Juicer vs Juice Extractor

There is no difference. "Juicer" and "juice extractor" describe the same category of appliance, and no standards body, manufacturer or retailer defines a boundary between them. Brands pick whichever word they prefer: Hamilton Beach sells a "Juice Extractor" that is centrifugal, Omega sells a "Juicer" that is masticating, Breville sells a "Juice Fountain" that is centrifugal. If you are comparing two machines, the words to compare are masticating and centrifugal.

Where the two words came from

Both are descriptive rather than technical. "Juicer" is the plain-English word. "Extractor" entered the category as marketing -- it sounds more industrial and more thorough, and it tends to appear on centrifugal machines in the lower price bands, though not reliably enough to be a rule. Our own registry has counterexamples in both directions, which is the clearest proof that the distinction is not real.

You will meet the same problem with "slow juicer", "cold press juicer" and "masticating juicer", which are three names for one mechanism. Juicer vs cold press deals with that trio specifically, and cold press vs masticating shows they are the same machine.

What the words on the box map to

The comparison you actually wanted

Having established that the words are interchangeable, here is the difference that is not:

• Auger machines crush slowly. Better with celery, kale, spinach and wheatgrass; drier pulp; much quieter; slower; usually narrower chutes and therefore more chopping.
• Centrifugal machines shred and spin. Much faster; wide chutes that take whole fruit; cheaper at a given build quality; loud; more foam; wetter pulp; poor at long-fibered greens.
• Twin gear machines crush between two augers. The strongest on wheatgrass and hard greens; the heaviest cleanup in the category; specialist equipment.

Masticating vs centrifugal is the full version of that comparison, and it is the page to read if you have not yet chosen a mechanism. If you have, how to choose your first juicer takes it from there.

Two related phrasings, answered

"Juicer vs nutribullet" is usually a juicer-versus-blender question rather than a question about Nutribullet's actual slow juicer, which exists and is masticating at a stated 65 RPM. If you mean the bullet blender, see juicer vs blender -- that is a genuine difference, because one removes fiber and the other keeps it.

"Steam juicer vs juice extractor" is a real distinction and the only one on this page. A steam juicer cooks fruit over water and collects the juice that runs out, which is a preserving method for jelly and canning rather than a fresh-juice appliance. This site does not cover them, and nothing in our registry is one.

The picks in full

1. Sold as an extractor, is centrifugal

Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor

Hamilton Beach 67601A · Under $100 · Our score 6.7/10

A useful demonstration of the point: Hamilton Beach calls this the Big Mouth Juice Extractor and it is a centrifugal machine -- a spinning basket, not an auger. It states an 800 W motor, a 3 in Big Mouth feed chute so whole apples go in unchopped, and a 3-year limited warranty, which beats both Brevilles. If you searched "juice extractor" and landed on a machine like this, nothing is wrong; the word just does not narrow anything. Skip it if celery is the plan -- wrong mechanism, right price.

Yield

Not availableNot sourced

Pulp

Not availableNot sourced

Cleanup time

Hamilton Beach states the food pusher, cover, strainer, pulp bin and strainer bowl are dishwasher safeManufacturer claim: Hamilton Beach · checked 2026-10-02

Speed

Hamilton Beach states an 800 W motor; no RPM publishedManufacturer claim: Hamilton Beach · checked 2026-10-02

What works

• 3-year warranty, which is unusual under $100
• Every part that touches juice is dishwasher safe, per Hamilton Beach
• 3 in chute at a budget price

What does not

• Centrifugal, so it is poor at celery and greens
• No RPM published
• Loud, as all high-speed spinning juicers are

Skip this if: Celery juice is the plan. This is the wrong mechanism for it at any price.

Representative photo. We have no manufacturer image library, so this is a licensed stock photo of the category, not a photo of this unit.

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• Yield6/10
• Pulp5/10
• Cleanup8/10
• Value9/10
• Quiet4/10

Read the full Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor review

2. Sold as a juicer, is masticating

Omega NC900HDC

Omega NC900HDC · $200–400 · Our score 7.9/10

The same product category, opposite mechanism. Omega states 80 RPM, 150 W, five adjustable pressure settings and two juicing screens, with a 15-year limited warranty. This is a horizontal auger -- it crushes rather than spins -- and it is the right machine for kale, spinach, celery and wheatgrass. The trade is counter space and washing: over 19 in wide, with more parts than any vertical on this site. The label "juicer" told you none of that; the word "masticating" would have.

Yield

Omega markets high juice yield and five pressure settings; no numeric yield figure is publishedManufacturer claim: Omega Juicers · checked 2026-10-02

Pulp

Five adjustable pressure settings and two juicing screens, per OmegaManufacturer claim: Omega Juicers · checked 2026-10-02

Cleanup time

Not available - no published cleanup time in minutesNot sourced

Speed

Omega states 80 RPM and 150 W outputManufacturer claim: Omega Juicers · checked 2026-10-02

What works

• Five pressure settings give real control over pulp and extraction
• Handles wheatgrass, which most verticals do poorly
• 15-year warranty on a design that has been iterated for years

What does not

• 19.22 in wide, which is a counter-depth problem in small kitchens
• More parts to wash than any vertical here
• 18.7 lb, so it lives out on the counter whether you like it or not

Skip this if: Your counter is shallow, or cleanup is what will make you quit. It is over 19 in wide and there are more parts to wash than on any vertical here.

Representative photo. We have no manufacturer image library, so this is a licensed stock photo of the category, not a photo of this unit.

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• Yield9/10
• Pulp9/10
• Cleanup6/10
• Value8/10
• Quiet8/10

Read the full Omega NC900HDC review

3. Sold as a juice fountain, also centrifugal

Breville Juice Fountain Plus JE98XL

Breville JE98XL · $100–200 · Our score 6.3/10

A third name for the same mechanism. Breville states dual speed at 6,500 and 12,000 RPM, 850 W and a 3 in feed tube, with a froth separator in the carafe and a 1-year limited warranty. Fast and genuinely good at apples, carrots and oranges; poor at celery and greens, because a basket at those speeds rides long fibers instead of crushing them. Three brands, three marketing words, two actual mechanisms.

Yield

Not availableNot sourced

Pulp

Breville states the carafe includes a froth separatorManufacturer claim: Breville · checked 2026-10-02

Cleanup time

Not available - no published cleanup time in minutesNot sourced

Speed

Breville states dual speed: 6,500 RPM low and 12,000 RPM high, 850 WManufacturer claim: Breville · checked 2026-10-02

What works

• 3 in chute takes whole apples, so there is no chopping
• Two speeds, so soft fruit is not pulverized
• Fast enough that a glass takes a couple of minutes end to end

What does not

• Poor at celery and leafy greens by mechanism, not by tuning
• Foam and faster oxidation are inherent to high-speed spinning
• 1-year warranty

Skip this if: Celery or leafy greens are the reason you are buying. A spinning basket rides long fibers instead of crushing them.

Representative photo. We have no manufacturer image library, so this is a licensed stock photo of the category, not a photo of this unit.

Check price on Amazon

#ad How we are funded

• Yield6/10
• Pulp5/10
• Cleanup7/10
• Value8/10
• Quiet4/10

Read the full Breville Juice Fountain Plus JE98XL review