Celery juice is a common green drink, and one of the harder ones to make at home. Many owners find their juicer machine slows down, jams or stops halfway through a bunch of celery.

JuiceNext, a juicer review site, shows why. It has tested slow juicers with 500 g of celery each, and last updated the results in September 2026. One machine gave the most juice. But its pulp exit was narrow, and it clogged unless the celery was cut into 2 cm pieces.

A clog often comes from how the celery is cut and fed, though the shape of the pulp exit matters too. This guide explains what causes it and how to stop it.

What makes celery different

Most fruit is soft flesh full of water. Celery is built differently. Each stalk has long, tough strings running along its length.

Inside a slow juicer, a screw-shaped part called an auger turns and presses the produce against a fine screen. Soft fruit breaks up and passes through. Celery strings do not. They can wrap around the auger like thread around a spool.

Once the strings wrap, the pulp cannot get out. It builds up at the pulp exit, and the machine has to push harder. Sooner or later it jams.

The five usual causes of a celery clog

1. The pieces are too long

Long pieces mean long strings, so check this first. In that test, cutting celery into 2 cm pieces was what stopped the narrow-exit machine from clogging.

2. You are feeding it too fast

Pushing a whole handful into the chute at once gives the auger more strings than it can handle. The pulp backs up before it can leave.

3. The celery is old

Fresh celery is crisp and snaps cleanly. Old celery goes limp and rubbery. Its fibres bend instead of breaking, so they wrap more easily. If a stalk bends without snapping, it will be harder to juice.

4. The pulp exit is narrow

Some machines have a small pulp exit. They can give a lot of juice, but they block sooner with stringy produce. The test found this trade-off clearly. More pressing gave more juice, but it cost almost six minutes of juicing time for 500 g and let more sediment into the juice.

5. The screen is dirty or worn

Old pulp dried on the screen makes it harder for juice to pass. The pulp has nowhere to go, and it piles up. A worn or cracked screen can also catch fibres it should let through.

How to stop celery clogging your machine

Try these steps in order, starting with the first three. Always follow the maker's manual for your model. Our juicer troubleshooting guide covers other common jams and what to check.

1. Cut celery into short pieces, about 2 cm long. Cut across the stalk, not along it, so every string is short.
2. Feed a few pieces at a time. Wait for them to go down before adding more.
3. Mix in a firm, watery fruit such as green apple or cucumber every few pieces. It helps push the fibres through and clears the pulp exit.
4. Use the reverse button if your machine has one. If the pulp starts to back up, press reverse for a few seconds, then go forward again. This loosens wrapped fibres.
5. Buy fresh, crisp celery, and juice it soon after buying.
6. For a big batch, stop halfway and rinse the screen and auger. A clean screen works much better.

Clearing a jam safely

If the machine does jam, switch it off and unplug it first. Never push produce down with your fingers or a spoon while it is running.

Take the top part off, then lift out the auger and screen. Pull out any wrapped fibres by hand. Rinse the parts, put them back together and start again with shorter pieces.

If the machine jams even with short, fresh celery, a part may be worn. The screen and the seals are the usual suspects. You can find replacement screens and seals by model.

Choosing a juicer machine for celery

If celery juice is your daily drink, keep it in mind when you buy. Some reviewers point out that horizontal slow juicers, which lie flat, handle long fibres well. Vertical slow juicers stand upright and take up less counter space. Try celery in the shop if you can.

For a wider look at what works in a slow juicer, see our list of local fruits a slow juicer can handle. Cafés that serve green juice all day face this problem at scale, and our guide on choosing a commercial juicer covers it. You can also browse slow juicers built for greens.

Ask whether spare screens and brushes are sold locally. Daily celery juice wears these parts faster than soft fruit does. A machine you can keep in good shape with local parts will clog less over the years than one you cannot. When you compare machines, look for three things:

• a reverse button, to clear fibres without taking the machine apart
• a pulp exit that is not too narrow
• a screen that is easy to take out and rinse

Cleaning up after celery

Celery leaves more mess inside a juicer than most fruit. The fine fibres push into the holes of the screen and dry hard if you leave them.

Rinse the parts straight after juicing, while the pulp is still wet. Hold the screen under running water and brush it from the inside out. Brushing in that direction pushes the fibres back out of the holes.

If fibres have already dried in, soak the screen in warm water for a few minutes first. Then brush again. Do not use a knife or anything sharp to pick at the holes, as this can damage the screen.

Let every part dry fully before you put the machine away. A damp screen stored in a closed cupboard can start to smell.

Buying and storing celery for juicing

Good juice starts at the pasar. Choose bunches with firm, bright green stalks that snap when bent. Avoid stalks that look pale, bendy or dry at the cut end.

At home, keep celery in the fridge, wrapped loosely so it does not dry out. Juice it within a few days if you can. The fresher it is, the cleaner it breaks inside the machine, and the less likely it is to clog.

Frequently asked questions

Why does celery get stuck in my juicer?

Celery has long, tough strings. They wrap around the turning part inside the juicer and block the pulp exit. Cutting celery into short pieces is the easiest fix.

How small should I cut celery for juicing?

Short pieces work best. The JuiceNext celery test found that cutting celery into 2 cm pieces stopped one machine from clogging. Cut across the stalk so the strings are short.

What does the reverse button on a juicer do?

It turns the auger backwards for a moment. This loosens fibres that have wrapped around it and pushes back pulp that is stuck. Press it for a few seconds, then go forward again.

Is it safe to push celery down with a spoon?

No. Never push anything into a running juicer with a spoon, fork or your fingers. Switch it off and unplug it before you clear a jam.

Why does my juicer clog even with short celery?

The screen may be dirty or worn, or the celery may be old and rubbery. Rinse the screen halfway through a batch, and use crisp, fresh celery.

Can I juice celery leaves too?

Yes, the leaves can go in with the stalks. Mix them with firm pieces so they do not bunch up in the chute.