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Freshly squeezed citrus juice is a favorite drink. Because of this, devices specialized in extracting juice from citrus fruits have become increasingly popular.
Thanks to technical improvements, these devices are powerful and efficient. Now you can preserve the healthy nutrients from the fruit and enjoy a refreshing glass of natural juice.
To help you find the perfect juicer to fit your needs, we’ve compiled a selection of the best citrus juicers.
Breville 800CPXL Citrus Press
Breville is one of the world leaders in producing small kitchen appliances. Accordingly, their juicers are regularly in the top bracket for performance and quality.
This particular electric citrus press is currently one of the most sought-after models, as it extracts the maximum nutrients from fruits of all sizes. If you want a high-end citrus juicer, look no further.
What We Liked
The Breville 800CPXL Stainless-Steel Motorized Citrus Press is well designed and has a powerful motor for fast performance.
It has a specially designed reamer that can fit both the smallest and the largest citrus fruits.
The cone has four different angles that can pierce a lemon and lock in the lid but, at the same time, extract a grapefruit with similar efficiency. If you need to extract citruses of various sizes, this product will make your life much easier.
What is Not Ideal
The motor can overheat if you use it constantly and without long breaks. This may concern those who want to use this juicer commercially, as there’s a risk of the malfunctioning of electronic components over time. Some can find this off-putting, especially considering the juicer’s short-term warranty and high price.
Product Highlights
One glimpse at this Breville 800CPXL Stainless-Steel Motorized Citrus Press is enough to tell you that it’s made with exquisite care.
This electric juicer for citrus fruits is die-cast in stainless steel, making it stylish, sturdy, and durable. Thanks to this state-of-the-art design, it won’t look out of place regardless of your kitchen type.
All the essential components of this Breville citrus press juicer are stainless steel. The reamer provides better extraction and pressure, yielding more juice.
In addition, two pulp-control filters are made out of the same material. You can decide whether you want a lot of pulp, just a little, or no pulp in your citrus juice.
Thanks to their resistant properties, all these parts are easy to remove and dishwasher-safe.
This Breville 800CPXL citrus press juicer has a powerful motor that rotates the reamer and maximizes the extraction of larger citruses, such as grapefruits.
On top of that, the motor is quiet. If you don’t like the noise of some cheaper and commercial motors, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy this one. The lack of noise and an industrial-strength motor makes this juicer a fine addition to restaurants and cafés.
There are three important features when it comes to performance.
First, you’ll see a lever-like system with a press arm on top of the juicer. This triple-hinged ergonomic lever is easy to pull down and press. The lock will trigger when you fully pierce the fruit, letting the machine juice.
This brings us to the next feature. Afterward, all juice will drip through a specially designed canal-like system, ensuring that the juice doesn’t spill on the countertop.
And lastly, the entire cone is resistant to citric acid, so the chances of corrosion are significantly lower.
Cuisinart CCJ-500 Citrus Juicer
Cuisinart is another manufacturer of kitchen appliances that has several decades of experience.
Their juicers are feature-packed and extremely popular, mainly because they don’t sell for premium prices. The same goes for this citrus juicer model, which shouldn’t blow your budget.
What We Liked
Besides the reasonable price for the Cuisinart CCJ-500 Pulp Control Citrus Juice Brushed Stainless juicer, another upside is the great pulp control.
The auto-reversing reamer filter consists of three different filters – low (almost none), medium, and high amount of pulp. This filter allows you to level the texture and density of your juice according to individual preferences.
This Cuisinart citrus juicer can handle varying sizes of fruit. One of the top features of the juice is the ‘final spin.’ This technique allows you to perform one piercing spin to extract all the remaining citrus, usually stuck on the peel.
What is Not Ideal
The downside of the reamer is the material. Unlike some of the more expensive juicers, this reamer is made of plastic, making it less durable. On the other hand, the plastic is BPA-free and safe to use.
Also, it can sometimes be challenging to extract the maximum amount of juice from larger citruses.
Product Highlights
The Cuisinart CCJ-500 Pulp Control Citrus Juicer is small and compact with a versatile design, fitting almost any kitchen countertop. The space utilization gets even better with the cord compartment at the bottom of the device. When you don’t use the device, the cord can remain hidden, which frees up space and adds to the kitchen aesthetic.
This juicer is full of little surprises from a technical perspective, especially considering it is less expensive than other brands.
The cone of this juicer is made out of brushed stainless steel, which makes it stable while extracting juice.
