Drink your daily nutrients with these 5 at-home juicers

Cold-pressed juice has become the drink of choice for health enthusiasts and city-dwellers looking to lose weight and add nutrients while on the go.

Juice shops have popped up on street corners in major cities in response to the high demand for veggie- and fruit-filled health drinks. As a result, juice companies are charging premium prices for their product since customers will pay an upward of $9 per 16-ounce container at the grocery store and at least $10 for a 16-ounce bottle from specialty juice shops.

Health benefits aside, that's a hefty price to pay for a beverage. If made a daily habit, that's a heck of a lot more money spent per year on juice than the average American spends to keep caffeinated annually. If, say, a person were to pay an average of $7 a day for juice for an entire year, that'd be $2,555 annually.

While that's a steep price for most people, juice companies justify it by boasting the large amounts of fruit and veggies packed into each bottle. For instance, Starbucks Evolution juice prides itself on its four green juice options, each containing more than a pound of vegetables per bottle.

If you've never used a juicer (or you just want to know more before buying one), here's a brief juicer 101 so that you can feel confident about the appliance you choose.

Essentially, there are two types of electric juicers: juice extractors and auger-style, or "slow juicers." When comparing the two, each has its own unique juicing method that can affect how long your juice stays fresh, which produce you can use. Some juicers even have extra functionality, meaning they can also produce nut butters, pasta and more.

First, there are juice extractors, sometimes called centrifugal juicers, which rapidly spin fruit and veggies into juice and then separate out the pulp. Because of the way the juice is extracted, it's often not as nutrient dense as auger-style juicers. On the other hand, centrifugal juicers are a popular choice because they're affordable and sold at most department stores. If you're looking to buy online, JustJuice.org recommends the Breville BJE200XL Compact Juice Fountain ($99.95; amazon.com) for a heavy-duty compact juicer with a 700-watt motor so that you get the most out of your produce.

Then, there are auger-style, or slow juicers, that churn juice out at a much slower pace for the purpose of making "cold-press" juice, a term you've likely heard at your local juice shop. These juicers use less heat so that you get a higher juice yield with very dry pulp and no froth. For those who want the most health benefits from their made-at-home juice, we'd recommend this style of juicing because the cold-press method does wonders at retaining nutrients.

How can you reap the benefits of this trendy habit without spending so much? Our advice is to invest in your own juicer. Imagine, with an at-home juicer, you can dictate exactly what vegetables and fruits you're ingesting. This means, produce costs aside, you can afford to have juice in the morning and at night (or whenever!) without the cost of pricey juice bars.

We profile five juicers you can use at home based on ratings and reviews by Consumer Reports, CNET or The Source staff.

Note: The prices below reflect those listed at the time of publication.

1. Juiceman JM8000S Juicer ($78, originally $99.99; amazon.com)

This powerful juice extractor earned the highest score of all reviewed juicers from Consumer Reports. Most notably, the Juiceman ranked high for its user-friendly design and the amount of juice produced from a given amount of produce. Priced at just $100, this option will pay for itself after just a few uses.

2. Kuvings Whole Slow B6000 Cold Press Juicer ($368, originally $499.99; amazon.com)

A cold-press juicer that ranked high for its quiet operating system (even when on maximum speed). It proved easy to use and its feed tube allows for larger pieces of whole fruit, which cuts down on prep time. Since it's a cold-press or "auger" juicer, it functions by slowly crushing and mashing fruit, meaning you'll end up with nutrient-dense juice that'll help you to stay healthy.

3. Breville Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL/B Juicer ($239.96; amazon.com)

Another recommended centrifugal juicer, this Breville option offers great performance overall and produces juice with low pulp. It's dishwasher safe for easy maintenance and has a sleek design so it won't be an eyesore if you decide to leave it on your kitchen counter.

4. Omega NC900HDC Juicer ($303.96, originally $480; amazon.com)

This is a cold-press juicer that can do it all, meaning it can produce a whole lot more than just juice. According to Consumer Reports, this particular juicer delivers excellent performance and can make nut butters, bread dough, almond milk and more. Most notably, this model from Omega ranked high in juicing performance, noise levels and ease of use.

5. H-AA Slow Juicer ($439 to $459; food52.com)

If you're on the hunt for a juicer looks as fabulous as it is functional, look no further than the H-AA Slow Juicer from Hurom. As far as looks go, this juicer's sleek design in rose gold makes it a stunning choice if you'd prefer to leave it out. Made from BPA-free, impact-resistant materials, this sturdy juicer not only churns out cold-press juice, but it also has the ability to produce nut and soy milk, tofu, and even ice cream. This particular model received a 5.7 out of 6.0 stars overall from CNET and "runs quietly compared with noisy centrifugal machines."