We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. What to Buy Appliances Small Appliances The 7 Best Citrus Juicers of 2024, According to Our Tests Our list includes manual and electric models from Breville, KitchenAid, and Smeg. By Clarissa Buch Zilberman Clarissa Buch Zilberman Clarissa Buch Zilberman is a writer with expertise in barware, kitchen tools, and small appliances. She has contributed 20+ product reviews for Food & Wine, including roundups of the best citrus juicers, cocktail shakers, and cocktail smokers. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 1, 2024 In This Article View All In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews How We Tested Citrus Juicers Factors to Consider FAQ Other Citrus Juicers We Tested Our Expertise Photo: Food and Wine / Amazon Whether you’re looking to add lemon to your favorite salmon recipe or squeeze fresh orange juice for brunch mimosas, there's nothing quite as delicious as juicing citrus from scratch. Preserved, store-bought lemon and lime juice in those little fruit-shaped bottles are fine in a pinch, but they don't measure up to fresh in most recipes. That's not to mention how delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice is compared to the stuff in the carton. Though a cold press juicer works well for every kind of produce, it's more than you need for citrus fruits. Smaller handheld or countertop juicers are perfect for extracting juice with less mess and less fuss. The most important thing is finding the best citrus juicer that fits your goals in the kitchen. Choosing between a manual and electric citrus juicer depends on how often you'll be juicing citrus, how large of a yield you regularly require, and how much available space you have in your kitchen. We tested 16 top-rated manual citrus juicers as well as 11 electric citrus juicers, carefully evaluating factors like overall performance, design, ease of use, cleanup, and versatility. Our top picks make it easy (and fun) to make fresh juice at home whenever you need it. Our Top Picks Best Overall Electric: Breville Citrus Press Pro Juicer at Amazon $230 Jump to Review Best Overall Manual: SALE Chef'n Juicester at Amazon $17 $14 Jump to Review Best Overall Handheld: OXO Good Grips Citrus Squeezer at Amazon $19 Jump to Review Best Overall Electric, Runner-Up: Smeg Citrus Juicer at Amazon $200 Jump to Review Best Splurge Handheld: KitchenAid Citrus Juice Press Squeezer at Amazon $25 Jump to Review Best Two-in-One Handheld: SALE Zulay Kitchen Metal Lemon Lime Squeezer at Amazon $20 $15 Jump to Review Best 2-in-1 Manual: OXO Good Grips 2-in-1 Citrus Juicer at Amazon $17 Jump to Review Best Overall Electric Breville Citrus Press Pro Juicer PHOTO: Amazon $230 at Amazon $230 at Williams Sonoma $150 at Wayfair Pros This juicer is great for large batches and has a near-silent motor. Cons It's big, bulky, heavy, and expensive. From an ounce of lemon juice for your salad vinaigrette to a full pitcher of grapefruit juice, this kitchen tool can handle any juicing project. During our tests, this model earned a perfect score in every category, from performance and design to ease of use and versatility. The acid-resistant cone extracts the most juice possible; it gave the single highest yield with limes and oranges of all the electric machines. We also liked its intuitive design, particularly the eject button for easy removal of the magnetic cup and adjustable spout; we could easily control the juice flow, even when using large grapefruits. Equipped with a safety switch, the cone won't spin until both arms are lowered and sufficient pressure is applied, which we noted makes this a family-friendly appliance. Once you're finished, the Breville includes a convenient drip-stop system, which holds juice back to avoid a countertop spill. Plus, all the parts come apart for easy cleanup in the dishwasher. The only issue is that all these extra features make the Breville pretty expensive, as well as large and heavy. It takes up a good bit of counter space and could be tough to store away in a cabinet. Dimensions: 10.3 x 14. x 7.6 inches | Weight: 11 pounds | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes Best Overall Manual Chef'n Juicester PHOTO: Amazon $17 $14 at Amazon $29 $14 at Macy's View on Chefn.com Pros This juicer is efficient and conveniently provides high-quality juice. Cons It takes a lot of effort to get juice out of small fruits. With an innovative design and practical features, the Chef'n Juicester Citrus Juicer simplifies the process of extracting juice. It has an interchangeable large and small reamer head that sit atop a 12-ounce reservoir with handy measurement markings and a convenient pour spout that uses the juicer itself to hold back solids. Our test juices were flavorful — and not bitter, thanks to the rounded edges of the reamers not scraping the citrus pith as much. The Juicester also did the best job of capturing pulp and seeds. Its compact size and sleek design make it a space-saving addition to any kitchen countertop or bar cart, and it's even dishwasher-safe. Our only complaint is that it took a lot of pressure to juice small lemons and limes. We had to put some real weight on the