Blenders and juicers. One would be forgiven for thinking they do the same thing. They don’t. Yes, they both process tasty fruits and veggies into a delicious nutritious drink but that is as far as the similarities go. The way they do it and the end results are not the same at all. Here are some considerations to help you decide whether a blender or a juicer is the right choice for you.
Blender vs Juicer
The working
A blender is an electrical appliance that just blends everything you put in its cavity. Its output is referred to as a smoothie because it is a smoothened and mixed version of the input.
A juicer is an electrical appliance that squashes into your fruits and vegetables but only gives their juice, filtering out the pulp and fibres. Its output is referred to as juice.
Pros and cons of juicing
Pros of juicing
Fast absorption
Extracting juice removes the indigestible pulp. This leaves behind juice that is packed with vitamins and minerals and is easily absorbed by the body. Quick absorption makes this juice a great source of immediate energy for people who need a quick energy boost such as sick or ailing people. It is also great for people suffering from low sugar. The fact that its output is easier to digest makes it great for people with weak digestion or people just recovering from ailments affecting the stomach, intestine, or liver.
Hard fruits
Work well with hard fruits such as beets, apples, and carrots. Also work well with leafy greens such as wheatgrass, kale, and spinach.
More fruits in one cup
Because they separate the fibre thus requiring more ingredients, one cup of juice is usually made up of a lot of fruit.
Cons of juicing
More fruits in one cup
Separating the fibre decreases the output. For this reason, juicers require more ingredients to produce enough juice.
Not satisfying
The absence of fibre makes juice less satiating. This can lead to consuming more food than you otherwise would. This can become a problem especially for juices that are high in sugars. While eating an apple can lead to the feeling of fullness, drinking one juiced apple will have nowhere near this effect. This is why one of the most notable problems associated with juicing is potential weight gain. The absence of fibre makes you consume more and because it is not filling you consume even more in what becomes a vicious cycle.
It Is wasteful
Juicing wastes a lot of valuable nutrition. The pulp thrown away usually includes fibre and other nutrients bound to it.
Messy and difficult to clean
Juicers are often messy therefore requiring more time and effort to clean them thoroughly. This often results in them being used less frequently. Most blenders have dishwasher-safe parts while only some juicers have dishwasher-safe parts.
Bulky
Compared to blenders, juicers are quite large and bulky taking up a lot of space in your kitchen.
Costly
Juicers are priced much higher than blenders presumably because of the extra work they do in separating the pulp and fibre. Juicers can cost anywhere from $40 to $2000 while blenders range from $30 to $500.
Pros and cons of blending
Pros of blending
No waste
A blender processes everything you put into it. There is no fibrous pulp to discard in the end.
Healthier
Every part of the fruit or vegetable gets included in the final product making it more nutritious. Blenders retain all of the fibre which would be lost to a centrifugal or even a slow juicer. Fibre is important to gut health and digestion so you could actually be missing out on what makes a fruit or vegetable healthy by juicing them.
Slow-release energy
The fibre in the final drink slows down digestion so that energy is released slowly and evenly preventing sugar spikes after drinking. Fibre also means you feel fuller for longer after drinking it making you less prone to overeating or snacking between meals.
Affordable
Blenders are far more affordable than juicers. Juicers can cost anywhere from $40 to $2000 while blenders range from $30 to $500.
Versatile
You can blend almost anything. In addition to fruits and vegetables, you can blend nuts, meats, and spices. In this way, some blenders can replace food processors for food preparation.
Cons of blending
Not ideal for short energy bursts
The presence of fibre increases the time required for absorption making them unsuitable for immediate energy boosts.
Needs water
Blenders can have a hard time working with dry foods or foods that stick to the pitcher wall. This means you have to add water and determining how much can be dicey leading to too thick or too thin smoothies.
Overheating
Some blender motors can overheat when grinding for longer than 60 seconds.
So, what’s it going to be? Blender or juicer?
Check out
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