I Put 13 Citrus Juicers to the Test—Our Top Picks Squeezed Out the Competition

Citrus is a staple in many kitchens, balancing savory dishes, lifting cocktails, and lending brightness to baked goods. While you can hand-squeeze enough juice for most recipes, a juicer expedites this task and is less messy.

It’s been a couple of years since we last tested juicers, so we decided to reevaluate our winners to make sure they’re still the best of the best. This time around, I tested 13 citrus juicers, including one of our favorite electric models. After juicing hundreds of lemons and limes, I found top picks that outshone and out-juiced the competition.

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Juicer for Lemons and Limes

Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer

$25 $15 at Amazon $30 $15 at Walmart $20 at Target

Our past and current top pick, this juicer quickly squeezes lemons and limes. Easy on the wrists, it has a dual-gear mechanism for extra leverage and a deep, ridged cup that holds citrus in place. The slotted perforations direct juice downward, too.

Another Great Handheld Citrus Juicer

KitchenAid Citrus Squeezer

$25 $23 at Amazon $15 at Wayfair

This model features an integrated bowl to catch juice and a spout to pour it out. You can place it on a flat surface to ease wrist or hand fatigue.

The Best Manual, Countertop Citrus Juicer

Chef'n Juicester Citrus Juicer

$21 at Amazon $34 at Macy's View on Chefn.com

This countertop juicer is great for all types of citrus, including lemons, limes, and oranges. It has an ample carafe for catching juice, an integrated strainer, and two reamer sizes.

The Best Citrus Reamer

Zak Designs Handheld Citrus Melamine Reamer

$12 at Amazon

Dishwasher-safe and easy to store, this no-frills reamer does the job. If the Zak Designs isn’t available, the HIC Citrus Reamer has sharp ridges and a tip that pierces fruit, though it must be hand-washed.

The Tests

• Control Test: I hand-squeezed 10 lemons, timing how long this took and weighing the juice yield. I repeated this test with 10 limes.
• Lemon Test: With each model, I juiced, strained, and weighed the total amount of juice from 10 lemons. I timed how long it took to juice the lemons and recorded tasting notes, including bitter and floral qualities. 
• Lime Test: I repeated the above lemon test with 10 smooth-skinned limes. 
• Orange Test: I juiced one navel orange, noting how it fit in each model and its juice yield. 
• Ease of Use and Clean-Up Tests: Throughout testing, I evaluated how easy each juicer was to use, whether it effectively directed juice downward (and not at my eyes), and how easy it was to hand-wash. I also ran all of the juicers that were dishwasher-safe through the dishwasher. 

What We Learned

If You Want an Efficient Juicer, Go With a Handheld Model

The handheld juicers I tested were the most efficient and easiest to use. Their hinged design and concave cups provided leverage, effortlessly and quickly extracting juice. My favorite juicer, the Chef’n FreshForce, yielded 277 grams of juice from 10 lemons in just over two minutes. In comparison, my favorite countertop juicer, the Chef’n Juicester, extracted 299 grams (1% more) but took about a minute longer. 

Smart Designs Won’t Have You Crying Over Spilled Juice

Both of my handheld picks, the Chef’n FreshForce and Kitchenaid Citrus Squeezer, had cups with ridged surfaces for keeping citrus in place, which reduced slippage and splashing greatly. The slotted, star-shaped perforations of the Chef’n FreshForce easily directed juice downward into a measuring cup, while the KitchenAid had a solid bowl that caught juice. Models with round holes, like the OXO, caused juice to sputter and burst onto the countertop. 

Squeeze for Floral and Bitter Notes, Twist for Bright, Clean Juice

I tasted the lemon and lime juice immediately after juicing when it was at its freshest (this also gave my palate a break between each batch). Handheld models yielded juice with more floral, bitter notes from the citrus peel. Reamer and countertop models produced clean, tart flavors with little to no floral or bitter notes. While there are various potential reasons for this, one cause could be that handheld models crush more of the citrus peel when juicing.

Types of Citrus Juicers and Their Pros and Cons

Handheld, Hinged Juicers

Pros: These juices are efficient, user-friendly, and easy on the wrists. If you enjoy the floral and bitter notes of citrus zest, this style extracts these. Handheld, hinged juicers come in one piece, making them easy to store and keep track of, and are often dishwasher-safe. 

Cons: Depending on the bowl and hole shape, this citrus juicer can spray out more. Unless you get one for oranges, they’re best for lemons and limes. 

Countertop Juicers

Pros: Countertop models include a carafe or vessel, as well as a built-in strainer for seeds. Our favorite, the Chef’n Juicester, also features a non-skid base for stability as well as two reamer attachments to accommodate a variety of citrus. 

Cons: These are multi-part affairs, which can be annoying for both cleaning and storage. Some models require more hand and wrist effort, and they’re slower than handheld, hinged models. 

Handheld Reamers

Pros: Handheld reamers are simple and effective. Reamers get the job done better than hand-squeezing alone, and their compact size makes them an easy choice for any kitchen. 

Cons: Reamers require the most effort and cause the most mess. If you’re juicing more than a couple of lemons, using a handheld reamer can get tiresome quickly. You might also end up with a good amount of juice on your hands, as well as on the counter. 

Electric Citrus Juicers

Pros: We’ve separately tested these, and they’re efficient for juicing large batches of citrus (like for fresh-squeezed orange juice). The reamer rotates on its own, so all you have to do is hold or put the citrus in place. 

Cons: These are larger, harder to store, and pricier.  