fruits, whose size and slick peels make them tough to grip. Materials: Glass, plastic | Dimensions: 5.31 x 7.09 x 5.12 inches | Weight: 13.1 ounces | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes PHOTO: Food & Wine / Ashley Craiger PHOTO: Food & Wine / Ashley Craiger PHOTO: Food & Wine / Ashley Craiger Best Overall Handheld OXO Good Grips Citrus Squeezer PHOTO: Amazon $19 at Amazon $19 at Target $16 at Wayfair Pros This traditional hinged juicer helps you squeeze out every last drop of juice with its comfortable handles. Cons You can’t easily use it with oranges or grapefruits. Crafted with a soft, non-slip handle that provides an ergonomic and secure grip, the OXO Good Grips Citrus Squeezer makes it easy to exert pressure and extract lots of juice without straining your hands. The handles are also longer than most competitors, allowing for additional leverage without additional work. During our tests, this juicer maximized the amount of juice extracted while straining seeds and pulp along the way, ensuring that every last drop of juice was squeezed out. We were impressed with how efficiently this juicer performed, and that it's completely dishwasher-safe. However, its small cup is suited to lemons and limes only; you're better off with a reamer-style juicer for glasses of fresh orange or grapefruit juice. Material: Aluminum | Dimensions: 10.5 x 4.24 x 1.5 inches | Weight: 10.7 ounces | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes PHOTO: Food & Wine / Elena Garcia PHOTO: Food & Wine / Elena Garcia PHOTO: Food & Wine / Elena Garcia Best Overall Electric, Runner-Up Smeg Citrus Juicer PHOTO: Crate and Barrel $200 at Amazon $200 at Williams Sonoma $200 at Neiman Marcus Pros This machine yielded among the most juice for all the fruits we tested, and it looks great, too. Cons The reamer tends to collect quite a bit of pulp and needs hand-washing after every use. Smeg's retro-styled appliances — including a toaster, personal blender, and espresso machine — have finished near the top in many of our tests. They combine distinctive looks with high-end components for gadgets that are pricy but often worth it. Smeg's citrus juicer is no exception: It gets the job done and looks gorgeous at the same time, with six available colors. (It's also a little cheaper than the Breville above, albeit not by much.) Made from stainless steel and anti-corrosive components, the Smeg juicer's reamer and strainer help get every last drop out of your fruit. It's pressure-activated, spinning only when you press down on the fruit, and its BPA-free dome-shaped lid doubles as a juice receptacle, fruit bowl, or peel disposal. In testing, its yields were among the highest with all three fruits, and it did far and away the best job with limes. We did, however, notice a significant amount of flesh and pulp along the edges of the reamer after juicing each fruit, so you'll need to clean all the hand-wash-only parts thoroughly after each use. Material: 6.54 x 6.54 x 11.06 inches | Weight: 5.5 pounds | Dishwasher-Safe: No Best Splurge Handheld KitchenAid Citrus Juice Press Squeezer PHOTO: Amazon $25 $22 at Amazon $22 at Walmart Pros This compact juicer is quick, efficient, and durable, making it ideal for cooks and bartenders. Cons It can't handle fruits larger than lemons. If you’re looking for a citrus juicer specifically for lemons and limes, the KitchenAid Citrus Squeezer is a standout, thanks to its compact design. During testing, the filter ensured no seeds or unwanted pulp made their way into our freshly squeezed juice, keeping liquids clean and smooth. The integrated pour spout made it easy to transfer the extracted juice directly into another container without any spills or mess. We loved the ergonomic handle, which has a comfortable grip and minimized strain on our hands. Made from durable aluminum and nylon, this hand juicer is ideal for anyone who likes to cook, bake, or make cocktails. The KitchenAid was very effective at juicing small- to medium-sized citrus fruits — we extracted all the juice in just about 30 seconds with zero mess. It's dishwasher-safe and small enough to fit in a kitchen drawer easily. But its bowl can't fit halved oranges or grapefruits, which you'd have to cut into lots of pieces. Materials: Aluminum, nylon | Dimensions: 1.25 x 8.13 x 2 inches | Weight: 1 pound | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes PHOTO: Food & Wine / Julia Warren PHOTO: Food & Wine / Julia Warren PHOTO: Food & Wine / Julia Warren Best Two-in-One Handheld Zulay Kitchen Metal Lemon Lime Squeezer PHOTO: Amazon $20 $15 at Amazon $19 at Walmart $21 at Macy's Pros This is a reasonably priced option for anyone who wants to juice lemons and limes in volume. Cons It takes a considerable amount of pressure to throughly juice some fruit. Looking for a pro-level tool without the hefty price tag? The Zulay Premium Quality 2-in-1 Hand Juicer is the kind of thing a bartender might use to put out margarita after margarita every night. This high-performance citrus press has a green cup for limes that folds up to squeeze lemons from the other side in a larger cup. It's a small but useful feature designed to extract every last drop of juice from various fruits