A citrus squeezer is an ideal gadget for any home. It can provide fresh juice with no added sugars or sweeteners, artificial colors or flavors; more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes than store-bought juice, there’s nothing like a tall glass of fresh-squeezed juice.
Not to mention you save money not having to get juice at the supermarket or at a juice bar.
There are several different types of citrus squeezers to choose from, read on to learn more about this handy tool and choose the one that best fits your needs.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall:
Zulay Citrus Set – Manual Citrus Press and Orange Squeezer
Budget-Safe:
Zulay 2-In-1 Hand-Operated Lemon/Lime Squeezer
The Pro’s Choice:
Breville Citrus Press Pro Electric Juicer
Best Overall
Zulay Professional
Easy to use, easy to clean, and with eight colors to choose from, the Zulay Professional Citrus Juicer has it all.
This citrus squeezer can be used for everything from limes to oranges to even larger fruits like pomegranates.
The juice is squeezed right into a glass, so you can mix up your morning OJ by adding other types of citrus fruits, for an extra burst of vitamin C and sunshine to start your day.
It doesn’t get much easier than cutting your fruit in half, placing it in the press, and pulling down the handle. You’ll get every drop of juice and the seeds and pulp will be caught in the bowl.
Clean-up is just as easy. The Zulay has notches that help with ease in taking it apart to clean by hand or put in the dishwasher.
The heavy base helps keep this squeezer stable, while the rubber feet keep it in place while you use it.
Several reviewers mentioned loose screws, but a quick tighten with an Allen wrench took care of that.
The Zulay Citrus Squeezer is made of heavy-duty cast iron and weighs about 14 pounds. No worries, though, it comes in eight colors, so you’re sure to find one that you can just leave out on your counter.
Pros
- Can handle larger fruit
- Lifetime guarantee
- Dishwasher safe
- Variety of colors
- No electricity is needed
Cons
- 4.5″ clearance below the juicer
- Screws may loosen
- Heavy
Best Budget-Friendly
Zulay 2 in 1
The Zulay 2-in-1 citrus squeezer is a classic handheld squeezer, with a twist. It has two different-sized cones built into one squeezer so you can squeeze limes, lemons, and even small oranges with the same tool.
This sturdy aluminum squeezer is lightweight and stores away easily. It’s also easy to clean, just rinse it off or put it in the dishwasher.
With the Zulay citrus squeezer, you can squeeze the juice right over your food or glass. The catch bowl at the bottom has small holes that ensure you don’t get seeds with your juice.
When using this squeezer, keep in mind that juice does tend to come out the top and sides. If you’re not squeezing directly over food, but measuring your juice for a recipe, it might be best to use a larger glass and then pour it into your smaller measuring cup.
As with the Zulay Commercial, this squeezer gives you several colors to choose from.
Pros
- Portable
- Easy to Use
- Dishwasher Safe
- Variety of colors
Cons
- Plastic can chip
- Juice can splash out
The Pro’s Choice
Breville Citrus Pro
If you’re looking for a citrus squeezer that can power through bushels of fruit in no time, then the Breville Citrus Pro is the squeezer for you
This electric squeezer is easy to use and easy to clean. Like other citrus squeezers, simply cut your fruit in half and place it on the cone. The difference with the Breville is that the motorized cone does all the work for you. All you have to do is press down on the lever to get it started.
The Breville is another citrus squeezer that can handle everything from a lime to a grapefruit so you don’t have to just stick with one citrus fruit in your morning juice. And, it juices right into your glass. Again, it doesn’t get much easier.
The biggest complaint about the Breville is with the handle fully extended it’s about 18″ tall. You’ll need to keep this in mind when using this squeezer and storing it away. Even if you don’t have that much space in a cabinet, this stainless steel appliance will look great sitting on your counter or kitchen island.
Pros
- Electric
- Easy to Use
- Easy to clean
- Dishwasher Safe
Cons
- 18″ tall with the handle fully extended
- The handle doesn’t lock for storage
- Cost
Genting Manual
If you’re having a dinner party and serving seafood, tea, or anything that needs just a spritz of citrus, add the Genting citrus squeezer to each place setting.
This unique bird-shaped citrus squeezer is made of stainless steel and will be the talk of your dinner table. All your guests need to do is add a wedge of citrus and push down on the tail to release fresh-squeezed juice.
This squeezer is not recommended for the dishwasher but is easy enough to clean with a quick rinse. It’s also small enough to store away in a drawer or drop in your bag or picnic basket.
Pros
- Unique
- Dispense a small amount of juice
- Easy to use
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Just for wedges
- Not dishwasher safe
KitchenAid Citrus Juice Press Squeezer
If you love the ease and portability of a handheld citrus squeezer, but don’t have the hand strength to squeeze the handles together, reach for the KitchenAid.
Unlike the Zulay 2-in-1, the KitchenAid squeezes your juice into a catch bowl that you then empty into your glass or over your food. This means you can place it on the countertop to use as extra leverage when squeezing the handles together.
This citrus squeezer has a built-in hopper to catch seeds and keep them out of your recipes. The hopper makes it a little bulkier to store away than other handheld squeezers, but the convenience is worth it.
Reviewers did say that the stainless steel can discolor over time, but this doesn’t affect the squeezer or the taste of your citrus.
