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Early in my cooking career, I made the difficult decision to stop lying to myself and admit that juicing citrus with my hands was not working out. After switching to a simple, ergonomic KitchenAid citrus juicer, I realized just how much juice I’d been leaving on the table by inefficiently (and messily) squeezing lemons, limes, and oranges with brute force. Since that fateful switch, I have tested several types of juice presses over a decade of working in food as a writer and editor.
Whether the model is manual or electric, stand or handheld, the right citrus press maximizes the amount of juice extracted from a fruit with no great cost to your hands. Today, there are citrus juicers for every kind of task, from filling a pitcher with lime juice for margaritas to adding a splash of lemon to salad dressing. I asked citrus-loving chefs and bartenders for the juicers they consistently reach for, and I tested many popular models myself to find the presses that squeeze the most amount of juice with the least amount of effort. All of my picks below are dishwasher safe. If you’re looking for other ways to break down fruit, we also have guides to the best blenders and food processors.
What we’re looking for
Type of press
Whether you go electronic, manual, stand, or squeezer, the type of press dictates how easy it is to store in your kitchen, how much effort is required of you, and the total number of tools you need to complete the task.
Size
Most handheld presses can accommodate only small citrus, like lemons and limes. If you’re interested in juicing larger citrus, however, you should consider other presses, typically electric, that are large enough.
Material
Glass, stainless steel, and plastic are among the more common materials used for citrus presses. In my experience, metal is the most durable and consistently offers a bit more juicing power, glass is prettiest for serving, and plastic tends to be less expensive. Considering preferred material is useful for those reasons, but generally the most important factor in juicing efficacy is design (and electricity), which dictates the physics of how (and how well) a juicer works.
Measurer
Some citrus presses catch juice in a receptacle that doubles as a measuring cup and have measurement marks on the container. This feature is particularly handy if you’re preparing recipes that call for specific amounts of juice, so you don’t have to squeeze over a measuring cup. If you’re just interested in making fresh orange juice for yourself, or eyeballing juice for a marinade, a measuring receptacle is less important.
Best overall
Type: Manual squeezer | Size: Lemons and limes | Material: BPA-free aluminum and nylon | Measurer: None
This trusty, highly durable press has lived rent free in my kitchen cabinet for years. As a home cook without a dishwasher, I need kitchen tools that can do more than one job so I don’t spend hours scrubbing over the sink. The design of this manual KitchenAid citrus press lets it multitask very effectively: It has a built-in strainer to filter out pieces of pulp or seeds, and it has an attractive hopper to collect the juice, so I don’t need to dirty another bowl. Even more ingenious is the hopper’s little spout for easy pouring. Most important, the squeezer is ergonomic and doesn’t require too much grip strength on my part to press out all the juice from a lemon or lime.
Natasha Bermudez, bar director at the Llama Group (Llama Inn and Llama San) in New York, has this one at home and finds it to be perfect for her needs. “It has a great grip and truly juices most of the fruit out,” she says. Its juice collector has a flat bottom, too, so it doesn’t roll around on the counter; it stays put until you’re ready to use the juice.
Best compact manual press
Type: Manual squeezer | Size: Lemons and limes | Material: Polypropylene and stainless steel | Measurer: None
Storability is an underrated quality in kitchen appliances and one that I care about deeply as someone with a typical New York City galley kitchen. Even if your food-prep area is as spacious as a Nancy Meyers kitchen, pretty much nobody has room (or the patience) for unlimited tools and appliances for unlimited tasks. Of course, storability can’t come at the expense of functionality, and this clever, patented fold-flat juicer design both fits easily into my kitchen drawers and offers a lot of leverage, making squeezing feel absolutely effortless. It has a built-in strainer, which also easily funnels the juice into a bowl or glass. This press comes in three sizes: nine inches (just limes), ten inches (lemons and limes), and 11 inches (lemons, limes, and oranges).
Best manual stand press
Type: Manual stand | Size: Lemons, limes, and oranges | Material: Plastic | Measurer: Yes
I love that this juicer comes with two different-size reamers — one for oranges and one for lemons — that you can switch out depending on the fruit you’re pressing. Equally useful is the measuring receptacle that catches the juice, which collects up to a cup and a half of liquid. (I’ve even used it as a stand-alone measuring cup when I can’t find my actual one.) Rebecca Firkser, recipe developer and author of the forthcoming cookbook Galette, loves this OXO model, particularly for this collector. “My favorite part of it is that the cup actually holds a decent amount of juice and measures at the same time, which especially comes in handy when cooking — no need to pour out the juice into another measuring device, as other juicers often require,” she says.
