A Juice Blender is a home (kitchen) appliance that is used for making smoothies, vegetable purees, Cocktails, emulsifiers, mixing powders or liquids thoroughly and helping solids dissolve into liquids. For a bit of a more clear explanation, a blender breaks down fruit or vegetables into smaller pieces, retaining the pulp and thereby it’s nutritive value which has a wide range of uses for the health-conscious.

A Blender can be used for making smoothies (Sweetened beverages made from fresh fruit and milk), Vegetable purees (mashed vegetables to be used as ingredients for various dishes or to be directly fed to toddlers), Powdering spices and seeds, Crushing ice, making cocktails and making nut butters. Blenders are also used in several laboratory applications.

It is very important to note the difference between a Juice Blender and a Juice Extractor or simply a “Juicer”. While a blender breaks down fruit or vegetable and makes it drinkable retaining the pulp, A Juicer extracts juice from the same and throws out the pulp as a waste. Here it is equally important to note that there are products that perform both the functions as well as separate appliances performing respective functions. Hence it is up to the consumer to decide which one to go for.

Let us have a look at the parts of a blender and their working. A blender usually has a Plastic Jar with a rubber lid that has a provision for adding more fruit or vegetable. A fill cap is provided in the center of the rubber lid that makes it easier to fill in pieces of fruit and/or vegetable or adding small quantities of water as the case maybe. The Jar contains a Stainless Steel Blade assembly that is used for cutting down fruit or vegetable into smaller pieces. In certain blenders the blade assembly is detachable, thereby making it easier for cleaning.

There will be a Rubber gasket between the body of the container and the blade assembly to prevent the contents of the jar from leaking. The Jar is attached to a base that contains an Electric motor for turning the blade and also has Speed and Power controls.

There is also another variant of Blender called the Hand-held blender which typically has a Cylindrical handle that has a motor inside along with on/off controls. A Stainless steel tube runs through it and terminates into a metallic (Titanium plated) blade. The Blender can be immersed into any container that contains liquids. This blender is convenient for blending liquids that are too large to fit into Stationary Blenders.

As pointed earlier, the choice of a blender or juicer largely depends on the usage principle. Health conscious people prefer Blenders to juicers as blended juices or beverages are supposed to be more nutritive and can be preserved for a longer time. Certain set of people go for juicers as they feel juices are quicker as regards to absorption by the body and subsequent release of energy into the system. It is all a question of utility and affordability that counts in the end.

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