Juicer vs blender: what is the difference and which should you choose?

Published on June 4, 2026 (updated on October 30, 2026)

What each appliance really does, where the centrifugal juicer fits between the two, and the right choice depending on what you want in your glass: a clear juice or a thick smoothie.

A juicer and a blender do not make the same drink. A juicer separates the pulp from the juice, while a blender keeps everything: on one side a smooth, clear juice, on the other a thick smoothie full of fibre. People often mix them up, sometimes with a third appliance, the centrifugal juicer. This difference changes everything, from texture to nutritional value and versatility. Here is how each appliance works and which one to choose for your habits.

Key points

A juicer separates the pulp: a smooth, clear juice, pressed at low speed, without heat.
A blender keeps everything: a thick smoothie, fibre and pulp included, more filling.
A centrifugal juicer is faster: pulp-free juice in a few seconds, which keeps for about 24 h.
A blender is the most versatile: smoothies, soups, sauces and purées, with a bowl that is easy to wash.

How do a juicer and a blender work?

Before comparing how they perform, you need to understand how each one works. The two machines do not process food in the same way, and this technical difference explains everything else.

How a juicer works

A juicer, also called a slow juicer or cold press juicer, crushes fruit and vegetables at low speed, usually between 40 and 80 revolutions per minute. This slow movement presses the produce to extract the juice, while separating the pulp, which is ejected into a separate container. Because there is no heat, the enzymes and heat-sensitive vitamins are better preserved.

The result is a smooth, clear, concentrated juice, with no fibre or pulp. Some models take whole fruit thanks to a wide feed chute, which cuts down on chopping time. The low speed also limits oxidation: the juice keeps for up to 72 hours in the fridge, depending on the model.

Centrifugal juicer, cold press juicer and blender: don't confuse them

The centrifugal juicer is often confused with the slow juicer, yet it works quite differently. It grates fruit and vegetables at very high speed (10,000 to 25,000 revolutions per minute), then uses centrifugal force to separate the juice from the pulp. This fast extraction slightly warms the juice and exposes it to more air, which speeds up oxidation and cuts its shelf life to about 24 hours.

Compared with a cold press juicer, the centrifugal juicer has speed on its side: a few seconds are enough for a glass of juice. Compared with a blender, its aim is similar, a drink rather than a purée, but the pulp is separated rather than blended in. For quick, occasional use, the centrifugal juicer is a middle ground between the versatile blender and the higher-quality cold press juicer. If you are torn between exactly these two appliances, the section on the centrifugal juicer vs the blender, further down, compares them point by point.

How a blender works

A blender mixes ingredients at high speed using rotating blades. Unlike a juicer or a centrifugal juicer, it keeps everything: fibre, pulp and edible skin. The result is a smooth, thick mixture, typical of a smoothie or a liquid purée.

Portable blenders, rechargeable via USB cable or from the mains, are especially popular because they are so practical day to day. Light and compact, they let you make a drink in under a minute, at home or on the go. A blender is far more versatile than a juicer or a centrifugal juicer.

Can you make juice with a blender?

It is the natural next question once you know how they work. A blender mixes all the ingredients together, fibre included: to get pulp-free juice, you would have to strain the mixture through a fine sieve, which is tedious. A juicer or a centrifugal juicer is far better suited to making pure, clear juice.

Rule of thumb: for a clear juice, the pulp has to be separated, which only a juicer or a centrifugal juicer can do. For a glass that fills you up, a blender keeps the fibre.

Blender vs juicer: the key differences in practice

These two different ways of working have a direct effect on what ends up in your glass, and on how you use the appliance day to day.

Texture and consistency

With a juicer, you get a pure, fibre-free juice that is smooth and easy to drink. It is ideal for people who find fibre hard to digest, for children, or for anyone who wants juice close to what delicatessens sell.

With a blender, you get a smoothie full of fibre, thicker and more filling. The drink contains all of the fruit or vegetables you use. If you want more fibre in your diet or a drink that can replace a light meal, a blender is the better fit. To explore the formats available, the shop's portable blenders range from compact models to hand blenders for family use.

Keeping the nutrients

A cold press juicer better preserves heat-sensitive vitamins (vitamin C, vitamin B9) because there is no heat and no excessive oxidation during extraction. The enzymes stay active, an argument often made in favour of cold pressing. A centrifugal juicer, faster but warmer, breaks down more of these same nutrients.

A blender can cause slight oxidation as the blades spin at high speed. But the fibre it keeps partly makes up for this: it slows down the absorption of sugars and helps you feel full. In the end, the three appliances offer different nutritional benefits, complementary rather than opposed.

What you can make with each one

A juicer is specialised in making juice. It excels with:

Hard vegetables: carrots, beetroot, celery, ginger
Juicy fruit: apples, pears, pineapple, citrus
Herbs and leafy greens: spinach, parsley, wheatgrass

A blender is much more versatile. You can make:

Smoothies with fresh or frozen fruit or dairy
Cold soups: gazpacho, courgette velouté, chilled tomato soup
Emulsified sauces and dressings in a few seconds
Baby purées with hand blender models
Homemade milkshakes and milk drinks

Does juicer juice keep more nutrients?

