Best Citrus Juicers

Buying guide for best citrus juicers

There's nothing like waking up to a freshly squeezed glass of OJ, but it's less appealing when you're the one who has to do the squeezing. If you have a citrus juicer, however, the hardest part — juice extraction — is done for you by the machine.

It's easy enough to decide to buy a citrus juicer. The challenge lies in finding the ideal model to fit your needs. How do you pick the best citrus juicer out of the hundreds on the market? First, you must decide if you want a manual citrus juicer or an electric one. Then, you must note the quality of the main features offered, including the citrus reamer or juicing cone. Ergonomics plays an important role as well: Is the juicer easy to use? Is it comfortable in the hand, or must you twist your wrist awkwardly to use it?

As you browse the market, you’ll see high-quality juicers from the likes of top makers like KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Breville, and Williams-Sonoma. You’ll find them on store shelves as well as online at convenient retailers like Walmart and Amazon. To make the shopping process fun and easy, it can be helpful to read a buying guide for the best citrus juicers that give you a rundown of the top picks.

Ideally, look for a citrus juicer that has a transparent juice container so you can easily see how full it is.

Why buy a citrus juicer?

First thing's first: Why exactly should you buy a citrus juicer? Here's a handful of reasons to get you started.

• It’s not just an orange juicer. The juicing process allows you to create orange juice, yes, but you can also produce lemon juice, lime juice, and grapefruit juice.
• Citrus juices are good for you. These yummy beverages contain plenty of vitamins and minerals with notably high levels of vitamin C and calcium.
• It’s not just a “gadget” or a fad. A juicer can make it easier to stick to healthy habits by making squeezing fresh citrus less of a chore.
• It’ll save you time. If you already squeeze juices by hand, an automated citrus squeezer will save you lots of time and effort.
• It tastes fantastic. Freshly squeezed citrus juices retain many more nutrients than store-bought versions… and they just taste better, too!

Types of citrus juicers

You'll find two main types of citrus juicers on the market: electric citrus juicers and manual citrus juicers. Each type comes with its own pros and cons.

Electric citrus juicers

Electric citrus juicers have a spinning reamer that quickly extracts liquid from your fruits.

Pros:

• These juicers produce fresh juice quickly and with very little effort.
• Most people find electric juicers easy to use and more convenient than their handheld counterparts.

Cons:

• You sometimes get some bitter peel oil in your juice when you use an electric juicer. As such, the resulting juice may not be as sweet as that made with a manual juicer.
• Some of these juicers can be noisy.

Price: You can find basic electric citrus juicers for as little as $10 to $15. High-end models can cost up to $150. Expect to see even higher price tags on commercial-grade citrus juicers.

While you can find some very inexpensive citrus juicers on the market, they may not be as durable as slightly costlier models. If you'll be using your citrus juicer daily, it's worth spending more to get a model that will last years. Cheap models might save you a few bucks at the outset, but this can be false economy in the long run.

Manual citrus juicers

Manual citrus juicers include basic handheld presses or reamers, as well as commercial-grade manual presses.

Pros:

• You usually get more delicious juice from the best manual juicers, which shouldn't contain any bitter-tasting peel oil.
• Basic manual juicers are very inexpensive.

Cons:

• Using a basic manual juicer is slow and laborious.
• Commercial manual citrus presses are relatively expensive.

Price: Manual citrus juicers cost from around $5 to $10 for basic models and up to $120 to $150 for high-yield citrus presses.

Considerations for selecting a citrus juicer

Size

Take note of the size of any citrus juicer you're considering, and make sure the machine will fit comfortably on your countertop.

We recommend against purchasing a citrus juicer that's too large and cumbersome to use with ease. In most cases, it'll end up relegated to the back of a cupboard.

Drip-stop spout

Once you've finished using your juicer and removed the jug from underneath the pour spout, the last remnants of the juice will slowly drip out, leaving a mess on your countertop. Citrus juicers with a drip-stop spout allow you to seal the hole once you're done juicing so you won't have annoying drips to clean up.

