Best Lemon and Lime Squeezers

What makes the juice worth the squeeze? Some gadgets are easier (and less messy) than others.

Some may argue that citrus squeezers fall under the category of kitchen gadgets that aren't an absolute essential. But it's difficult to deny that once you own one, it's hard to go back to life without it.

Lemon and lime squeezers are great for when you want to drizzle a salad with a touch of citrus and extract fresh juice for a cocktail or marinade. They can act as a buffer for seeds and sometimes even pulp. Find yourself a versatile enough model and you can use it for lemons, limes, oranges, and almost any other palm-sized citrus that floats your way.

To weed out the good from the bad, I set out to evaluate a series of popular models ranging in size, type, and price. So if you have yet to invest in a citrus squeezer—or simply find yourself unhappy with the one you own—consider yourself covered.

How you plan to use your citrus squeezer should inform the type you buy. There are many options out there, each slightly different from the next. And quite frankly, if you’re not planning on pumping out pounds of fresh juice every day, you don't need a heavy-duty version or one that takes up a generous chunk of counter space. The next best thing is a manual citrus squeezer; they’re not quite as efficient as an electric one though they’re better than using your hands.

It's also worth noting that consistency isn't a given when squeezing citrus. The ripeness of the fruit, its shape, size, and whether it was refrigerated can have an impact on the amount of juice it produces.

The biggest takeaway? If you’re looking to maximize the amount of juice squeezed from a lemon, a reamer will be your best bet. A handheld version, like the wooden one I evaluated (more on that below) is a solid option, but a tabletop reamer with a built-in cup is a less messy alternative.

The material makeup of a citrus squeezer is another factor to bear in mind because some will require handwashing while others are dishwasher-safe. Of the models I evaluated, a majority were made of stainless steel, composite plastic, or coated aluminum.

"Citrus juices are mildly acidic but will have little or no effect on stainless steel or coated aluminum," says Bernie Deitrick, CR's senior test program leader. Coated aluminum is also popular because it can be cleaned in the dishwasher, while bare aluminum is badly affected by dishwasher detergent, he adds.

For more on our criteria, see how I evaluated citrus squeezers below.

Price paid: $21 Where to buy: Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Chef’n, WalmartMaterial & Care: Nylon and stainless steel. Hand-wash recommended.

This Chef’n squeezer intrigued me from the start. Its unique design is based on what the brand refers to as a "dual-gear mechanism." Essentially, it relies on a gear wheel and a pair of hinges to function.

Ease of use: This device required some effort to use during my initial try, although when I repeated the evaluation with a lemon that was slightly riper, it led to a significantly smoother squeeze experience. Beyond that, very little juice spurted from the sides, and a limited amount of pulp made it into my glass, which I found to be surprising since the holes at the bottom of the device were larger than that of the other squeezers I evaluated.

What I like about it: The Chef’n juicer is easy to grip thanks to the nylon handles, and it's especially convenient when juicing multiple lemons in one sitting. The well where the fruit sits is deep enough to hold the fruit's juices when squeezing, which means that it reduces the amount of juice that might spritz out from the sides.

It's also worth noting that the well is detailed with ridges, which makes it easier to remove the lemon half after a squeeze. Most other models feature a smooth metal finish that either suctions the citrus or causes it to slip and shoot out. There are also two small legs at the base of the juicer, which allow it to rest on the counter without tipping over when not in use. It's all about the details.

What I don't like about it: I found that the pros greatly outweigh the cons. When working with an unripe lemon, this juicer required a little more effort to use than some of the others I liked, and it got a little messy as well. But the same can be said of most other squeezers. At times, a seed or two got stuck in the crevices of the handles, which have indented wells, and I had to fish it out with a knife. With all the little nooks and crannies in the device, hand-washing meant that I had to get into all the gaps to ensure that it was properly cleaned.

Price paid: $17Where to buy: Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Oxo, WalmartMaterial & Care: Polypropylene. Dishwasher-safe.

