Does a blender work like a juicer?

Blenders and juicers are both popular kitchen appliances used for preparing drinks and extracting liquids from fruits and vegetables. But while they may seem similar at first glance, blenders and juicers actually work quite differently and produce different results.

How a Blender Works

A blender operates by using fast-spinning blades to finely chop and purée ingredients. The blades are mounted to the bottom of a pitcher that holds the ingredients. When the blender is turned on, the blades rotate rapidly, creating a vortex that pulls ingredients down into the blades. This allows the blender to thoroughly mix and pulverize fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients into a smooth liquid or paste.

Blenders work by breaking down fiber and cellular walls through mechanical cutting and shearing forces. The ingredients are churned against the blender blades and the container walls at high speeds. This separates the food into tiny particles suspended in liquid. So in a blender, you retain all of the fibrous flesh and pulp from the ingredients.

Blenders are ideal for making purées, smoothies, sauces, dips, nut butters, and other thick, drinkable concoctions. The texture can be adjusted based on blending time – a longer blend yields a smoother, creamier result. Blenders are not ideal for separating juice from pulp.

Common Blender Features

• Pitcher made from plastic, glass, or stainless steel
• Blades made from stainless steel
• Motor in base with speeds ranging from 3,000 to 15,000 RPM or more
• Functions like pulse, crush, liquefy, and purée
• Jar capacity ranging from 32 ounces to 64 ounces or more

How a Juicer Works

A juicer works very differently from a blender. Juicers are designed to extract the natural liquids and juices from fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and other produce while separating and straining out the pulp and fiber. They operate by crushing and squeezing produce at high speeds to force out the juice.

There are a few different juicing methods used by different types of juicers:

Centrifugal Juicers

Centrifugal juicers are the most common and affordable type of juicer. They use a rapidly spinning metal basket with a grated bottom to grind up produce. The food is shredded against the basket wall while spinning at high speeds up to 14,000 RPM. This separates the juice from the pulp using centrifugal force.

The juice flows through fine holes in the basket into a collector, while the pulp stays inside the basket. Centrifugal juicers tend to produce juice with more foam and separation, and are louder than other types of juicers.

Masticating Juicers

Masticating or “cold press” juicers crush and press produce slowly to squeeze out juice. They have a single auger (screw-shaped blade) that rotates and chews up the produce against a pulp strainer. The auger spins at lower speeds, usually 80-100 RPM. The slower speeds help minimize heat, friction, and oxidation for a higher juice yield and nutrients.

Masticating juicers produce juice with less foam and separation. The juice can be stored longer. However, they have smaller chutes and work slower than centrifugal models.

Triturating Juicers

Triturating juicers, also called twin gear juicers, have two interlocking augers that simultaneously squeeze and grind produce. This breaks down cell walls and extracts juice very efficiently. The dual augers usually turn at a slow 80-120 RPM speed.

Triturating juicers are best for greens like spinach and wheatgrass. They extract the highest juice yield and retain more nutrients than other designs. However, they are one of the most expensive juicer types.

Citrus Juicers

Citrus juicers, often called orange juicers, are designed specifically for juicing citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes. They apply pressure and rotary motion to squeeze out juice, while straining pits and pulp. Common citrus juicer designs include hand press, manual reamers, electric juicers, and motorized citrus presses.

Comparing Blenders and Juicers

Now that we’ve looked at how blenders and juicers work, let’s compare some of the key differences between the two appliances:

Category	Blender	Juicer
Function	Mixes and purées ingredients into smooth liquids or pastes	Extracts and strains juice from fruits and vegetables
Ingredients Used	Fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, nut butters, protein powders, frozen ingredients, liquids, ice	Most produce with high water content like fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, sprouts, some herbs
Results	Smoothies, purées, dips, dressings, sauces, frozen drinks, butters, flours	Fruit and vegetable juices
Pulp Content	Contains all pulp and fiber	Strains out most pulp and fiber
Speed	Very fast – blades spin from 3,000 to 15,000+ RPM	Varies by type – centrifugal is fast up to 14,000 RPM, masticating is 80-100 RPM
Oxidation	High – air is rapidly incorporated	Minimal, especially with masticating/triturating juicers
Nutrients	All nutrients retained	Some nutrients degraded due to heat from friction and exposure to air
Prep Time	Less prep time, ingredients only need rough chopping	More prep time, produce should be washed and cut into pieces to fit feed chute
Ease of Use	Fairly easy, little assembly required	More parts to assemble and clean
Cleanup	Usually easy, pitchers are dishwasher-safe	More parts to disassemble and scrub after each use

Can You Juice in a Blender?

While blenders and juicers are designed for different purposes, you can make juice in a blender. However, there are some downsides to this approach:

• You’ll need to strain the blended mixture through a nut milk bag or fine mesh sieve to separate the juice from the pulp. Juicers have built-in strainers that do this automatically.
• It won’t extract as much juice and liquid as a true juicer.
• The juice will have more foam and separation because air gets whipped into it.
• The juice may oxidize faster due to heat and exposure to air.
• You’ll still have to chop produce into small pieces to blend properly.
• It can take more time and effort than using a juicer.

Overall, you can make juice in a blender but the process isn’t quite as effective or efficient. You’ll get a higher yield of better quality juice with an actual juicer. But in a pinch, a blender can work.

Can You Blend in a Juicer?

You should not blend thick or fibrous ingredients like bananas, avocados, nuts, seeds, nut butters, protein powders, frozen fruit, ice, etc. in a juicer. Thicker ingredients will clog up a juicer:

• Pieces that are too large will jam the feeding chute.
• Thick pulp will clog the strainer basket.
• Dense foods won’t properly pass through the spinning blades.

Feeding anything besides chopped produce into a juicer can damage the parts over time and decrease the juicer’s lifespan. Only juice relatively soft fruits and crunchy vegetables in a juicer. Leave thicker ingredients for your blender.

Which One Should You Choose?

In summary:

• Get a blender if you want to make smoothies, purées, nut milks, sauces, batters, etc. Blenders retain all the nutrients and fiber.
• Get a juicer if you want to make fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Juicers extract vitamins and active plant compounds while removing fiber.
• Blenders and juicers can complement each other in a kitchen. Consider getting both if you want to enjoy the benefits of both whole fruit/veg blending and nutrient-rich juicing.

Look for models with the features that matter most to you, like power, speed settings, capacity, chute size, pulp control, ease of cleaning, noise level, and safety features. High-speed blenders like Vitamix and heavy-duty masticating juicers offer exceptional performance but come at a higher price point. There are also quality budget-friendly options available in both categories.

Test out different blenders and juicers for yourself if possible. Make some smoothies and juices to experience the different textures and flavors. This will help you decide what features you require. Consider your habits, diet, produce preferences, and frequency of use when choosing between a blender, juicer or both.

Conclusion

While blenders and juicers may seem interchangeable, they actually work very differently to produce distinct results. Blenders pulverize ingredients into smooth, drinkable concoctions while retaining all the fiber. Juicers extract the liquid from fruits and veggies while removing the pulp. Blenders work best for smoothies, dips, nut butters, etc. Juicers are ideal for making pure, concentrated juices. The choice between a blender or juicer depends on whether you want to keep or remove the fiber when preparing produce. Select the appliance that aligns with your preferences and health goals.