The brightly colored Citrus Squeezers by Amco Houseworks are a quick, easy alternative to electric juicers.

Available in five sizes/colors for extracting juice from oranges, lemons or limes, the Citrus Squeezers are handheld gadgets that have two handles and a juicing/reaming bowl with a series of holes to let the juice flow through and into a waiting cup. The squeezers are made from heavy-duty aluminum and coated with a glossy enamel finish in lemon yellow, lime green or orange, and are also available in acrylic or polished aluminum.

The hinged design of each squeezer lets you open the handles, place your fruit cut side down in the hollow of the reaming bowl, and close the handle using leverage to force the concave reamer closed to expel the juice. We tested the Squeezers with their respective fruits and found that the reaming worked best when the ends of the fruit were cut off before juicing. We also found smaller pieces easier to juice than larger halves.

The reamers require sufficient hand strength to press the two halves closed. Thin-skinned fruits, such as limes, were easier to juice than the thicker-skinned lemons, for instance. The advantage of the Citrus Squeezers is their compact size -- they can store easily in a drawer or utensil caddy -- as well as the fact that they don't require electricity. Cleanup is a cinch, as well. The squeezers are dishwasher safe, or you can wash in warm, soapy water.


Pros: Compact, non-electric, bold colors
Cons: Need sufficient hand strength to press reamers together