When it comes to kitchen appliance battles the juicer versus the blender is right up there alongside microwave vs oven and kettle vs pot. They both offer some great features but what is better juicer or blender?
That’s what we want to try find out as we delve into:
- Functions
- Types of Fruits and Vegetables Can Be Used
- Pricing
- Ease of Use and Cleaning
What Is Better Juicer Or Blender?
So what is better juicer or blender? To help us make that call let’s take a look at some of the main distinguishing features between juicers and blenders as we try to understand which may be best for you.
Functions
When it comes to functions there some key differences between juicers and blenders.
Juicers are designed to extract as much liquid as possible from fruits and vegetables to give you great tasting juice.
They are typically categorised into 3 types; (i) centrifugal (ii) masticating and (iii) citrus. They are designed to seperate the fruit fibres (so the bits or flesh) from the actual liquid.
Blenders on the other hand are specifically designed to turn everything that goes into them into liquid form by breaking them down with their rotor blades. Whereas juicers separate, blenders combine everything together.
What will work better for you depends on what you prefer in terms of liquids.
The key advantage of blenders in terms of functions is that they allow you to make use of pretty much the whole fruit or vegetable. Whereas juicers will typically leave a chunck of your produce as waste pulp after the liquid has been extracted.
The other advantage of blenders is that as well as making smoothies they can also be used for a range of other tasks in the kitchen including making soup whereas only some juicers can do so.
Winner: Tie – In terms of function, it is difficult to call a winner because it really depends on what you’re after. If you want a smooth liquid beverage then you are best going for a juicer. However, if you like the idea and textures of smoothies as well as being able to make other things like soup all in one machine then a blender could be best in this regard.
Types Of Fruit and Vegetables They Can Take
When it comes to the types of fruit and vegetables juicers and blenders can handle, there are some key differences to note.
A lot of juicers can take both hard and soft fruit and vegetables to give you the ability to mix together all kinds of produce. For example you could easily make a juice with apples, carrots, ginger and spinach. Some even have the capabilty to take slightly harder food like nuts.
Blenders can also take both hard and soft fruits but only up to a point when compared to some juicers. For example you could make a smoothie with apples and spinach but you may struggle to get something a smooth as you might like when you toss in the carrots and ginger.
But on the other hand most juicers would not be able to take a fruit such as bananas as they’re fibres are too soft to be able to extract any juice from them. These are perfect for blenders and indeed tend to offer a great way to make smoothies sweet without adding sugar.
Winner: Juicer – In this regard although blenders offer great versatility, we think
Price
When it comes to price you have a range of options for both blenders are juicers though at
You can get a hold of well rated juicers from around £40 – £50. There are various models available with varying features all the way up to £500+. These come in different capacities and lots of different colours as well.
Blenders start off a lot cheaper with some very highly rated models coming in from around £20 – £30 from some well known brands like Kenwood and Morphy Richards. Blenders also have significant range with some going well north of £500.
Winner: Blender – In terms of offering cheap but well rated options as well as a range of different price points, we’d have to say blenders are better. However, it’s pretty close as juicers are not far off in terms of the range of budgets they cater for.
Ease Of Use and Cleaning
With any appliance you want to know how easy it is to use it. If you’ve ever bought something with good intentions to use it and make it a part of your daily routine, you’ll know how disheartening it can be if it turns out to be difficult to use. A key factor to consider from what we’ve seen from using both a blender and juicer consistently now for over 5 years is how easy it is to clean.
Juicers are typically fairly straightforward to use. Most just require the fruit and vegetables to be chopped and dropped into the feed chute after switching on the machine. The juicer we use is a single speed and has one button, for on/off control. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
Where a lot of juicers, including ours, fall short of blenders is how tricky they can be to clean. A juicer can have as many as 5 different parts to its system, most of which will need to be cleaned after use. This is one area that may put some off when it comes to regular usage. Thus looking out for how easy it is to use and clean when searching for a model is something to think about.
Blenders on the other hand typically have very few parts (blade, jug and lid as well as the motor base). Crucially they are normally quite easy to clean especially the jug. Though the base of the blades can sometimes be tricky to reach especially if it has bits stuck to it, they are typically not as difficult as trying to clean strainer in a juicer.
Winner: Blender – For ease of use and especially ease of cleaning the winner for us has to be the humble blender. Though both juicers and blenders are very straightforward to use, the extra bit of effort needed to maintain a juicer means in this regard they come a close second.
Conclusion: What Is Better Juicer Or Blender?
So, what is better juicer or blender? In reality despite the blender taking 2 out of 4 categories and tying one, what is better will really depend on your own preferences. There are benefits and drawbacks to both appliances.
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What Are The Best Juicers?
Let’s take a brief look at some possible juicers to consider.
Philips HR1836/01 Viva Collection Compact Juicer
The Philips HR1836/01 Viva Collection juicer offers a sleek and attractive design alongside an easy to use system. Boasting a 1.5litre juicing capacity as well a nice wide feeding chute, the design of the Philips HR1836/01 means you can juice straight into your glass as well as a dedicated jug.
Sage BJE520UK Nutri Juicer Plus
The Sage BJE520UK Nutri Juicer Plus looks a classy and a highly user rated act when it comes to juicing. With an 84mm wide feeding chute you’ll seldom have to worry about chopping up your fruit and vegetables saving you time and effort in your juicing endeavours. With a variable speed system, the Sage BJE520UK Nutri Juicer Plus will help you make the most of both soft and hard fruits and vegetables.
What Are The Best Blenders?
Let’s take a look at some of the best blenders around.
NUTRiBULLET 600 Series
One of the most popular blenders around the original NUTRiBULLET 600 Series is a compact and effective blender that comes highly rated by users. Perfect if you need to blend in a hurry, the NUTRiBULLET 600 Series offers welcomed convenience and a 600W motor that can process soft and hard fruits, vegetables and nuts.
Tefal BL435840 Blendforce II
The Tefal BL435840 Blendforce II offers a classic and highly user rated jug blender that would make a great addition to the kitchen. With a variable 2 speed system as well as a pulsing option, the Tefal BL435840 Blendforce II offers versatility as well as convenience.
What Is Better Juicer Or Blender?: Tell Us Your Thoughts.