Another consideration is the material with which the spout is made. A spout made of stainless steel suggests a high-quality appliance and one that is less prone to breakdown over time.

Think about the length of the power cord on your chosen citrus juicer. If it's too short, you might have to move it or use an extension cord to reach the nearest outlet.

Ease of cleaning

Citrus juicers can have a lot of parts, most of which will need cleaning after use. To save time and energy, look for a citrus juicer with removable parts that are easy to clean. You should be able to disassemble the juicing parts so you can clean each one individually.

If possible, avoid citrus juicers with obvious nooks and crannies where leftover juice and pulp could get stuck and fester. If you own a dishwasher, you might want to look for a juicer with dishwasher-safe parts to make cleanup less of a hassle.

Strainer

A strainer looks a lot like a kitchen colander, but in a citrus juicer, its primary purpose is seed and pulp control. The mesh surface of the strainer helps separate seeds and pulp from the juice so you get a smoother finished product. Strainers made of stainless steel are less likely to break down over time than those made of plastic.

Pulp regulator

A citrus juicer's pulp regulator dictates the amount of pulp that remains in your glass of juice. Most electric juicers offer low, medium, and high settings. On the low setting, you should get smooth, pulp-free juice. On the high setting, you should be left with a lot of pulp in your juice. And on the medium setting, you'll get something in between the two.

A variable pulp regulator is ideal for families who can't all agree on the amount of pulp that should be in their juice.

Desired amount of juice

What is your desired amount of juice? The capacity of a juice maker may or may not be stated in the product specs. Several cups of juice yield are possible.

In addition to the capacity of the juice reservoir, it’s important to understand the amount of juice you can expect to get from any given piece of fruit. You’ll get the tastiest results (and the highest juice yield) from fresh fruit. For example, two large fresh oranges will produce approximately one measuring cup full of fresh juice.

Some electrically powered citrus juicers have a reverse feature, which helps to extract more juice.

How much does a citrus juicer cost?

Low-end

The most affordable juicers cost between $10 and $15. These tend to be simple citrus squeezers with few bells and whistles. Cleanup may be a bit more involved with cheaper citrus juicers because. As the adage states, you “get what you pay for.”

That said, you can definitely find some high-quality citrus juicers in the low-cost range. Look for products made by Black + Decker and other versatile manufacturers here. At the top of the range, you will find some of the best manual citrus juicers.

Mid-range

Between $15 and $120, you’ll find a multitude of choices, many of which are more versatile than the low-cost options. Electrically operated juicers are common, especially as you move toward the top end of the range.

Many consumers will find their sweet spot somewhere in the mid-range. Manufacturers of all ilks sell products here, from Black + Decker to Breville. Your best bet is to find something of high quality that provides the look, features, and capacity you want for your kitchen.

High-end

A citrus press with a high juice yield may cost between $120 to $150. These expensive juicers come with high-quality components, and some come with extras, such as a versatile measuring cup for convenience or a juicing cone designed to maximize the amount of juice you get from each piece of fruit.

If you want a high-quality citrus juicer with all the bells and whistles — and price is no object — look at the offerings from high-end manufacturers such as Breville and Cuisinart.

Non-slip feet are a valuable feature on a citrus juicer. They prevent your gadget from sliding all over the counter while you use it.

