Can You Juice In A Vitamix? The Complete Guide

You bought a Vitamix because everyone said it could do everything. Smoothies, soups, nut butters, frozen desserts. But then you saw a fresh juice bar and wondered: can this thing actually make juice? Not a smoothie — real, pulp-free juice that pours like water.

I’ve tested this question with a Vitamix 5200, a 7500, and an A3500. The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. You can get juice out of a Vitamix, but the process, the texture, and the nutrition are different from what a dedicated juicer gives you. This article covers exactly how to do it, what you’ll get, and whether it’s worth your time.

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The Short Answer: Yes, But It’s Not the Same

A Vitamix spins a blade at up to 37,000 RPM inside a narrow container. That creates a vortex that pulls food down and pulverizes it. The result is a puree. To get clear juice, you need to separate the liquid from the fiber.

That crucial step — straining — is what makes Vitamix juice different. With a centrifugal or masticating juicer, the machine forces liquid through a screen and ejects the pulp automatically. With a Vitamix, you do that separation by hand after blending.

The biggest difference is fiber. A Vitamix breaks down cell walls so thoroughly that the fiber becomes microscopic. When you strain, some of that fiber passes through anyway. Your juice will be slightly thicker and cloudier than what a Breville Juice Fountain produces. It’s also less shelf-stable — drink it within a few hours or it oxidizes fast.

Yield is another trade-off. You’ll get roughly 60–70% of the liquid you’d get from a dedicated juicer because more water stays trapped in the fiber pulp. That means you need about 20–30% more produce to fill the same glass.

How to Make Juice in a Vitamix (Step by Step)

This method works for most fruits and vegetables. Adjust water amounts for softer or harder produce.

1. Prep your produce. Wash everything. Peel citrus, remove pits from stone fruit, core apples. Chop into 1–2 inch pieces. Hard vegetables like beets and carrots need smaller chunks — think ½ inch.
2. Add liquid. Pour in about ¼ to ½ cup of water, coconut water, or unsweetened almond milk. You need enough liquid to get the vortex going. Without it, the blades cavitate and nothing blends.
3. Add produce to the container. Fill no more than halfway. Overloading strains the motor and leaves chunky bits.
4. Blend on high. Start at Variable Speed 1, ramp to 10, then flip to High. Run for 45 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on the toughness of the ingredients. Carrots and kale need the full 2 minutes; soft fruit finishes in under a minute.
5. Strain through a nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve. Pour the puree into a bag or a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Squeeze or press to extract liquid. Expect to get about 8–12 ounces of juice from a full blender batch (about 4 cups of produce plus water).
6. Use the pulp. Don’t toss it. Mix it into oatmeal, yogurt, or baked goods. It’s packed with fiber.

A few specific numbers: one medium apple yields about 3–4 ounces of juice this way, compared to 5–6 ounces from a masticating juicer. Carrots lose even more — 1 pound of carrots gives 6–8 ounces of Vitamix juice versus 10–12 ounces from a Vitamix cold press juicer (which is a different machine entirely).

Vitamix Juice vs. Dedicated Juicer: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Here’s how the two approaches stack up across the factors that actually matter.

One thing the table doesn’t show: total time. Making juice in a Vitamix takes about 10–15 minutes from prep to clean glass. A dedicated juicer does it in 5–8. It’s not a dealbreaker, but if you’re rushing out the door, the juicer wins.

When the Vitamix Beats a Juicer (And When It Doesn’t)

I reach for the Vitamix over my juicer in three situations.

Green juice with a fiber boost. Blending kale, spinach, celery, and cucumber with a splash of water, then drinking it unstrained (smoothie-style) gives you all the fiber. That slows sugar absorption and keeps you full longer. A juicer would strip that out.

Citrus juice without the cleaning headache. Peeling oranges and blending them with a little water, then straining, is dead simple. The Vitamix handles the membranes better than a cheap citrus juicer, and cleanup is just a rinse.

Small batches. If I want one single glass of juice without dragging out the big juicer, the Vitamix is faster. I blend, strain into a cup, and done.

But there are clear misses. Carrot juice from a Vitamix is disappointing — the liquid is cloudy and the pulp holds so much juice that you’re throwing away good carrot flavor. Wheatgrass is a disaster; the fibrous blades jam the Vitamix and you get a brown, bitter sludge. For those, a best green juice juicer (a masticating model) is miles better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make orange juice in a Vitamix without peeling?

You can, but the result will be bitter. Orange peel contains oils and pith that add a harsh flavor. Peel the oranges first, remove any seeds, then blend with a splash of water. Strain through a sieve to catch the membrane bits. You’ll get a pulpy but delicious juice that tastes more like fresh-squeezed than store-bought.

Do I need to add water to juice in a Vitamix?

Yes. The Vitamix needs liquid to create the vortex that pulls food into the blades. Without at least a few tablespoons of water, the produce just sits on top of the blades and you’ll get a dry, jammed blend. For soft fruits like watermelon, the fruit’s own water content is enough — you don’t need extra. For everything else, start with ¼ cup.

Is juice from a Vitamix as healthy as juice from a juicer?

Healthy is subjective. Vitamix juice (strained) has slightly less sugar concentration because more water stays in the pulp, and it contains more soluble fiber. That’s good for blood sugar control. Juicer juice has higher vitamin concentration per ounce (no fiber to dilute it), but it spikes blood sugar faster. If you’re healthy and active, either works. If you have diabetes or want more satiety, the Vitamix route is better.

How do I strain juice without a nut milk bag?

Fold a clean, thin kitchen towel into a sieve, or use several layers of cheesecloth. A fine-mesh stainless-steel sieve works too, but you’ll need to press the pulp with a spoon to extract the liquid. Avoid paper towels — they disintegrate. A nut milk bag is cheap and reusable, so it’s worth buying one if you plan to do this regularly.

Can I make wheatgrass juice in a Vitamix?

Technically, yes, but you won’t like the result. Wheatgrass blades are long and fibrous. The Vitamix will chop them, but the liquid-to-pulp ratio is awful — you’ll get maybe an ounce of murky juice from a big handful. A masticating juicer with a wheatgrass attachment is the only way to get proper wheatgrass juice.

What You Should Remember

• You can juice in a Vitamix, but you have to strain the puree afterward — it’s not a one-step process.
• Expect 60–70% yield compared to a dedicated juicer. Buy extra produce if you need a full glass.
• The juice will be cloudier and thicker, but it retains more fiber and oxidizes slower.
• Softer fruits (citrus, melon, berries) work great; hard vegetables (carrots, beets) are less efficient.
• A nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve is essential for a clean juice — don’t skip it.
• When you want a quick single serving, the Vitamix is faster than setting up a juicer. For daily large batches, the juicer wins.
• Use the leftover pulp in cooking or baking. It’s free fiber and flavor.