I do understand that many people simply juice oranges or grapefruits for fresh morning juices. And that’s fair enough.

If you’re going to be making orange juice or grapefruit juice, you are not going to be juicing the rind and so you will want a citrus juicer. I even have an old citrus juicer (two actually) that I use to juice lemons for cooking or lemonade. I do juice whole lemons in my green drinks, but when I am making juices that are just lemon, or orange or grapefruit, a citrus juicer is the best.

And citrus juicers can be really tricky to juice. They are more sneaky then you would think. And don’t you dare leave them to dry. Have you ever tried to remove the dried lemon pulp from a citrus juicer? It’s not that easy.

Anyways, I suggest you get a citrus juicer that is press activated instead of the hand press method that I use. If you’re going to be pressing and juicing several oranges, it is better to us something such as Zulay.

The Zulay is super fast to clean. It’s stainless steel, which means that you can clean it with water and not have to worry about it rusting if it’s not dried 100 percent.  (if you want to learn how to clean stainless steel, Consumer Reports has a good overview)Consumer Reports has a good overview) Also, it has removable parts and is dishwasher safe. So, you can also clean it with your dishwasher if you’re so inclined.

 

Updates:

Since I first wrote this article, I wrote a new updated guide that you can also review. It covers much of the same info, but has some unique vids that demonstarate some of the juicer recomendations.

My picks in 2024 are a bit different, but the criteria is the same. Chose an auger juicer, and make sure you get one from a well known brand. The brands are still mostly the same, with Omgea still leading the pack.