What is a centrifugal juicer?
A centrifugal juicer uses a rapidly spinning sieve to separate juice from pulp in fruits and vegetables. Produce goes down a feed chute into the sieve, which spins at high speed to extract the liquid, while the leftover pulp collects separately. This method works quickly and handles most fruits and vegetables well, making it a practical, everyday option for fresh juice at home. Both the nutribullet Juicer and nutribullet Juicer Pro use this centrifugal method.
Is juicing healthier than blending a smoothie?
Neither is inherently healthier. They simply offer different nutrition profiles. Juicing extracts the liquid from fruits and vegetables and separates out the pulp, giving you a lighter drink concentrated in vitamins and minerals. Blending a smoothie keeps the whole fruit or vegetable intact, including the fiber, and often incorporates extras like yogurt, nut butter, or protein powder. Fiber plays an important role in digestion, so many people find a combination of juicing and blending fits best into a balanced routine, using each for what it does well.
Do I need to peel or chop fruits and vegetables before juicing?
Not usually. nutribullet® juicers are built with a wide 3 inch feed chute, so whole or roughly halved fruits and vegetables can go in with minimal prep. That said, a few things should always be removed first: rinds from citrus fruits and pits or seeds from stone fruits like peaches and cherries. Beyond that, most produce can go in as is, which is part of what makes centrifugal juicing quick for everyday use.
What's the difference between a juicer and a blender?
A juicer separates liquid from solids, using a spinning sieve to extract juice while ejecting the pulp into a separate basin. A blender doesn't separate anything. It purees everything you put in, so the ingredients stay together in the final drink. That difference shows up in the result: juicers produce a thin, pourable liquid, while blenders produce a thicker, spoonable or sippable blend. It also shows up in what each machine can handle. A blender can process nuts, seeds, ice, yogurt, and other add-ins that a juicer isn't built for, while a juicer is built specifically around fresh produce. If you want fresh juice with a light, drinkable texture, reach for a juicer. If you want a heartier, more customizable drink, a blender is the better tool. For more, check out our blog on blenders vs. juicers.
What fruits cannot go in a juicer?
A few things should stay out of any centrifugal juicer. Bananas and avocados don't contain enough extractable liquid to juice well, and can actually damage juicer parts, so they're better suited to a blender. Frozen fruits or vegetables should also be avoided; juicers are designed for fresh produce only. Stone fruits like peaches, plums, and cherries are fine once the pits are removed, but juicing them with the pit inside can damage the machine. Leafy greens like kale and spinach can also be tricky in a centrifugal juicer, since they tend to yield less juice than they would in a slow juicer.
Are nutribullet juicers dishwasher-safe?
Most parts, yes. The juice pitcher, pulp basin, and sieve are all dishwasher safe on nutribullet juicers, so daily cleanup is quick. The motor base is the one exception. It should never go in the dishwasher or be submerged in water. Just wipe it down with a damp cloth after each use to keep it clean.