while eliminating pesky seeds. The Zulay is constructed from lightweight yet durable coated aluminum, and it's dishwasher-safe for speedy cleanup, too. In testing, we easily squeezed limes with just one hand, but larger lemons required two hands and a lot of effort. After a few squeezes, our hands felt tired and strained. Material: Aluminum | Dimensions: 2.9 x 8.7 x 2.1 inches | Weight: 8.1 ounces | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes PHOTO: Food & Wine / Elizabeth Theriot PHOTO: Food & Wine / Elizabeth Theriot Best 2-in-1 Manual OXO Good Grips 2-in-1 Citrus Juicer PHOTO: Amazon $17 at Amazon $16 at Wayfair View on Webstaurantstore.com Pros This durable manual citrus juicer is small enough to take on the go and easy enough to use daily. Cons The included measuring cup isn't big enough to handle large-batch juicing. The OXO Good Grips Citrus Squeezer is simple, but it does the trick — especially if you're on the hunt for a citrus juicer to pack in your bag for an extended trip. It's small enough to go pretty much anywhere and takes up about as much space as a measuring cup. During testing, we found this juicer to be easy to clean, and we liked the ergonomic design that makes juicing a relatively comfortable and quick process with no mess. You can use the large reamer for oranges or grapefruit, or snap on the smaller one for lemons and limes. The juice drains into the attached measuring cup, the pour spout is drip-free, and the reamers are removable for easy cleaning in the dishwasher. The cup holds about 12 ounces, equivalent to roughly six limes, four lemons, or three oranges. If you need large quantities of juice frequently, a larger option could be better. Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 5.2 x 5.7 x 8.5 inches |Weight: 6.5 ounces | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes PHOTO: Food & Wine / Kathryn Standing PHOTO: Food & Wine / Kathryn Standing PHOTO: Food & Wine / Kathryn Standing How We Tested Citrus Juicers We tested a total of 27 juicers for this story, including electric, countertop manual, and handheld manual models. We collected general insights on usability, ease of cleanup, and design before putting them through their paces. Electric Juicer Tests: Before testing electric juicers, we established a baseline by weighing lemons and limes before juicing them manually and weighing the amount of juice extracted. We then juiced five lemons and five limes in each electric machine, measuring the amount of time needed and the weight of strained juice produced. We compared the juice yield to our manual control, and also tasted the juices for flavor and texture. Next, we performed the same procedure using two navel oranges and two grapefruits — leaving out the baseline part, as these fruits are generally too large for handheld juicers. We paid particular attention to how the electric juicers accommodated the size and extra pulp of oranges and grapefruits. After our tests, we cleaned the juicers following the user manual, taking note of any factors that made this easier or harder.Manual Juicer Tests: To assess manual juicers, we juiced at least lemons, limes, and oranges, at least three times. (We also tested grapefruits with countertop manual juicers large enough to handle them.) We recorded notes on overall performance and assessed the extracted juice's quality, color, and flavor, texture, and volume. We evaluated the juicers' effectiveness and efficiency, noting how much effort was required to juice various types of citrus and how easy to clean each juicer was after use. With countertop models that include their own container, we juiced multiple fruits in a row to evaluate the capacity of the container and how much pulp got stuck in the juicer. We looked at retail prices only after completing our tests in order to consider overall value. At the time of testing, the manual juicers ranged from $6 to $70 with an average of $23, and the electric models went from $20 to $230, with an average of $86. Factors to Consider Size and Capacity The size of juicer you need depends on what you plan to use it for. Handheld juicers are inexpensive and compact but often too small to handle oranges or grapefruits. Countertop manual juicers can deal with a wider range of fruit, more efficiently, but they require a lot of manual effort and often come attached to a cup with a fairly small capacity. An electric juicer automates the process and makes a lot of juice very quickly, but it's typically a lot more expensive than a manual. If you're looking to make the occasional cocktail and lemon vinaigrette, a handheld will do the trick. But if you expect to pour multiple tall glasses of juice every morning at breakfast, you might be a good candidate for a large, automatic option. Manual Versus Electric The choice between a manual or electric citrus juicer pretty much comes down to speed and volume. Electric and manual juicers work mostly the same way, but higher-priced electric juicers work faster and don't get tired. If you're squeezing dozens of oranges manually for pitchers of mimosas at brunch, your hands and arms will get fatigued. Manual juicers are generally less expensive, but they also have a small