Can I use my KitchenAid as a juicer?

With the rising popularity of juicing and its touted health benefits, many home cooks are looking for ways to jump on the bandwagon without breaking the bank. If you already own a KitchenAid stand mixer, you may be wondering if you can use the appliance to double as a juicer and extract all that liquid goodness from fruits and veggies.

The short answer is yes, you can use a KitchenAid to make juice, but there are some caveats. Keep reading to learn if repurposing your KitchenAid is really worth it or if investing in a dedicated juicer is a better choice.

How to Use a KitchenAid as a Juicer

While KitchenAid stand mixers are not designed to be juicers, there are two ways you can rig them to extract juice:

1. Use the food grinder attachment – This metal attachment is designed to grind up foods like meat. You can stuff fruit and veggies into the feed tube to extract some of their liquid.
2. Use the blender attachment – A high-powered blender like the KitchenAid blender attachment can pulverize fruits and veggies into juice.

If you don’t have either attachment, you’re pretty much out of luck when it comes to DIY juicing with your KitchenAid. You’ll need to invest in one of these accessories if you want to try out juicing.

Using the Food Grinder Attachment

Here are some tips if you want to use a KitchenAid food grinder to get juice:

• Prep your produce – Wash, peel, and chop produce into 1-2 inch chunks before feeding into the grinder.
• Alternate hard and soft produce – Alternate grinding firm items like carrots and apples with softer items like oranges or tomatoes. The soft items will help push the harder items through.
• Use the coarse grinding plate – This will give you the most juice extraction. The fine plate is more likely to get clogged.
• Collect juice in a bowl – Place a bowl under the grinder attachment to collect your juice as you grind.
• Strain for smoothness – Use a fine mesh strainer to strain out excess pulp for smoother juice.

The grinder attachment can handle fruits and veggies with softer rinds like oranges, tomatoes, and pears. Produce with tough rinds like pineapples may jam the grinder. You’ll need to peel them first.

Using the Blender Attachment

If you have the KitchenAid blender attachment, you can make juice by:

1. Chopping produce into chunks
2. Adding chunks to blender jar
3. Filling with liquid (water or juice)
4. Blending on high speed until smooth
5. Straining out excess pulp if desired

The blender makes juicing simple but gives you less control over texture and pulp. Juices may need extra straining. The blender can handle all types of fruits and veggies.

Pros and Cons of Using a KitchenAid as a Juicer

Here are some key pros and cons to consider when deciding whether to use a KitchenAid or buy a real juicer:

Pros

• Saves money – You don’t need to buy a dedicated juicer
• Makes use of existing appliance – Repurposes a device you already own
• Simple process – Juicing is relatively easy, especially with blender
• Full juice extraction – Blenders extract close to 100% of juices

Cons

• Not ideal texture – Juices may be pulpy or need extra straining
• Can jam – Food grinder may jam with tough skins
• Small batches – Juice is made in smaller batches than a large chute juicer
• Takes longer – Juicing process is slower and more labor intensive
• Can overheat – Grinder and blender may overheat with extended juicing

Differences Between Juicers and KitchenAids

Here are some key differences between dedicated juicers and KitchenAid appliances:

Juicer	KitchenAid
Specialized for juicing	Multi-use appliance
Large feed chutes	Small feed tubes
Spinning blades extract juice	Grinds and spins produce
Separate pulp and juice	Juice and pulp collected together
Typically quiet	Noisier operation
Designed for continuous juicing	Better for intermittent juicing
Yields drier pulp	Produces wetter pulp
Don’t need extra straining	Juice often needs straining

As you can see, dedicated juicers separate pulp from juice and specialize in extracting liquid and yielding dry, compacted pulp. Juicers are designed to juice large quantities efficiently. KitchenAids do juice, but it’s more of a messy, batch process that requires extra work.

Factors to Consider

Here are some things to think about when deciding whether to use a KitchenAid mixer as a juicer:

Your juicing habits

• If you only juice occasionally in small amounts, a KitchenAid can work. But frequent or large-scale juicing is better suited to a real juicer.
• How much prep and cleanup work are you willing to take on? Juicers minimize this work, while KitchenAids involve more.

Types of produce

• What fruits and veggies do you want to juice? KitchenAids can have trouble with tougher, stringier produce.
• Will you need to peel produce first? Juicers handle peels better than KitchenAid grinders.

Your kitchen space

• Can you fit another countertop appliance? Juicers take up room.
• Are noise or vibration an issue? Juicers run more smoothly and quietly.

Your budget

• What’s your budget for buying a juicer? Prices start around $100 but good ones run $300-500.
• Could you use that money elsewhere in your kitchen? If funds are tight, a KitchenAid makes sense.

Take all these factors into account as you decide whether a KitchenAid can meet your juicing needs or if it’s worth buying a dedicated machine.

Best Juicers to Consider Buying

If you decide a KitchenAid won’t cut it, here are some top-rated juicers to consider buying instead:

Budget Pick

• Aicook Juicer – Under $100 for a basic centrifugal juicer.

High-Performance Pick

• Breville Juice Fountain Plus – Runs around $150-180 for a powerful 850-watt motor.

Slow Juicer Pick

• Omega NC800HDS – $300-350 for a masticating juicer with 5 adjustable settings.

Commercial Quality Pick

• Tribest Greenstar Elite GSE-5000 – $500 for stainless steel twin gears to mimic hand-cranking.

Any of these juicers would serve you much better than a KitchenAid if you’re serious about juicing. Look for at least a 700-watt motor, a wide chute, and easy to clean parts.

The Bottom Line

While it is possible to use a KitchenAid mixer or its attachments to make juice, there are some definite downsides when it comes to convenience, efficiency, and juice yield. For occasional small-batch juicing, a KitchenAid can work in a pinch. But for frequent juicing or larger batches, investing in a dedicated juicer is worth it.

Consider how you’ll use your juicer and what types of produce you want to work with. This will help determine if repurposing your KitchenAid is a viable option. If not, choose an affordable juicer that fits your lifestyle. With the right juicer, you’ll get delicious, nutritious juice without the mess and hassle of a KitchenAid work-around.