Whether you’re craving fresh juice or simply need a splash of it for a beverage, the ​​Oxo Good Grips 2-in-1 citrus juicer is a standout option for producing seedless and nearly pulpless juice. It comes with a built-in cup and two different reamers, making it compatible with citrus including limes and grapefruit. The container's shape makes it conducive for gripping the device while squeezing citrus, and its spout is a helpful detail when pouring the liquid into another container.

Even though this option is larger than the other juicers I evaluated, its generous size makes it ideal for those whose primary aim is to make a few cups of juice or squeeze multiple pieces of citrus.

Ease of use: I immediately loved this one for how clean and easy it was to use. The reamer caught all the seeds and a good chunk of the pulp from my lemons, plus my counters were almost splash-free.

What I like about it: This juicer yielded the most liquid of all the other lemon and lime squeezers I evaluated. It was the cleanest option, producing very little mess or none at all, save for the device itself. Its versatility and compatibility for use with a range of citrus is a plus that should not be overlooked.

What I don't like about it: My only qualm is its size, although it's a great alternative to larger, tabletop juicers. For those who have the room to spare it's a no-brainer, but for a small kitchen that's short on cabinet space, storage could be an issue.

Price paid: $23Where to buy: Amazon Material & Care: Aluminum and nylon. Dishwasher-safe.

The KitchenAid Citrus Juice Press Squeezer comes with a pretty cool feature: a built-in cup to catch it all, plus a little spout for easy pours. The top-third of the device is made up of aluminum, and the underside, which is meant to press into the cut-side of the citrus, features reamer-like detailing. The middle layer is a nylon cup where the citrus half is meant to sit in; it comes with ridged detailing in the interior, for grip, and 19 tiny holes for the juice to flow through. The benefit of the 2-millimeter holes is that they prevent seeds from slipping through and minimize pulp as well. The bottom layer is also made from nylon and features a well where the juice of the citrus collects post-squeeze. Once you’ve finished squeezing the lemons, you can pour the juice into a glass or run it through a strainer for an even smoother product.

Ease of use: This squeezer was to use. It required a moderate amount of force with an unripe lemon but was much easier with a softer, ripe one.

What I like about it: If there's one thing I don't love about citrus squeezers, it's that messes tend to be a given. This squeezer was by far one of the cleaner options, and I greatly appreciated the built-in well that held the juice post-squeeze. That can be a plus when mixing up a cocktail or dressing a salad.

What I don't like about it: I found that this squeezer didn't produce as much juice as the top-runners, although it still fared better than other similarly shaped squeezers like the Zulay models or the Oxo Good Grips citrus squeezer (more on that below).

Price paid: $8 Where to buy: Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, OxoMaterial & Care: Solid Beechwood. Hand-wash only.

The Oxo Good Grips Wooden Citrus Reamer leaves nothing on the table—for better or for worse. This option allows near-total control of the amount of juice one can yield from any piece of citrus. So if you wanted to squeeze out every last drop, it would be in your power to do so. The downside? There's no buffer for pulp, seeds, and pith, which could contribute to a bitter taste, especially if the reamer is used so aggressively that the white pith underneath the citrus peel makes it into the glass.

I was able to easily squeeze out a good deal of juice from each of my lemons, though with that came seeds, pulp, and the membrane of the fruit. Getting your hands sticky comes with the territory here, as does the unfiltered yield. That said, for a quick dash of lemon juice—whether it's for a drink or a salad dressing—the reamer is nearly effortless to use. I recommend going easy on the juicing part, avoiding carving off the rind, and using it with a strainer.

Ease of use: This reamer required the least amount of effort to use and was compatible with lemons of all levels of ripeness, limes, and even a small orange. As for messes, I found that it depended on how ripe the lemons were and how aggressively I juiced them.

What I like about it: It's simple to use, yields a good deal of juice, and is compact enough to easily store in just about any kitchen drawer.

What I don't like about it: Not being able to control the amount of pulp and seeds that make it into a glass sans a strainer—yet another piece of kitchen equipment to clean.

Photo: Imusa Photo: Imusa

Price paid: $12 Where to buy: Amazon Material & Care: Cast aluminum with painted finish. Hand-wash recommended.

