Mixer grinder is an indispensable part of our kitchen. We use it daily, to grind spices and make aromatic chutneys. Today, we will look into using a mixer grinder as a juicer.
Though the idea outseams funny, many people have tried this method to avoid buying a separate juicer. But can mixer grinder be used as juicer?
A mixer grinder and a juicer, are two totally different appliances. Despite all the similarities that both these devices may seem to have, when it comes down to the actual task performance, a mixer grinder and a juicer have major differences in what they are designed for.
Mixer grinders are efficient kitchen appliance that helps in doing a lot of work like grinding, mixing, cutting, dicing and even juicing. The mixer grinder’s powerful motor with multiple gears makes it versatile enough to perform all these tasks at once.
It also has various functions like different speed settings, attachments, power pulsation or reversal motors and so on. These features make it possible to use them as juicers as well.
What is the Difference Between Mixer Grinder and Juicer?
Mixer Grinder
A mixer grinder is called a small kitchen appliance that we use to mix food items. The mixer grinder is used for food preparations in our daily life.
We can make foods like chutney, pickle, ketchup, grinding of spices and many other things. These things are very much useful for us.
Mixer grinders are the new generation of kitchen appliances that are used in every household. They are small in size and have a lot of advantages.
The basic parts of a mixer grinder include a motor, base, attachment and switch. A mixer grinder consists of an iron box that serves as the base.
The motor unit is fixed on the top of the base and has a power cord attached to it. The mixer rod and other attachments are kept in the box below the motor unit.
On top of this container, there is the lid. The lid has a hole in its centre to let the food pass through it during the mixing process.
The mixing blade of the appliance is situated inside this hole so that when you turn on the appliance, the blade rotates around its axis to mix the contents.
Most mixers have two blades that rotate in opposite directions to make sure that even large chunks of food are ground into fine powder.
Juicer
A juicer is a kitchen appliance that extracts juice from fruits and vegetables, turning the pulp into a dry mash.
A typical juicer consists of an auger (a small screw) that is driven by a motor and spins to force the fruit or vegetable through the machine’s mesh filter. A juicer extracts and separates the juice from fruits and vegetables using a grinding mechanism.
Juicer machines usually come with a chute that allows you to add fruit or veggies whole. They also have an attachment for grinding whole grains into flour. Other models have a container for collecting the juice.
The centrifugal juicer is the easiest to use and the most common. It consists of a round or square basket-like container with a strainer on top that holds the fruit or vegetables.
The pulp that is collected below is discarded while the juice pours into a glass stored below the spout.
Another type of juicer, the masticating or single gear press, uses a spinning auger to grind up produce and push it through a fine-mesh strainer.
These types of machines can be more time consuming but they extract more nutrients than centrifugal models.
Can I use a mixer grinder for juice?
Mixer Grinder can be used as a juicer but it will not work as perfect as a juicer. But you can use it for juicing to extract juices from fruits and vegetables by grinding the fruits and vegetables in the mixer grinder. You can also use it for the grinding of spices, nuts, and other food items.
It can be used to juice fresh fruits and vegetables but this is not the primary purpose for which it is manufactured. A juicer is a specialized appliance for extracting juice from fruits and vegetables.
But yes, a mixer grinder can be used as a juicer. There will be a substantial amount of wastage of the pulp that comes out while using a mixer grinder as a juicer.
The main difference between a mixer grinder and a juicer is that while a mixer grinder grinds the entire food item and mixes it with other ingredients to make various food items, a juicer extracts the juice from fruits or veggies without the use of any other ingredient.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Make Juice in a Mixer Grinder:
Juicing is a healthy habit to maintain. Juicing can be done at home with a mixer-grinder but you need to get the right attachments and accessories for the mixer-grinder. Here are the steps to prepare juice in a mixer-grinder:
1. Choose your favourite fruit and vegetables. Wash, peel and chop it up into small pieces and place it into the mixer-grinder jar. Wash all produce thoroughly before juicing. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling food.
2. Add water or any other liquid to help the blades of the mixer grind easily if you wish. If you wish to make a smoothie, add milk or any other creamy liquid instead of water.
