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Which Horizontal Juicer Screen Should I Use?

17/08/2026

If you're new to horizontal slow juicers, you may be surprised to find that the machine comes with several different screens. Why are there different screens, and which one should you use?

The screen is an important part of a horizontal juicer because it determines how easily juice and pulp pass through the juicing chamber—and, ultimately, affects the texture of your juice. Some screens are designed for specific types of produce, while others allow the juicer to perform completely different functions.

Sana horizontal juicers use three main types of screens: fine, coarse and blank (homogenizing). Understanding the difference will help you get the best results from your juicer.

1. Fine Juicing Screen

The fine screen is the standard choice for most everyday juicing. It has relatively small openings that allow the juice to pass through while retaining more of the pulp. It squeezes harder and is designed for the highest yield with most produce.

The fine screen is a good starting point for a wide variety of ingredients, including:

Apples and pears
Carrots and other firm vegetables
Leafy greens
Cucumbers
Citrus fruits
Berries
Most other fruits and vegetables

The fine screen is particularly useful when you prefer a cleaner, smoother juice.

However, finer filtration also creates more resistance inside the juicing chamber. With certain very soft or fibrous ingredients, this can make the juicer work harder or increase the likelihood of clogging. That's where the coarse screen can be useful.

2. Coarse Juicing Screen

The coarse screen has larger openings than the fine screen. This allows juice and pulp to move through the chamber more easily, reducing the amount of pressure and resistance during extraction.

The coarse screen can be especially useful for very soft, juicy or fibrous produce which can clog a standard fine screen. It can also be a good choice when you simply prefer juice with more natural pulp.

Examples include:

Very ripe or soft fruits
Tomatoes
Berries
Mango
Kiwi
Pineapple
Other soft or fibrous produce

The larger openings mean that more fine pulp passes into the juice. The result is generally a thicker, more textured juice.This is not a disadvantage—it is simply a different type of juice.

Fine vs. coarse: what's the difference?

Think of the two screens as similar to different grades of a filter.

Fine screen: squeezes harder → smoother juice → less pulp

Coarse screen: squeezes more gently → more material passes through → pulpier juice

Neither screen is inherently better. The best choice depends on the produce you're using and your preferred juice texture.

3. Blank / Homogenizing Screen

The blank screen is different from the fine and coarse screens because it isn't actually a juicing screen. And it isn't available on any vertical juicer.

It has no openings through which juice can escape. Instead, the auger pushes the food through the chamber and forces it against the blank surface, creating a smooth, homogenized mixture.This changes the function of the juicer from a juice extractor into a low-speed food-processing appliance.

The blank screen can be used for:

Frozen fruit desserts and sorbets
Nut butters
Baby food
Fruit sauces
Vegetable purées
Dips and spreads
Other soft, homogenized foods

For example, frozen bananas, mangoes or berries can be partially thawed and processed through the blank screen to create a smooth frozen dessert.

Do not use the blank screen when you want to extract juice. It is specifically designed to retain the ingredients inside the chamber rather than separate the liquid from the solids.

4. Why Do Horizontal Juicers Have Interchangeable Screens?

The interchangeable-screen design is one of the biggest advantages of a horizontal slow juicer. A conventional juicing screen has two jobs: it allows liquid to escape while holding back most of the solid pulp, and it provides resistance against the auger so that juice can be extracted efficiently. But not every ingredient behaves the same way.

A soft tomato, a fibrous piece of celery and a firm carrot behave very differently inside a juicing chamber. A single screen has to be a compromise between filtration, flow and resistance. Interchangeable screens allow you to change that balance.

A fine screen provides greater filtration.
A coarse screen allows more material to pass through and can improve flow with certain ingredients.
A blank screen eliminates juice separation altogether and allows the machine to be used for other foods.

This gives a horizontal juicer considerably more flexibility than a machine designed only around a single filtration system.

5. Which Screen Should I Use?

One Juicer, Three Screens, Many Possibilities

The different screens aren't simply accessories—they are part of what makes a horizontal slow juicer so versatile.