This citrus squeezer was one of the first I evaluated, and right off the bat I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed using it. Technically, it's designed for oranges, but one of the benefits of having a larger well for the lemon to sit in is that it makes for a cleaner squeezing experience and is forgiving for more bulbous lemons. The bottom round that held the fruit helped contain the seeds and more of the juices that would otherwise spurt out from the sides, which tended to happen with the other squeezers I evaluated.

If you’re looking for a citrus squeezer that will be largely dedicated to juicing lemons and limes, this might not be the best choice because there are better options on the smaller side. But if you plan to use squeezers for oranges, lemons, and limes equally, this is a good alternative to bulkier juicers with built-in cups. It requires very little effort to operate, it's easy to grip, and it does a decent job of squeezing limes, although it wouldn't be my first choice for them because the well of the device is slightly too large.

Photo: Zulay Photo: Zulay

Price paid: $15Where to buy: Amazon, Target, Walmart, ZulayMaterial & Care: Aluminum with a protective coating. Dishwasher-safe.

This citrus squeezer was good, not great. It's meant to serve as a versatile device that can work with lemons and limes, and I found that the inner layer, reserved for squeezing limes, tended to get in the way when I was using it for lemons. Each time I wanted to either swap in a new lemon half or toss the current one around to get all the juice out of it, I had to lift the topmost layer and then the green middle layer just to access the squeezed lemon half. It's not quite a deal-breaker, but after using it to squeeze multiple lemon halves, the extra step felt slightly annoying.

When I tried to use this model to squeeze a lime, it didn't seem as if it was necessary to have the two different flaps, because both wells were conducive to squeezing the fruit. The slot you put the fruit in may just depend on the size of the citrus—whether it's a large lime or a small lemon.

This squeezer was somewhat easy to use, though it still required a bit of effort and it didn't provide the cleanest experience. I also found that a few seeds fell into the cup, especially when I was using a larger-sized lemon.

Photo: Zulay Photo: Zulay

Price paid: $23Where to buy: Amazon, Target, ZulayMaterial & Care: Stainless steel. Dishwasher-safe on an upper rack.

I had mixed feelings about this one. The first time I used it, it felt flimsy and made a considerable mess; not all the juice made it into the cup but a few seeds did. On my second go, I used a particularly juicy lemon and that seemed to make a difference. The squeeze was cleaner and little pulp made it into the cup. Even after multiple tries, each of my lemons still clearly had more juice left in them post-squeeze.

When it came to aesthetics, I appreciated this citrus squeezer's sleek composition, but the lack of a grip—as many of the other squeezers possessed—meant that the stainless steel was particularly tough on the hands, requiring more effort to use.

Photo: Anna Kocharian/Consumer Reports Photo: Anna Kocharian/Consumer Reports

Price paid: $15Where to buy: Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Joseph Joseph, WalmartMaterial & Care: Stainless steel and nylon. Dishwasher-safe.

Clunky, chunky, and to me, comically large, this Joseph Joseph squeezer required more effort than I’d care to spend on juicing a lemon. The device is made up of two separate pieces: one to hold the citrus half and the other meant to sit on top. It works by twisting both handles into each other, similar to using a set of garden shears.

The biggest issue for me was that the cavity of the half that holds the lemon was so deep that after using the device, I had to tap it on the cutting board to retrieve the fruit, which inevitably would become stuck each time. I had to use a fair amount of effort for this one, and despite its deep well I still found that it was rather messy. In one of my evaluations, the lemon juice squirted all over my counters, and because the holes at the bottom were larger than usual, quite a good amount of pulp made it into my glass.

It's also worth noting that this squeezer is larger than other similar models and it takes up a considerable amount of drawer space. It's nearly 10 inches long and 4 inches wide at the head.

Photo: OXO Photo: OXO

Price paid: $17Where to buy: Amazon, Oxo, Macy's, TargetMaterial & Care: Die-cast aluminum. Dishwasher-safe.

This was the least impressive squeezer of the bunch. Instead of the traditional half-sphere that's meant to press into the fruit, this model had a slightly flattened top that barely managed to fit into the entire cavity of the lemon half. For one of my evaluations, I used a lemon with an elongated ellipsoid shape, which meant that the flattened top of the squeezer wasn't able to get a majority of the juice from the fruit.

