What is so special about Cold-Pressed Juice?

Wondering about the difference between cold-pressed juice and regular juice? Curious about cold-pressed juice benefits? This article will give you a rundown of what sets Juice Culture’s cold-pressed juice Melbourne apart from the others. 

What is the difference between cold-pressed juice and regular juice?

Cold-pressed juices and more traditional ‘centrifugal’ made juices differ significantly in the production method.

Cold-pressed juicers work by using a hydraulic press to squeeze fruits and vegetables between two plates. This process is a slower, gentler method that avoids heat to maximise nutritional value. 

Centrifugal juices are juiced using the more standard method; fruit and vegetables are cut up using blades spinning at high speeds. The juice is extracted from the ingredients quickly, and cheaply. However, this process can cause heat and oxidation. These two factors are said to damage some important nutrients in the juice.

What’s the difference in juice quality?

Nutrient content 

When juices are cold-pressed, they extract higher amounts of nutrients than centrifugal juicers do. Cold-pressed juices have been shown to have more nutrient content than normal juices in reputable lab tests. Why? Because they have a higher amount of the actual fruits and vegetables (leading to a purer juice). It also comes down to the juicing process.

Heat damages nutrients like vitamin C. Therefore, the lack of heat from the squeezing process of cold-pressed juicers preserves vital vitamins. On the other hand, the lower nutrient content in centrifuge juices can be contributed to by the heat produced from the spinning blade process.

Longer lasting nutrients 

The fast-moving process to make centrifugal juice can cause it to be highly oxidised. This reduces the number of nutrients in the juice and even cause it to lose nutrients faster. All juice will lose nutrients over time, however, cold-pressed juices can retain their vitamins for longer than centrifuge-made juices due to the difference in their production method (which doesn’t include heat)!

Another reason for cold-pressed juices ability to hold onto their nutrients for longer is because of the higher solid content in centrifugal juices, which can result in a faster breakdown. By having fewer solids like the pulp, cold-pressed juices don’t experience breakdown to the same extent due to being purer. All this is done without preservatives or additives. 

Variety 

Juices come in all varieties, with different combinations offering wonderful, delicious tasting flavours. By nature of their juicing process, centrifugal juices are more limited in the types of ingredients they can process. They cannot efficiently juice leafy greens or process nuts. On the other hand, cold-pressed juicers have higher efficiency with juicing leafy greens and nuts with their careful and gentle hydraulic system.

This system allows for a bit more variety with juice combinations. Take for example Juice Culture’s award-winning Lush which combines mint, baby spinach, celery, oranges, apples and lemons. Or Honeymoon, which has almond mylk, organic honey and golden flax. 

Drinking quality

As mentioned earlier, centrifugal juices tend to have large amounts of pulp. This can lead to a more inconsistent drinking texture, and a thicker feel overall. The high-speed method of juicing also produces a lot of juice froth and leads to the juice separating rapidly after it is made. 

Cold-pressed juices are on the opposite side of the coin, with less pulp and a more consistent texture. There is very little juice froth which provides an award-winning, delicious taste many have praised - all without added flavours and sugars.

Price 

You may have noticed that cold-pressed juices are a bit more expensive than regular, centrifugal juices. Why? 

Simply put, it is because cold-pressed juices are more expensive and time-consuming to make than regular juices. Juice Culture’s cold-pressed juices use large amounts of fruit and vegetables for every bottle to ensure the richness of both the flavour and the health benefits. Only high quality produce is used, and the nature of the careful crushing process takes longer than the fast centrifugal method to extract the juice. Preparation is also needed before juicing, and the blends are made in small batches in our juice kitchen. 

What else sets Juice Culture’s Cold-Pressed Juices apart?

Most cheap juices are pasteurised, this can affect the juice’s nutrients and overall quality. Juice Culture’s juices are unpasteurised, which ensures that their natural goodness is retained. 

Our juices don’t undergo Flash Pasteurisation or HPP like others. What can happen when juices undergo these processes? In short:

Flash Pasteurisation:

- Also referred to as HTST (High Temperature, Short Time), Flash Pasteurisation uses high temperatures for a short time to treat foods and liquids like juices. However, this can affect or destroy vital compounds and nutrients in the juice that benefit us. It can also kill non-pathogenic microbes that can have positive effects on health.

HPP (High-Pressure Processing):

- Unlike HTST, which uses high heat, HPP uses very high pressure to kill microorganisms. However, this process can lead to sensory changes and damage to antioxidants and vitamins. These effects can lead to reduced nutritional content. It can also kill good bacteria and even degrade some components in the juice.

Juice Culture steers clear of these processes to provide our customers with the maximum cold-pressed juice benefits possible. 

The bottom line

Is cold-pressed juice better than regular juice? Overall, Yes. In terms of taste, health benefits, variety and quality, these juices deliver the best that juices can offer. These are perfect for a detox, juice cleanse Melbourne, or as an energy and vitamin boost. Juice Culture has a wide range of delicious, nutrient-rich cold-pressed juices for our customers, from our kitchen here in Melbourne to your home.