When you pierce the fruit with the reamer and then close the lid and gently press the juicer cone, the auto-reversing technique will change the spinning direction, which will extract the juice more efficiently. The juice will flow through a long drip-free spout directly into the glass.
All the Cuisinart CCJ500 Citrus Juicer components are easy to detach and rinse. And to make things even easier, you can put them in a dishwasher.
Tribest CS-1000 Citristar Juicer
The Tribest Corporation is relatively young compared to other reputable brands on the kitchen appliance market, but it still has over 20 years of successful manufacturing.
Their Citristar Electric Citrus Juicer is a nice-looking, user-friendly home appliance that will make juice extraction quick and easy.
What We Like
The Tribest CS-1000 CitriStar Electric Citrus Juicer has a powerful motor and is easy to use.
The spout is sturdy and made of non-corrosive stainless steel, which doesn’t drip and is easy to clean. However, this one has a flip-up lock on top of that. If you see your glass is filling up and you want to remove it, flip the spout up to make a lid so the juice stops dripping.
What is Not Ideal
The juicer has a powerful motor that doesn’t feel compatible with its construction. It’s supposed to be quiet, but the light plastic material makes it shaky and noisy, especially when extracting larger citrus fruits.
Product Highlights
The Tribest CS-1000 CitriStar Electric Citrus Juicer is distinctive in appearance because of its bulky shape. Due to the round appearance, it seems a bit short, but its height should be enough to accommodate regular juice glasses.
The outer appearance is made out of plastic, making it a bit less resistant than those of stainless steel construction. On the bright side, the reamer is made out of acid-resistant stainless steel that prevents corrosion and cleans up easily. Also, the steel reamer extracts food better, particularly from larger citruses.
From the handling aspect, this juicer is one of the easiest to use. Press the citrus to the cone and place the protective plastic lid on top. Switch on the device and press the cone. The powerful motor quickly spins the reamer and efficiently extracts the fruit.
What’s good about this sturdy reamer is that you can press the citrus a bit harder without worrying that you’ll break something, which allows you to extract the citrus completely.
The reamer is highly efficient with all citrus fruits. You can adjust it by detaching the larger cone (for grapefruit and oranges) and leaving just the smaller one (for lemons, limes, and tangerines).
When it comes to other features, the juicer has a small cord compartment at the bottom so the cord doesn’t use up space at the counter. Also, the product comes with a 1-year warranty.
One of the downsides is that there are no pulp filters. Therefore, what passes through the reamer holes is all the pulp you can get.
| Name | Price | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Breville 800CPXL Citrus Press Pro, Motorized Die Cast Stainless Steel | Check Price |  |
| Cuisinart CCJ-500 Pulp Control Citrus Juicer, Brushed Stainless | Check Price |  |
| Tribest CS-1000 CitriStar, Electric Citrus Juicer with Stainless Steel Spout and Strainer | Check Price | |
Final Thoughts
There’s a surprising gap in price when it comes to citrus juicers, especially when considering the most reputable brands.
If you are looking for a juicer on the lower end of the price scale, the Cuisinart citrus juicer is a good pick. It has a reverse option and three pulp settings. The Tribest is a close second.
On the other hand, if you juice citrus products regularly and are looking for a product that can last more than a couple of years, the Breville 800CPXL Citrus Press electric juicer is worth considering. It is well-built, durable, efficient, and easy to use and clean.
What to Look for When Shopping for a Citrus Juicer
Citrus juicers are different from regular juicers and juice extractors, so buying them requires product knowledge.
Before you opt for a citrus juicer, you should know that they differ in size, power type, features, and other parameters.
The following buyer’s guide will provide you with further insight into the best citrus juicers on the market to quickly decide which one fits your needs.
Electric or Manual Juicer
Citrus juicers can come in two forms – electric and manual. The main difference between the two is the power source.
The electric citrus juicer requires a power outlet to work. Once you plug it in, place the fruit inside the juicer and press a button. The motor will start rotating the spinning cone, so you don’t have to put a lot of pressure on the fruit. This will extract the juice quickly and efficiently.
On the other hand, manual juicers don’t require an electric cord. For that reason, they’re the perfect item to take on a camping trip or a different adventure where there’s no power available.
These juicers are usually smaller and lighter (since there’s no electric motor inside) and work thanks to a system of gears or levers that apply pressure to the fruit. The only power source is your strength, as you’ll either press and turn the fruit or use the lever to extract the juice.
Despite being much slower and less efficient than electric juicers, some prefer them as they don’t produce heat (from the motor), thus minimizing the chance of accidentally destroying nutrients from the produce.