Beyond that, I dreaded every time I had to use this device because it made such a mess and required a lot of effort to press. And despite every attempt I made to keep it as clean as possible—like squeezing the lemon slowly and gently into the cup—the juice would often spurt out from the sides.

I set out to find a diverse mix of citrus and lemon squeezers including the traditional handheld squeezers as well as reamers of varying forms. I then whittled that list down further by setting a price cap of $25. I was confident and optimistic that one shouldn't have to pay more than that to properly squeeze citrus.

Size was another important consideration because I wanted to ensure that a majority of the models I evaluated were compact enough to easily fit in a drawer. I avoided juicers that were bulky, electric, or too complex for everyday use—standing, heavy-duty juicers were immediately nixed.

Once I had my top nine models, I began the evaluation process, which entailed pounds of lemons and limes. I purchased bags of citrus from two different grocery stores over the course of a week and aimed for a collection of ripe and unripe citrus to mimic a real-life scenario.

I assessed the squeezers in batches: the first with fresh lemons, then lemons that had been refrigerated for a few days, followed by lemons that had been left out on the counter for three days. I found that my experience with each squeezer would vary slightly based on the ripeness of the fruit.

I weighed each of my lemons before squeezing them and after squeezing them to better gauge how much juice each produced. I assessed the squeezers in a different order each time to ensure that I wasn't experiencing squeeze fatigue on the same model within the course of the evaluations. I then replicated the process with limes, to see if the squeezers were versatile enough to work with both.

Taste is often a factor taken into consideration when evaluating lemon and lime squeezers but one I omitted in this process. Aside from being a subjective metric that would require a panel of objective tasters, the quality of the citrus itself has a significant impact on how it will taste. The most important parts of any good juice are the freshness of the citrus, variety, and seasonality, says Emily Ayala, whose family-run farm Friend's Ranches in Ojai, Calif., has been growing citrus for generations. "Organic is less important than how fresh it is—the fewer days between harvest and eating is best for any fruit or vegetable. Fruit that is waxed or stored for long periods begins to break down inside and gets off-flavors," says Ayala.With that in mind, I opted to focus on evaluating them for ease of use, versatility, and ability to yield a sufficient volume of juice.

Yes and no. You can certainly fit a lime into a lemon squeezer, but not always the opposite. Some lemon juicers—such as the Zulay 2-in-1 squeezer—have a built-in layer for limes. Except for the Joseph Joseph Ergonomic Twist Press, most of the squeezers were compatible with limes, although a few of them required more effort to juice than others.

Using your hands to squeeze citrus is always an option, but the same can be said for shredding lettuce by hand instead of a knife—it gets the job done but not in a very efficient manner.

A squeezer is a must if citrus is a staple in your life. But even if there are clustered days throughout the year that would warrant the use of one—think holidays when you’re amping up time in the kitchen or summer when citrus is on standby for backyard barbecues and picnics—it can be an exceptionally handy instrument to have. It's easy to get away with spending less than $20 on one that's made to last and even less than $10 on something that's compact. You might just be surprised at how useful it can be.

This product evaluation is part of Consumer Reports’ Outside the Labs reviews program, which is separate from our laboratory testing and ratings. Our Outside the Labs reviews are performed at home and in other native settings by individuals, including our journalists, with specialized subject matter experience or familiarity and are designed to offer another important perspective for consumers as they shop. While the products or services mentioned in this article might not currently be in CR's ratings, they could eventually be tested in our laboratories and rated according to an objective, scientific protocol.

Like all CR evaluations of products and services, our Outside the Labs reviews are independent and free from advertising. If you’d like to learn more about the criteria for our lab testing, please go to CR's Research & Testing page.

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Anna Kocharian

Anna Kocharian is a shopping editor at Consumer Reports who focuses on home, organization, and the consumer marketplace. She previously covered interior design, product reviews, and market trends as the digital editor of Domino. Anna has over a decade of experience in lifestyle journalism and has written extensively on the subject matter for publications including Apartment Therapy, Food52, and more. She currently resides in New York City.