Bar Tools

Citrus Press

A citrus press is a hinged, two-handled squeezer with a perforated cup sized for half a lime, a lemon or an orange. Closing the handles turns the half inside out, so the juice runs through the holes and the pips stay behind. Most of our sours and daiquiris rely on it for fresh lime and lemon juice: the Daiquiri, the Tom Collins, the Whiskey Sour and the Margarita.

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The tool

About the Citrus Press

Cut Side Down, Every Time

The lime half goes into the cup cut side down, facing the holes. When the handles close, the dome pushes on the peel and turns the half inside out.

Juice runs out through the holes and the pips stay behind. Because the press squeezes from the peel side, a little oil from the zest comes out with the juice.

A Rolled Lime Gives About 25 to 30ml

Cold fruit gives up less. Take limes and lemons out of the fridge an hour ahead, then roll each one under your palm before you cut it.

A lime treated that way usually gives 25 to 30ml and a lemon 30 to 40ml. Squeeze firmly and stop when you feel resistance; the final hard squeeze pushes bitter oil out of the pith.

Press It the Same Day

Lime juice is at its brightest a few hours after squeezing and fades within a day. Our recipes ask for juice squeezed on the day, from the Daiquiri to the Tom Collins, because bottled juice is pasteurised or preserved and tastes flatter.

Ways to juice a lime or lemon

Hinged citrus press

Speed: Fast
Pips and pith: Holds back pips; little pith
Best for: Limes and lemons, a few at a time

Hand reamer

Speed: Medium
Pips and pith: Needs straining
Best for: Any size of fruit

Electric juicer

Speed: Fast for big batches
Pips and pith: Strains as it goes
Best for: Oranges and grapefruit by the jug

Bottled juice

Speed: No work
Pips and pith: Not applicable
Best for: Not recommended; flatter taste

Tool	Speed	Pips and pith	Best for
Hinged citrus press	Fast	Holds back pips; little pith	Limes and lemons, a few at a time
Hand reamer	Medium	Needs straining	Any size of fruit
Electric juicer	Fast for big batches	Strains as it goes	Oranges and grapefruit by the jug
Bottled juice	No work	Not applicable	Not recommended; flatter taste

Choose the Lemon Size and Check the Hinge

The lemon size is the useful one if you buy only one press, because a lime fits it too. Look for a hinge with no play from side to side; that is where cheap presses fail.

Stainless steel lasts and goes in the dishwasher. Enamelled aluminium is lighter and cheaper, but once the coating chips, bare metal meets the acid, so retire it then. Measure the juice in a jigger, not by eye.

Using it

Using the Citrus Press

Usage

Juicing limes and lemons for sours, daiquiris, collinses and margaritas on the day you make the drinks. In our experience a rolled lime at room temperature gives 25 to 30ml, enough for one drink, and a lemon 30 to 40ml.

Pro Tip

Squeeze in the afternoon for the evening. Lime juice tastes brightest a few hours after pressing and fades within a day, so juice pressed after lunch suits the night's drinks and yesterday's does not.

Professional Tips

Put the half in cut side down, facing the holes.
Roll the fruit under your palm first, at room temperature.
Squeeze in one steady movement and stop when you feel resistance.
Rinse the press while the pulp is still wet.

Alternatives

Budget Alternative

A wooden or plastic reamer. It handles any size of fruit and costs very little; pour the juice through a tea strainer to catch the pips.

Premium Option

A heavy stainless steel press with a sturdy hinge. It will not chip or corrode, and it outlasts several enamelled ones; the juice is the same.

Specifications

Material
Stainless steel, or aluminium with an enamel coating
Capacity
Half a fruit at a time; made in lime, lemon and orange sizes
Details
Two hinged handles, a perforated cup and a domed presser; the lemon size takes limes as well

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

Which way does the lime go in a citrus press?

Cut side down, facing the holes. It looks backwards, but the domed presser pushes on the peel and turns the half inside out, forcing the juice through the holes. Put it in cut side up and you press the juice against the solid lid and get much less.

Is a citrus press better than a reamer?

For limes and lemons, usually. A press is quicker, holds back the pips and leaves most of the pith behind. A reamer suits any size of fruit, including large oranges and grapefruit that will not fit a press cup, and costs less.

Does fresh lime juice really matter?

Yes. Bottled juice is usually pasteurised or preserved and tastes flatter, and a Daiquiri, with only three ingredients, cannot cover it. Lime juice is at its brightest a few hours after squeezing, so press it the same day you make the drinks.

How do you get more juice from a lime?

Leave it out of the fridge and roll it firmly under your palm on the counter before you cut it. In our experience a rolled lime gives 25 to 30ml; a fridge-cold one gives noticeably less. Stop squeezing when you feel resistance, before the pith turns the juice bitter.

How many limes do I need for six drinks?

Allow one lime for every 25 to 30ml of juice the recipes call for, and buy a spare or two in case some are dry. Our Daiquiri uses 20ml of lime, so six of them need about five limes. Lemons give more, usually 30 to 40ml each.

Can a citrus press juice oranges?

Only an orange-sized press, and only smaller oranges fit even then. For orange juice by the jug, a reamer or an electric juicer is quicker. Press it within hours of serving, as with lime and lemon.

Can a citrus press go in the dishwasher?

Stainless steel ones are fine in it. Enamelled aluminium is better washed by hand: detergent wears the coating, and bare aluminium reacts with citrus acid. Rinse either kind as soon as you finish, so pulp does not dry in the holes.

Make something

Made with the Citrus Press

Used In These Cocktails

Tom Collins Tommy’s Margarita Penicillin Daiquiri Whiskey Sour

Related Equipment

Related Ingredients

Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 18 October 2026

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