Use the fine screen when you want smooth, well-filtered juice. Switch to the coarse screen when working with softer, juicier or more fibrous ingredients, or when you prefer more pulp. And when you want to go beyond juice, install the blank screen and use your juicer for frozen desserts, nut butters, purées and other foods.

Once you understand what each screen is designed to do, choosing the right one becomes simple.

How to Make Your Slow Juicer Last Longer: 7 Mistakes to Avoid

14/08/2026

A quality slow juicer can provide years of reliable service. In fact, many premium juicers are still running after 20 years or more. But like any kitchen appliance, they're not indestructible. Most problems aren't caused by manufacturing defects—they're caused by a handful of common mistakes that put unnecessary stress on the motor, auger, and juicing components.

Here are seven of the most common ways to harm a juicer—and how to avoid them.

1. Not Using the Pusher

This is the biggest mistake you can make—and one that's entirely avoidable. Never use a knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks, or any other kitchen utensil to push produce into the feed chute. If the object slips around the produce, it can be pulled into the juicer, potentially damaging the auger, juicing screen, or housing. More importantly, it creates a serious safety hazard. Always use the pusher supplied with your juicer.

2. Improper Cleaning

Cleaning your juicer immediately after use keeps it like new. Pulp that dries inside the juicing screen becomes much harder to remove. Regular cleaning also helps prevent buildup around seals and moving parts. A few minutes of cleaning after each use can save you hours of frustration later.

3. Not Letting Frozen Fruit Thaw

Many people believe frozen fruit should never go into a slow juicer, but that's only partly true. Many horizontal juicers include a homogenizing screen, and many vertical juicers offer a sorbet screen specifically designed for processing frozen fruit. The important part is preparation. Frozen fruit needs to thaw for at least five minutes before processing, and should be fed slowly in small amounts. Trying to force large frozen chunks through the juicer places unnecessary stress on the motor and auger. Always follow the recommendations for your particular model.

4. Making Nut Butter

Many horizontal slow juicers can make excellent nut butters using a homogenizing screen. This is a great feature of these types of juicers, but it's also one of the most demanding jobs you can ask the machine to perform. Nut butter creates significant resistance. Work in small batches, feed the nuts gradually, and avoid overloading the juicer. If your model isn't designed for homogenizing, don't attempt to make nut butter.

5. Juicing Ginger Incorrectly

Ginger is one of the healthiest ingredients you can juice, but it's also one of the easiest ways to clog a juicer if prepared incorrectly. The long, stringy fibers can wrap around the auger and restrict pulp flow. For best results, cut ginger into small pieces before feeding it into the juicer. This is especially important with vertical slow juicers. Because all vertical juicers have relatively narrow pulp outlets, long ginger fibers can bridge across the outlet and cause clogging much more easily than in horizontal designs. Taking a few extra seconds to chop the ginger can make a huge difference.

6. Juicing Rubbery Carrots

Fresh, crisp carrots are easy to juice and produce excellent yields. Older carrots, however, often become rubbery and dehydrated. These carrots require much more force to process and place additional strain on the juicer while producing less juice. The small amount of juice you get isn't worth the strain on the juicer.

7. Using Your Juicer as a Coffee Grinder

Coffee beans are extremely hard and abrasive. Although some juicers can technically grind them, repeatedly doing so creates wear that most slow juicers aren't designed to handle. If you have a juicer like the Sana 707 rated to grind coffee, be sure to feed the coffee beans slowly.

Modern Juicers Offer Extra Protection

While these tips apply to virtually any slow juicer, newer designs include features that help protect the machine when mistakes happen.

For example, the Sana 929 features a pressure-sensing auto-reverse system that can detect excessive resistance and automatically reverse the auger to help clear many jams before they become serious. Its solid stainless steel juicing components are also far more resistant to wear than the plastic parts found in many conventional juicers.

These features don't make the juicer indestructible—and they don't replace proper preparation—but they do provide an extra layer of protection against many of the everyday mistakes that even experienced users occasionally make.

