This is the question we get more than any other: "Should I get a citrus juicer or a cold press?"
And honestly? The answer is almost never complicated once you think through what you're actually trying to do. But a lot of people get it wrong because they start with the equipment instead of starting with the menu.
Let's fix that.
What Each Machine Actually Does
Before we get into the pros and cons, let's be clear about what we're comparing—because these aren't two versions of the same thing. They're completely different machines built for different purposes.
Citrus juicers are designed for one job: extracting juice from oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits. They use a reaming or pressing action that's optimized for citrus fruit. That's it. You can't juice an apple in a citrus juicer. You definitely can't juice kale.
Cold press juicers (also called masticating juicers) work by grinding produce and then pressing it to extract juice. They handle fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, ginger, wheatgrass—pretty much anything you throw at them. They're versatile, but that versatility comes with trade-offs.
Neither one is "better." They're just built for different jobs.
When a Citrus Juicer Makes Sense
If your juice program is focused on fresh-squeezed orange juice—and let's be real, that's the bread and butter for most NYC restaurants—a dedicated citrus juicer is hard to beat.
Here's why:
Speed. Commercial citrus juicers are fast. We're talking 20–30 oranges per minute on a good machine. Cold press juicers can handle citrus, but they're slower and require you to peel the fruit first. During a busy brunch service, that speed difference matters.
Simplicity. Citrus juicers have fewer parts, which means less cleaning and less that can go wrong. Your staff can learn to use one in about five minutes. There's no prep beyond cutting the fruit in half.
Cost. Entry-level commercial citrus juicers start around $500–700. A comparable cold press starts at $1,500 and goes up from there. If citrus is all you need, there's no reason to overspend.
The juice itself. Citrus juicers are optimized to extract maximum juice from oranges and lemons while leaving the bitter pith behind. The result is clean, bright juice that tastes exactly like customers expect fresh OJ to taste.
The limitation is obvious: you're locked into citrus. If a customer asks for a green juice, you're out of luck.
When a Cold Press Juicer Makes Sense
If your menu includes—or will include—vegetable juices, green juices, or fruit-and-veggie blends, a cold press juicer opens up a lot of possibilities.
Menu flexibility. With a cold press, you can offer everything from apple-ginger shots to full celery juices to complex green blends. You're not limited to one category of produce. If juice trends shift, you can shift with them.
Juice quality and shelf life. Cold press juicers operate at low speeds, which means less heat and oxidation. The juice retains more nutrients and stays fresh longer—typically 48–72 hours refrigerated versus just a few hours for juice from a centrifugal machine. If you're bottling juice for retail, this matters a lot.
Perceived value. "Cold-pressed" has become a premium signal for customers. Whether or not they fully understand what it means, they associate it with health and quality. You can charge more for cold-pressed juice, and customers expect to pay more.
The trade-offs? Cold press juicers require more prep—produce needs to be cut to fit the feed chute, and citrus needs to be peeled. They're slower than citrus juicers. They cost more upfront. And they have more parts to clean.
For the right operation, those trade-offs are absolutely worth it. For others, they're unnecessary complications.
What About Getting Both?
Plenty of juice bars and restaurants run both machines. It's not an either/or.
A common setup: a citrus juicer handles the high-volume OJ and lemonade orders quickly and efficiently, while a cold press covers the green juices and specialty drinks. Each machine does what it's best at.
The downside is cost (you're buying two machines), counter space (you need room for both), and training (staff needs to know both systems). But if your menu genuinely needs both capabilities, it's often the smartest approach.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Still not sure which direction to go? Work through these:
What's on your menu right now? If it's 90% fresh OJ with occasional lemonade, start with citrus. If you're planning a full juice menu with greens and vegetables, go cold press.
What's your volume? High-volume citrus service during brunch rush demands a dedicated citrus juicer's speed. Lower-volume specialty juice programs can get by with a cold press handling everything.
What's your budget? If funds are tight, a quality citrus juicer gets you in the game for under $1,000. You can always add a cold press later when the juice program proves itself.
Where do you want to be in two years? If you're starting with OJ but planning to expand into a full juice menu, it might make sense to invest in a cold press now rather than buying twice.
The Honest Answer
Most NYC restaurants that are just adding juice to an existing menu should start with a commercial citrus juicer. Fresh-squeezed OJ is what customers want at brunch, it's fast to produce, and the equipment is affordable and reliable. You can be up and running in a week.
If you're building a juice-focused concept—or adding a serious juice component to a café or health-focused restaurant—a cold press juicer gives you the flexibility and product quality to compete with dedicated juice bars.
And if you're genuinely unsure, give us a call. We've helped hundreds of NYC and Long Island restaurants figure this out, and we're happy to talk through your specific situation.
Schedule a free consultation—no pressure, just honest advice.
Juicer Joe is an authorized Ceado and Zumex dealer, serving restaurants, cafés, and juice bars throughout NYC and Long Island for over 25 years.
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