The speed, convenience and health benefits of consuming fruits and veggies in the form of a drink and making it yourself cannot be denied but when it comes to making a healthy homemade juice the options can seem quite overwhelming.

To get the most out of whatever appliance/s you purchase for your whole family to enjoy easy homemade, healthy and nutritious fresh fruit and vegetable drinks first you need to work out what type of drink you really want to create.

Here we will both explain and simplify your options based on your preferences and needs to make sure you spend your money wisely and really reap the benefits.

Do you want to make juices or smoothies or both?

I realize the following may seem obvious but as people often use the word juice / smoothie interchangeably it can add to the confusion around the right machine to buy

Juice

  • Squeezes all the juice out of your fruits and vegetables in a juicer removing all the fibrous pulp and creating a thin juice with no bits

Smoothies

  • Whizz up whole pieces of fruit and vegetables together in a blender which keeps all the fiber of the produce in the drink making a much thicker consistency

Read about the best juicers and the right blender for your smoothies and other needs. 

Which fruits and vegetables are you drinking?

If you’re still undecided which suits yourself and your family it’s helpful to think about what you want to put in the drink…

Juicer = Juices

  • Suitable for extracting the juice out of harder fruit and vegetables like carrots, apples, ginger, beetroot etc…  although softer options will juice a general rule is the softer the produce the less juice you will likely extract
  • ‘Juice’ is separated from the pulp / fiber producing a thinner liquid with no ‘bits’ which is often a more popular choice especially with younger children

Blender = Smoothies

  • More suitable for ‘softer’ fruits and vegetables like berries, grapes, bananas, leafy greens etc… and you have the added bonus of being able to blend in extras such as nuts, seeds, herbal powders, dried fruits and alike (hard fruit and veg can be blended if you want the fiber content to remain in the drink but they will create a very thick drink unless you add loads of water)

What health benefits do you want from Juicing or blending?

Lady making a green smoothie in a blender in her kitchen

Juicing

  • Removal of fiber means faster absorption of vitamins and nutrients which can give you a quick burst of energy, gives the digestive system a break and allows you to get way more fruits and vegetables into your glass and your body

Blending

  • Keeps all of the fiber (fibre) within the drink which aids digestion and elimination
  • Makes you feel fuller for longer, releasing nutrients and energy more slowly 
  • Nothing goes to waste when using blenders

Juicing

  • Removal of fiber means faster absorption of vitamins and nutrients which can give you a quick burst of energy, gives the digestive system a break and allows you to get way more fruits and vegetables into your glass and your body

Blending

  • Keeps all of the fiber (fibre) within the drink which aids digestion and elimination
  • Makes you feel fuller for longer, releasing nutrients and energy more slowly 
  • Nothing goes to waste when using blenders
Lady making a green smoothie in a blender in her kitchen

Best value for money juicers and blenders?

The cost of both juicers and blenders can range from $45 to $400 but no matter the initial spend it’s also important to consider how cost effective they are in everyday use

Juicing

  • Can become more costly because the fibrous pulp (the bulk) is separated from the juice meaning quite a lot of raw produce is needed to create a few glasses of juice 
  • Pulp / fiber of the produce becomes waste or ideally compost
  • A juicer only makes juice

Recommendations for juicing

  • You will find that produce with higher water content will produce more juice – think cucumber, celery etc…
  • You can also bring the cost of your veggie shop down by growing your own vegetables and saving quite a lot of money

Blending 

  • Undoubtedly saves money by creating more volume as everything is kept within the drink and you can even make it go even further by adding more water, coconut water, juice or a milk of your choice
  • A blender is a multi-purpose appliance that can also be used for many other purposes such as making baby food, purees, nut butters, soups, sauces, pesto, flavored yogurt, pancake or waffle batter and even sorbet or ice cream
  • Retains all of the fiber of the produce which results in a thicker consistency often with ‘bits’ depending on what you blend and no waste

Speed and ease of cleaning?

Juicing 

  • Each piece of fruit and veg needs to be fed into a juicer individually which takes a little longer and even the simplest of juicers have more parts to disassemble, remove the waste pulp, clean and reassemble so their cleaning process takes a little more care and time 
  • Most juices must be consumed straight away for maximum nutritional value

Recommendations for Juicing

  • Buy an open mouth juicer so there is no need to chop up your produce
  • Check out those that have specialized brushes for ease of cleaning and are dishwasher safe 

Blending 

  • Blending is fast and easy as you just wash and throw everything into the container then whizz it all up (it literally just takes minutes) and the cleaning is just as simple – run the same container under the tap and you’re done!
  • Although it’s still best to drink smoothies as fresh as possible they will keep in the fridge longer than homemade juices 

Quick fire summary of differences between juicing and blending…

Juicing Blending
  • Best for harder fruits and vegetables
  • Best for softer fruits and vegetables
  • No fiber, thinner drink – no ‘bits’
  • Retains fiber, thicker drink with ‘bits’
  • Faster absorption and quick energy
  • Aids digestion and elimination, satiates hunger and releases energy slowly through the day
  • Fiber of the produce goes to waste 
  • There is no waste
  • One glass contains more volume of concentrated fruits and vegetables 
  • Creates more volume from a smaller amount of produce so each glass costs less to make
  • A juicer only makes juice and must be drank fresh
  • Multi-purpose uses and smoothies have a little longer shelf life
  • Little more time consuming
  • Quicker to both make and clean

 

Other points to consider… 

  • Both juices and smoothies contain only natural sugar which can help reduce cravings for processed foods and sugars and encourage weight loss
  • Although home made juices are far superior to shop bought juices and smoothies your homemade juices and smoothies do have high sugar content and although it’s natural and direct from source (the best form of sugar) excess sugar of any kind can still create imbalance in the body so should still be taken in moderation
  • Neither juices or smoothies should be seen as substitutes for eating whole fruits and cooked vegetables but should be integrated as part of a healthy balanced life
  • Some juicers and blenders come with a range of accessories so choose wisely if you want something specific
  • A home user and a commercial user can mean many different things, once you have decided we suggest you carefully choose the product based on your intended usage as you may fall into the commercial category
  • For some people the colour and match to their kitchen colour scheme is just as important as the operational aspect, again choose carefully especially if spending a lot of money
  • By now you should be clear on which type of appliance you want to create your delicious homemade drinks or if you’re like me you’ll have realised you want the choice and freedom and actually want both!
  • The finished product i.e. the juice or smoothie will likely depend on the recipes you use and not the equipment used but of course the right equipment for the job will be a whole lot better

Avoid the stress of the overwhelming choices and confusing terminology and get straight to buying the right appliance for you and your family by reading our breakdown of the best juicers and the best blenders.

If you have decider on a Juicer, you can see our post here on ‘Which Type of Juicer is Best

Or maybe you have decider on a blender in which case you can see our post here on ‘Which Type of Blender is Best

 

~Discover your families own path to healthy eating happiness~