Blending and juicing may seem like one and the same thing, but they’re not. They are two totally different things.
Although the main differences are in functionality, you can use both methods to make delicious juices and drinks.
Of course, choosing between blenders vs juicers can be a real headache. And if you don’t know the main differences between the two, it’s obvious that you can make a wrong purchase decision.
In reality, the machine that is best for you depends on your preferences.
When looking at most juicers are often used for crushing vegetables and fruits to extract juice from the pulp. They are available in automatic and manual models.
On the other hand, most blenders are great for blending/grinding vegetables and fruits to make thick, delicious smoothies. You’ll find many popular blender brands like Nutribullet, Vitamix, and Ninja.
So, let’s quickly compare the two machines.
What is the Difference Between a Blender and a Juicer?
The main difference between blenders vs juicers is a juicer will extract the juice from the fruits and vegetables in order to make juice, therefore, removing the fibers from the fruits and vegetables, while the blender will mix, fibers included, all foodstuffs (fruits, vegetables, seeds, oilseeds, etc.).
What is a Blender?
A blender is a machine with a rotating blade that crushes vegetables and fruits. There is an electric motor that powers the blade at the base. It’s powerful enough to crush hard foods like nuts, ice, and more.
If you’re a smoothie fanatic, a blender is for you. It produces little to no waste, unlike juicers, where you will be left with pulp. And depending on how smooth you want it, you can blend your food for as long as you want.
The smoothies can be made with fruit or vegetables, which, however, must be cleaned or washed and cut into small pieces before being inserted into the apparatus, but it could also happen that the blender is not powerful enough and is not, therefore, able to blend too hard vegetables.
However, we recommend that you find the right balance between your ingredients and the mixing time to obtain a perfectly smooth and high nutritional value mixture.
The mechanism that makes a blender work is very simple; it is, in fact, composed of a very large glass, at the base of which are placed steel blades that chop the fruit and vegetables. Everything works thanks to an electric motor, which makes the blades turn at high speed once activated.
The blender allows you not to waste the fruit pulp, which is blended together with the juice. Perfect for those who want to prepare nutritious smoothies that provide the body with a large number of vitamins, mineral salts, and above all fibers, thanks to which the smoothies satiate much more than just fruit juices, as they increase the sense of satiety.
The most popular fruits for this type of preparation are banana, apple, and pear, as they are available all year round, but different fruits can also be blended together, and if you want, you can add water or sugar or blend vegetables to obtain delicious vegetable purees, such as zucchini, spinach, pumpkin and much more.
And when shopping online, some of the features you can expect to find in a good blender include visible measuring marks, high power, and fast pulse blending, among others.
Remember that blenders come in many different types and sizes, and we’ll talk about each one later.
Types of Blenders
If a blender meets your needs, it is useful to know the main existing models.
There are many of them, and each of them offers unique features.
The blenders you’ll find online include stick blenders, countertop models, and portable models, among others. So, let’s review them.
Immersion blender
An immersion blender, also known as a stick blender or hand blender. They have a slim design, and you’ll operate them with the push of a button after you’ve dipped the stick in your ingredients. These blenders are perfect for mixing powdered milk and protein shakes, as well as pudding.
Single serve blender
Also called bullet blenders, single-serve blenders are compact and designed only for users who want to blend small amounts of food at a time. Experts add that there are high-capacity bullet blenders for making double-serving drinks.
Portable blender
If you are a traveler and prefer to walk around with a blender, you can opt for portable blenders. They are relatively new in markets and are made up of transparent glass tubes and a base containing the motor. We recommend them to people who like to mix protein shakes and smoothies.
Countertop blender
There is another type of blender called countertop blender like the Ninja Professional Countertop Blender, designed for kitchens. It has a capacity of up to 72 oz, which is ideal for making smoothies for your family members or groups of people. The nice thing about these blenders is that they have lids to prevent the food from flying out of the jar while working. We love that they are able to mix different liquids, which is why we recommend them for adult parties.
