The Best Juicers & Smoothie Makers – And What’s The Difference?

Shout out to Shari who asked me to research the best at-home juicers & smoothie makers. As with all my research, I have to know how everything works, what features to look for & what’s going to give me the most bang for my buck. I recently updated this post and the appliance recommended still hold up.

In addition to finding the best machines & what features to look for, I also wondered what’s the difference between a juicer & a smoothie maker? So, true to form, I got a little lost down the rabbit hole on this one. But better too much info than not enough. Right? Plus, I’ve included tips on how to make a Smoother Smoothie & Jubilant Juice (yes, I know I’m corny). So, this is what I learned…

In This Post

• What’s The Difference Between Juices & Smoothies?
• Pros & Cons
  • Smoothies
  • Juices
• Which Beverage is Healthier?
• Features To Look For
  • Smoothie Blender Features
  • Juicer Features
• The Best, Most Recommended Juicers & Smoothie Makers
  • Best Juicer & Smoothie Maker Combos
  • Best Smoothie Blenders
  • Best Centrifugal Juicers
  • Best Masticating Juicers
• Tips For Making The Best Beverage
  • For A Smoother Smoothie
  • For Jubilant Juice

What’s The REAL Difference Between Juices & Smoothies?

Both juices & smoothies are made with fresh fruit &/or vegetables. The real difference is the production & what’s left out in the process. 

• Smoothies are made by blending whole pieces of fruit &/or vegetables so none of the fiber is lost, this makes a thicker drink. Since smoothies include the fiber, they fill you up & take longer to digest. 
• Juices are pressed, thereby separating the fiber from the rest of the fruit or veggies in the process, leaving only the liquid. 

Pros & Cons

Smoothies

• Pros: By blending whole fruits & veggies, all their fiber is retained for healthy digestion. Plus, the fibrous parts contain antioxidants that help fill you up. Feeling full longer means less snacking.
• Cons: Smoothies contain sugar but there’s only so much you can drink before you start to feel full, as a result you’re not consuming as much sugar by drinking a smoothie as with juice. 

Juices

• Pros: Contain more concentrated amounts of vitamins & nutrients that are easier for your body to absorb. 
• Cons: Juices lack fiber, which is important for healthy digestion, lowering risk of heart disease & controlling blood sugar. They also contain a lot of sugar that is absorbed more quickly than when consuming a smoothie. Some juices contain more sugar the sodas! Yikes!

Which Beverage is Healthier?

All hail the smoothie. Since smoothies contain more antioxidants & fiber than juices, smoothies have more health benefits. While both beverages contain sugars that can raise your blood sugar, those effects are more rapid & dramatic with juices. However, the healthiest way to consume your fruits & veggies for maximum health benefits is in their original form. 

Features To Look For

Smoothie Blender Features

• Container Material – Plastic vs. Glass – Plastic is lightweight & less likely to break than glass. But plastic can absorb odors & stain so it must be cleaned well after each use. Whether you choose plastic or glass, make sure the container has easy to read measurements on it. 
• Container Size – Get a wide mouth to facilitate loading & cleaning. Also consider how much the container can hold. Some come with single-serve to-go options as well as a large container.
• Controls – This comes down to personal preference. Touchpad controls are easiest to clean but can be more difficult to operate than push buttons, which switch more easily but dirt can collect in their crevices. Dials wipe down easily but your have to turn through all the settings to get to the one you want. Lastly, a flip switch is easy to clean but limits your appliance options. 
• Speed – Some come with as few as two speeds while others have more than a dozen. A pulse button is good to have for more precision.
• Power – As with most things, greater wattage usually means more power. But the blade & container shape are also factors.
• Storage – Depending on where you plan to keep your blender/smoothie maker, that is, proudly displayed on your counter or in a cabinet, be mindful of the design & size. Measure your space & check the unit’s footprint dimensions & height. Also be aware of the number accessories & attachments it comes with. While they may improve functionality, they too take up storage space.
• Dishwasher Safe – This is a deal breaker for me…if the container, attachments & accessories don’t go in the dishwasher, I won’t buy it.
• Warranty – A longer warranty is an indication of how long the manufacturer expects its product to last. Budget blenders might only be covered for a year while high performance blenders may offer up to 10 years. 
• Price – There are good options in every price category. 

