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When your bare hands no longer cut it, the best lemon squeezers will easily and quickly get more juice out of your lemons. In choosing the right lemon squeezer for your kitchen, think about how often you need to use one and whether you want to be able to use the juicer for a variety of citrus beyond lemons.
Manual lemon squeezers come in a few styles, including a hand-held design, a tabletop design with a lever used to push down on a press, and a reamer. Though it's the most budget-friendly and compact option, a reamer doesn't strain pulp or seeds. Electric squeezers tend to work faster with the power of a motor, requiring less squeezing effort on your part. While they are more expensive, they may be a worthy investment if you regularly go through a lot of citrus.
The different materials used for the squeezers should also be considered. Wood, stainless steel, and nylon are common materials used for lemon squeezers, and while they're all sturdy, each comes with unique advantages and disadvantages. While offering a tactile experience, some wood options will need to be hand-washed, like the OXO wooden reamer below. Stainless steel models generally are dishwasher-safe and will keep the taste and flavor of the fruit entirely unchanged, but also with cost a premium. And nylon, while strong and dishwasher-safe, isn't the most eco-friendly option.
With these factors in mind, it's time to find the best lemon squeezer for you. Each one of the options below is highly rated on Amazon and will definitely get you more juice than squeezing by hand alone.
1The Overall Best: A Hand-Held Squeezer That Foodies Love
Backed by more than 1,600 Amazon reviews, and loved by Serious Eats and Bon Appetit, this is the best manual lemon squeezer for anyone who loves to cook. Unlike other hand-held lemon squeezers that look similar, the dual-gear mechanism of this Chef'n squeezer increases the pressing power while reducing hand fatigue, and its efficient slat-like drainage holes help extract up to 20% more juice. America's Test Kitchen found that it could even handle bigger lemons and medium-sized oranges, and noted that it "extracted far and away the most juice of any model in the lineup" of its test. Made of nylon and stainless steel, it stands up to daily use and is dishwasher-safe.
Fans say: “...Because we enhance so many of our meals with lemon or lime juice we wanted to buy a hand held citrus juicer that could withstand daily use. The first one we bought broke after two weeks. We did some research and ordered the Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer; two years later we are still happily squeezing all the lemons and limes we get our hands on!”
2The Best Electric Citrus Juicer
For lots of fresh-squeezed lemon juice—or really, any citrus juice—on the regular, you may want to invest in the Breville 800CPXL Die-Cast Citrus Press. To use, simply press down with an ergonomically designed, soft-grip arm, and the motorized press juices the fruit while straining pulp and seeds. It's America’s Test Kitchen’s favorite electric juicer for its quietly powerful, mess-free juice extraction. The highly rated juicer comes with a one-year warranty and dishwasher-safe parts.
Fans say: “The machine gets EVERY drop of juice out of the citrus almost effortlessly. I was sold after using it one time. For decades, I had electric juicers that felt like you were doing a workout at the gym when juicing. This juicer is so easy to use. The Breville does not spill juice or splatter, and the juicing area stays clean. I am so glad I bought this juicer. It is pricey, but what a huge step up in quality!”
3The Best Manual Press For All Citrus
If you have an appetite for all citrus, from small limes and lemons to heftier grapefruits, set aside the counter space for the best manual juicer for any citrus fruit. With this attractive model from Zulay Kitchen, simply place a halved citrus in the 5-inch diameter, stainless steel cup, and pull on the ergonomic lever to press the fruit and extract juice (without seeds). One happy reviewer wrote that they can “juice about a gallon in 10 minutes.” The cast iron juicer comes with rubber feet and dishwasher-safe parts for steady and convenient citrus squeezing, plus a lifetime warranty and satisfaction guarantee.
Fans say: “I love this Zulay juice press! I use it daily for all citrus, even larger grapefruit, and it works fast...Highly recommend this juicer. Super easy to clean also! Great value.”
4The Best on a Budget: A Wooden Lemon Squeezer With More Than 1,700 Reviews
With a pointed tip and sharp edges, this highly-rated OXO wooden reamer is pushed into cut fruit to extract juice. It's made of solid beechwood, so it won't react with acidic fruits, and though it's durable, beechwood must be washed by hand. The simple, compact design of the reamer does not strain seeds and pulp from juice, which is more likely to run down your hands than with a handheld squeezer. But at $5, it’s a great choice for someone who only occasionally needs to squeeze lemons or other citrus. And it works with any size citrus, according to Bon Appetit food director Carla Lalli Music, who loves this squeezer for its portability, efficiency, and ease of use.
Fans say: “I love this little juicer. Before I got this I would hand squeeze the juice from lemons and limes when needed in a recipe. I always felt guilty throwing away the lemon or lime knowing there was still a bit of juice left. However, with this wooden reamer you get every last drop of juice. This is a handy little item at a great price.”
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