The Breville Juice Fountain is a centrifugal juicer designed for speed and convenience, using a fast-spinning blade to quickly extract juice from fruits and vegetables. In contrast, Cold Press juicers (also called masticating juicers) use a slow-moving auger to crush and press produce, a method that preserves more nutrients and yields a higher-quality juice with a longer shelf life. The primary differences come down to speed, price, and the nutritional quality of the final product.
Here’s everything you need to know to decide which type of juicer from a brand like Breville or a specialized Cold Press manufacturer is the right fit for your kitchen.
Breville Juice Fountain (Centrifugal) Juicers
Breville's Juice Fountain line is a series of centrifugal juicers celebrated for their powerful motors, user-friendly design, and rapid performance. They are an excellent entry point into the world of juicing, offering durable construction and efficient extraction for those who prioritize convenience and don't want to spend a lot of time on prep or cleanup.
- What it is: A line of high-speed centrifugal juicers that use a flat cutting blade and a strainer to separate juice from pulp.
- Key features: Powerful motors (850-1000 watts), large 3-inch feed chutes that reduce pre-cutting, multiple speed settings for hard and soft produce, and often dishwasher-safe parts.
- Price: Generally ranges from $100 to $250, depending on the specific model and features.
- Pros: Very fast operation, juices produce in seconds. More affordable upfront cost. Easy to use and clean, with fewer parts to assemble. Wide feed chute minimizes prep time.
- Cons: A bit louder during operation. The high-speed process can create heat and oxidation, slightly reducing nutrient content and giving the juice a shorter shelf life (best consumed immediately). Less effective with leafy greens like kale and spinach.
This type of juicer is perfect for busy individuals or families who want to make fresh juice quickly without a complicated process and value affordability and ease of use.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/en/c/juicers/juice-fountain-series
Cold Press (Masticating) Juicers
Cold Press juicers, frequently from brands like Omega or Hurom, are a top choice for health enthusiasts focused on maximizing nutritional value. They operate at very low speeds, using an auger to gently crush and squeeze produce. This slow masticating process minimizes oxidation and heat exposure, resulting in a more nutrient-dense juice that tastes richer and lasts longer.
- What it is: A slow-speed masticating juicer that chews up and presses produce to extract a high yield of nutrient-rich juice.
- Key features: Low-speed motor (typically 80-100 RPM), single or double auger design, higher juice yield with drier pulp, minimal foam and separation.
- Price: Typically ranges from $250 to over $600 for premium models.
- Pros: Preserves maximum enzymes and nutrients due to minimal heat and oxidation. Produces higher quality, better-tasting juice. Excellent performance with leafy greens, wheatgrass, and soft fruits. Juice can be stored for up to 72 hours. Much quieter operation.
- Cons: More expensive than centrifugal models. Juicing process is significantly slower. Usually requires more prep time (cutting produce into smaller pieces). More parts to assemble and clean which can be time-consuming. Can be bulkier and heavier.
A cold press juicer is ideal for the dedicated health advocate who wants the absolute most nutritional benefit from their juice and doesn't mind a slower, more deliberate process.
Shop this product: omegajuicers.com/collections/masticating-juicers
Breville Juice Fountain vs. Cold Press Juicers Comparison
Juice Quality & Nutrient Retention
This is the most significant point of difference. Cold press juicers operate at low speeds (around 80 RPM), which gently press the juice out while generating almost no heat. This process minimizes oxidation and preserves the delicate enzymes and vitamins in fruits and vegetables. The result is a richer, more vibrant juice with less foam that can be stored in the fridge for up to 72 hours.
The Breville Juice Fountain, being a centrifugal juicer, spins at thousands of RPM. This high-speed process introduces more oxygen into the juice and generates some heat, which can degrade certain heat-sensitive nutrients and enzymes. Juice from a centrifugal machine is best consumed immediately as it separates and oxidizes quickly.
Speed & Convenience
The Breville Juice Fountain is the clear winner when it comes to speed. Its powerful motor and wide feed chute mean you can drop whole apples or large chunks of carrots in and get a full glass of juice in under a minute. Cleanup is also generally faster, with fewer intricate parts and many components being dishwasher safe.
Cold press juicers require more patience. The process itself is slower, and you typically have to cut produce into smaller pieces to fit into the narrower feed chute. Assembly and disassembly for cleaning involve more parts, including the auger and multiple screens, making cleanup a more involved task.
