It is always best to have smoothies and juices fresh and made at home, and even if you prefer smoothies, this does not mean you do not or should not drink juices. Now and again a fresh glass of juice is delightful.
However, if you only have a blender and not a juicer, this could be an issue.
If you enjoy fruit or vegetable juices, you may feel lost without a juicer, but if you have a blender you are not lost at all. You can juice your fruits and vegetables with just a blender! What? How? Let us tell you all you need to know!
Best Juicing Blenders
Let’s take a look at 5 blenders that are awesome at making smoothies and juices equally!
- The Vitamix 5200 Series.
- Breville Hemisphere Smooth Control.
- Ninja Pro w/ Nutri Ninja Cups.
- The Magic Bullet Juicing Attachment.
- Breville BJB840XL Juice & Blend
Today we will talk you through methods, and tools as well, to help you save kitchen space, as juicers tend to take up a lot of space, but they only make juice.
Instead, get yourself a blender that can do it all, and save space in your kitchen at the same time!
So many companies have made blenders that can do it all because they know we want multipurpose tools, as not everyone has enough room in their kitchen for every appliance, and we love being creative with our food!
Besides… Sometimes making juice in a blender is just better. Not to mention more rewarding!
Juicing Without A Juicer: Need To Know
If we have already sold you on juicing without a juicer, then there are a few things you need to know before you start jumping for joy over the money you have saved not buying a juicer.
There are 4 things you need to be aware of before you start juicing with your blender.
Juicing Vs Blending
The first thing you need to know is what the actual difference is between blending and juicing, some may think they’re the same, but they’re not.
Many pre-made smoothies are made with juices and purees which may fool you into thinking they’re the same. However, they do differ.
While they are both easy to blend, portable, and versatile, they have differences that anyone who is using a blender to juice needs to know.
- When you are juicing a vegetable or fruit, juicers separate the pulp and the fibers from the juice itself.
- A masticating juicer will use a single blade to chew up the vegetable or fruit, breaking the pulp up and putting it in one container, while it moves the juice into a separate container. This is an effective and the most efficient way of juicing.
- There are also centrifugal juicers that use a chute to spin the seeds, pulp, fiber, and skin into a separate container while it extracts the juice into a jug.
- Meanwhile, blenders pulverize the whole fruit without any separation of pulp and juice.
Buying A Blender With An Attachment
As you can see, blenders and juicers are quite different, so to be able to juice successfully with a blender, you might need a few tools.
If you buy a blender with a juicer attachment then you are probably ahead of the game. These blenders will have a motor base and jar that blends your ingredients and lets you create smoothies.
Then, when you want to make juice, you have to attach the piece for juicing.
This type of appliance is handy, and it gives your appliance more functionality, for occasional juicing this is ideal, however, note that if you are super into juicing it may not be a great, regular, long-term resolution.
Only a masticating juicer can extract the total potential of nutrients and vitamins in a juice.
Juicer-Blender Combos
Of course, you could also go super simple and just buy an appliance that is a blender-juicer combo. This is an appliance that doubles as a juicer and smoothie maker.
Use A Normal Blender With A Bit Of Creativity
Of course, you can use your normal blender, it’s not ideal but can be done, you just need a dash of creativity to make it work, and no fear of getting your hands a little dirty!
Here is how:
- Blend up your fruits and vegetables with some water, as if you’re making a normal smoothie. However, blend a bit longer so the consistency is even smoother than you would normally have.
- Now you need to filter the fruit and vegetables. Once your smoothie is ready, it is time to run it through a strainer. For this, you will want to use a mesh strainer or cheesecloth. This is to get all of the pulp out of the juice. You will want to have a strainer that will let enough juice flow freely and fast enough but without passing the pulp through. (Some baking strainers used for flour sifting can be good!)
- Store of drink the juice. If you want to store it then add 2 tsp lemon juice to help prevent discoloration and then store for a day!
Best Things To Juice Without A Juicer
What are the best things to juice if you do not have a juicer? Well, blenders are genius. Why? They can produce better juices from some hardier things which juicers struggle to tackle.
Centrifugal juicers often struggle with the likes of kale, lemongrass, parsley, leafy greens, and some soft fruits.
This is because blenders are more thorough and they pull the ingredients into the blade better, obliterating it and turning it into juice with more ease!
Some harder fruits and vegetables also work well with blenders, you just need to add a bit of water to keep the ingredients going!
What Blenders Are Best For Juicing Without An Attachment?
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We have 3 blenders that we love which you can use to create juices if you have no attachments. Our first choice is our overall top pick, and for good reason. Have we told you how much we love Vitamix before?
Vitamix 5200 Series
This is a powerful blender and a staple for any kitchen, it turns to fruit and vegetables into healthy purees with ease, and once you strain this puree, you get such delicious pure juice!