Tips

• Look for an appliance you wouldn’t mind leaving out on the counter. So often, people purchase appliances and don’t end up using them because it’s inconvenient to get them out. If the appliance is always at arm’s length, however, it’s not such a big deal to use it and clean it up afterward.
• Think beyond orange juice. For example, you might try adding a splash of lemon, lime, blood orange, or grapefruit juice to seltzer water. Citrus juice also tastes great in homemade cocktails.
• Use your juicer to boost your health. Citrus foods offer a lot of good health properties. For example, they tend to be high in vitamin C and potassium. With a juicer on hand, it’s easier to incorporate these nutrients into your daily diet.
• Think about whether you plan to juice one type of citrus fruit or multiple types. This will help you know whether you need the option of various attachment sizes for different sizes of fruit (a feature some models have). For example, if you love grapefruit juice, you will need a machine that accommodates larger pieces of fruit in its juicing process.
• Note the noise output of any appliance you're considering. Do you want something quiet? If you’re an early riser who awakens before the rest of the household, maybe you do.
• Use warm fruit. Some people find that the juice flows more quickly when their piece of fruit is room temperature as opposed to chilled. However, other home cooks advocate for freezing the fruit first and then letting it thaw before juicing. This seems a bit complicated, but there is a reason for it. When frozen, the juice inside the fruit expands, breaking down the cellular walls. When warm, the juice releases from the fruit with less hesitation.

Think about both the capacity of the collection jug and the speed at which your chosen citrus juicer can produce juice. If you've got a big family, you'll need a juicer that can produce large quantities of juice quickly as well as a jug large enough to hold it all.

FAQ

Q. Will a citrus juicer save me time?

A. Yes. If you're someone who already juices citrus by hand or often uses lemon juice or lime juice in recipes, a citrus juicer will definitely speed things along in terms of food preparation.

Q. Are citrus juicers dishwasher safe?

A. This depends on the type and model of citrus juicer you choose. A basic manual citrus press or reamer may be completely dishwasher safe, so you can throw the whole thing in and have it clean in no time. Of course, you couldn't put your whole electric model in the dishwasher, but some or all of its removable parts may be dishwasher safe.

Always check the manual before you put any of your juicer's parts in the dishwasher, as they may get damaged if they're not dishwasher safe.

Q. How noisy are citrus juicers?

A. Manual juicers produce so little noise that they may as well be silent, but some electrically powered models are quite noisy. If you want a quiet citrus juicer, check reviews to see if other users think it's quiet, or contact the manufacturer to discover how many decibels it produces.

Q. What’s the difference between a citrus juicer and a blender?

A. You may be wondering why you couldn’t just make your own grapefruit juice (or whatever citrus beverage you love to drink) in a blender. The truth is, you could. But with a blender, there is no option for pulp extraction. All of the pulp from your grapefruit would be right there in the juice, which makes for a heavy slurry rather than that thin and delicious “liquid gold” so many people love.

Q. I’ve heard so much about “cold press” food items. What is a cold press juicer?

A. A cold press juicer is also known as a masticating juicer. To masticate is to chew, so it follows that a cold press juicer squeezes the juice in a “chewing” fashion that is slower and more deliberate than the automated machines on the market.

A hydraulic press is involved in cold press juicing, which takes more time and patience. However, the end result can be even more delicious than what you get from regular juice extraction. As you shop for the best citrus juicer for your needs, take note of which juicers offer “masticating” capabilities.

Q. Can I use a citrus juicer to juice vegetables?

A. No. By its very design, you can only use a citrus juicer to juice citrus fruits. A citrus juicer comes with a reaming cone specifically designed to extract juice while leaving the rind intact.

Citrus juicers differ from regular juicers in a couple of ways, and you should understand the two primary differences before you make your purchase:

• Produce: A regular juicer takes on entire fruits and vegetables. If you’re interested in juicing complex recipes that involve veggies such as celery, carrots, and kale along with citrus items, look at juicers from the likes of Breville, Cuisinart, and Hamilton Beach.
• Price: Regular juicers tend to cost more than citrus juicers. Whereas the cheapest regular juicers tend to cost over $50, the cheapest citrus juicers can cost as little as $15.

Q. Is a citrus juicer a practical purchase?

A. The decision to invest in a citrus juicer is a personal one that depends on your needs as well as your kitchen storage space. If you intend to make larger quantities of orange juice or lemonade, a citrus juicer is a convenient kitchen gadget that can make your life easier. If, on the other hand, you are an occasional chef who needs the juice of a lime or lemon here or there for a recipe, you may not need a machine. Instead, you may wish to invest in a low-cost manual cone juicer that takes up little space and can be tucked away when you don’t need it.