Juicer Features

Including the above Smoothie Features, also look for:

• How Much Juice They Express – Some juicers extract more juice than others; you want very dry pulp left so you know you got every last drop of juice in your juice.
• Chute Size – Look for a large food chute so it accepts big, if not whole, pieces of fruit & veggies, which cuts down on prep-time. A small chute will require you to cut your fruits & veggies smaller before juicing.
• Pulp Ejection – You’ll want an external pulp ejector so you don’t need to stop juicing to empty the pulp. An external pulp collector can accumulate more pulp & is easier to clean. 
• Cup – I don’t think this is a deal breaker unless you want to take your juice to go, but some juicers come with a juice cup & others don’t.

Masticating vs. Centrifugal Juicers

As long as we’re talking about juicers, it’s important to know the difference between masticating & centrifugal juicers.

• How They Work:
  • Masticating juicers, also known as Cold Press or Slow Juicers, create juice by crushing & pressing the ingredients through a slow rotating augur (screw) & a screen. Since they are slow turning, they are generally more quiet to operate, can extract more liquid & smoother, less frothy juice. You need a masticating juicer if you plan to juice leafy veggies like spinach & kale. This juicer can also make nut-based milk alternatives, baby food, mince sauces, etc.
  • Centrifugal juicers use centrifugal force by spinning very quickly to make juice. They have spinning blades that spin against a mesh sieve, or filter, thereby separating the juice & pulp into two different containers. They’re faster but noisier & usually have only 2 speeds. They’re best for processing oranges, apples & carrots but have trouble pulling liquid from leafy greens.
• Things to consider:
  • It is believed that centrifugal juicers destroy many (some say only 15%) of the valuable nutrients & enzymes in fruits & veggies because they juice at very high RPMs (1000-3000). This speed creates heat, which oxidizes (breaks down) the nutrients & enzymes in the juice, thereby, some say, creating a less nutritional juice. As a result of the oxidation, juice produced by centrifugal juicers needs to be consumed within 24 of juicing. Most centrifugal juicers claim to not to heat up while juicing. Honestly, there are no hard studies on the subject so if you’re looking for fast, tasty juice & this is your first foray in juicing, start with a centrifugal juicer since they’re generally less expensive. 
  • The masticating juicers, on the other hand, juice at lower RPMs (40-100). This lower RPM supposedly avoids “oxidizing” the juice, thus preserving the integrity of those valuable enzymes/nutrients. The lower oxidation means juice produced by a masticating juicer will stay fresh for drinking up to 36-72 hours. So if nutrient content is your objective & you’re looking to make larger batches to drink for a day or two, a masticating juicer may be the right option for you.
  • Decide what your main objective is to determine which type of juicer to buy:
    • Are you planning to juice leafy green vegetables? If so, get a masticating juicer.
    • Are you looking for fresh, healthy juice void of preservatives? If so, get a centrifugal juicer.
    • If getting the highest levels of vitamins & nutrients is top priority? A masticating juicer is for you. 

The Best, Most Recommended Juicers & Smoothie Makers

Some of my favorite go-to resources when researching appliances are names I trust, like Consumer Reports, Cnet & Good Housekeeping. Coupled with reading LOTS of customer reviews on Amazon, Best Buy & other merchant accounts. From there, I paired down my list of recommendations & where to get them at the best price.

Best Juicer & Smoothie Maker Combos

Get the best of both worlds by buying one appliance that does it all, but be prepared to shell out some shekels. Meet the Breville BLUICER = BLender + jUICER (so very clever).