Pros
- Catch cup means less mess
- Easy to use
- Easy to store
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- Stainless steel can discolor over time
- Only comes in green or yellow
Auam Stainless Steel
The Auam Stainless Steel citrus squeezer has a nice large hopper so you can juice multiple fruits at once for a mixed citrus drink.
Simply cut your fruit into small segments and place them all in the hopper simultaneously. Then squeeze the handle and pour your mixed drink into a glass.
This squeezer is stainless steel so you don’t have to worry about a chemical reaction like the aluminum tools.
Like the Kitchen Aid, the fruit sits down in a hopper, which means you can use the countertop to help press the lever if you need extra leverage.
As a bonus, this citrus squeezer comes with filter bags to be used if you want to add other fruit with small seeds, like strawberries or raspberries, to your morning glass of juice.
Pros
- Large hopper to hold more fruit
- Stainless Steel won’t react to citric acid
- Dishwasher safe
- Comes with filter bags
Cons
- Larger than other handheld squeezers
- Fruit needs to be quartered
Health Benefits
Freshly squeezed fruit juice is better than processed pre-packaged, just add water juice at your local grocery for many reasons.
Fresh juice has more soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps support good digestive health. It’s also been shown to help lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels.
Along with fiber, freshly squeezed juice is packed with vitamins and minerals, and there are no preservatives.
Did you know dehydration is a common cause of hospital admissions? Fresh juice contains plenty of water to help you stay hydrated and avoid the symptoms of dehydration like headache, fatigue, and dizziness.
To get an extra boost of vitamin C while you hydrate, simply squeeze half a lemon into your glass of water.
For Best Results
You’ve decided which citrus squeezer works best for you, now to get the most juice out of your fruit.
For the freshest juice, start with the freshest fruit. Make sure your fruit is bright, not blemished, and smells citrusy. You’ll also want to choose fruit that isn’t too hard but isn’t mushy either. It should give just a bit when you gently squeeze it.
Warming your citrus for 20-30 seconds in the microwave will help soften the fruit and the juice will flow easier. You can also roll your fruit on the counter for a few seconds to help break down the cell walls.
Next, cut your fruit in half for use in most of the citrus squeezers, or in segments for use in the Genting and Auam squeezers.
Finally, place your fruit in the squeezer, squeeze the handle, and enjoy!
How to Use Fresh Juice
With all of these squeezers, you can juice your fruit right into a glass and enjoy freshly squeezed fruit any time of the day for a quick pick-me-up that’s better for you than coffee. A study by Reading University even showed that orange juice “can do more to boost alertness, concentration, and reaction times” than your usual cup of coffee.
Kick up your plain old glass of water a notch by squeezing a little fresh citrus into your glass and help make those 8 glasses a day more enjoyable.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over your seafood to help counter the salty taste and brighten the flavor.
If your recipe calls for lemon or lime juice, next time reach for your citrus squeezer instead of that bottle in the fridge for a fresher taste.
Ever heard of ceviche? It’s a way of cooking fish by marinating it in fresh lemon or lime juice. Here’s a classic ceviche recipe to try.
Preserving Juice
Now that you’ve used your citrus squeezer to juice everything you can find, how do you preserve the juice? Citrus juice will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Got a great deal on a basket of citrus at your local grocery store or farmer’s market? Citrus juice also freezes well.
A simple way to freeze your juice is to put it in an ice cube tray. Once the juice is frozen into cubes, simply place them in a container and they’ll keep well in your freezer for 12-16 months. Each cube equals about 2 tablespoons, so you’ll have easy measurements for your recipes.
More Than Just Citrus
Even though these are all called citrus squeezers, you can use them to juice more than just limes, lemons, oranges, and grapefruits. In fact, most fruits and vegetables can be juiced. You’ll want to avoid things like bananas, avocadoes, and mangoes. They don’t have enough juice to squeeze.
Easy Peasy
As you can see, there are a lot of options to choose from for something as seemingly simple as a citrus squeezer. Once you use this handy tool, you’ll wonder why you didn’t pick one up sooner.
Whether you want to squeeze one orange for a quick glass of juice on your way out the door, an entire box to freeze for later use, or you want each of your guests to be able to control how much lemon they add to their fish tacos, a citrus squeezer makes it easy peasy lemon squeezy. We had to use it somewhere!
To learn more about citrus fruits including how to grow your own trees, how to select the best fruits, and recipes to try, check out our Orange Page and our lemon page.
Shopping for your orchard can get overwhelming, fast. So if you’re looking for advice on tools and supplies, then you’re in the right place!
- About the Author
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Melissa Goins is a wife, mom, grandma to three beautiful grandbabies, and a writer for Minneopa Orchards. She is a lifelong resident of Indiana and currently resides on a 15-acre homestead with her family where she enjoys gardening, canning, and running a produce stand that is known for its many varieties of tomatoes.
Growing up, her parents always had a large garden and Saturdays during the summer were spent preserving the harvest. Now, four generations work in the garden and preserve the harvest together.
Melissa loves trying new methods of growing and preservation, and varieties of fruits and vegetables in the garden — which is why she loves writing for Minneopa Orchards. From growing Cherokee Purple tomatoes to the best way to preserve carrots, there’s so much to learn, enjoy, and share while getting dirt under your fingernails.