Final Thoughts

A slow juicer is an investment, and with proper care it can provide many years of reliable service. Using the correct accessories, preparing ingredients properly, cleaning the juicer after every use, and avoiding unnecessary abuse will go a long way toward keeping it running smoothly for years to come.

Why Do Some Juicers Have a 15-Minute Time Limit?

22/07/2026

Have you ever noticed that some slow juicers recommend running for no more than 15 or 20 minutes, while others claim they can operate continuously? At first glance, this can be confusing. After all, if two juicers have similar power ratings, why can one process an entire harvest of apples while another needs to stop and cool down? The answer lies not in the wattage, but in the engineering.

Not All Motors Are Created Equal

Most traditional slow juicers use an AC induction motor. These motors are reliable, relatively inexpensive, and have powered household appliances for decades.

However, they also have limitations. As they work, they generate heat. During normal home use this isn't usually a problem, but when processing large quantities of produce, the motor temperature gradually rises. To protect the motor and extend its lifespan, manufacturers often recommend limiting operation to around 15–30 minutes before allowing the machine to cool.

Many juicers also include a thermal protection sensor. If the motor becomes too hot, this safety feature automatically switches the motor off to prevent damage. Once the motor has cooled sufficiently, the juicer can usually be restarted.

It's important to remember that there isn't a stopwatch inside the machine. How quickly a motor heats up depends on several factors, including the type of produce being juiced, how hard the motor is working, and even the ambient room temperature. Juicing soft oranges on a cool winter morning places much less demand on the motor than processing kilos of fibrous celery or carrots in a warm kitchen.

For most families making one or two glasses of juice each morning, these limitations are rarely noticed.

But what if you have a large vegetable garden? Or you juice for several people? Or you're preparing juice for the week in one session?

This is where premium juicers begin to differ.

Enter the BLDC motor

Some premium slow juicers use a Brushless DC (BLDC) motor instead of a traditional induction motor.

Although BLDC motors are significantly more expensive to manufacture, they offer several advantages that make them particularly well suited to high-end kitchen appliances.

Quieter Operation

One of the first things you'll notice is how quietly a BLDC-powered juicer runs.

This makes early morning juicing far more pleasant and is especially appreciated in open-plan homes where excessive noise can disturb the rest of the family.

Greater Energy Efficiency

Because brushless motors are electronically controlled, they convert electrical energy more efficiently and produce less waste heat than conventional induction motors.

While this probably won't make a noticeable difference to your electricity bill, it does contribute to cooler operation and reflects the more advanced design of the motor.

Longer Operating Sessions

Since BLDC motors generate less heat, they are well suited to extended juicing sessions. However, it's important to understand that the motor is only one part of the machine. The recommended operating time also depends on the gearbox, bearings, electronics, cooling system, and the overall thermal design of the appliance. This explains why two juicers equipped with BLDC motors can still have different recommended operating times.

The Sana 727 and 929 models have an unlimited operating time.

Variable Speed: A Feature That's Actually Useful

Perhaps the greatest advantage of a BLDC motor is one that many consumers overlook. Because the motor is electronically controlled, manufacturers can precisely adjust its speed. Instead of operating at one fixed speed, the juicer can be optimized for different ingredients and accessories.

For example:

Lower speeds can improve the processing of leafy greens and other fibrous produce.
Higher speeds may work better for juicy fruits.
Optional accessories, such as oil extractors, often benefit from higher rotational speeds.
Different homogenizing functions can also perform better at different speeds.

Rather than simply spinning faster, the motor can be matched to the task at hand.

Why Doesn't Every Juicer Use a BLDC Motor?

The simple answer is cost.

BLDC motors are significantly more expensive than traditional induction motors, and they require sophisticated electronic controllers to operate. For manufacturers competing primarily on price, a conventional induction motor remains the more economical choice.

For premium juicers, however, the additional investment can provide noticeable benefits in everyday use.

Looking Beyond Wattage

When comparing juicers, many people look first at the motor's wattage. It's understandable. We've been conditioned to think that a bigger number means a more powerful appliance. For high-speed appliances such as blenders, that's often true. Blenders operate at extremely high speeds, so they require powerful motors to maintain those speeds while crushing ice and blending frozen ingredients.