advantage in flavor: Hand-juicing is less likely to damage the pith and extract bitter flavors. Cleaning The first rule for cleaning your citrus juicer is to follow the directions, especially with an electric model. These often have some parts you can remove for washing and others that can't be submerged or run under water. Dish soap and a sponge are usually enough to clean pulp out of juicers, especially if you're washing after each use —which you absolutely should! If you do wind up with dried-on bits, a soak in baking soda and water can be a big help. One huge tip we have for making juice cleanup easier to is use your juicer inside a clean, empty sink. You'll be surprised how far spatters can fly, and this keeps everything contained, and your countertops (and cabinet doors, and drawer handles) from getting sticky. Frequently Asked Questions Should you peel citrus fruit before juicing? We say no. Juicing with the peel on allows the oils from the zest to add depth to the juice, and we find it reduces bitterness from the pitch. Most juicers are designed to accommodate the peel, and we did all of our testing with peels on. Save yourself the mess and don't bother peeling. Can cold-press juicers juice citrus? Yes, absolutely. A cold press juicer, also known as a masticating juicer, can accommodate citrus just as easily as apples, berries, greens, and basically any kind of produce. But these juicers are expensive and complicated to set up, far more than you need to squeeze a single lime for a daiquiri. If you have one of these machines, you should probably still have a small handheld citrus juicer on hand for quick jobs. What kind of juicer is best for citrus? Citrus juicers come in various styles, including manual handheld juicers and electric models, offering versatility and convenience for citrus juicing needs. Specifically designed for extracting juice from citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes, citrus juicers are highly efficient and provide optimal results.They usually feature a reamer or cone-shaped attachment that rotates and presses the fruit against it to extract the juice while keeping the bitter oils from the peel out. This type of juicer ensures maximum juice extraction, minimal pulp, and less effort. How do you clean a citrus juicer? Cleaning a citrus juicer is a straightforward process. First, unplug it if it's electric. Then, disassemble the juicer by removing any detachable parts, such as the cone, strainer, and pulp collector. Some parts might be dishwasher-safe, so check your juicer’s instructions. Otherwise, rinse them under warm water to remove any remaining juice or pulp. If needed, use a soft brush or sponge to scrub away any stubborn residue. Even though many citrus fruits are very sour, they still contain sugar, so make sure to rinse away any juice residue or you'll have a sticky juicer the next time you go to use it. Other Citrus Juicers We Tested Strong Contenders Breville Citrus Press Motorized Juicer ($150 at Amazon) This juicer was effective, yielding a high amount of juice, but we didn't love that it doesn't come with a juice catch, and it took a bit longer to complete juicing than other models we tested. Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer ($23 at Amazon) This is a quick and effective handheld manual juicer, though it's not large enough to accommodate oranges or grapefruits, and the handle length makes it unwieldy and difficult to store. ARK Reamer Lemon Squeezer ($10 at Amazon) We thought this manual reamer was easy to use, and we loved the measurement marks on the juice catch, but it just didn't perform as efficiently as other similar juicers. Zulay Kitchen Cast-Iron Orange Juice Squeezer ($70 at Amazon) This juicer performed great, but we felt it might not be worth the amount of space it takes up and the high price tag for a manual model. Mueller Citrus Juicer ($11 at Amazon) We were happy with the amount and quality of juice this juicer gave us, but it required a little more strength to juice larger fruits, and the plastic felt flimsy enough that we worried about breaking it. Zulay Premium Quality Metal Lemon Squeezer ($10 at Amazon) This juicer is a great low-cost option, but its juice was a bit murky and didn't taste as good as other juicers. Imusa Lemon Squeezer ($6 at Amazon) This juicer was comfortable to use and produced great-tasting juice, but it required a lot of force to squeeze lemons and limes, so we couldn't recommend it for most users. What Didn't Make the List Some citrus juicers disappointed us in testing for various reasons. A few models had limited use and were unable to juice a variety of differently-sized citrus fruits. Others filtered juices poorly, leaving behind pulp, seeds, or other hard-to-clean bits. Still, some were bulky, cumbersome, and loud. Finally, we felt some had undeservedly high prices based on their overall performance. Our Expertise Clarissa Buch Zilberman is a writer and editor based in Miami. Specializing in lifestyle, business, and travel, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Realtor.com, Travel + Leisure, and Bon Appétit, among other print and digital titles. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit