Tried and tested: the 7 best orange juicers that are "simply the zest" for making OJ

If you squeeze a lot of oranges and other citrus fruits — whether for fresh juice or cooking — you know that it can be tough on your hands. The best orange juicers help streamline the juicing process, making it much faster and easier to squeeze every last drop out of your favorite fruits. 

There are a few types of orange juicers available nowadays, including manual and electric models. With a manual option, you provide the manpower, pushing the citrus onto the reamer and rotating the fruit to extract juice, while electric models have spinning reamers that do most of the work for you. There are also handheld citrus juicers that simply squeeze the fruit, but these tend to be too small for oranges, so we didn’t include any in our testing. 

To find the best juicers for your home, we tested a total of seven products from popular brands. After juicing dozens of oranges and carefully tracking the results, the following are the best orange juicers for delicious freshly squeezed juice.

The 7 best orange juicers to buy

Despite being a manual model, the Kitchenaid Citrus Juicer came out on top in terms of both performance and value during our testing. It has a compact, lightweight design that would be easy to store in your kitchen, and we were super impressed by its sharp reamer, which extracted lots of juice with only minimal pressure. The non-slip bottom stayed in place on the counter, and we loved that the base has measurement markings on the sides — super helpful when you need a certain amount of juice for a recipe. 

The strainer holes were able to stop bigger pieces of pulp without getting clogged, and when we were done testing, we were able to put both the top and bottom right into the dishwasher for hands-off cleaning. It doesn’t get easier than that! Plus, you really can’t beat the budget-friendly price point for a gadget that works extremely well.

If you have a lot of oranges that need juicing, the Citristar Citrus Juicer was one of the most powerful electric models we tested. It’s larger and heavier than other models, and its reamer spins extremely fast and extracts juice from oranges in a matter of seconds. The juicer comes with two different-sized reamers, depending on what fruit you’re working with, and it has a locking spout that lets you keep the juice in the unit until you’re ready to pour. 

Unlike other juicers, this model doesn’t come with a carafe, but we found it easy to have it dispense juice into a measuring cup. (Plus, that just means one less piece to store.) It has a handy cord-wrap in the base of the unit that makes for compact storage, but you will have to hand-wash the components of this juicer, as they’re not dishwasher safe.

We absolutely loved that high-powered performance of the Cuisinart Combo Citrus Juicer — it worked the fastest of all the models we tested, juicing oranges right down to the rine in a matter of seconds. It has three pulp settings, as well as two different speeds, and it comes with a 28-ounce carafe with measurement markings and an easy-to-pour design. 

This unit also stands out from the rest because it does double duty as a juice extractor. It comes with a grinding disc and micromesh basket, allowing it to be used as a centrifugal juicer for other types of produce. However, it has an extremely high price point of $180, is quite bulky to store, and would likely be overkill for casual juicing.

Despite being a budget-friendly pick, the BLACK+DECKER Citrus Juicer actually boasts the largest juice container of all the models we tested. It’s able to hold up to 32 ounces of juice in its lower chamber, which means you can juice more in one session. We also loved its sharp reamer, which automatically reverses with each push and has sharp fins that get right down to the rind of your citrus. 

This juicer has an adjustable pulp strainer, though we found that it can be a bit challenging to adjust. There’s a cord wrap on the bottom of the appliance that allows it to be stored compactly, and the components are dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning. 

For those who prefer their orange juice without any pulp, the Hamilton Beach FreshMix Citrus Juicer has two straining mechanisms. Pulp is removed by a metal strainer underneath the reamer, and the carafe has a special straining lid that removes any pieces that might have gotten through initially, resulting in pulp-free juice. 

We liked that this juicer has two reamer sizes for different types of fruit, and you can even attach the reamer directly onto the carafe if you want to manually juice. All its detachable components are dishwasher safe, but the juicer isn’t quite as powerful as the Citristar or Cuisinart models, so it took a bit longer to juice each orange half. 

The Dash Citrus Juicer is compact, lightweight, and affordable, and it comes in several fun colors, too. The electric design features two reamer sizes and an adjustable pulp filter, allowing you to select how much you want in your drink. (You can even remove the filter altogether, which is ideal for those who want as much pulp as possible.) However, we did find that this juicer isn’t the most powerful—the reamer spins fairly slowly, and you have to press down quite a bit to extract juice from your produce. 

This juicer has a 25-ounce cup on the bottom, and it’s clearly marked with measurements so you can see exactly how much juice you have. The reamer automatically reverses direction every time you press down, helping to prevent clogs, and we liked that you can pour right out of the container thanks to its spout and handle. 

The Mainstays Citrus Juicer is as affordable as it gets, but it’s not the most efficient option, making it best-suited for smaller jobs. It has a plastic reamer that screws onto a glass base, and we found that you do have to apply quite a bit of pressure to extract juice from an orange with it. Further, the strainer’s holes clog up with pulp quite quickly. However, we liked that this juicer is dishwasher-safe, and it’s compact, and lightweight, making it ideal for small kitchens.

Real Homes review process

To find the best orange juicers, we bought several pounds of oranges and got to work juicing. 

Reveiewed by

Reveiewed by

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn is a freelance writer and product reviewer who has been testing small kitchen appliances (as well as other home goods) for several years. She’s tested everything from toasters to oil infusion machines, and she spent a few weeks drinking lots of orange juice when she was working on this buying guide.

Camryn does her product testing from her small homestead in beautiful Rhode Island. When she’s not tinkering around with the latest home gadgets, she spends her time tending to her animals, working in her garden, or crafting.

After setting up each juicer, I used each one to extract the juice from three oranges, taking note of how much juice it yielded, how easy it was to use, and how well it removed pulp. I also used each gadget to juice a lemon to get a sense of how well it works on other types of fruit. 

After I was done juicing, I cleaned each model, noting whether it needed to be hand-washed or could be run through the dishwasher. I also evaluated how much space each orange juicer took up in storage, as well as its weight and how easy it was to move around. 

What to consider before buying an orange juicer?

When selecting an orange juicer for your kitchen, you’ll want to think about how you plan to use it and how much you’re willing to spend. If you only ever juice one or two oranges (or other citrus fruits) at a time, a manual juicer is an efficient option that won’t cost too much. On the other hand, if you juice in bulk, a powerful electric juicer will make it quick and easy to juice dozens of pieces of fruit. However, these electric models tend to cost a bit more, and they’re also larger, taking up more space in your kitchen.  

What happens if I blend oranges?

Blending oranges is a viable alternative to juicing them. To ensure the smoothest finish, you might consider peeling the skin and removing as much white pith as possible. Nutritionally, you may even benefit from drinking insoluble fiber. Don't worry, this isn't as scary as it is. It basically means that it'll keep your gut healthy, and your uh, bowel movements regular.

The Sage 3X Bluicer (opens in new tab) (also known as the Breville 3X Bluicer) is a hybrid multifunctional model which we're currently testing with a review pending. It should also be said that you don't necessarily need a dedicated citrus juicer to break down oranges. You can buy a "normal" juicer (especially if you like to mix things up!)

Here are some of our favorite juicers, priced low-high: