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Should i buy a juicer or blender


Juicer vs Blender: Which is Better?

Juicing and blending veggies is a great way to increase your intake, but you might have questions about the pro and cons of the juicer vs. blender. Read on to learn about how vegetables juices and smoothies are different in taste, texture, and nutrition.

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Most Americans don’t eat enough vegetables. According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2017, only 9% of adults met the recommended intake of 3 cups of vegetables per day.

This isn’t a surprising statistic to most people, but it’s still concerning, especially considering the strong association between a diet rich in vegetables and a decreased risk of chronic diseases.

As a dietitian and veggie enthusiast, I often get the question, “how can I eat more veggies?” or “how can I make it easier to get enough vegetables?”

There are loads of resources and recipes on this very blog to help you eat your veggies, but one of the most efficient ways to consume more vegetables is through juicing or blending.

And I’m not talking about the $15 smoothie at the local, organic juice bar down the street that has bee pollen, spirulina, and countless other “superfoods.”

Sure, you can treat yourself to that every once in a while if that’s your thing. But making delicious and simple juices and smoothies is super easy to do right in your own kitchen!

Juicing 101: How it Works, Pros and Cons

Juicers work by separating the juice of fruits and vegetables from their fiber and pulp. They often require a large amount of produce to yield the same amount of volume as a blended smoothie.

There are a few different types of juicers that work in their own ways, including:

It’s claimed that the masticating process helps extract and preserve more nutrients than centrifugal juicers. This is one of the reasons why cold press juicers are more expensive.

However, studies show that there is no significant difference between the nutrient content of juices made from centrifugal vs. masticating juicers (1).

Pros of Juicing

Cons of Juicing

Blending 101: How it Works, Pros and Cons

Blenders work by using a rotating blade to process whole vegetables and fruits, usually combined with other ingredients, into thick liquids. Fiber is not removed in this process.

They are ideal for making smoothies, but can also be used to chop veggies, whip up frozen drinks, and make soups and purees.

Some of the most popular types of blenders are:

Depending on the type, blenders may have metal or plastic bases, and glass or plastic jars or pitchers.

Pros of Blending

Cons of Blending

Juicing vs.

Blending Nutrition

Some people claim that juicing is wasteful and yields a less nutritious product (since juices lack fiber), and that blended smoothies are superior in nutrition and more filling.

But the truth is that both juicing and blending offer several benefits and make it easier for people to consume more vegetables.

One study that compared the effects of a juicer vs. blender on the nutrient content of fruit juices found that blending whole fruits preserved more antioxidants and beneficial compounds overall, but juicing some fruits extracted more vitamin C (2).

Furthermore, a review of studies found that fruit and vegetable juices provide an abundance of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can help protect against heart disease (3).

It’s worth mentioning again that to get the same volume of juice as you get in a smoothie, you need to use a large amount of produce. As a result, juices often contain a more concentrated amount of nutrients compared to smoothies. The nutrients in juices are also rapidly absorbed.

However, keep in mind that smoothies made from whole fruits and vegetables may provide additional benefits due to the fiber they contain. The nutrients in smoothies are digested at a slower pace and provide a steadier stream of energy.

To Juice or to Blend?

So, when it comes to the juicer vs. blender, how do you decide which tool is better for your needs?

First, consider your personal preferences and budget.

If you prefer creamy smoothies that are more filling and contain ingredients other than just fruits and vegetables, then a blender is your best bet. Blenders are more versatile than juicers, and can be used for other kitchen tasks.

If you want more potent and concentrated juices that aren’t as filling, go for a juicer. But keep in mind that you will likely pay more for a juicer than a blender.

For some good smoothie recipes, be sure to check out the Green Grapefruit Smoothie and Green Pea and Mint Smoothie. And if you prefer juicing, check out my Carrot Ginger Kale Juice.

Juicer vs blender: the difference, and which is best for you

(Image credit: Smeg)

Juicer vs blender: which should you buy? Well, that depends on your preferences and a few key factors. While both juicers and blenders are perfectly designed to inject some more healthy fruit and veg into your diet, there are some key differences to consider when choosing what’s right for your lifestyle. 

We may be a little biased, but we think both machines play an indispensable part in any kitchen. While blenders do so much more than make smoothies, there's no denying that homemade juice just tastes better than store-bought. Here is how to choose between a blender and juicer for your next purchase. 

Juicer vs blender: what is the difference? 

(Image credit: Future / Tim Young)

Blenders pulverize fruit, vegetables and just about anything else you put in them to make smoothies and sauces. They create thick and creamy drinks with no waste, because you ingest the entire fruit, pulp and all.

See: Best blender – for smoothie bowls to protein shakes

By contrast, juicers work to remove the juice from celery, apples, ginger and other healthy foods to turn them into delicious drinks, leaving behind the flesh and pulp which can either be used elsewhere in your kitchen or thrown away. 

