Juice has become an integral part of many people's diets. A refreshing and tasty way to get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables, juice packs a nutritious punch. With the growing focus on health in recent years, juice bars and bottled juice drinks have become widespread. But with this growth, there needs to be more clarity around the different types of juices available.
The two main categories are normal juice and cold-pressed juice. But what sets them apart? Let's take a closer look at how they differ in production methods and health benefits.
What is normal juice?
Normal juice is the type most people are familiar with seeing in their local grocery stores or ordering from their favourite juice bar. When you grab a bottle of orange juice off the shelf or order a freshly pressed carrot ginger juice, chances are you're getting regular juice. These convenient and tasty juices are made by feeding fruits and vegetables into centrifugal juicers that spin at very high speeds, separating the liquid from the pulp in a process that introduces heat and oxygen.
This exposure starts breaking down some nutrients and ensymes, unlike cold-pressed juice, which retains more micronutrients. However, normal juice still provides beneficial vitamins and minerals, making it healthier than soda or sugary drinks. It's an affordable, accessible way to incorporate fruit and veggie servings into your daily routine.
How is normal juice produced?
The most important part of making normal juice is the centrifugal juicer. These fast-spinning machines are the workhorses that extract juice from all types of fruits and vegetables. Here's how they work their magic:
First, the produce is thoroughly washed and chopped into smaller pieces to fit into the juicer chute. You'll want nice, even chunks so the produce can be properly gripped and fed through the machine.
The pieces of fruit or veggies are then dropped into the juicer chamber. At the bottom is a flat metal blade that spins at breakneck speeds. Surrounding this spinning blade is a mesh filter that catches all the juice once it's extracted.
As soon as those chunks of apple, carrot or kale hit the blades, the high speeds pulverise them into liquid. This juicing action shreds open cell walls and separates the soluble juice from the drier pulp.
Centrifugal force then flings the freed juice through the filter while the pulp stays behind in the machine. The juice flows out one spout, keeping it separate from the compacted pulp release.
This entire juicing process with commercial machines takes less than a minute to yield a glass of normal fruit or vegetable juice.
Reasons to drink normal juice
Here are the main reasons to drink normal juice:
- Affordable & accessible- You can find normal juices at affordable prices in almost any grocery store or cafe. Mass production makes them cost-effective and widely available.
- Packed with produce- Even with some nutrient loss from heat and oxygen exposure during juicing, normal juices still deliver drinkable servings of fruits and veggies.
- Diverse & delicious flavors- Centrifugal juicing allows you to mix and blend all kinds of produce into tantalising combinations. From refreshing citrus to tropical blends, normal juices come in endlessly diverse flavours to please every palate.
What is cold pressed juice?
Cold-pressed juice offers another nutritious juice alternative. This type of juice is made using a much different production method that minimises oxidation, preserving more nutrients. Cold-pressed juices retain more vitamins, enzymes, and minerals than your body needs. These juices offer a nutritious beverage full of micronutrients supporting health and well-being.
How is cold-pressed juice produced?
Unlike mainstream juices made with centrifugal machines, cold-pressed juice relies on a much slower mechanical pressing method to extract liquid from fruits and vegetables. This minimises heat and oxidation, preserving more micronutrients in their natural state.
The process starts similarly - fresh produce is thoroughly washed, chopped, and prepared into consistent chunks that maximise juice yield. Instead of a high-speed stainless steel blade, cold-pressed juices use a slower, hydraulic pressing system to crush and squeeze produce.
The chopped veggies or fruit pieces are placed into a cylindrical pressing chamber lined with a filtration cloth. A mechanical arm with several tons of pressure slowly lowers onto the chamber, compressing the produce inside over 1-2 minutes.
This steady force opens the plant cell walls, enabling the juices to seep gently while the thicker pulp remains behind. There is no heat or friction from rapidly spinning blades or air whipped into the liquid.
The juice passes through small holes in the lining cloth, pouring out into an external jug while the dry pulp stays compressed into a caked puck. Some smaller home juicers require manually pressing the lever for each batch, while commercial machines automate the system for large-scale juice production.
Either way, the key difference lies in the patience of the cold press method. Instead of spinning produce at high velocities, time and steady mechanical pressure do the work of extracting liquid. This makes for a thicker, richer juice full of vitamins, minerals and enzymes unpacked by the slower process. And no heat or oxygen equals minimal nutrient degradation!