Slow juicers are different. Instead of spinning at thousands of revolutions per minute, a slow juicer typically operates at just 40–70 RPM. The goal isn't speed, it's controlled, steady crushing and squeezing.

The type of motor is far more important than the wattage printed on the box. The quality of the gearbox, the juicing mechanism, the auger, the juicing screen, and the overall engineering all contribute to how efficiently a juicer extracts juice and how pleasant it is to use.

A Motor Is Only One Part of the Story

The motor is one of the most important components of any juicer, but it doesn't work alone. The gearbox, auger design, juicing screen, electronics, pressure sensors, cooling system, and even the software controlling the motor all influence how a juicer performs in real-world use. This is why two juicers with similar motors can behave very differently when processing the same ingredients. When comparing premium juicers, it's worth looking beyond a single specification. The best machines are carefully engineered systems in which every component works together.

Is a BLDC Juicer Worth It?

That depends on how you use your juicer.

If you prepare a single glass of juice each morning, you may never notice the difference.

But if you regularly juice leafy greens, prepare large batches, appreciate quieter operation, or want the flexibility of variable speed, a BLDC motor offers real advantages that you'll notice every time you use the machine.

It's one of the reasons premium slow juicers often feel different—not because they're more powerful, but because they're engineered differently.

Key Takeaways

Many slow juicers recommend a 15–30 minute operating time to prevent motor overheating.
Thermal protection sensors automatically switch the motor off if it becomes too hot.
A juicer's actual run time depends on the produce being processed, the ambient temperature, and the overall machine design.
Premium BLDC motors run more efficiently, produce less heat, operate more quietly, and enable variable speed control.
The motor is only one part of the equation—gearbox design, electronics, cooling, and the juicing mechanism all influence performance.

How to Preserve Garden Harvest Surplus (and Reduce Food Waste)

09/07/2026

Every gardener knows the feeling. After months of waiting, everything seems to ripen at once. Apples, plums, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, herbs—there's suddenly more produce than you can possibly eat before it starts to spoil.

While some surplus inevitably ends up in the compost, a little planning can help you enjoy your harvest for months while keeping food waste to a minimum.

Juice More Than You Can Eat

Juicing is one of the quickest ways to process large quantities of fresh produce. A basket of apples, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, or celery can be transformed into delicious, nutrient-rich juice in just a few minutes. Fresh juice is always best enjoyed immediately, but excess juice can also be refrigerated for a day or two or frozen in portions for later use.

Give Fruit a Second Life

A dehydrator makes it easy to preserve fruit that might otherwise go to waste. Apples become naturally sweet chips, plums and cherries turn into chewy snacks, and berries can be dried for adding to breakfast cereals or homemade trail mixes. You can also make fruit leather—a healthy snack that's perfect for lunchboxes or hiking trips.

Freeze Summer for Winter

Not every piece of fruit has to be preserved immediately. Simply wash, prepare, and freeze ripe fruit while it's at its peak. Later, frozen strawberries, peaches, cherries, or plums can be turned into refreshing sorbets or healthy frozen desserts using a horizontal juicer. It's a wonderful way to enjoy the taste of summer long after the harvest season has ended.

Don't Forget the Herbs

Fresh herbs often grow faster than we can use them. Drying parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, or mint at low temperatures helps preserve their flavor and aroma, giving you homegrown herbs throughout the year.

Many herbs are also wonderful for homemade teas. Chamomile, lemon balm, peppermint, sage, and other garden herbs can be dried in the summer and enjoyed as comforting herbal infusions throughout the colder months—a simple way to enjoy the flavors of your garden long after the growing season has ended.

Compost What's Left

Even after you've made juice, dried fruit, and frozen your surplus, there will always be peels, stems, and other scraps. Composting these leftovers returns valuable nutrients to your garden, completing a natural cycle with almost nothing wasted.

A generous harvest should be something to celebrate, not something to worry about. With a few simple preservation techniques, today's surplus can become tomorrow's healthy snack, refreshing juice, or homemade dessert—helping you enjoy more of what your garden has worked so hard to produce.

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