Why is cold pressed better

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated November 18, 2024

Contributions sourced from

What is 'cold-pressed' juice, and is it really better?

Bottles of cold-pressed juices Photo courtesy of iStock / Swanya Charoonwatana

For those of you living the shade-grown, organic, fair-trade, made-with-natural-flavor life, it can be tricky to suss out which of those labels are actually regulated terms, and which are just a buzzword salad. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, some of those identifiers really do matter in a big way.

Take, for example, cold-pressed: What does it mean? Does it matter? And are cold-pressed juices any better for you than the alternative?

So...what does cold-pressed really mean?

This is going to shock you to learn, but cold-pressing is the process of separating the fiber from the cells of fruits and vegetables you know, juicing without the aid of any heat.

Machines and tools built to aid in cold-press juicing are also called masticating juicers, because they use hydraulic power to effectively chew and crush the juice out of otherwise fibrous plants. Cold-pressing takes longer and produces less juice. Though, in theory, the juice created is richer in nutritional content.

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Are there hot-pressing juicers then?

There are! But they go by a different name. Centrifugal juicers are what were talking about when it comes to hot-pressed juicers, and the name is a bit of a misnomer. Centrifugal juicers arent outright boiling or steaming the juice out of fruits and veggies. What they are actually doing is using a rapidly spinning set of blades usually powered by electricity to pulverize produce as it is forced through a machine.

The blades generate a bit of heat as they spin, while also forcing the juice into contact with air, beginning the process of oxidation. More of the initial product makes it into the final juice through this process, but it is exposed to potentially degrading heat and air along the way.

Centrifugal juicer Photo courtesy of E+ / Liliboas

Whats the problem with heat?

Heat can destroy certain enzymes and nutrients, such as notoriously delicate vitamin C. Cooked broccoli, for example, is less nutritionally dense than the same amount of raw broccoli. On the other hand, cooking carrots actually results in increased levels of beta carotene. Heat is even necessary for human consumption of plenty of vegetables and certainly animal proteins.

Certain uncooked vegetables are downright indigestible within the human body due to their naturally hearty cellulose fiber. And then theres the matter of chemicals such as solanine and chaconine, naturally present in raw vegetables like potatoes, for example. Cooking potatoes is required before human consumption, unless you want to make yourself sick. Some foods require heat; some dont.

Wait, so is heat good or bad?

Frankly, its complicated. Mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage and peppers all join carrots on the list of vegetables that release higher levels of nutrients like antioxidants, carotenoids and ferulic acid when exposed to heat via steam or boiling water.

Sure, those veggies arent exactly popular components of green juices, but smoothie staple spinach is also on the list. The science on the benefits of cold-pressing is decidedly mixed, with the effects of heat varying dramatically on crop to crop. But remember, heat isnt the only thing cold-pressing is meant to protect produce from. Theres the matter of oxidation as well.

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Okay, so is oxidation bad for juice?

Unlike the complicated relationship between heat and raw plant-based foods, oxidation is most assuredly not good. As soon as the inner flesh of fruits and vegetables is exposed to the surrounding air, degradation begins to occur. On a miniature scale, nutrients begin breaking down. On a more visible, if drawn-out scale, food begins to spoil.

Centrifugal pressers kickstart the oxidation process by exposing newly liquid juice to air as it is forced through spinning blades. Vitamins B and C, as well as antioxidizing phenolic compounds, are particularly sensitive to degradation when forced into contact with air.

Oxidation is the reason we store leftovers in plastic containers and refrigerate foods that would otherwise spoil. Its also the reason that foods carry sell-by dates on them.

Cold-pressed juicer Photo courtesy of E+ / vgajic

Why isnt it just called non-oxidized juice then?

Cold-press juicers still expose juice to air. They just arent pumping air into newly liquid juice. Hydraulic mastication of vegetables is a slower, less efficient process. But its one that does preserve more of what we find advantageous within plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Is it worth spending the extra money for cold-pressed juices?

The inefficiencies of cold-pressing are precisely what make it so sought after. As long as youre otherwise consuming enough fiber in your diet, the more concentrated nature of cold-pressed juices make for more nutritionally dense products.

But there is an enormous caveat here the absolute healthiest way to get your fruits and veggies is just to consume the actual produce whole. Cold-pressed juice is fantastic for you if thats the only way youre otherwise getting these food groups into your diet. But if youve got the time, youre better off just eating a salad.

What is Cold-Pressed Juice & Is It Really Better?

What is cold-pressed juice? And why is it so much better than other types of juices?

Cold-pressed juice is juice made with a press that exerts thousands of pounds of pressure, extracting the maximum yield from fruits and vegetables. Because of this simple and fascinating process, cold-pressed juice is more nutrient-dense, delicious, and healthier than juice made via other methods. Cold-pressed juice also stays fresh for a longer period of time, mostly due to the fact that there is no heat or oxidation involved in the process.

These attributes have led to an explosion in cold-pressed juice interest. In April of 2022, Fortune Business Insights stated that the cold-pressed juice market is projected to grow from $1.15 billion to nearly $2 billion by 2029.