Types of Citrus Juicers
Three different citrus juicer types vary depending on the features.
Pulp Regulation: As its name says, the citrus juicers with pulp regulation allow you to control the amount of pulp that goes into the juice. You can usually do this by adjusting the size of the holes inside the juicer. The larger hole will let more pulp inside the juice and change the yield of the texture and density.
If you prefer a light, clear juice, you’ll minimize the size of the hole and vice-versa. It’s also essential if you’re switching between thick and thin juice during different periods of the day.
Automatic Reversal: Also known as ‘reverse reamer type,’ this citrus juicer extracts the maximum amount of juice from the fruit. After every press, the motor spins in reverse, which cuts and crushes seeds and fruit fibers thoroughly and from all directions.
It’s the most popular citrus juicer type but at the same time has one major downside – the high fibers and seeds of the fruit are cut out and left behind. Since these are some of the richest components of the fruit, those who prefer quality over quantity may opt for a ‘pulp-regulating’ type of juicer.
Spin Function: Citrus juicers with a spin function are usually priced higher than the other two. They have a ‘final spin’ option that activates when you push the covering lid. This will then extract the remaining juice and pulp at the top (bottom) of the fruit. This function allows you to produce the highest amount of juice and fruit possible, hence the price.
Construction
The construction material of the citrus juicer will affect its durability and price. Commonly, juicers are stainless steel, cast iron, or plastic.
Stainless Steel Juicers: Stainless steel juicers are the most popular as they are durable, safe, affordable, sturdy, and highly effective for extracting juice.
The majority of stainless steel juicers are electric. And since they’re resistant to heat, they offer good protection for the motor. However, you can sometimes find manual juicers made out of stainless steel, as their reamers are sturdier.
Cast Iron Juicers: Heavy-duty cast iron juicers are the rarest on the market. Stainless steel citrus juicers with additional cast iron to provide stability when juicing. This is helpful when using larger juicers and reamers, but it isn’t necessary if your juicer is small. On top of that, cast iron is the most durable of all materials.
Plastic Juicers: Plastic juicers are the cheapest, least durable, and lightest. They’re compact and portable so that you can take them on a camping trip. The majority of plastic juicers are also manual, so you won’t need a power cord to use them. However, keep in mind that the plastic is BPE and food-grade, so you aren’t risking your health.
Reamer
The reamer is the most important part of any citrus juicer. It consists of a cone that pierces the fruit and reams it to extract the juice and holes through which the pulp and juice go into a container. Two things to consider about your citrus juicer – are the number of reamers and their size.
When it comes to size, the reamer should be directly proportional to the size of the citrus fruit that you want to ream. For example, you can’t buy a reamer compatible with lemon and expect to extract a grapefruit and vice versa. The citrus just won’t fit. Therefore, if you’re getting a juicer with a single reamer, you should know which fruit you want to extract.
Although single reamers are widespread in the market, they aren’t as efficient as those with multiple reamers. When you own a multiple-reamed juicer, you can switch them depending on the size of the fruit. However, there’s a downside to these juicer types – they’re usually much bigger than the regular ones, which means they’re much more expensive.
If you know that you’ll use your juicer only to squeeze oranges and lemons, you can save money by getting a single-reamer model.
Ease of Cleaning
If you get a low-quality juicer that’s difficult to clean, you’ll probably be less eager to use it. Citrus juicers should be easier to clean than regular juicers and juice extractors since they come with fewer removable parts.
On the other hand, some juicers come with complex parts that are impossible to remove and clean up appropriately. Make sure that all essential parts of the juicer are easy to detach and wash separately.
In addition, the dishwasher-safe juicers are the easiest to clean. When looking for a citrus juicer, check if the product is dishwasher-safe on the label. Moreover, it will help if you can wash smaller parts manually.
Pricing
Here are a few factors that will affect the price of your citrus juicer.
- Larger, sturdier juicers are more expensive than smaller ones.
- The same goes for the material, with plastic juicers being much more affordable (and less durable) than stainless-steel and cast-iron juicers.
- Moreover, electric juicers (especially those with powerful motors) are more expensive than manual ones.
- The brand is another factor that influences the price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need Vitamin C?
Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant in our body. Antioxidants are substances that may protect our cells against free radicals.[1]
If there is an excessive amount of oxygen free radicals, oxidative stress occurs. This stress puts us at an increased risk for various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.[2]
How free radicals work
A free radical is a molecule with an unpaired electron. There are different types of free radicals. The most important is the oxygen-free radicals. Oxygen in the body splits into single atoms with unpaired electrons.