With this blender, fruits, and veg that have a high water content such as watermelon, cucumber, or celery, do not need much if any additional water added to blend.
If you have this blender, try a half pitcher of kale with a 3/4 cup of water you can end up having 3 cups worth of kale juice – (Yum!).
It is ideal for those who want to get a long-lasting, powerful, awesome appliance that can blend smoothies, create juices, puree, make soups, and perhaps even craft homemade nut butter!
The Vitamix 5200 is one of their most awesome blenders and while you do pay for it, it is worth it!
Pros
- Versatile.
- Durable.
- Self-cleaning.
- Simple controls.
Cons
- Loud.
- Expensive.
Breville Hemisphere Smooth
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Okay, we are done fangirling over Vitamix now and are onto this blender, which is quite similar to professional heavy-duty ones.
It is ideal for those who want top-tier quality but not a ridiculous price tag. The jug is a great shape too, make to prevent things from getting trapped between the blade and jug.
Also, users seem to adore the power, as well as how it blends many ingredient types from ice to nuts and even bread crumbs!
Pros
- Produces great smoothies.
- Easy to clean.
- Quiet.
Cons
- Smaller jar size.
- Tricky seal.
Ninja Pro Blender + Nutri Ninja Cups
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Ninja blenders are our other weakness and this is a favorite of ours! It is cost-effective and can make very smooth smoothies that are just waiting to become juices! If you like a strong blender that can handle hard-juicing and hard-blending ingredients (carrots!) for a decent price tag this might be the best buy for you!
Some people do seem to have issues with the motors on these blenders are regular use for a few months, but the customer service is top-tier, and complaints are usually rectified fast. It’s not Vitamix, but it’s very close!
Pros
- BPA Free.
- 72 oz blender.
- Easily replaceable parts.
- Easy cord storage.
- Great customer service.
- Comes with smoothie/juice cups!
Cons
- Blades aren’t locked down.
- Some customer complaints about the lid and motor.
Best Blenders For Juicing With An Attachment
What if, despite how great the previous options sound, you just want to get a blender with a juicing attachment? That’s no problem, we have 2 options for you!
Magic Bullet Juicing Attachment
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The Magic Bullet has a special place in our hearts, it is popular and cost-effective, and the juicing attachment also makes it a great option for those who want to deck out their blenders to max out its versatility. On the downside, there are some reports that the attachment does not live up to its promises.
It does seem to do just fine for soft fruits cut into smaller pieces, but harder fruit and veg can clog the attachment up, so perhaps some experimentation is needed.
Pros
- Epic for smoothies.
- Microwave safe.
- Dishwasher safe.
- Easy cleaning.
Cons
- Not the best option for juice extraction.
- Does not chop up certain items well.
- Less frequent availability online (not super available like others).
Breville BJB840XL Juice + Blend Dual-Purpose Blender
Breville… We meet again. Breville is a juicing powerhouse and this appliance does do them justice. It is a multipurpose juicer blender that allows you to use the same technology that we mentioned in the other Breville blender.
This combo-creation has 5 speeds which can handle the majority of ingredients. It is a better shot than the Magic Bullet (in our opinion) and being a combination appliance, you know it is 100% capable of doing both jobs properly!
It is a great option for anyone who wants the best of both worlds all in one, without having to sacrifice any space in their kitchen to have two appliances!
Pros
- Safe from overheating.
- Durable.
- Powerful.
- 2-in-1.
- 5 speeds per appliance.
Cons
- A lot of parts to clean.
- Replacement parts are not available any longer.
- Not super easy to purchase!
Overall
So, which should you buy? It depends on what you want. Some of these blenders may be more suitable for different people, but in our opinion, if you want a versatile blender, choose the Vitamix, but if you want a combination juicer-blender, then check out Breville!
FAQs:
Is A Blender Good For Juicing?
Some blenders can juice well, however, always be aware that if you do use a blender for juicing you will need to strain the pulp yourself, which can be messy and time-consuming, but worth it. (You may even be able to remove more pulp than if you used a juicer!)
Juicer Or A Blender?
Both work well, however, blenders have more versatility and can be multipurpose, but juicers cannot. Our vote is for blenders.
Best Blender For Juicing Greens?
The absolute best blender to juice greens is the Vitamix 5200 Series. It is strong, and powerful, and can obliterate tough greens like kale and spinach with ease.
Is NutriBullet Good For Juicing?
Nutribullet has the Nutribullet Juicer Pro which is a centrifugal juicer, while not as good as masticating juicers it still works well to make delicious juice!
Additionally, she spent a few years working for Smoothie King, where she gained extensive knowledge about making smoothies.
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