If you like to bake, you should get a cake beater to mix your batter well. They offer the same functionality as hand mixers but are more powerful than them. You can also use them with several accessories.
Commercial blender
There are also commercial blenders for hotels, restaurants, and cafes that produce beverages in large quantities. These blenders are more powerful than many of the models above, and we like that they have a large capacity too. You can use them to grind both smooth and hard things.
Benefits of Using a Blender
Blenders have many advantages. First of all, they are quick, allowing you to prepare your drink in minutes. You may need to spend more time blending if you are handling difficult ingredients.
Most blenders on the market are multi-purpose, which means you can use them to grind lots of things like ice cream, fruits, vegetables, and more. Some blenders offer consistent results thanks to their multiple settings that you can adjust according to your needs.
With a good blender, you will make juices that will stimulate your digestive process. The fiber that results from blending cleanses your digestive system. You can create a regular detox program with a good blender.
It is important to note that blenders come in several types. There are models aimed at pastry chefs and fruit juice and protein drink lovers, as we have seen above. You will also find portable models that you will take on a hike, camping, or in the parks.
We also like that most blenders allow energy to be slowly released into your system through fiber. You will feel energized for a long time after drinking your juice.
Plus, what experts love most about blenders is that they produce little to no waste, unlike juicers. You won’t have to worry about throwing away the waste resulting from mixing.
Disadvantages of Using a Blender
Remember that the different types of blenders we discussed earlier have their own pros and cons, but we’ll go over the common cons of owning a blender in this section.
Some blenders are expensive, especially models with lots of settings and features, like combination blenders. You can expect to take some time to understand the settings.
We’ve noticed that most kitchen blenders take up a lot of counter space, but that’s not a big deal if you’re organized.
Large-sized blenders available in the market also take a long time to clean, especially if you are handling sticky foods.
With noisy models, you will disturb others, so we recommend using them when a few people are at home. You can also expect complaints from your neighbors.
We also found that small blenders have a small capacity, which does not allow you to prepare drinks in large quantities. This is why it is essential to consider the quantity you are going to prepare before buying a blender.
Others, like hand blenders, can tire your hands.
According to experts, most countertop and commercial blenders are bulky, making them a hassle to carry around. You will also have to pay more to get a model that you will use in the long run.
What is a Juicer?
A juicer is an appliance that allows you to extract liquid or juice from various types of fruit and vegetables. A basic design element for a juicer is the inclusion of a lever or crank that allows you to press on the fruit and vegetables with enough force to squeeze the juice from the pulp. Juicer presses are often built as manual juicing devices, although some electric types also exist.
With juicers, you extract the juice from the pulp of your ingredients. Citrus juicers generate a lot of waste because you have a lot of pulp left after pressing, especially if you are juicing in large quantities.
Most types of juicing machines are built with stainless steel bodies. Some juicer models also include a detachable chamber constructed of high-quality glass or plastic to capture the extracted juice and allow it to be transferred to a glass or jug with relative ease.
With manual models, the juicer is operated by pressing a lever. In turn, the lever operates a mechanism that pushes down the raw fruit and vegetables that have been placed in the bale chamber. When the lever is lowered, the juice is released from the raw food and flows into a containment chamber. The pulp remains in the pressing chamber and can be extracted for use in baked bread and other recipes.
Electric juicer models sometimes make use of a push-button design to apply pressure to the bale chamber contents. These types of juicing machines normally include sensors that stop automatically when the contents of the chamber have been fully compacted. As with the manual models, some of the key components of the electric juicer can be detached for easy cleaning after use.
Using a juicer is a great way to make various types of homemade juice. Along with simple fruit juice combinations, it is also possible to create nutritious juices using liquids extracted from different raw foods. Since the fruit liquid helps sweeten the juice product, this is often a great way to make sure family members get at least one serving of the recommended daily allotment of fruit and vegetable servings. Additionally, these homemade juices contain no additives or preservatives, making them ideal for people who prefer a more natural juice.
