So you decided you want a blender.  Be sure you know the differences between a juicer and a blender before you take out your credit card to make that purchase.

The blender works very much like the centrifugal juicers, in that it uses a high-speed spinning blade to cut up the fruits. This method does cause oxidation and destroy the enzymes of the produce.

Here are some points to consider when looking to buy a blender:

• It is not recommended to be used to blend fruits/vegetables that has high iron content as iron gets oxidized faster than other substances. However, if used properly, the blender does add a lot of jazz to your juicing experiments.
   

• Blenders are easily available in most departmental stores in most countries. They cost anything from US$20 to about US$400. Do not buy a cheap blender that has a weak motor, nor purchase a fancy blender costing well over US$200. They all do the same thing.

• Choose the best blender that you can afford, that does the job, is durable and has all the basic functions. How do you know that it will do its job or whether it is durable?

• The cheaper blenders usually come with the basic four buttons which are really all you need: pulse, low, high and stop. The really cheap blenders may not have a strong motor and after using it for a few minutes, it might smell like something's burning. These cheap blenders are also very noisy when in use.

• The high-end fancy blenders may look very sophisticated and classy with extra buttons that may say puree, whip, mix, frappe, etc. Don't pay your hard-earned money on these extra buttons. You don't need them.

• Choose a blender from a good kitchen appliances brand. In my country, the good ones are like Braun or Kenwood. Shop around for one that suits your budget and that the design you like. A reasonably good one priced under US$200 should serve you well for a long time.

• Test it at the store to check the noise level. Some operate incredibly loud¾ forget those. Also check that it has a solid base that when in operation, you don't have to hold it down all the time.