Jocuu Slow Masticating Juicer In-depth Review
Overall Verdict
The Jocuu masticating juicer may not be super stylish nor have all the bells and whistles, but it gets the job done. It handles most ingredients with ease, crushing them at a reasonable speed. Best of all, juice yields were above-average.
The masticator does tend to produce foamy kale juice so finer pre-cutting may be necessary for particularly tough and fibrous ingredients. Other than that, juicing with it is a breeze. Assembling requires some practice, but taking things apart and cleaning are effortless.
Overall, this masticator is a solid machine for the price. Given its size and capacity, it's best suited to a small household (2 - 4 people).
Things We Like
- Affordable price
- Soft and hard ingredient motor speeds
- Compact, modest footprint
- Minimal clogging
- Easy cleanup
Things We Don’t Like
- Foamy kale juice
- Squeaks with hard ingredients
The Jocuu masticator is a budget juicer that's been generating a lot of buzz. We purchased it in early 2023 and spent weeks testing it in our lab to evaluate its performance, design, and user-friendliness. We assembled the parts and assessed their fit. We measured the juice yield from various ingredients, evaluated noise levels, disassembled the machine, and washed it by hand.
Read on to see how this juicer holds up to everyday use and whether it fits the rhythm of your life.
7.2 Performance
The Jocuu masticating juicer’s strong squeeze allows it to handle thick, hard fruits like apples and vegetables such as carrots and celery—yielding above-average quality juice within a reasonable time frame. It had difficulty juicing kale, however: the yield was modest compared to other masticators, and you may require a separator or a cup with a smart lid to remove the foam.
The upside to this juicer is that, due to the auger and drum size, you can run pulp through a second time and extract 15-20% more juice—something not every machine can do!
7.4 Carrot
Hard and dense, juicing carrots is easy, but juice yields tend to be the lowest among the four ingredients we test for. The Jocuu took just shy of 3 minutes to process 18 ounces of carrot sticks, which is neither fast nor slow compared to other machines, earning it 7.8 points for juicing time. It produced nearly 7 ounces of juice, slightly higher than the average mark, and received 6.9 points for juice yield.
8.7 Apple
As hard as they may seem, apples are relatively juicy with the only challenge being the tough and slippery peel. The Jocuu's auger design, similar to that on its AMZChef twin, cuts through apple peel very effectively, even surpassing the Omega NC900 in juicing time, earning it 9 points. However, the juice yield (8.4 points) wasn't as outstanding as other masticator models we tested in this batch.
7.1 Celery
The Jocuu didn't falter with tough fibers on celery stalks or soft leaves. It was 30 seconds slower than the AMZ Chef but 20 seconds faster than the Omega NC900 in this test, earning it a juicing time score of 8.5 points. The juice yield was average (6.0 points), lagging slightly behind the Omega, which scored 8.0 points.
5.6 Kale
The Jocuu has many strengths, but juicing kale isn’t one of them. The smooth feed chute let through leaves with minimal jamming, resulting in a quick juicing time (8.5 points). However, the auger failed to extract sufficient juice from the paper-thin leaves (5.6 points), and by volume, there was a lot more foam than juice (0.0 points).
7.9 Design
The Jocuu masticating juicer is well-built with durable materials. Parts fit nicely together, except at the somewhat loose connection between the drum and body, which squeaks when juicing tough fibers. While it could be more stylish, the machine has a good finish, showing no signs of poor build quality. Its parts—the plunger, feed chute, juice and pulp cups—are all appropriately-sized, so it works well in a small kitchen and storing is a breeze.
In the Box
- 1 x Jocuu masticating juicer body
- Parts: drum, feed chute, auger, juice mesh, plunger, drum cap
- 1 x juice cup
- 1 x pulp cup
- 1 x wrench for securing drum cap
- 1 x cleaning brush
The Jocuu comes with the usual components seen on a masticator, plus a wrench for the first one for two times securing and removing the drum cap. The packaged box is compact, but it has enough cushioning to keep all the parts intact after a long journey from the US to our lab in Saigon.
Interestingly, we couldn’t locate a user guide, either in the box or online.
7.4 Dimensions & Footprint
The Jocuu masticator is average-sized, equipped with a motor and containers suitable for serving a household of 2-4 people. It can comfortably stay out on a narrow countertop, or you can take it apart and store it (just about) in a standard drawer..
We liked that the plunger covers the length of the feed chute but not the diameter, leaving ample wiggle room for the plunger. This proved a great design when juicing leafy greens—as a tighter space between the plunger and the feed chute wall can lead to leaves becoming snugly wedged, resulting in more severe clogging.
8.1 Build Quality & Fit
The design and look of the Jocuu matches its price, which is very basic. It’s made of durable materials, has a decent finish, and the parts fit together well—only making squeaky noises with particularly tough ingredients (as mentioned). Just don’t expect it to be a decorative item on your countertop.
8.7 Auger
The Jocuu sports an average-sized auger with just the right space between its teeth to handle the toughest ingredients with minimal clogging. The auger and drum size also present an interesting advantage: You can run the pulp through it again to get more juice, which would be impossible on a larger model such as the Omega NC900.
8.0 Usability
The Jocuu design is functional and basic, with a juicing experience tailored for budget-conscious users. It works well with small to medium cuts of produce, but the small feed chute can't handle large chucks the way a larger masticator such as the Omega NC900 can. Juicing is straightforward, although assembling does involve a small learning curve. Cleaning takes no more than a few minutes, and the parts are dishwasher-friendly too.
8.3 Assembling
The Jocuu’s rather special design has a lock to secure its drum into the main body. This requires some intuition when aligning the two parts, which can pose a challenge in the beginning. Taking them apart is much easier, only requiring the press of a button. The assembling and disassembling process can each take less than 1 minute once you’ve got the hang of it.
7.8 Juicing
While Jocuu’s rather modest feed chute cannot handle a whole or even half a carrot at once, as long as the ingredients fit in easily, they tend to pass through without difficulty. Jamming occurred mostly with tough fibers that the auger had problems cutting or breaking, causing the drum to "nod", but you can solve the problem by cutting the ingredients into smaller sticks or wedges.
3.0 Conveniences
The Jocuu, being a budget machine, does not come with a lot of bells and whistles. It has two speed options, one for soft and one for hard ingredients, and a reverse function, all controlled by a turn of a knob. However, you need to wait a second or two in the neutral position when switching between normal juicing and reverse, or the motor won’t engage.
9.3 Cleaning
The Jocuu takes only a few minutes to clean by hand, with its most challenging parts being the top of the auger and the juice mesh, where fibers tend to stick. We recommend taking the unit apart and submerging these parts in mild soapy water immediately after juicing for an easier cleanup.