Electrons like to be in pairs, so the oxygen free radicals scavenger the body, looking for other electrons to pair up with. When they find an electron, they take it. This hurts the body because it damages cells, proteins, and DNA.[3]
How antioxidants work
Antioxidants often step in and donate an electron to the free radical before it can rob a cell of an electron, thereby damaging it. Now that the electrons of the free radicals are paired, it is no longer harmful to cells.
In the case of Vitamin C, its antioxidant effect is due to its ability to donate electrons.
Why it is important to have antioxidants
It is essential to have antioxidants such as Vitamin C because the body needs to balance free radicals and antioxidants. If there are excessive free radicals, then oxidative stress occurs. Oxidative stress can damage important molecules in our cells, including DNA and proteins.
As stated earlier, oxidative stress puts people at risk for many diseases.
Other benefits of Vitamin C
The body also needs vitamin C to regulate collagen synthesis, a protein required to help wounds heal.
In addition, vitamin C improves the absorption of non-heme iron (found in rice, wheat, fruits and vegetables).
Julia Zumpano, a registered dietician with the Cleveland Clinic's Section of Nutrition Therapy, states Vitamin C is one of the biggest immune system boosters of all. It is essential to your health since the body does not produce or store it.
What is citrus juice?
Citrus juice is the juice that you extract from citrus fruits with the help of a particular juicer. Different citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines, grapefruits) require other juicers depending on their shape and size.
The citrus fruit consists of three parts.
First, there’s the hard, outer skin that you usually peel when you eat the fruit. Below the outer skin is the pith – a white cover that can be thick (in grapefruit), medium (oranges, lemons, and limes), or extremely thin (tangerines). The pith covers the core of the fruit where all fruit segments are, including the seeds.
The problem with juicing citrus is that not all citrus fruits are the same. For example, limes and lemons have a digestible outer skin, while oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits aren’t edible. That’s why you have two types of citrus juices.
Citrus water is a juice you can make with any citrus juicer. It only consists of water squeezed out from the middle of the fruit and can sometimes contain a piece of pulp or even a seed.
This citrus water is what most people consider citrus juice. However, a full citrus juice would include the white pith and skin. Since most nutrients are stored inside these two parts, extracting them would bring out the best results. However, this requires a top-quality citrus juicer.
How to clean a citrus juicer
Effectively cleaning a citrus juicer will prolong its life and ensure that the juice always has a natural taste. The cleaning process depends on the model, but most steps are the same.
To clean your citrus juicer, do the following:
- Unplug the juicer first if you own an electric one.
- Disassemble all removable parts. If you don’t know what they are, find a user manual or look up the instructions for your particular model online.
- Clean the filter manually by pouring water over it and removing the residue with your hands.
- Rinse each detached part with warm water and a sponge or scrub if the residue sticks.
- Leave the parts to dry out or wipe them clean and reassemble them to the juicer.
Although it’s better to clean the parts manually, if you have a dishwasher-safe juicer, you can also disassemble it and use your dishwasher to clean it.
Make sure that the dishwasher won’t cause any damage to the product before you start. This is the easiest and the quickest way to prepare your juicer for the subsequent extraction.
Do you peel a lemon before juicing?
It is best to peel a lemon before extracting the juice. The outer skin of the lemon contains toxic components that are difficult to digest. It has an unpleasant taste and can do much more harm than good. To keep only the nontoxic and pleasant lemon taste, peel only the outer skin.
Use a knife (or a fingernail) to pierce the outer skin of the lemon and then gently remove the peel. It’s recommended to use a knife to peel off only the outer skin but leave the white pith on.
The pith contains plenty of nutrients and nutritional components. A sharp knife will also put much less pressure on the fruit than if you peel it with your hands, so you won’t accidentally squeeze some juice out.
Note: Wash the peeled lemon with cold water before placing it in the juicer. It might seem unnecessary since the harmful particles (pesticides and such) remain on the peel, but you can transfer them to the fruit with your fingers or a knife. That’s why you should always wash your hands before proceeding.
Related Content: Tips for Juicing
Do you lose nutrients when juicing?
The number of nutrients extracted from the juice depends on the quality of the juicer and whether you only squeeze out the citrus water or you also include the pith (and sometimes the peel).
Plenty of nutrients are stored in the pith, so make sure that you include it in your juice. This type of extracted juice will have a denser texture. But if you only squeeze out the citrus water, you’ll probably lose the nutrients you would otherwise digest when eating the fruit whole.