3. Place fruit or vegetable on a clean cutting board and cut into 3″ long pieces (1 inch wide). Fill the jar with ice cubes if you wish to have a chilled drink. Place the jar onto the mixer-grinder base and cover it with a lid.
4. Insert fruits and vegetables one at a time into the feeder chute of your mixer-grinder until all are used up. Do not overload it! Overloading will jam up or damage your appliance or cause injury to yourself or others around you.
5. Close the lid securely to help prevent any accidents.
Is it safe to use a Mixer grinder as a juicer?
Many people wonder if it’s safe to use a mixer-grinder for juicing. While the answer depends on the model of mixer-grinder that you have, it’s usually best to avoid using your mixer-grinder for juicing and instead invest in a separate juicer. There are several reasons for this.
Do not use mixie for making juice, instead opt for juicers, but if you have no choice, then you can use your mixer grinder.
However, there is always some risk involved when you are using mixie for making juice. The main and major reason for this is that the blade in the mixie is not strong enough and does not have the power to crush hard vegetables and fruits such as carrots or apples.
But how to use a mixer grinder as a juicer? If you decide to do this, there are several things that you need to keep in mind:
1. You can make fruit juice with a mixer grinder. Make sure that you remove the hard pieces of vegetables and fruits before putting them into the mixer-grinder.
2. Also, make sure that the blades of the mixer-grinder are absolutely dry while operating it otherwise they will get damaged.
3. Keep your fingers away from the blades while operating it because there could be flying pieces of broken vegetables or fruits into your finger and this may lead to severe complications or even amputation of your finger.
4. Use a strainer to remove all the pulp after grinding of vegetables or fruit. Also, put a thick kitchen towel below the mixer-grinder before operating it.
For optimal results, it is best to buy a juicer and use that instead. A juicer extracts more nutrients than a mixer grinder does and doesn’t require a lot of effort on your part either.
Advantages of mixer grinder as a juicer
1. Speed: Juicers take time to extract the juice from fruits and vegetables while mixer grinders do that job really fast.
2. Low noise: Mixer grinders don’t produce loud sounds like those of an electric juicer does. This makes it convenient for those who want to use it early in the morning or late at night when everyone’s asleep.
3. Lesser cleanup: Since most of the mixer grinder comes with detachable parts, cleaning them up is easy compared with an electric juicer which will need more effort to rinse off its components.
4. Safety features: Some mixer grinders come with an overload protection feature that prevents the motor from getting damaged in case if there is overload or jamming of food items.
Some mixer grinders also come with a safety cut out button that stops the machine automatically when the lid is removed from the jar.
Disadvantages of mixer grinder as a juicer
A mixer grinder is a very useful gadget if you have a large family and want to prepare food in bulk. It can be used for mixing and grinding vegetables, fruits, nuts and other edible ingredients.
But most people are not aware of the disadvantages of mixer grinders as juicers. Let’s discuss them in detail:
1. Heating: The first disadvantage of a mixer grinder as a juicer is that it heats up the content. During the grinding process, the machine heats up food items and drinks a lot of electricity. This is an important drawback for those who are looking for a cold beverage maker.
2. Noise: Another disadvantage is that it makes loud noise during its operation. This can create problems if you have a sleeping baby or other family members at home who might get disturbed by this noise.
So, you should choose a mixer grinder with soundproofing technology like Philips Advance Juicer Mixer Grinder which makes less noise during its operation.
3. Not for hard items: You should not grind hard items such as carrot, almonds and hard fruits in your mixer grinder because they can cause damage to the blades of your machine. You should rather use a good juicer for this purpose.
4. Low juice yield: It has a lower juice yield which is not ideal for people who want large quantities of juice. However, if the owner is looking to drink fresh and nutritious juice then they should look at what it’s capable of doing instead.
Conclusion
The main advantage of using a mixer grinder for juicing is the speed and convenience. Its motor works like a centrifuge, which makes it easier to smash everything with less effort so that you don’t have to spend hours putting your muscle on it or get sore afterwards.
In the end, there are a number of advantages to using a mixer grinder as a juicer. The best part? They’re easier to find and cheaper than many other options, including centrifugal juicers.
The downside? You may not get as much juice per fruit or vegetable in most cases, but it’s an effective alternative that’s often better suited to the average person’s needs.