A really common question we get asked here at Nisbets is "Should I buy a blender or a juicer?". The answer isn't as simple as it might seem. Does juicing create healthier or tastier drinks in comparison to blending? Which one will deliver the quickest return on investment? Here's some comparisons to help you decide for yourself.
Blending
There are three main types of blender - Stick Blenders, Bar Blenders and Kitchen Blenders. All of these use rapidly spinning blades to break up food. Check out our Blender Buying Guide for more information about blenders.
Advantages:- All parts of the food are blended - helping to retain nutrients and dietry fibre
- Cores, peels and seeds can be included, increasing the yield and reducing food waste
- Blending is fast and can be done in front of customers
- Bar blenders can usually blend ice or frozen products
Juicing
Although it's possible to juice by hand, any juicing done on a large scale requires a powerful commercial juice extractor. Commercial juicers separate liquids and solids by crushing or spinning the contents at high speeds.Advantages:
- Much faster and more efficient than hand juicing
- Pulp is removed, making it less "bitty" - preferred by some customers
- Juice can be diluted to either make it less sweet or improve yield
- Can be used to purée cooked vegetables for baby food or special dietry requirements
So Which is Best?
Although both appliances produce refreshing fruit and vegetable based beverages, in reality juicers and blenders perform different roles. Both have a valuable place in the caterer's arsenal. Here's a quick summary.
- Generally, it's possible to generate the highest margin on smoothies made with a blender. Ingredients make up the bulk of the cost and customers may be willing to pay extra for products made to order. In addition, some ingredients can be frozen or powdered to reduce costs.
- Juicers (especially slow juicers) are quieter than most blenders, although some blenders can feature a plastic housing to reduce the noise
- Both juicers and blenders can expect make a fast return on investment - even the smallest commercial juicers have powerful motors which can cope with producing over 30 litres of juice every hour.
- In terms of health, both smoothies and fruit juices can be as healthy or as unhealthy as you make them. Smoothies with lashings of double cream and extra sugar might be indulgent (and great for social media!), but they can't be considered healthy, regardless of how many strawberries you add. Likewise, fresh fruit juices can contain a lot of natural sugar, so it's worthwhile using some creative thinking if this is a primary concern for your customers.
By David Evans
“My passion is all things electrical and there’s nothing I like better than getting to grips with the latest industry innovations. When I'm not putting new products through their paces, I’m writing about them.”
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