Beverage

Hamilton Beach Commercial has been in the juicing business since 1932, when we first introduced the iconic 932 manual citrus juicer. So when we began designing otto™ the Juice Extractor, the newest addition to the FreshMark™ family of commercial juicers, we had a lofty goal: to build the best centrifugal juicer out there.

Achieving the ideal balance of speed, durability, flavor and yield was a formidable challenge. Based on feedback from our partners in the field, our engineers have spent more than two years fine-tuning components of otto. “This is the most testing we’ve ever done on a product,” observes Karen Williams-Roman, Global Commercial Product Manager for Hamilton Beach Commercial. Here’s what we looked at — and what you should consider when you’re investing in a commercial juice extractor.

Durability: Commercial juicers are built to withstand punishing conditions. The motor has to be strong enough to whiz through tough, fibrous produce without overheating. The body and removable parts have to stand up to moisture and constant cleaning.

Designing a juice extractor to meet these demanding requirements was easy, because durability is our middle name! (Just ask the restaurant owners who are still using their 50-year old Hamilton Beach drink mixers.) otto the Juice Extractor has a powerful brushless induction motor, durable stainless steel components and wipe-clean controls. You can tell it’s tough just by picking it up — otto weighs 25.4 kg/ 56 lbs. It comes with a two-year warranty, too. 

Yield: Yield — the amount of juice obtained from fresh produce — is key for busy juice shops. The cost of produce is significant, and maximizing yield can make a big difference in a business’s bottom line. We designed otto’s blades and strainer basket to extract the maximum amount of juice, but we discovered that yield inevitably varies according to what you put in the juicer. If you optimize the yield on carrots, for instance, you may lose some yield on kale.

otto the Juice Extractor is intended to be an all-purpose commercial juicer that can handle a huge variety of fruits and vegetables. To maximize yield, here’s what we recommend:

• Add fibrous produce first, such as kale, spinach, celery, ginger and turmeric. Then follow up with juicy ingredients, such as cucumbers and apples.
• When adding leafy greens, keep them moist and condense them into a ball.
• Check the blades regularly to make sure they’re sharp.
• Remove the peels from whole citrus fruit before juicing. If you only need 1/8 of an orange or lemon, then there’s no need to peel the segment first. And if your café serves large quantities of citrus juice, your best solution may be the motorized 96700 Series Electric Citrus Juicer.

Speed: In centrifugal juicing, sharp blades shred fruits and vegetables while the chamber spins at high speeds to extract the juice. Centrifugal juicers are superstars when it comes to speed, but it’s essential to train employees to clean the strainer basket frequently between drinks. Leafy greens contain fibers that can clog the strainer basket if ignored. otto’s stainless steel components can be easily removed for rapid cleaning.

Batch vs. single serve: otto is designed for single-serve juicing — in other words, making each juice drink to order. It’s perfect for juice shops, bars, cafés, gyms and smoothie shops. otto is not intended for large-scale processing, such as a large scale juice bottling operation.

Flavor and pulp content: Serving a perfect glass of juice means maintaining a delicate balance of flavor, color and consistency. A key part of that is pulp content. Juice that’s 1% pulp will have a lighter color and a watery taste. Juice that’s 8% pulp will have more robust flavor and color, but also a thicker consistency that won’t please every guest.

Cafés that make fresh juice ahead of time and then set cups on ice may want a juicer that slightly ups the pulp content. With minimal pulp, juice separates more rapidly, forming unappetizing layers. We’ve refined otto to hit the sweet spot of 3-3.5% pulp for satisfying flavor, color and consistency. 

Price: Whether a customer is an independent juice shop owner or an established chain, we want otto to fit easily into their budget. That’s why we chose to price otto below competing commercial juice extractors and create an affordable heavy-duty centrifugal juicer that still delivers great juice.

In short, every commercial juicer on the market has its strengths and weaknesses. Is otto the best for your business? Here’s an easy way to find out: request a demo!

See all of Hamilton Beach Commercial’s innovative solutions for juicing operations.