Both juicing and blending are beneficial in their distinct ways. Green and fruit juices contain soluble fiber that is easily absorbed by the body. Smoothies, on the other hand, contain pulp that keeps you fuller for longer and is ideal for those managing their weight. Both products are a fun way or incorporating vegetables and fruits into our diets. So, do you buy a blender or a juicer? Or both?
Juicer and Blender Combo Reviews
1. Breville BJE430SIL Juice Fountain
Breville juicers have become quite popular and especially after the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead came out. Joe, the guy in the movie, used a Breville juicer for his 60-day fast. Even though he traveled with the machine around the world, it remained intact and served him well to the end.
This particular juicer is not the cheapest, but it is a worthy investment. It measures 15.2 x 8 x 18 inches and weighs 20lbs, and so it is quite large and bulky. The base contains the 1200W motor that pulverizes fruits and roots to a smooth consistency.
The powerful motor rotates at 1300rpm, and even higher when you manipulate the 5-speed controls. Now, the fast rotating speed is both a good and bad depending on how you look at it. Centrifugal juicers work faster and are noisier. They do not grind and crush their ingredients the same way cold press juicers do but instead cuts into them to extract juice.
This juicer is multi-purpose. It juices and blends vegetables and roots. The mechanisms do not allow it to crush leafy greens for juice, but you can blend them. Due to oxidation, the resulting juice will not keep in the fridge for long.
The chute is 3-inches wide, so it reduces your prep-time by half. This Breville is die-cast with a shiny exterior with a sizeable pulp container. The blender is made of sturdy plastic but with a die-cast base. The package contains a food pusher, a blender, juicer, 8-oz juicing jug and the filter basket.
It may look intimidating when set up, but this juicer only has three removable parts. It is easy to assemble and disassemble, and the removable parts are dishwasher safe. It comes with two sieves of varying sizes. The maker gives it a year’s limited warranty.
Pros
- Easy assembly.
- The package is a juicer and blender combo, and so you will be saved the cost of a separate kitchen gadget.
- Works fast, thanks to its powerful motor.
- Allows for continuous juicing with the pulp container.
Cons
- Centrifugal juicers allow oxidation.
- Not great with leafy greens.
Do we have a favorite? Yes, we do! We like the for its 3 speed controls that allow you to use this juicer for several recipes. We also like the fact that you can separate the components. The price is steep, but can you put a price on quality? We can live with the narrow chute and we hope you can too.
2. Goplus Juice Extractor
The base of this Goplus Juice Extractor houses an 800-watt motor and a set of blades. It is a centrifugal juicer and a blender. How does it work? The basket underneath receives your ingredients and pulverizes them using sharp blades.
Since it is a centrifugal system, the blades will cut through and liquefy ingredients at a high rotating speed. This juicer is ideal for those who make lots of juice or those who have not much time to wait for a slower cold press machine. They are also great for juice bars. The base has trio suction cups that allow the juicer to sit ideally on any surface.
Ingredients go through the wide chute and right into the receiving basket. You will not need to reduce them into tiny pieces as the allowance is wide enough. Once the fruits have been chopped, they go through a sieve to separate roughage from the juice before making its way into the collecting jar.
This juicer comes with a 2-liter pulp collecting jar to allow for continuous juicing. The three components – juicing, blending and food processing- are stand-alone. Every part comes with its set of blades so that it works as separate item. It has three controls that are powered by one button for ease of use.
Dimensions: This all-white juicer measures 7.5 x 12 x 16.5 inches and weighs slightly over 10lbs. Not too bad for storage. The juicer will work ideally with any fruit (and especially citrus) as well as roots, but it cannot extract juice from leafy vegetables. The noise levels are above 100 decibels as is expected with most centrifugal systems, and so you may inconvenience others. The good thing is it extracts juice quite fast.
Pros
- Beautiful for any countertop.
- The 800W motor pulverizes fruits and roots properly.
- It is 3-in1.
Cons
- Their noise level is above 100 decibels.
- It does not juice leafy vegetables.
3. BuySevenSide Multi-Function Juicer Extractor
This large product is a blender, food processor, juicer and meat grinder in one. The body is made of sturdy plastic while the components are stainless steel. It has a centrifugal system, and so the juicer cuts into ingredients and liquefies them. The stainless steel blades do not dull over time.
The base houses the motor, and a 6-inch cord makes it possible to plug in anywhere. All the components work as distinct factions so that you can take them apart and still have a functional product. This 4-in-1 juicer measures 13.4 x 13.8 x 12 in. It may be tricky for those challenged with storage space. The base has four suction cups to keep it stable on any flat surface.
The 8.6cm diameter chute reduces prep time by half as you will not need to chop ingredients too fine. You also get a food pusher for vegetables and other ingredients that may be hard to push down. The food, when pushed into the machine, goes straight into the waiting basket of blades for chopping and crushing. The 400W motor is a tad slow, and so the process ensures total extraction of juice. The motor’s speed is also a plus in the noise department (49decibels!).
All the removable parts are dishwasher safe and easy to remove. Assembly is quite easy as is disassembly, and even better is the fact that you can separate the blender from the juicer.
Even with lower speeds, this juicer is still not the best for leafy greens. Sure you can blend them, but it does not allow for proper extraction of green juice.
Pros
- Low rotating speeds to produce nutritious juice.
- The motor is less noisy than most juicers on the market.
- It is multi-functional.
- The suction cups make it stable on any surface.
Cons
- It takes up generous space.
- It does not yield well when you use leafy greens.
Combo Blender Juicer Buying Guide
A juicer-blender combo gives you two kitchen gadgets for the price of one. Or even more, if you are willing to dig deeper into your pocket. One thing before we move on: avoid cheap juicers. They are not worth the money or effort. Anything below $100 will need replacement after a year or so. What do you look for before buying the best blender for juicing?
Motor
The motor will determine the consistency of your juice. Anything below 400W is certainly going to disappoint you. The blending component will need a powerful motor to pulverize ingredients and produce a consistent smoothie. You may have to put up with the noise but it doesn’t hurt if it only lasts a minute, right?
Containers
Naturally, a combo machine will come with more than one container for each of the components. Now, you want to pay attention to the pulp collection jar. It should be large to enable continuous juicing – that will only be the case if you don’t stop every few minutes to empty it.
Control And Speeds
A good blender has several speeds to determine the consistency of your final product. Different speeds allow you to use the blender for several recipes. You also want a gadget that is easy to use. Too many controls complicate a product and they may be unnecessary to begin with.
Sturdy Construction
It goes without saying that sturdy construction makes a product durable. If the pitcher is not made of glass, then let it be high-grade plastic that is scratch-free and BPA free. The base of the juicer-blender will house the motor and other components and so it should be made of equally tough material.
The base is for placing on flat surfaces and the addition of suction cups improves that stability even more. The blades should be stainless steel and they should not dull even after several uses.
Masticating Or Centrifugal?
Usually, masticating juicers are preferred for their dynamics. They are made to crush ingredients instead of cutting into them the way their centrifugal counterparts do. Masticating juicers are quite expensive. A good masticating juicer will cost over $400, but it will give you a more nutritious juice as compared to the centrifugal kind. So, it all depends on the size of your pocket.
Warranty
Sometimes, the warranty period can speak volumes about a product. You want a warranty period beyond two years for both parts and the body. While you may never need the services, it helps to know that you are covered.
Final Thoughts
Do we have a favorite? Yes, we do! We like the Breville Juicer for its 3 speed controls that allow you to use this juicer for several recipes. We also like the fact that you can separate the components. The price is steep, but can you put a price on quality? We can live with the narrow chute and we hope you can too.