Best Smoothie Blenders

Budget

Mid-Range

High-End

Best Centrifugal Juicers

Budget

Mid-Rage

The NutriBullet Pro comes with a 1-year warranty &, of course, all removable parts are dishwasher safe. It’s available in silver with accessories or in dark grey without. It has great reviews on Cnet, Amazon & Best Buy. The silver unit with accessories (NBJ50200) is on sale for $130 on Amazon & $150 at Best Buy. The is gray is $100 at Best Buy (NBJ50100) but it only comes with a pitcher, not the other accessories.

High-End

For what it’s worth, here’s my two-cents on high-end juicers: If you’re willing to spend $300+ on a juicer, get one of the Breville Bluicers, above, to get the most bang for your buck since it makes juices AND smoothies, among other things.

Best Masticating Juicers

Before we begin with my masticating juicer recommendations, I have to tell you that a lot of these juicers have a horizontal design, which makes them look a bit like aardvarks (in my opinion). But that is not why I don’t care for the horizontal style, even though it does take up more counter space than the vertical units. My real gripe with the horizontal juicer is that the pulp container is located right next to the juice container so pulp can plop in your juice. As a result of my bias, all but one of the following recommendations are upright masticating juicers.

Budget:

Mid-Range (not much to choose from)

High-End

Tips For Making The Best Beverage

For A Smoother Smoothie

The order in which you layer the ingredients makes all the difference. Note: If you’re using an inverted personal smoothie blender, reverse the order of ingredients so your leafy greens end up top, closest to the blades when you put the lid on. 

1. Start with 1 cup of your preferred liquid – milk, coffee, water
2. Leafy greens or herbs – you want them closest to the blades so the stringy fibers break down & liquefy
3. Nuts & seeds need to be close to the blades so they get pulverized, but if you but them in first, they can get stuck under the blades.
4. Yogurt, tofu or nut butter get added next
5. Fresh fruit & veggies go on top because they liquefy fast
6. Frozen fruit goes in last. Think of them as flavored ice cubes, they add flavor & froth, but limit to about 1 cup because a mixture that is too cold can create an air pocket over the blades & interfere with blending. 
7. Once you’ve got a good vortex going, you can add protein powder or fiber while the blender is running.
8. Enjoy!

If anything gets stuck, lower the speed to get your vortex back on track. If you’ve got a real back up, stop the blender & use a spatula or blender stick to dislodge stuck ingredients. If your smoothie is too thin or watery, try adding a few ice cubes.

For Jubilant Juice

Best advice is prep your produce by eliminating tough outer skins, peels, pits & seeds that can make your juice taste bitter. More importantly, some seeds & pits contain toxic chemicals when crushed (such as apricot, cherry, peach & plum pits), plus they can damage your juicer. You also want to cut everything down to size since some juicers have small food chutes & the actual juicing process is fast. Being prepared will allow you to plow through your produce quickly & get to the good drinking part. 

There are SO many things you can juice, you’re only limited to your imagination & your taste buds: 

Fruits: Apples, Berries (small juice content but big flavor), Citrus (lemons, limes, oranges, etc.), Grapes, Kiwis, Melons (Honeydew, Watermelon, Cantaloupe), Pears, & Pineapple

Vegetables: Beets, Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, Cucumber, Kale, Spinach, & Tomatoes

Avoid: Low water content items like coconut, grains & sugar cane – they will barely produce any liquid & their high fiber content could damage your juicer.

Remember…

Any fresh juices or smoothies you make are unpasteurized & preservative-free so try to drink them right away. If you must store them, do so in the fridge & consume within 24 hours if using a centrifugal juicer or 72 hour if using a masticating juicer. 

To extend the life of your juicer or smoothie maker, always clean all parts immediately after using, even if that means just rinsing away debris & tossing the parts in the dishwasher. Pulp & concentrated pigments set quickly.

Please let me know if you buy any of these juicers or if you have one you love & would recommend.

All prices are accurate and items in stock (unless noted otherwise) at time of publication.