Reasons to drink cold pressed juice
Drinking cold pressed juices provides even more benefits over normal varieties thanks to the retention of micronutrients. Here are some of the reasons to pick this type of juice:
- More nutrients: The most notable benefit comes from far higher vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant levels than normal juices. Lower speeds and temperatures preserve these essential micronutrients. Your body can more easily absorb and utilise nutrients from cold pressed juice than from heavily processed varieties.
- Higher enzyme levels: Enzymes help facilitate many essential biological processes and chemical reactions in the body. The mechanical production of cold pressed juice retains more enzymes than high-speed normal juicing. These enzymes aid digestion and boost your metabolism.
- No additives: You'll also avoid unhealthy additives by drinking most cold pressed juices. As they preserve nutrients for longer without oxidising, companies rarely add preservatives. Cold-pressed juices typically only contain one or two ingredients - just pure fruits and vegetables.
Difference between cold-pressed juice vs normal juice
When juicing fruits and vegetables into a refreshing, nutritious beverage, you have two options: normal juice or cold-pressed juice. They may seem similar on the surface - both juices provide great flavour and nutrition. However, some key differences exist in their production and the resulting nutrient quality. Here's an easy breakdown:
1. Production method
The starkest difference lies in the production method. Normal juices feed produce into centrifugal juicers that rapidly spin to separate liquid from the pulp. These high speeds introduce heat and oxygen, breaking down vitamins and enzymes.
Cold pressed juices forgo the high-velocity blades and use hydraulically pressed force to crush fruits and veggies to squeeze out juice slowly instead. The cold press process minimises heat, friction, and oxygen, preserving more micronutrients.
2. Juicing speed
That production difference means vastly different juicing speeds. A centrifugal juicer spins produce at up to 13,000 RPM to extract juice in seconds. Rapid throughput but far more oxidation.
Cold press machines press produce between 2 metal plates with several tons of force. The juice is gently squeezed out over 1-2 minutes instead of mere seconds. It is a slower process but with less nutrient degradation.
3. Oxidation levels
The high speeds of normal juicing whip air into the juices, introducing more oxygen. This oxidation causes nutrients like vitamins C and A to degrade over time. Cold pressed juice has minimal oxygen exposure during the gentle pressing process.
4. Nutrient Levels
Thanks to less oxidation and nutrient damage, cold pressed juices retain higher levels of micronutrients like vitamins, minerals, and enzymes naturally found in the raw fruits and veggies. Normal juices still offer nutrients, but proportionally less due to high-speed heat and air exposure.
5. Texture & taste
You may notice texture and taste differences too. Because cold pressed juices retain more beneficial fiber and nutrients, they have a thicker, richer mouthfeel. Flavour also comes through more intensely. Normal juices tend to be lighter and brighter.
6. Price and accessibility
The slower production process means cold pressed juice is more expensive and less accessible than normal varieties you can grab at any grocery store or cafe. But for the health-conscious, maximising micronutrients is worth the cost.
What to choose between normal and cold pressed juice
It depends on a few personal factors. Cold pressed juice retains more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients thanks to gentler production methods. But it comes at a steep price, often costing double or even triple normal juice! If you're on a budget or need juice regularly, normal varieties offer an affordable, richer alternative than soda. Cold pressed also has a thicker texture and bolder flavour due to higher fibre and pulp content. If you prefer lighter, sweeter drinks, normal juices will likely satisfy your tastebuds.
Health nuts who exercise or follow strict diets may want to splurge on cold pressed juice to maximise nutritional intake. For accessibility's sake, normal juices win hands down thanks to mass availability in all grocery stores. Go with what fits your budget, tastes, and health goals. Just like with produce, some juice is better than none.
Conclusion
Both normal and cold-pressed juices have nutritious benefits that beat out unhealthy beverages. Normal juices provide an accessible and budget-friendly way to drink fruit and veggie blends you'll enjoy. Cold-pressed juices utilise a far more nutritious mechanical production method that preserves enzymes, vitamins and antioxidants. While less accessible and pricier, they offer superior nutrient levels. Depending on your budget, preferences, and goals around enjoyment versus optimal nutrition, weigh these key differences to choose the best juice for your lifestyle.
