In today’s hectic lifestyle where everything needs to be fast, the idea of eating a whole fruit or munch on leafy greens/vegetables may sound like a time-consuming thing to do. The next best alternative is to drink them instead. So, should you buy a blender or juicer? Both of them basically functions by reducing the whole fruit or vegetable into a drinkable liquid form. But are they actually the same? The short answer is “no” and here are the differences between blenders and juicers.
1) Blenders
- As the name suggests, blender basically blends everything — typically, fruits and/or vegetables — into a plastic/glass jar that has rotating sharp blades attached at the bottom. That means whatever blends or breaks down will turn from fresh produce to a thin or thick liquid.
- When you blend fruits and/or vegetables, they do not separate fibre from the juice since a blender blends everything in it. With fibre remaining intact within the juice or smoothie, it will generally slow down our digestion and prevent sudden spikes of blood sugar level. Not to mention it also helps to sustain the natural release of energy and makes you feel fuller for a longer period of time.
- You can even enhance the flavour of your fruit and/or vegetable juice or smoothie with other ingredients by adding the likes of ice cream, milk, yogurt, honey or oat into the blender.
- Unlike juicers, blenders are typically affordable — you can easily own one for the price of less than RM100. Of course, you usually need to spend more if you are looking for a better one that has everything such as solid build quality and more functions.
- The biggest downside of a blender is the speed of the blades themselves that spin or rotate in rapid motion for at least 20,000 rpm. While it helps to minimise the time to produce a juice or smoothie in mere minutes, the speed along with the heat buildup causes the effect of oxidation, which in turn, kills some of the nutrients in your ingredients. Therefore, it’s best to consume your juice or smoothie immediately after the blending process.
2) Juicers
- The name practically says it all: juicer is a type of kitchen equipment that extracts juice from fruits and vegetables. It basically works by inserting cut/chopped fruits or vegetables through a designated tube above where the blades will grind them in the chamber and you see the liquid (juice) pouring out into a pitcher.
- Unlike blenders which blend the fibrous pulp altogether, the function of a juicer does the opposite. That means all you get is a juice with the pulp left behind, making your drink easily digestible.
- Since juicing removes unnecessary bulk from the content of your juice, you get more vitamins and minerals packed in a glass.
- There are basically three types of juicers you get, depending on your respective needs. The first one is known as centrifugal juicers, which can extract hard fruits and thick vegetables. The other two juicers — masticating juicers and triturating juicers — contain extra features than mere juicing since they also work as a food processor and powder grinder. Given its typically expensive price tag, masticating juicers and triturating juicers are commonly used in juice bars or for business purposes.
- A juicer can put a strain in your pocket in the long run. This is especially true if you are regularly juicing fruits and/or vegetables. That means you need to fill in lots of fruit and vegetable supplies in your refrigerator for the sake of juicing purposes.
- Whereas a blender delays the release of nutrients and prevents blood sugar spikes, the juicer can cause a spike on your blood sugar level since the nutrients of juice tend to absorb quickly into your body.
