What can a juicer do – and what shouldn't you use your juicer for?

Beyond making fresh juice, what else can a juicer do? You may be surprised to know that yours could potentially do much more, from making baby food to nut milk to veggie burgers.

The key to getting more than just fresh, nutritious juice from a juicer, however, is to buy the best juicer, which has versatile attachments and quality mechanisms to cope with the demands you put on it. Even then, it's important to know that there are still limitations to what a juicer can do.

Indeed, while some ingredients won't fare well by being put through a juicer, others will damage your appliance.

What can you make in a juicer?

Before you buy, know that there are two different types of juicers. Centrifugal/fast juicers and cold press juicers, also referred to as slow juicers or masticating juicers. You can find a full comparison in our centrifugal juicers vs cold press juicers feature, but know some of each kind can do more than others, and that depending on what you want to make in it, your juicer will need certain attachments, some of which you may need to buy separately. Centrifugal juicers use a rotating blade at a very high speed and centrifugal force to extract juice and the pulp through a mesh. While slow juicers work at a much slower, but equally efficient pace to "masticate" or chew the fruit with a crushing auger design. and does a more thorough job of extracting out the most juice. 

Both, however, can tackle certain surprising tasks that you may not have considered, though we find that you get the most versatility with a slow juicer style, especially if you plan to make nut milk, smoothies, and sorbets. And all are unable to tackle others well, or without potential damage. This is the full list.

Can a juicer make nut milk?

Yes! You can make your own homemade almond, cashew, oat milk, and butters in a slow juicer, like the Kuvings EVO820 in which our tester Camryn made almond milk. After letting nuts soak overnight, you can add equal parts nuts and water to your juicer to create your own dairy-alternative milk. And, yes, you can use a slow juicer in the process of making nut butter, too.

Note, centrifugal juicers are not equipped to make nut milk as the nuts need to be masticated and ground with an auger-style as opposed to chopped. 

Can a juicer make smoothies?

Some juicers can make smoothies, but not all. You'll want to make sure your juicer is equipped to handle these thicker ingredients, like designs from Hurom, Omega or Kuvings, which offer smoothie attachments. Kuvings's smoothie strainer has a rubber plug that plugs the hole in the juicer where juice pulp would normally extract from, meaning the pulp and juice are essentially integrated together.   These smoothies won't be as thick as blender-made designs since you'll use frozen fruit as opposed to ice cubes to thicken your mixture. 

Can a juicer make sorbet or ice cream?

It depends, based on your juicer's build and attachments, and most models will specify in the product description. For instance, Hurom's Alpha Series juicers like the Hurom H-AA Slow Juicer include an ice cream strainer where you can use frozen fruit that is slightly thawed to mimic an ice cream consistency. Kuvings offers a sorbet attachment that makes it easy to make single-ingredient frozen treats with just frozen fruit. 

Can you make fruit pops in a juicer?

Yes! This works with any type of juicer.  Simply pour the juice into molds and freeze.

Can you make baby food in a juicer?

Yes, you can put fruits or vegetables through a juicer to create smooth, nutritious purees that are easy for babies to digest. 

Can you make sauces and salad dressings in a juicer?

Yes, you can make wholesome dips, vinaigrettes, and sauces with your favorite vegetables and herbs. We think you'll have the most success with a slow juicer style 

Can you make hummus in a juicer?

If you don't have a food processor, you can use the extracted juice and pulp from chickpeas to make hummus. A slow juicer will yield the best results. 

Can you make crackers in a juicer?

Something to dip into your hummus? Yes, please! Simply collect the pulp from your vegetable juicing and mix it with seeds and spices (flax, chia, whatever takes your fancy) and yeast, roll out, cut, and bake in the oven. 

Can you make tomato sauce in a juicer?

You can make tomato sauce in a juicer using a smoothie strainer that keeps the pulp integrated with the tomatoes for that thick consistency.

Can you make soup in a juicer?

Of course, if you want a very light vegetable broth, a juicer is a great way to extract what you want from your ingredients. Simply use as you would to make juice and then heat up the ingredients, which obviously you can add other ingredients to, from noodles to meat.

Can you make tofu in a juicer?

You can make tofu from soybeans in some juicers (check the manufacturer's specs before you buy, but you are looking for one with a fine strainer; a juice cap you can close, and a pulp control lever you can close. Hurom has instructions on making tofu in their juicer.

Can you make veggie burgers in a juicer?

Again, that pulp shouldn't necessarily be discarded. Instead, combine it in a bowl with egg, seasoning, spices, and whatever else you like to create patties that can be fried in oil or butter. Yummy.

Can whole apples go in a juicer?

While whole apples can go in a juicer, we always advise removing the seeds first, as they are poisonous in digested. You will likely need to cut the apple into smaller pieces to fit down most slow juicer chutes but they work efficiently as well with centrifugal juicers.  To make apple sauce, steam apples first, and use the sorbet attachments to create the paste consistency you need.

Can oranges go in a juicer?

Oranges and other citruses can go in a juicer, but the rinds should be removed prior to juicing as they are not easily digestible. 

What foods should not go into a juicer

These foods either can't be juiced, need trimming, or the ingredients will damage your juicer.

Can a juicer crush ice?

A juicer is not designed to crush ice separately and could ultimately damage your juicer. Ice in a centrifugal juicer could break or dull the spinning blades while ice cubes in a masticating design could get stuck between the auger and the screen and cause a jam.

However, some juicers come with ice shavers, so it's not impossible. Otherwise, we suggest adding ice cubes to your juice following juicing to make juice cold as opposed to trying to crush them. 

Can avocado go in a juicer?

No, an avocado does not take well to being juiced; stick instead to using a blender.

Can broccoli go in a juicer?

Broccoli can go in a juicer, but unlike leafy greens, they're difficult to digest and can cause bloating and gas, despite a high Vitamin C content.

Can a juicer replace a blender?

When deciding between a juicer versus a blender, know that a blender is designed to mash and blend all ingredients together while a juicer separates the liquid from the pulp and fiber for a smoother, more drink-like result. A juicer can perform some of the functions of a blender, especially when it comes to creating smoothies and sorbets. Your juicer could replace a blender, but a blender will likely not replace your juicer.