Best electric stand press
Type: Electric stand | Size: All citrus | Materials: Polymer body, stainless-steel filter basket | Measurer: None
I procrastinated assembling this for weeks because that’s how much I dread problem-solving, but I really wish I hadn’t. Not only did it come together in less than a minute (there were toddler-level instructions), but pressing my citrus required virtually zero strength from my end, and the sleek-looking machine squeezed my lemon absolutely dry. When I removed the lemon, it clearly had nothing more to give. As the Breville presses, it does make a low humming sound when in operation, if that bothers you. It’s big enough to accommodate many sizes of citrus, including grapefruit.
Best splurge
Type: Electric stand | Size: All citrus | Material: Stainless steel | Measurer: None
For a juiced-up version of the already fantastic Breville Citrus Press, the Pro model is designed to extract even more juice than the original (though both have the same wattage) and is accordingly more costly. Eric Choi, chef and partner of C As in Charlie in NYC, loves this model because it’s “very efficient, easy to use, and takes minimal effort for great results,” he says. “The machine is faster and quieter than any other juicer I’ve owned. And unlike so many other juicers, it requires very little hand or arm pressure to do the job.”
Best for bartenders
Type: Manual Press | Size: Lemons and limes | Material: Stainless steel | Measurer: None
This was a contender for best overall. Chef’n claims it gets 20 percent more out of a lemon than other presses owing to its “dual-gear mechanism.” While I found this claim nearly impossible to verify, given variations in juice content from fruit to fruit, this press did consistently get at least a tablespoon more out of lemons than other presses I tested, without any extra strength required of me. I actually felt bad for the lemon as I pulled it out from the press; it was absolutely obliterated. This is also one of Strategist contributor and longtime bar director John deBary’s essential tools for stocking a bar cart.
The reason this high-performing press didn’t win best overall is because you have to squeeze it directly over another container, as it doesn’t have a hopper to collect juice (or a spout for controlled pouring) like the KitchenAid does.
Best ergonomic
Type: Manual press | Size: Lemons and limes | Material: Die-cast aluminum | Measurer: None
This simple, sturdy OXO squeezer feels good in the hands and has comfy, nonslip handles designed to absorb pressure. Not only does it do an excellent job squeezing lemons and limes, but it’s quite easy to clean as it has fewer nooks and crevices than other popular models. “It’s a classic must-have in my kitchen,” says chef Bricia Lopez. “It’s also so easy to clean and is dishwasher safe, which is important to me when I’m cooking and spending time with my kids.”
Best glass lemon juicer
Type: Manual stand | Size: Lemons and limes | Material: Glass | Measurer: Yes
With a two-cup capacity and easy-to-read engraved measurements, this glass press is effective, solidly made, and pretty to look at, making it an attractive option for serving citrus at the dinner table. The juicer dome accommodates lemons and limes and has drainage holes that reliably catch pulp and seeds. When you’re not juicing, the reamer easily comes off, leaving behind a durable measuring cup to use for any other cooking task.
Best juicer attachment for stand mixers
Type: Stand-mixer attachment | Size: All citrus | Material: Plastic | Measurer: None
This easy-to-use attachment for the KitchenAid stand mixer comes with two reamers — large and small — so you can juice all types of citrus, from limes to grapefruits. (It also fits most Cuisinart stand mixers.) Orlando Soto, executive pastry chef at Le Bernardin in New York City, loves this attachment because it’s effective, easy to wash, and doesn’t create a lot of clutter. “This useful attachment takes advantage of the speed settings of a stand mixer to tackle different kinds and quantities of citrus easily,” he says.
Our experts
• Natasha Bermudez, bar director at the Llama Group
• Eric Choi, chef and partner of C As in Charlie
• Rebecca Firkser, recipe developer and cookbook author
• Bricia Lopez, cookbook author and chef of James Beard Award–winning restaurant Guelaguetza
• Orlando Soto, executive pastry chef at Le Bernardin
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
