NutriBullet vs Juicer

We all too often confuse what blenders do and what juicers do. Only juicers make juices, blenders make smoothies. The NutriBullet is no different, it makes smoothies instead of juices as it is a blender.

What then is the difference between smoothies and juices? Here are the main separating factors:

• Juices have no fiber. Fiber is an important part of the human diet and most Americans are consuming only 50% of the recommended fiber each day.
• Juices require more fruits and vegetables to make an equal amount of liquid. Since we are removing the fiber, there is far less vegetative matter to actually consume. It is shocking to see how far 1 pound of leafy greens gets you in juices versus blending.
• Juices need to be drunken quickly due to oxidization. Juices have a very short shelf life and must be drunk quickly versus smoothies which could easily last for 24 hours in the fridge.

Below I will run through the pros and cons of juicers versus the NutriBullet. Since the NutriBullet retails for about $100, I will make the comparison fair and base the contest off of the popular $100 juicer, the Breville BJE200XL.

Juicer

Pros

•  Easily process vegetables into a drinkable form. It is easy to run through even the most difficult of vegetables through the juicer to make a juice out of them. Things like carrots, beets, celery, and many leafy greens are almost impossible to blend into a perfectly liquid form. Juicers can easily process these difficult vegetables into a crystal clear juice.
• Consume more nutrients at a single time. While you will not be getting any of the fiber, juicers do a great ob at providing a wealth of nutrients at one time. Since it takes more vegetables and fruits to make a similar amount of liquid as a blender, you will be getting more antioxidants and vitamins in the same size of glass. 
• An entirely different texture. Unlike smoothies which tend to be thick, juices are true liquid beverages that truly take on the flavor of the vegetables and fruits used to make the drink. Think of how sweet something like natural apple or grape juice is, that is what a homemade juice is like.
• Juice fasting only possible with a juicer. Removing the fiber from a juice does away with a large part of the calories. This then allows for the possibility of going onto an all juice diet for a period of time. Just like in the film Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, juice fasting is entirely possible to do in the comfort of your own home. 

Cons

• Juicers are notoriously tricky to cleanup. Compared to the NutriBullet, cleaning up a juicer could take twice to three times as long. Little bits of juice tend to splatter in crevices on the juicer and it can be a pain trying to clean all of them up.
• No fiber. Fiber is so good for you, so it can be tricky to judge when it is ever beneficial to remove it from the diet. 
• More expensive to maintain a juice based diet. You have to juice more to get the same quantity of liquid. This can really put a toll on a pocketbook.

NutriBullet

Pros

• Quick and easy.  You can literally throw some of your favorite fruits and vegetables into the NutriBullet, add some ice and water, and blend up a delicious drink in less than a minute. 
• Affordable. Building smoothies around things like bananas, milled flax seed, baby greens, and in season fruit is the best method to blend in my opinion. Bananas are the lowest priced fruit at the store and the other ingredients can all be obtained at a low price too. 
• Fiber is beneficial. Smoothies retain 100% of their fiber. You are better off keeping the fiber in my opinion versus doing away with it.
• Cleanup is simple. Rinse off the blending blades and the blending cup, throw both in the dishwasher. There is never a headache that comes up due to a weird blending mess and it takes only a minute or two to clean everything.
• Blend all kinds of dishes. You are not limited to just making drinks with the NutriBullet. Make hummus, bean dips, flours, salsa, guacamole, and use it as a food processor. 

Cons

• At its price point, the NutriBullet is not as sturdy as a Breville Juicer. Many people do run into issues with using their NutriBullet, Breville Juicers seem to all be well made with few problems arising.
• Room temperature drinks are a no-no. When you juice, you do not really want to make your drink cold. It tastes best at room temperature. For smoothies, you have to drink them cold or else you will likely begin to gag. This can be a bit of problem on a cold winter morning when you do not want to be drinking something that is cold.

Conclusion

I prefer the NutriBullet over juicers. The NutriBullet is fast, efficient, and retains fiber unlike most kinds of juicers. While there are a few downsides of the NutriBullet, I think it makes for a great blender for anyone looking to spend less than $100 on this appliance. Juicers do have some benefits, but blenders win out big time in my opinion.

Related Articles:

NutriBullet: 600 vs 900

Blending Leafy Green Vegetables in the NutriBullet 

By Mat McNeile