Like blenders, there are many juicers on the market, from juicers to masticating juicers, and they have their upsides and downsides, which we’ll discuss later.
Types of Juicers
There are several types of juicers, like masticating juicers, centrifugal juicers, and hydraulic juicers, among others.
Centrifugal juicer
The first type of juicer that you will come across many times online is the centrifugal juicer. It is equipped with a rotating blade and a mesh filter to extract the juice from your food. You will use a food tube to deliver your fruits and vegetables to the grinding blade to make your juice.
Masticating juicer
Slow press masticating juicers like the Tribest SW-2000 Slowstar. It offers 47 RPM for a low level of oxidation, so your juice lasts a long time in storage. It manually chews your fruits and vegetables to produce the pulp, resulting in a richer juice with vibrant colors. You will also find masticating juicers offering up to 120 rpm.
The other type of juicer such as the auger model. It has a low RPM like the masticating models. And there are two main types: single screw and double screw. Single augers are suitable for squeezing juice from leafy green vegetables, herbs, and soft fruits. The double auger does the same thing but struggles to squeeze the fruit.
Other types of juicers include manual and citrus juicers. A manual juicer is equipped with a hand and a crank to exert pressure and extract the juice.
Juicers are mainly used for grapefruits, pomegranates, lemons, limes, and oranges.
Benefits of Using a Juicer
Let’s discuss the benefits of juice extractors.
First of all, they can grind a lot of foods like kale, spinach, and collard greens, but it’s best to choose a model that specializes in grinding given ingredients, say fruits or vegetables.
With a juicer that works well, you will enjoy toxin-free juice. Unlike blenders, you don’t grind your leafy greens that contain pesticides and other toxins. On the contrary, you will throw them away after juicing.
Juices made with these machines have high nutritional value because you will be squeezing the juice directly from your ingredients. You’ll digest them easily, unlike high-fiber blender drinks. Experts add that blending results in fiber-rich drinks that slow down your digestion process.
There are also space-saving models for users with limited counter space. Most juicers stand horizontally, which reduces counter space.
If you’re worried about noise from blenders, you can opt for a quiet-running dual-gear juicer. They can also prepare many foods, from sorbets to pasta to nut butter.
All in all, there are plenty of high-end juicers available online. You can get an efficient and best model.
Disadvantages of Using a Juicer
Now that there are a lot of juicers, each of them has its drawbacks.
For example, most juicers have a high rotational speed, which results in high amounts of oxidation that reduce the quality of your drink. It won’t stay fresh for long if you store it. They are not suitable for juicing wheatgrass and other leafy vegetables. Experts add that centrifugal juicers are noisy.
Masticating juicers are more expensive than most juicers, which may be due to the advanced features they come with. Although their level of oxidation is relatively low, masticating juicers are slow. We noted that they are also bulky and difficult to clean.
If you opt for two-speed juicers, expect to spend more than with a slow or centrifugal juicer. So far, they are the most difficult to clean and consume a lot of space on your counter.
Blenders vs Juicers: Conclusion
- A blender can produce a semi-solid aqueous paste with a much denser consistency, such as avocado, banana type of foods mixed with some juice, while a juicer produces only pure liquid to drink.
- A blender is relatively easier and faster to use because it has a higher operating speed, whereas juicers run at constant speeds, with mechanical ones also much slower even though they normally provide a better juice product.
- Generally, a blender will produce a drink with small particles if not sieved, so when you are drinking a blended liquid, you may need to chew while the juice from a juicer is a fine liquid.
We have covered the main points to know about juicers and blenders, and it is up to you to choose the one that suits your needs.
Juicers and blenders work well, but as you’ve seen, the difference is in their features, functionality, brands, and sizes.
You will find low-end and high-end models online. It’s okay to spend more to get a quality model that will serve you for the long haul.
Experts also believe it’s worth spending on a model that specializes in blending or centrifuging a given ingredient. Juice extractors designed for juicing fruit perform better than general models.
So consider what you’ll be cooking most of the time, then factor in your budget and yield, and you’re good to go.
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