Technology and innovation have birthed a new generation of slow juicers that no longer require manual feeding. We call them hands-free juicers. They are becoming increasingly popular in the home juicer market for their convenience.
Hands-free juicers have a hopper, or a container for you to pre-load your ingredients. You can think of a hopper as similar to a blender’s blending container.
Learn more about hands-free juicers and the differences between our hands-free slow juicer models. Once you know the differences, it'll be easier for you to decide which Kuvings hands-free slow juicer model is best for you.
4 Benefits of a Hands-Free Juicer
You’ll find that juicing with a hands-free juicer is convenient, effortless, and time-saving for the following reasons.
1. Pre-Loading
Manual-feed juicers have chutes; they are typically narrow and meant for direct feeding, not preloading.
On the other hand, hands-free juicers have wide hoppers that can fit a lot of ingredients. Instead of feeding each ingredient one by one, you can load your ingredients at once. Just be mindful of the maximum fill line!
2. Less Prep
Hoppers vary in size depending on the juicer model. They are typically large enough to fit whole ingredients and have a mechanism to chop the ingredients for you.
Therefore, chopping larger ingredients, such as apples and beets, into small pieces is no longer necessary. The bigger the hopper, the more space there is for more whole ingredients.
3. Self-Feeding
Once pre-loaded and turned on, a hands-free juicer feeds itself. If the hopper has a blade, it swipes the chopped food through a small opening in the hopper’s base. This opening leads to the juicing section, also known as the juicing chamber. If the hopper has an open floor, then the ingredients feed directly to the juicing chamber.
4. Multi-Tasking
Because most of the operation is hands-free, you can multi-task. You can load the juicer, turn it on, and walk away to attend to other tasks. For example, you can clean up your juicing area or prep more ingredients while juicing.
AUTO9 vs. AUTO10 Series
We’re breaking down the differences among the AUTO9, AUTO10, and AUTO10 Plus across a few categories.
Hopper
The AUTO9 has a smaller hopper, measuring 2 liters. You fit a little less per load, resulting in less juice in one batch. Even though we are using words like "smaller" and "less", this is only in comparison with the AUTO10 and AUTO10 Plus. This doesn't mean the yield is low. You still get a good yield from your ingredients with AUTO9's 2-liter hopper.
Another note about the AUTO9 hopper: it's bladeless. You may have to chop your ingredients to help the juicer process them more easily.
The AUTO10 Series has larger hoppers. The AUTO10 has a 3-liter hopper, and the AUTO10 Plus has a 4.3-liter hopper when the hopper extension is attached. The larger hoppers require less prep and yield more juice in one batch.
Both the AUTO10 and AUTO10 Plus also have hoppers with stainless steel blades. The blade chops ingredients before feeding them to the juicing chamber.
| AUTO9 | AUTO10 | AUTO10 Plus | |
| Max capacity | 2 liters (67.7 oz) | 3 liters (100 oz) | 4.3 liters (135 oz) |
| Blade | No | Yes | Yes |
Assembly & Cleaning
The assembly and cleaning processes aren't extremely different between the AUTO9 and the AUTO10 Series. All 3 models are easy to assemble and clean. However, if we want to get into the nitty-gritty, there are some slight differences.
The models have the same basic parts, except the AUTO9 doesn’t have a rotation wiper. The rotation wiper isn't essential for operation; it just helps wipe juice off the strainer holes and mix it in the juicing bowl. Without a rotation wiper, the AUTO9's assembly can be easier and faster.
The AUTO9 hopper and juicing strainer also feature fewer crevices. Both parts have an open or floorless bottom, making cleaning easier. The trade-off is the AUTO9’s pulp spout doesn’t open.
The AUTO10 and AUTO10 Plus include 2 extra cleaning tools compared to the AUTO9. All 3 models come with the basic cleaning brush, while the AUTO10 Series includes a round brush and a green strainer cleaning tool. The extra tools can make cleaning easier.
| AUTO9 | AUTO10 | AUTO10 Plus | |
| Rotation wiper | No | Yes | Yes |
| Floorless hopper | Yes | No | No |
| Open juicing strainer bottom | Yes | No | Yes |
| Pulp spout opens | No | Yes | Yes |
| Cleaning tools | 1 brush | 2 brushes, 1 strainer cleaning tool | 2 brushes, 1 strainer cleaning tool |
Operation Time
The AUTO9 has a 200W motor with a recommended use time of 20 minutes. You still get a good amount of power and can complete a lot of juicing in 20 minutes with the AUTO9.
The AUTO10 and AUTO10 Plus have a 240W motor with a recommended use time of 30-45 minutes. You can juice for longer and will likely complete your entire juicing session within that timeframe.
| AUTO9 | AUTO10 | AUTO10 Plus | |
| Motor | 200W | 240W | 240W |
| Run time | 20 min | 30-45 min | 30-45 min |
Specifications
The AUTO9 has a smaller footprint of 6 x 5.5 inches and weighs 11.9 lbs. It occupies slightly less space and is lighter to move around.
The AUTO10 and AUTO10 Plus have a slightly bigger footprint by an inch and weigh more because they have a larger motor. Their footprint is 7 x 6.5 inches, and their weight is 16.5 lbs. The AUTO10 Plus with the hopper extension is also taller than the AUTO9.
| AUTO9 | AUTO10 | AUTO10 Plus | |
| Footprint | 6 x 5.5" | 7 x 6.5" | 7 x 6.5" |
| Weight | 11.9 lbs | 16.5 lbs | 16.4 - 16.5 lbs |
| Height | 18.3" | 18" | 17.75-20.25" |
Juice & Pulp Cups
The AUTO9 comes with smaller juice and pulp cups because a smaller hopper yields less juice and pulp from one batch.
The AUTO10 and the AUTO10 Plus come with larger juice and pulp cups because a larger hopper yields more juice and pulp from one batch.
| AUTO9 | AUTO10 | AUTO10 Plus | |
| Juice cup capacity | 24 oz | 32 oz | 32 oz |
| Pulp cup capacity | 32 oz | 44 oz | 60 oz |
Accessories
The AUTO9 comes with the standard juicing strainer that makes cold-pressed juice and plant milk. It also comes with a sorbet strainer for making sorbets and dairy-free ice creams.
In addition to the juicing and sorbet strainers, the AUTO10 and AUTO10 Plus come with a smoothie strainer. The AUTO10 Plus also comes with a pulp mesh to strain your juice.
| AUTO9 | AUTO10 | AUTO10 Plus | |
| Juicing strainer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sorbet strainer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Smoothie strainer | No | Yes | Yes |
| Pulp mesh | No | No | Yes |
Which model is the best for you?
After learning some of the differences between the two, you may still be wondering which model to get. You can’t go wrong with any of the three models, but one may fit your juicing needs and habits better than the others.
The following is a general guideline:
AUTO9
- For people who don’t need large quantities of juice
- Homes with smaller kitchens
- People who wish to travel with their juicer
AUTO10
- For 1-2 people
- People who batch juice but don’t need an extra-large capacity
AUTO10 Plus
- Families consisting of 2 or more people
- People who regularly juice large batches and need high juice yields often
Find more juicer model comparisons in our Slow Juicers Buying Guide.