Materials & Durability
Both types of juicers are built to last. Brands like Breville use robust plastic housings, stainless steel micro-mesh filters, and heavy-duty motors designed for reliability. They are well-made appliances intended for regular home use.
Premium cold press brands like Omega or Hurom also use high-quality, durable materials, often featuring heavy-duty BPA-free plastics and ultra-strong stainless steel augers. Because of their slow, low-stress operation, their motors can have extremely long lifespans, and many come with warranties of 10-15 years, reflecting their durability.
Price & Value
Breville's centrifugal juicers offer great value for the entry-level or casual user, with popular models priced between $100 and $250. They provide an affordable way to incorporate fresh juice into your diet without a major financial commitment.
Cold press juicers represent a more significant investment, with prices starting around $250 and easily exceeding $600. While the upfront cost is higher, they provide long-term value through higher juice yield (meaning you buy less produce over time), superior nutrient quality, and longer-lasting juice, which reduces waste.
Who Each One Works Best For
A Breville Juice Fountain is the perfect choice for beginners, busy families, or anyone who values speed and convenience above all. If you want a quick glass of fresh juice in the morning without much fuss or a big budget, a centrifugal juicer is an excellent option.
A cold press juicer is geared toward health enthusiasts, individuals on specific wellness protocols, or anyone dedicated to getting the highest possible nutritional content from their juice. If you plan to juice leafy greens regularly, want to do juice cleanses, or prefer prepping juice in batches to last a few days, a cold press brand is worth the investment.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both types of juicers excel in their own way, but they serve different lifestyles and priorities.
Choose the Breville Juice Fountain if:
- You are new to juicing and want an affordable, easy-to-use option.
- Speed is your top priority, you need juice made in a minute or less.
- You dislike extensive food prep and want a wide feed chute.
- You plan to mainly juice hard fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, and celery.
- You drink your juice immediately after making it.
Choose a Cold Press Juicer if:
- Maximizing nutrient and enzyme retention is your main goal.
- You want to juice a lot of leafy greens like kale, spinach, or wheatgrass.
- You prefer making juice in batches to store for up to 3 days.
- A quiet kitchen appliance is important to you.
- You see juicing as a long-term wellness investment and are okay with a higher upfront cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between centrifugal and cold press juicers?
The main difference is the extraction method. Centrifugal juicers like the Breville Juice Fountain use a high-speed spinning blade to shred produce and fling the juice out, while cold press juicers use a slow-moving auger to crush and press produce. This leads to differences in speed, juice quality, and nutrient retention.
Which type of juicer is better for leafy greens?
Cold press juicers are overwhelmingly better for leafy greens like kale, spinach, and wheatgrass. Their slow, crushing action effectively extracts juice from leafy vegetables, whereas the high speed of a centrifugal juicer often just throws the leaves around without yielding much liquid.
How long does juice from each type of juicer last?
Juice from a Breville centrifugal juicer should be consumed immediately, or within a few hours at most, as it oxidizes very quickly. Juice from a cold press juicer is much more stable and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours.
Does a cold press juicer really give you more nutrients?
Yes. The slow, heat-free process of a cold press juicer better preserves heat-sensitive vitamins and enzymes that can be degraded by the friction and air exposure in a centrifugal juicer. Cold press juice is considered more nutrient-dense.
Which juicer is faster?
The Breville Juice Fountain is significantly faster. You can produce a glass of juice in under a minute, while the same amount could take 5-10 minutes with a cold press juicer, not including the extra prep time.
Why are cold press juicers so much more expensive?
Cold press juicers are more expensive due to their complex mechanics, powerful low-speed motors designed for high torque, and durable materials like reinforced augers. They also yield more juice, providing better long-term value on produce costs.
Is the Breville Juice Fountain easy to clean?
Yes, one of the main selling points of models like the Juice Fountain is their ease of cleaning. Many parts are dishwasher-safe, and the overall design is simpler than a multi-part cold press juicer, making daily cleanup quick and straightforward.
Are cold press juicers quieter than Breville's?
Absolutely. Cold press juicers operate at a very low hum, making them ideal for early mornings or quiet households. The high-speed motor of a centrifugal juicer like the Breville produces a sound similar to a blender.
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