While blenders all more or less do the same thing, different types of juicers operate in different ways. The best cold press juicers claim to extract more nutrients and keep fiber intact, with a greater health payoff and less food waste than their centrifugal counterparts.

Juicer vs blender: which is healthier? 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Because you’re ingesting far more of the fruit or vegetable, there are a lot of advantages to blending your drinks. Blenders retain all of the fiber, whereas much of this will be lost to a centrifugal or even a slow juicer. Fiber is important to your gut health and digestion, so you could be missing out on a big part of what makes apples and carrots healthy if you pass them through a juicer. 

That said, most of the good stuff can be found in the juice. This includes a higher concentration of vitamins, and it’s easier to ingest a higher concentration of this when it’s in a call glass of juice, compared to having to eat the equivalent of three stems of celery or numerous apples. 

Which is best for weight loss?

The enemy of most diets is sugar. While good in moderation, having too many fruits in your diet can drive up blood sugar levels and result in you drinking your calories. You’ll find most of the sweetness in a fruit comes from the juice, so when blended it’s easier to cut back on the volume you’re ingesting because it’s bulked out by pulp and other matter.

What is cheaper, a juicer or a blender? 

(Image credit: Wolf)

While it is possible to find reasonably priced juicers, it’s hard to find them at the same low prices you can pick up a blender for. This is because they not only blitz up fruits and vegetables, they also remove the pulp, which makes them more advanced machines. If you’re on a budget and want fresh and healthy drinks, opt for a blender. You’ll find that the best portable blenders are often the least expensive. 

Ease of use

Again, blenders win out here. To use a blender you simply add your ingredients and start. Juicers require monitoring, and you will have to add one piece of fruit or vegetable at a time.

Many blenders can simply be placed straight into the dishwasher, but it’s hard to find a juicer that doesn’t require at least some hand washing. This is because they come with strainers and other more sensitive attachments that require proper scrubbing to remove built up pulp and particles. 

Taste

(Image credit: Sage)

While it's down to personal preference, we think that juicers deliver a better drinking experience than blenders with most drinks. Take celery juice, for example. While it’s never tasty, it’s a lot easier to drink a glass of juiced celery than blended celery, with all its pulp and fiber. This is also true of most fruits, although you can’t juice select fruits such as bananas.

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Millie Fender is the Reviews Editor on the Homes and Gardens Ecommerce team. She specializes in cooking appliances and also reviews outdoor grills and pizza ovens. Millie loves to bake, so she will take any excuse to review stand mixers and other baking essentials. All of Millie's reviews are conducted at home, meaning she uses these products in her own kitchen, the way they're designed to be used. 

what is the difference and what is better for health

Small household appliances for the kitchen can make our life much more comfortable. A lot of appliances that simplify cooking, make it more useful and varied, free up extra time for other, more interesting activities are literally indispensable for every modern housewife. One of the most discussed issues now is what is better than a juicer or a blender, because, as you know, vegetables and fruits are champions of benefits. But here's how best to eat them - squeezing juice, or mixing into a homogeneous mass, so far it has not been finally decided.

Many people prefer juices and consider that this is the most effective and easiest way to saturate the body with vitamins. Others are convinced that the valuable fibers that the pulp of vegetables and fruits is so rich in are an indispensable component that simply cannot be thrown away. So which is better, a blender or a juicer?

Advantages of the Juicer

Juicing is a process in which fruit and vegetables are mechanically separated into liquid and solid components (juice and pulp). Dry fibers, completely devoid of moisture, are not eaten and disposed of. Juice can be squeezed out by cold pressing or by the principle of centrifugal processing. A different pressing system also affects the taste of the finished product.

Cold-pressed juice is healthier, contains some fiber, has higher nutritional value, and more quantity.

Unlike high speed juicers which produce a product with lower nutritional value. Despite the high extraction speed, the juice has a less saturated composition, foams and quickly oxidizes.

The main advantage of drinking juices is the ability to quickly deliver a large amount of nutrients to the body. On average, trace elements and vitamins from a liquid product are absorbed in 15-20 minutes. In addition, a person can get much more vitamins than if he just ate a whole fruit or vegetable.

Benefits of a blender

A blender is a device for grinding a whole fruit or vegetable into a smooth puree. This technique is simply irreplaceable in the preparation of cocktails and smoothies. The blender is more functional and can be used to perform different tasks, depending on the original functionality of the equipment.

Grinding fruits, vegetables, berries and greens in a blender allows you to get a nutritious and healthy product that contains not only juice, but also healthy pulp with valuable dietary fiber. The use of products in such a crushed form will not provoke a sharp jump in blood sugar, unlike pure juice, and the fibers contained in it will positively affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract, without the risk of developing damage to the intestinal walls.

In addition, the use of smoothies gives a feeling of fullness for a long time and is comparable to a full meal. In smoothies, it is easy to “disguise” unloved, but such healthy vegetables, so such mixes very often become a salvation for mothers who seek to make their child’s nutrition complete and healthy.