It has an edge, but not on every count. Cold-pressed juices better preserve heat-sensitive vitamins, because the extraction happens without heat. However, they are more concentrated in natural sugars, since the fibre is removed. Smoothies have the advantage on this point: fibre slows the absorption of sugar and helps you feel full.

Comparison table: juicer, centrifugal juicer and blender

This table compares the juicer, the centrifugal juicer and the blender criterion by criterion, from the type of drink to versatility. Each column is an appliance, each row a point of comparison.

Criterion	Juicer	Centrifugal juicer	Blender
Type of drink	Pure, pulp-free juice	Pure, pulp-free juice	Smoothie, sauce, purée
Fibre kept	No (separated into a container)	No (separated by centrifugal force)	Yes (blended into the drink)
Vitamin preservation	Excellent (cold extraction)	Fair (slight heating)	Good
Processing speed	Slow (2 to 5 min)	Very fast (a few seconds)	Fast (30 to 60 sec)
How long the juice keeps	48 to 72 h	About 24 h	24 h (smoothie)
Noise level	Quiet	High	Moderate to high
Cleaning	Several parts to take apart	Several parts to take apart	Simple (single jug)
Versatility	Limited (juice only)	Limited (juice only)	High

To compare juicers with each other, our guide to the best juicer compares cold press and centrifugal models criterion by criterion.

Juicer or blender: which appliance suits the way you cook?

The answer depends above all on what you want to make and on your lifestyle. Each appliance meets specific needs, and the right choice is the one that matches how you actually cook.

Choose a juicer if:

You want pure, fibre-free juice every day
You eat a lot of raw vegetables and fruit and care about nutritional quality
You particularly enjoy vegetable juices: carrot, beetroot, celery
You can spare a few minutes to prepare produce and clean several parts

For everyday cold-pressed vegetable juice, here is the model we offer.

BioloMix cold press juicer with 78 mm feed chute

The BioloMix cold press juicer presses fruit and vegetables cold, by slow masticating, with a 200 W motor that does not heat the food. Its 78 mm chute takes medium-sized pieces.

Like any juicer, it has several parts to take apart for cleaning: allow for those few minutes in your routine.

Choose a blender if:

You make fibre-rich smoothies every morning before heading out
You want a versatile appliance for soups, sauces and purées
You need a portable model, rechargeable via USB
Your budget is limited or your kitchen space is tight

Whether you are serving the whole family or taking your smoothie with you, two formats meet these needs.

Countertop blender chopper with 2.5 L jug and 4 stainless steel blades

The 2.5 L countertop blender chopper with 4 stainless steel blades has a 2.5 L jug with a handle and pouring spout, 4 stainless steel blades that crush frozen fruit and ice, a speed dial and a pulse function. Its automatic cleaning starts at the touch of a button.

500 W blender chopper with its chopping bowl and 600 ml bottle

The 500 W blender chopper with 600 ml bottle blends your smoothie directly in its 600 ml bottle, which comes with a travel lid. On the same motor, the 800 ml chopping bowl also chops meat and vegetables.

The first serves the whole table; the second replaces two appliances in a small kitchen.

If your budget allows, owning both appliances gives you the best of both. But if you have to choose, decide on your main use: slow, concentrated juices every day, or quick, versatile blended drinks. If you are leaning towards a juicer, also check which fruits not to put in a juicer before you first try it.

What about a centrifugal juicer vs a blender?

Cross-section of a blender and a centrifugal juicer: the blender blends the whole fruit into a thick smoothie that keeps its fibre; the centrifugal juicer grates the fruit on a disc, its filter holds back the pulp, which goes into a separate container, and only the clear juice flows into the glass

A blender keeps the whole fruit. A centrifugal juicer separates out the juice: it grates the fruit on a disc, then flings the pulp against a filter. In practice:

texture: a thick, filling smoothie from the blender, a clear, runny juice from the centrifugal juicer;
yield: the centrifugal juicer gives plenty of juice from apple, carrot or celery, and very little from banana or avocado, which stick to the filter;
keeping: centrifugal juice should be drunk within a quarter of an hour, while a smoothie keeps a little better in the fridge;
cleaning: a jug and a lid for the blender; a disc, a filter and a pulp container for the centrifugal juicer.

A centrifugal juicer does not make smoothies, since it separates the pulp. For a centrifugal juicer, washing the fruit is usually enough; for a blender, peel citrus fruit, pineapple and kiwi, because everything ends up in the glass.

Mistakes to avoid

Four mix-ups come up often when people choose between these appliances, or switch from one to the other.

Expecting clear juice from a blender: it keeps the fibre, and straining the mixture through a fine sieve is tedious.
Making centrifugal juice in advance: it oxidises faster and keeps for about 24 h, compared with 48 to 72 h for a slow juicer.
Putting banana or avocado through a centrifugal juicer: they stick to the filter and give very little juice.
Leaving the peel on citrus fruit, pineapple or kiwi in a blender: everything ends up in the glass, so peel them first.