Pressed Juicery, a specialty store that sells cold-pressed juice, aims to provide people with an all-natural and tasty means of getting the essential nutrients one needs in the form of a simple bottle. Newly opened at Stanford Shopping Mall, Pressed Juicery introduces a health-conscious alternative to the regular Starbucks latte or Jamba Juice smoothie one might pick up on the go. With seventeen locations throughout California, Pressed is at the forefront of the rapidly expanding juice trend.
The concept of drinking juices created with unusual ingredients such as kale and watercress might seem a bit unappealing. Some may even believe that juicing is only for health fanatics. However, in a YouTube interview, one of the three founders of Pressed, Carly Brien, described the store as a place where “anyone could come in and get something that’s good for [them].” Rest assured, Pressed has created refreshing fruit and vegetable juice mixtures that are not only healthy, but are also delicious.
With Pressed’s impressive selection of juices to choose from, customers are bound to find at least one, if not more, juice that they enjoy. At Pressed, juices are sorted into three main categories — Greens, Roots and Citrus — and are all $6.50 for a 16-ounce bottle. While this may sound pricey for a bottle of juice, according to Pressed’s Palo Alto store manager, “our products include five pounds of produce in every bottle.” This makes purchasing pre-made juice more economical than going through the trouble of buying the ingredients and then self-juicing them.
Pressed’s Palo Alto store manager also stated that “Pressed products are unpasteurized and totally raw, so active enzymes and nutrients are not killed off when making the juices.” This is one of the many benefits Pressed has over its competitors. Juices are also made with a hydraulic press rather than a regular juicer to craft smooth-tasting, nutrient-dense drinks. These juices are also sealed tightly to prevent loss of flavor, vitamins, minerals or color before they reach the customer. The juices are delivered fresh to stores, or even better, to customers’ houses every morning, so the juices’ fresh quality is guaranteed. Customers receive what they pay for.
Greens juices are slightly thicker in consistency and contain mostly leafy greens or green fruits. Each type of juice is numbered, like Greens 1 or Greens 2. The larger the number, the fewer the vegetables in and the sweeter the drink. For example, Greens 1 is made of only vegetables and no fruit, while Greens 6 is made of only fruit and a couple of green herbs. Greens 2, made from kale, spinach, romaine, parsley, cucumber, celery, apple and lemon, is popular among those just getting into the habit of drinking vegetables. It has a flavor similar to that of apple juice, but still contains mostly healthy greens.
Roots juices have a more limited selection, and the predominant ingredient in any of the four roots drinks are either beets or carrots. Both are beneficial and healthy to the body: beets help to build cells and aid liver function, and carrots provide lots of beta-carotene with antioxidant properties. Those new to Roots drinks should try Roots 3, which consists of beets, apple, lemon and ginger, as it is not only sweet, but also aids in digestion. The combination of apple, lemon and ginger help to accentuate the sweetness of the beets without overpowering them.
There are four selections of Citrus juices as well. The citrus juices do not contain many vegetables, but are just as nutrient-packed as any of the other juices. Citrus 2 is a sweet tooth’s favorite, made from pineapple, lemon, apple and mint. The mint makes the drink crisp and refreshing, while the pineapple and lemon make the drink tart like sour candy. Citrus 4 is hydrating as it consists of cucumber, pineapple, lemon, coconut water and aloe vera. An excellent juice for a workout, Citrus 4 is just as light as other citrus juices, but is not as sweet and tastes similar to green juice.
Although the Greens, Roots and Citrus juices definitely steal the show, Pressed Juicery has other items such as bottles of flavored almond drinks ($8), teas ($8) and waters with added ingredients such as aloe vera ($5). For those who have developed the habit of drinking juice, Pressed also offers the option of juice cleanses ($72- $325). Cleanses are customized in terms of the length and difficulty, and the customer has the option to pick which juices they would like to include in the cleanse as well.
Pressed stores are modern and simple. They are no more than naturally lit small rooms with wooden counters, a menu and refrigerator. Yet, that is all they need. The knowledgeable salespeople bring the room to life with bright smiles as they allow customers to sample a countless number of juices and suggest options to try, making sure that customers are satisfied with the drinks they purchase.
As Pressed and its delectable juices start to spread across California, more and more people are making Pressed products a part of their everyday lives. Now in its fourth year of business, Pressed continues to raise awareness of healthy living habits and how easy drinking a bottle of juice is everyday. If healthy habits are a part of your New Year’s resolutions, definitely check out Pressed Juicery for a convenient way to keep up with them.