Juicer vs blender – which one is better? 

Juicers and blenders are both very useful kitchen appliances that can help you incorporate healthy fruits and vegetables into your daily routine. 

However, there are some key differences and pros/cons between these two types of appliance. Read on to find out more about juicers vs blenders, and which one is better for you. 

Juicers vs Blenders – What’s The Difference?

In short: Juicers extract and separate the juice from whole foods; blenders blend whole foods (usually a mixture of ingredients) into a more liquified/pureed form. 

Here’s a more detailed look: 

What is a Juicer?

A juicer is an appliance that extracts juice from the foods you put into it. It works by grinding and squeezing out the liquid from fruits, vegetables, etc., effectively separating the juice from the pulp/fibre of the food.  

The juice is typically consumed, while the fibrous pulp is typically discarded. 

Juicers are commonly used for juice diets/cleanses, or to help consume more nutrients without having to eat tons of whole fruits and vegetables. 

What is a Blender?

A blender is an appliance with blades and a pitcher, that purees and blends together the foods you put into it. It works by shredding and mixing the ingredients together into a typically drinkable puree of sorts.  

The end product depends on what you are blending – blenders can be used to make thick smoothies, juice-like drinks, spreads like hummus, and so much more. 

With blenders, the entirety of the ingredients remains in the blend (i.e. nothing is separated or discarded), unlike with juicers, where the juice is separated from the discard. 

Juicers vs Blenders – Pros and Cons

Do I Need a Juicer if I Have a Blender?

If you want juice (i.e. the liquid without the pulp), you need a juicer, even if you have a blender. A blender simply cannot remove the pulp. 

Now, can a blender be used as a juicer?  

Well, kind of, but the end results won’t be exactly the same.  

The way to get a similar result as a juicer with a blender is to first blend your ingredients as much as possible and then strain the mixture. Basically, blend it up into as much of a puree/liquid as possible and then strain it to remove as much of the pulp as usual. The end result most likely will not be as smooth and liquified as a juice, but it can be similar enough, especially with the right blender. 

The other key thing here is the ingredients you use. Juicers are able to get juice out of individual ingredients, meaning you don’t have to add liquids or other ingredients to do so. Not so with a blender; blenders require enough liquid to get the mixture moving around the blades without getting jammed up. For example, you can’t throw a carrot in a blender and expect it to be able to liquify it. So, you might be able to get a more juice-like end result with a blender when blending juicier ingredients. 

Some blenders are better at blending/liquifying than others. Things like motor power, container shape and size, and blade positioning, all play into how well a blender can puree and liquify ingredients. 

But there’s simply no way around the fact that juicers completely separate the juice from the “stuff” (if you’ve used or seen a juicer being used, you know how much pulp is separated/discarded). 

A blender is not going to be as efficient at doing this, so even if you take steps to remove the pulp, you will be discarding some good nutrients and such along with it. 

Can a Juicer be Used as a Blender?

No, a juicer cannot exactly be used as a blender. This is because a juicer has essentially just one function, which is to produce juice by completely separating the pulp, whereas a blender can produce a wide variety of mixtures of different consistency, texture, etc. You will not be able to use a juicer to blend up a thick smoothie or a creamy hummus for example, because it just does not have the ability to blend together ingredients as opposed to just juices. 

When it comes to drinks made from fruits and vegetables, a juicer can perhaps slightly resemble a blender, but even then, not very much. You can load a juicer with a large variety of ingredients and get a mixed juice as output, but it will always have that juice consistency; there is no flexibility with texture with juicers, unlike with blenders which are more customizable in that sense. 

Is it Better to Use a Juicer or Blender?

Since juicers and blenders have different capabilities, they are optimized/ideal for different uses.  

For strictly juicing, where you want to be able to fully extract the juice from any ingredient without diluting it or leaving behind nutrients, it is better to use a juicer. 

For mixing together ingredients, where you want to be able to control the consistency and texture of the mixture and you don’t want to discard anything, it is better to use a blender. 

Who Should Buy a Juicer?

A juicer is best for someone who is interested in incorporating healthy juices into their daily routine. 

As mentioned in the pros and cons chart above, some significant things to keep in mind when considering buying a juicer are the facts that juicers are only used for one thing and that juicers can be quite expensive. You want to make sure that you are really going to be juicing enough to make that purchase worth it. 

Who Should Buy a Blender?

A blender is best for someone who is interested in blending different types of drinks, spreads, soups, desserts, and more. 

Like juicers, blenders can be very expensive; however, blenders may be a safer investment given that they can be used for many different things. Even if you don’t end up making juices or smoothies every morning, there are still so many other uses you can get out of this one appliance, making it more likely to be worth the investment. 

Conclusion

Juicers are single-use appliances used to extract the juice from fruits and vegetables. Blenders are highly versatile appliances used to puree mixtures of fruits, vegetables, and/or other ingredients. 

Before purchasing a juicer or blender, be sure to consider the differences and pros/cons between these two appliances to determine which one better suits your intended uses. 

I hope this post helped you assess which appliance is better for you – juicer vs blender. 

Let me know in the comments below which appliance you prefer and why!