Fibrous Roots, Slow Augers: Picking the Best Juicer Ginger

Ginger is the hardest thing most home cooks put through a juicer. The root is dense, it is full of long fibers that run its whole length, and a small piece carries a lot of heat. A knob of it goes into a pineapple or lime agua fresca, a carrot and orange juice, or a pitcher of hot ginger tea, and on a weak machine those fibers wrap around the parts, the motor strains, and half the root comes out as wet pulp.

This guide covers seven slow, or masticating, juicers chosen for that one job: getting juice out of fibrous roots like ginger, and the celery, carrots and greens that usually go in with it. For the wider picture, including fast centrifugal machines, our guide to the best juicer is the place to start. If all you squeeze is limes and oranges, you need a citrus juicer instead.

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Quick verdict: which juicer to buy for ginger

Below, five of them side by side, then all seven in detail, and how to feed ginger so it does not jam any of them.

Five slow juicers for ginger, compared

One pick for each kind of kitchen, with the type and speed each maker or listing states. All seven juicers are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Speeds and power are as stated by each maker or listing; where a listing gives no figure we say so. Check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best juicer ginger can’t tangle

All seven are slow juicers that crush and press rather than shred at high speed, and none of them repeats a product from our main juicer guide. Each pick says who it suits, what the maker or listing states, and one honest reason to skip it.

What to look for in a juicer for ginger and other roots

Slow, not fast. Centrifugal juicers shred produce against a spinning basket at high speed. They are quick with apples and carrots, but ginger’s fibers are better handled by a slow auger or gears that crush and press. Every pick here is a slow, masticating juicer for that reason. Our main best juicer guide covers both types and when a fast machine is the better buy.

Horizontal, twin gear or upright. Horizontal single-auger juicers, like the two Omegas, are long and need cut produce, but they are the traditional choice for stringy material, and an adjustable end cap lets you raise the pressure. Twin-gear machines like the Green Star Elite are slower again and built for hard, sinewy vegetables. Upright juicers save counter space and take whole fruit; for ginger, look for a narrow chute or an auger that cuts long fibers, as on the Kuvings.

A way to clear jams. A reverse button or program backs the auger up when fibers bind. Most picks here have one, and it saves taking the machine apart mid-batch.

Pulp control. Ginger pulp is stringy, and few people want it in the glass. A fine strainer, a low-pulp filter or a tighter end cap keeps it out.

Cleaning and warranty. Fibrous produce leaves strands in the screen, so a brush and dishwasher-safe parts help. Warranties range from one year to fifteen on the motor; for a machine that will spend its life crushing dense roots, a long one is worth weighing.

How to juice ginger without jamming the machine

Whatever you buy, the way you feed ginger matters as much as the machine. Scrub the root and trim any dry or woody ends. Cut it across the grain into thin coins rather than long sticks, so the fibers are short before they reach the auger. Feed a few pieces, then follow with something juicy, such as apple, pineapple, cucumber or orange segments, which pushes the ginger through and rinses the screen. Do not force pieces down with your fingers; use the plunger the maker supplies, and use reverse if the auger slows.

A little ginger goes a long way, so start with a small knob per glass and add more next time. Run the juicer briefly with water at the end, then clean the screen with the brush before the pulp dries on it.

If you only need a spoonful of ginger juice for a marinade or a dressing, you do not need a juicer at all. Grate the root finely on a rasp, such as one from our best Microplane grater guide, then squeeze the gratings through a clean cloth.

How we chose these seven juicers

We started from the job: getting juice from fibrous roots like ginger, usually mixed with fruit, celery or greens. That ruled out centrifugal juicers and citrus presses and left slow juicers of three kinds, horizontal, twin gear and upright, from identifiable makers sold on Amazon in the United States. We left out every juicer already in our main juicer guide so this page adds new options, and we checked stock for each pick with Amazon’s product data before writing.

Type, speed, power, chutes, pulp controls, cleaning and warranties come from each Amazon listing and, where noted, the maker’s own product page and one named review, all recorded in our research notes. Where a listing is silent, we say “not stated.” We did not use these juicers ourselves. We checked the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall listings for Omega, Tribest, Kuvings, Hurom, Ninja and Elite Gourmet and found no juicer recall for any of them. We make no health claims about ginger juice; that is a question for your doctor, not a juicer guide.

Ginger juicer questions, answered

What is the best juicer for ginger?

A slow juicer with a way to deal with long fibers. For most kitchens that is a horizontal model with an adjustable end cap, such as the Omega NC1000HDS. If you want a twin-gear machine built for sinewy produce, choose the Tribest Green Star Elite; for an upright machine, the Kuvings REVO830.

Can a centrifugal juicer handle ginger?

It can juice small pieces of ginger mixed with other produce, and many people use one that way. Slow juicers are the better fit when ginger is a large part of the glass, because they press the fibers rather than shredding them at speed.

Do I need to peel ginger before juicing?

None of the makers here requires it. Scrub the skin well and trim any dry, woody or damaged parts; peeling is a matter of taste.

Can a citrus juicer squeeze ginger?

No. A citrus reamer or press is made for halved fruit, not a dense root. Use a slow juicer, or grate the ginger and squeeze it through a cloth. For limes and oranges, see the best citrus juicer.

Is a blender a good alternative?

A blender keeps the fiber in, so blended ginger has to be strained. That works for a small batch. For drinks where you want the whole fruit and its pulp, our guide to the best blender for smoothies is the better place to look.

Our final pick for ginger and other fibrous roots

Choose the Omega NC1000HDS if you juice ginger often and want pressure you can adjust. Pick the Tribest Green Star Elite for twin gears built for sinewy produce, the Kuvings REVO830 for an upright machine with a narrow chute for fibers, the Hurom H-AA for a choice of strainers, the Ninja NeverClog for dishwasher cleanup, the Omega MM1500 for celery and ginger together, and the Elite Gourmet EJX600 for single servings.

For centrifugal machines and the wider choice, go back to our best juicer guide. If a glass of ginger and lime has you thinking about other cold drinks, read what aguas frescas are, look at our drinks, or call to order.