Which is better juicer or blender?

Summing up, and trying to figure out which device should still be preferred, it is very difficult to give a definite answer. Each consumer has different goals: someone wants to simply and quickly get a large supply of vitamins, then he needs a good juicer. Someone wants to get the most out of fruits and vegetables, diversify their diet with healthy and satisfying snacks in the form of smoothies, and also delight children with milkshakes with fresh berries, then you should think about purchasing a quality blender.

If the choice fell on a juicer, then you should immediately take care of buying high-quality equipment. It is also important to monitor the amount of juice consumed, because its excessive consumption has an extremely negative effect on the work of the stomach, disrupts the function of the endocrine system. When drinking juices, there is a high probability of overeating, since the juice is high in calories, but does not bring the proper feeling of fullness, so this type of food should be treated with extreme caution by those who are on a diet. Cooked juices are practically not stored and they must be drunk immediately.

When purchasing a blender, it is also worth choosing an initially high-quality model that will last a long time and will provide cooking at a high level. The blender is optimal for people adhering to the principles of proper nutrition. Smoothies last much longer than juices due to the fiber in them. Thus, it is necessary to make a choice from personal preferences.

Only you can give yourself the answer to the question of what is better juicer or blender. Each of the devices, although it has a similar principle of operation, is radically different in the final product. Carefully weigh the pros and cons, and only then decide what is more important for you and your family: a large amount of vitamins and minerals quickly or a balanced and nutritious diet.

Blender or juicer: which is better? Comparison

To understand how these two kitchen appliances differ, you should study what they are.

Blender

This device is available in two types: submersible and stationary.

Submersible looks like a handle with control buttons, on which a nozzle with knives is put on. The principle of its operation is based on the fact that it is immersed in a container with products and mixes them, and also grinds them. Depending on the power, it can work with both fairly soft products and some hard ones. For example, a model with a power of more than 700 W can grind meat or crush ice. The purpose of such a device: the preparation of puree soups and sauces, mixing various products. Various attachments can be sold with the blender itself: a glass for chopping, a glass with nozzles for different types of cuts, a nozzle for making puree. Accordingly, the number of functions in such models increases.

immersion blender

Stationary looks like a stand with control buttons. A bowl with knives is placed on top of it. Products are placed in the bowl and they are mixed. Such a blender is more convenient because you do not need to hold it in your hand, that is, it does not get tired, but they also take up more space. They appeared earlier than submersibles and their main function and then and now remains the production of cocktails.

stationary blender

Juicer

They differ in their design and purpose.

There are different types of juicers: for citrus fruits, auger and net (centrifuge principle).

The first type, as the name implies, is intended only for pressing citrus products. They are low power, but they do not need a lot of power.

Auger works on the principle that the product from which the juice is squeezed is placed under the press. Such juicers can squeeze the maximum juice out of the product, so they are the most efficient.

Grid or centrifugal juicer. These are the most common models, the product is lowered through a special hole into a container with rotating knives, the walls of this container are mesh. The product literally rubs through the mesh. Juice enters the glass, and the cake leans back into a special container. The more powerful such a juicer, the more juice it can squeeze out. Juice can be squeezed from both soft and hard fruits and vegetables.

Regardless of the type of juicer, their main and only task is to extract juice.

Differences between a juicer and a blender

Now, having understood what a juicer and a blender are, let's look at their differences.

Both devices are arranged to some extent in the same way. This is the body inside, which the motor and it sets in motion is already a mechanism that does the main work. The juicer has a mesh with knives, and the juicer has knives for cutting or mixing.

The power of both devices is almost the same from 350 W to 800 W (blender) and 1000 W (juicer), but in a blender the power affects the speed of obtaining the desired consistency, and in a juicer it affects the amount of juice squeezed out.

In addition, the main difference between a blender and a juicer is their function. The main task of the blender is to mix, the juicer is to squeeze the juice. A blender, like a juicer, can make juice, but the pulp will float in it and the resulting product will be more like a puree in its consistency. The juice extractor squeezes out pure juice without impurity.

In the juicer, the pulp is thrown into a special container, while in the blender it will remain in the same container as the juice.

Another difference is the running time, most juicers have a maximum run time of 5 minutes and only some expensive models have 15 minutes. The blender, as a rule, has no restrictions on the operating time. That is, they can work until the desired consistency of the products is obtained.

If you need to squeeze the juice from a large number of products, for example, a crop from a home garden, then only a juicer can handle it. But the blender is perfect for making fruit puree and cocktails.

If the juice is pressed from hard vegetables and fruits, then the blender will not perform this task at all. In a blender, you can only chop the product, or if you chop it for a long time, you will get porridge, but not juice

Therefore, if you have a choice, what to buy? It follows, to understand why. Blender does more things. As mentioned above, an expensive blender with many attachments can replace even a simple food processor in the kitchen. It can mix, chop, puree, crush ice, mince, dice, slice and more.

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