Twin Gear Juicers

Twin Gear juicers use a different method of extracting juice then when compared to a centrifugal or masticating juicer. Twin Gear juicers work by having two (twin) interlocking gears that are aligned very closely together. The produce to be juiced such as vegetables, wheatgrass and fruit are fed into the rotating twin gears where the produce is crushed and pressed thus releasing the juice from the fibres. This differs from centrifugal and masticating juicers where the produce is shredded / cut.

Examples of leading twin gear juicers are the Green Star GS3000, Twin Health living juice extractor and the Samson Ultra.

Twin gears tend to operate at much lower RPM than other types of juicer and so less air is introduced into the juice. This means the juice quality benefits because the oxidation or nutrients occurs at a much slower rate. With most centrifugal juicers the juice that is created should be consumed within a few minutes of making it, with some Twin Gear models such as the Twin Health juice can be stored overnight whilst still retaining its high nutrient content. Because Twin Gear juicers operate at a lower speed they also tend to produce less heat. This means more juice nutrients stay in their natural form. Enzymes are particularly sensitive to heat and their molecular structure is altered and damaged by heat.

Because of the low speed and low heat generation of Twin Gear juicers it is fair to say that many consider Twin Gear models to be the best type of juicer for extracting juice with the highest possible nutrient content. An alternative method of juicing that produces juice with a similarly very high nutritional content is the hydraulic juice press method as can be found on the greatly more expensive Norwalk Juice Press.

Some Twin Gear models have ‘Biomagnets’ and Bio ceramic materials located in the twin gears. The effect of the juice passing through the magnetic field produced by these magnets is the further reduction of oxidation of certain minerals meaning that the juice has a higher nutrient content and will keep for longer.

The twin gear juicing process does have its downsides as well as its health benefits. The twin gear models tend to be a bit more fiddly to clean. They can also require more time to create juice when compared to centrifugal models as their feeding chamber (where the produce is fed down onto the twin gears) tends to be narrower than many centrifugal models. This means you have to cut your fruit and vegetables up into smaller pieces. It is also apparent with both the Twin Health and the Green Star that feeding the produce too quickly through the juicer will result in the twin gear housing chamber becoming clogged up with pulp and a foamy juice being produced which can back up the feeding chamber. Best results are to be had by chopping up the produce into small pieces and feeding it through the juicer at a slower rate.

Twin gear models excel at juicing the more fibrous types of produce (including virtually all green vegetables, barley grass and wheatgrass). If you are going to juice mostly soft fruits such as oranges, grapefruit and limes then we do not recommend a twin gear juicer as they do not juice these types of produce as efficiently as a citrus press or centrifugal juicer.

Some Twin Gear juicers such as the Green Star and Twin Health can cope with more than just juicing. Many come with a blank screen that can be used to produce homogenised foods, nut butters and sorbets. Some models are also capable of making pasta and grinding grains.