With the increase of cold-pressed juice, we think now is a great time to explain what it is and how its made. Heres what well cover in this article:

Health Benefits of Cold-Pressed Juice

When making cold-pressed juice, fresh fruits and vegetables are placed into a hydraulic or pneumatic (air cylinder powered) press that applies pressure to the produce to extract the maximum amount of juice from the flesh. This method preserves the integrity of the juice, leaving it packed full with its original nutrients. Cold-pressed juice is known for its health benefits including:

Boosting the bodys immune system with vitamin C
Lowering cholesterol
Promoting weight loss
Increasing energy
Anti-inflammatory
Improving vision and eye health
Protecting against disease
Improving skin imperfections
Assisting in body detox

The Cold-Pressed Method & Equipment

We like to compare the juicing process to a nice produce massage we like to say that happy juice comes from happy fruit! In the cold-press juicing process, no heat is used to extract the juice, meaning there is no loss in nutrients, enzymes, or vitamins in the raw juice.

There are several different types of juicers that can be used to make raw juice, but only a real juice press can make real cold-pressed juice. Each type of juicer comes with their own benefits and considerations to learn more in-depth information about the different juicers on the market, read on below and also on our blog here.

Centrifugal Juicer This juicer forces the produce towards and through a sharp screen by a moving blade with sharp teeth that produces the juice at a high speed around 6,000-14,000 RPM. This creates heat and oxidation which damages nutrients. This is one of the most common household juicers on the market. It provides consumers with a quick, easy juice that is made for instant consumption. The juice that is made from a centrifugal juicer tends to separate quickly and includes up to 30% solids including skins, seeds, and stems.
Masticating Juicer (Slow Juicer) The fruits and veggies are pushed through a chute and are slowly squeezed and forced through a sharp screen at 80-100 RPM. The result is a juice high in solids with lots of indigestible fiber. The juice from a masticating juicer tends to separate more slowly than the juice made from a centrifugal juicer, but still much faster than a real press. These juicers can be ideal for people juicing at home that do not mind the extensive cleaning process and plan to make juice that is intended to be served immediately.
Twin-Gear JuicerSimilar to the other juicers, twin-gear juicers slowly extract juice from produce by forcing the plants up against a sharp screen at 80-120 RPM with less heat and oxidation than centrifugal. The juice is apulpy, foamy product that can be bitter to taste and has a thick and chunky mouth-feel. Again, these juicers can be ideal for people juicing at home that do not mind the extensive cleaning process and plan to make juice that is intended to be served immediately.
Juice Press A real juice press is the best juicer on the market for creating true cold-pressed juice. This press creates the most amount of juice with around 99% liquid and less than 1% pulp. It also makes juice with the longest shelf life (around 3-5 days) due to its minimal heat and oxidation.

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Shelf Life

We are frequently asked about the shelf life of cold-pressed juice once it has been bottled. The truth is, there are many factors that influence the shelf life of cold-pressed juice. By shelf life we are referring to color and taste we make no claim of the health or safety*. There are shelf life laws that vary by region, make sure to follow your areas government guidelines. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your cold-pressed juice shelf life:

Use Quality ProducePurchasing produce from a trusted source and making sure its as fresh as possible will benefit your shelf life. Avoid using rotting, oxidized, or pre-chopped produce in your juice this will decrease your self life and has the possibility of affecting your final outcome.
Keep an Eye on TemperatureIf you want your cold-pressed juice to remain high-quality, keeping your product cold throughout the entire juicing process is extremely important. The FDA recommends at or below 41 F (5 C). This also includes keeping an eye on the temperature during transportation, especially if you are a wholesale distributor.
AcidityJuices that contain higher acidity will tend to last longer than those with low acidity. When forming recipes for your juice, we generally recommend adding acidic fruits to your recipes when possible to improve shelf life.
EquipmentA quality juice press gives you the benefit of creating cold-pressed juice that has a much longer shelf life than those made with other juicers. Other juicing equipment use various methods to extract the juice from the produce. If the produce is not pressed properly, this may cause your juice to separate and spoil much quicker.

For in-depth info on shelf-life, check out our article- Understanding Shelf Life of Cold-Pressed Juice.

High-Pressure Processing

When making raw cold-pressed juice, the shelf life is around three to five days. To extend the shelf life of juice, high-pressure processing is a common practice that is used. This pasteurization method kills at least 99.999% of the microorganisms that are found in juice. Heres a quick overview of the process:

Cold-pressed juice is made in a juice press and bottled in plastic bottles.
The plastic bottles are placed into a chamber that fills with water and pressurizes the bottles to 58,000 PSI.
The pressure maintains for several minutes then releases.
Bottles are removed and now have a shelf life of 30-45 days.

Just like that, the juice that was placed into the chamber now has an extended shelf life. It is FDA law that cold-pressed juice must undergo a process similar to HPP or Pasteurization in order to be distributed wholesale.

If youve purchased cold-pressed juice from a grocery store, odds are it has undergone HPP, even if it doesnt say so on the label (it is not required to list processing steps on a food label). If you are making juice and then selling the juice straight to the consumer, HPP is not required.

If youre thinking about starting your own juicing business or are looking to break into cold-pressed juice, learn about our industry-leading juicers here.