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Citrus Juicer

A good citrus juicer promises to make juicing both efficient and easy. That means it should offer speedy extraction and cause less fatigue than hand-squeezing. It should be easy to use and clean, and it should offer good control so that the juice ends up exactly where you want it. Handheld, hinged juicers with deep cups featuring slit-shaped openings and ridges for holding the fruit in place performed the best. Additional leverage mechanisms (like a dual hinge) make a juicer easier to operate with less force.

Our Favorite Manual Citrus Juicers

The Best Juicer for Lemons and Limes

Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer

$25 $15 at Amazon $30 $15 at Walmart $20 at Target

What we liked: Our previous top pick remains the winner. Its deep, ridged cup holds the fruit in place. Its slotted holes allow the juice to flow downward while keeping seeds contained. And its dual-hinged, leveraged mechanism reduces wrist fatigue. It also comes in additional sizes and colors. The larger model is designed for oranges and is a great choice for large citrus. 

What we didn’t like: This juicer is best for small citrus, like lemons and limes. Oranges weren’t a good fit. The larger version worked well for oranges, as well as lemons and limes. However, its size made it awkward to store. 

Key Specs

• Material: Nylon and stainless steel
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes, top rack
• Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Dimensions: 3.25 x 10.25 x 2.75 inches
• Mechanism: Hinged
  

Another Great Handheld Citrus Juicer

KitchenAid Citrus Squeezer

$25 $23 at Amazon $15 at Wayfair

What we liked: You can use this handheld citrus juicer in the air or place it on the countertop for additional leverage. The interior cup catches juice, then strains the juice when you pour it out. I liked that this prevented any splashing and how clean it made the juicing process, while still being easy on my hands and wrists. 

What we didn’t like: It takes longer and yields less juice than the Chef’n FreshForce. It’s also best suited for lemons or limes. 

Key Specs

• Material: Aluminum and Plastic
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes, top rack
• Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Dimensions: 2.25 x 3.5 x 8.07 inches
• Mechanism: Hinged

The Best Manual, Countertop Citrus Juicer

Chef'n Juicester Citrus Juicer

$21 at Amazon $34 at Macy's View on Chefn.com

What we liked: This juicer has an ample carafe and a built-in strainer. The non-slip base worked well, while the strainer kept seeds and larger pieces of pulp out of the juice. Two interchangeable reamer sizes allow you to juice lemons and limes, as well as oranges and grapefruit. (I tried it with a grapefruit to be sure.) 

What we didn’t like: The Juicester has multiple parts and a large footprint, so you’ll need to stash it in a cabinet or deep drawer. Because of its numerous pieces, it was more finicky to clean. 

Key Specs

• Material: Plastic
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes, top rack
• Weight: 12 ounces
• Dimensions: 5 x 6.75 inches
• Mechanism: Countertop reamer

The Best Citrus Reamer

Zak Designs Handheld Citrus Melamine Reamer

$12 at Amazon

What we liked: This reamer performed similarly to the previous one we tested and recommended from Zak Designs, which is now discontinued. It does its job well, providing a little more ease and efficiency than hand-squeezing. Plus, its compact size and sleek design make it easy to store and clean. Unlike the wooden reamers I tested, it’s dishwasher-safe.

What we didn’t like: This is only just a slight step up from hand-juicing. It helps, but it still requires muscle and makes a mess. 

Key Specs

• Material: Plastic
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes, top rack
• Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Dimensions: 5.5 x 3.5 inches
• Mechanism: Reamer

The Competition

• OXO GoodGrips Citrus Squeezer: The shallow cup and round holes made for messy juicing. 
• Iman USA Lemon Squeezer: The deep bowl was nice, but the citrus slid around due to its smooth interior.
• HIC Kitchen Citrus Juicer Reamer: Its wooden handle was easy to grip, and it pierced the fruit well, but it was hand-wash only. 
• Prepara Juicy Juice Citrus Reamer: While a good idea, the silicone-coated handle picked up dust after washing. 
• Bellemain Citrus Juicer: This took more effort to use than other models. The fruit slid around and juice splashed, too.  
• Dreamfarm Original Lemon Fluicer: This juicer’s fun design caught my eye and seemed promising. But as I used it, the fruit squelched and slipped, and juice sprayed out.
• Etinslant Manual Squeezer: The slipperiness of this model’s stainless-on-stainless steel design required more muscle to use. 
• Black+Decker Electric Citrus Juicer: If you want an electric citrus juicer, this is a good budget option. We also have other top picks that are pricier, but higher-powered. 
• Chef’n Citrus Orange Juicer and Squeezer: This worked well for larger citrus, but its size made it harder to store than its smaller sibling.

FAQs

Which citrus juicers were the easiest to use and why?

Handheld hinged juicers were easy to use while yielding good amounts of juice. Our winner features an extra mechanism on the hinge, providing more leverage and making juicing 10 lemons and 10 limes easy.

What's the best way to clean a juicer?

Warm, soapy water and a light scrub with a sponge will clean most juicers. Many handheld and countertop juicers are dishwasher-safe. 

Is an electric juicer worth it?

Electric juicers are great if you’re making a pitcher of lemonade or margaritas, or you juice batches of citrus regularly. They make very quick work of juicing and require little effort, but are overkill for juicing just a lemon or two. Depending on your cooking needs and available storage space, an electric juicer may be worthwhile. 

Why We're the Experts

• Cindy Rahe is a retired food blogger, baker, recipe developer, writer, and photographer with over a decade of experience. 
• She has written recipes for Betty Crocker and Simply Recipes, as well as CookSmarts. 
• For this review, Cindy tested 13 juicers to determine performance, efficiency, and user-friendliness. She also tasted a lot of citrus juice.