Manual Citrus Juicer

by Camilla Salem 2

Honestly, at this time in my life, I'm just not ready to shell out hundreds of dollars or give up precious counter space in my tiny kitchen for a massive juicing machine. But that doesn't mean I'll never get to enjoy a glass of freshly pressed orange or grapefruit juice from the comfort of my breakfast table. I swear by the manual citrus juicer that was passed down to me from my grandmother. It's a solid piece of equipment that is incredibly easy to use, store, and clean. And if you're a fan of pulp like I am, then you'll really appreciate the juice that this little contraption produces. To find out the benefits and drawbacks of this affordable juicer, keep reading.

Benefits:

• At $60 a pop, this is a relatively affordable appliance for your kitchen.
• It's small, making it easy to store, or if you'd prefer to keep it on your countertop, it won't eat up too much space.
• Cleanup is simple and straightforward. Remove the pieces, rinse and scrub with a sponge and some dish soap and you're good to go!
• No electricity is required, so you'll be able to have freshly pressed citrus juice at all times.
• The lack of motor means it's silent. The only noises that come out of this juicer will be the ones you make.
• It requires a bit of manual effort, which can double as your strength training workout for the day (right, FitSugar?).

Drawbacks:

• It requires a bit of manual effort, so if you're not into that kind of thing it may be much more work than you'd like to put in.
• It's a citrus juicer, not a kale or spinach juicer. The only kind of green juice you'll be able to make from this piece of equipment is lime juice.
• The juice is rather pulpy (but if you love pulp, consider this a benefit).
• Oranges or grapefruits that are too large won't work as well in this juicer, so you have to consider this when you're purchasing your citrus.

Overall, I love this juicer. If and when I do make the transition to a big, expensive, electric juicer someday, I'll always keep a manual citrus press on hand for those mornings when all I want is a glass of fresh grapefruit juice without a massive mess to cleanup.