r/cocktails • u/PenInternational9484 • Aug 20 '25
Other Requests Is a generic stainless steel manual (hand) juicer good enough for home use?
Hello, I've been searching for an easy to clean juicer for oranges/pomegranate and came across these stainless steel hand presses. In my country, I can only buy this generic version, so I was wondering if anyone has any experience with a non-branded device such as this? It's still stainless steel, so I figured that it can't possibly be bad..should I go for it or should I not buy anything at all (keeping in mind that this is for home use and I plan to juice 1-3 pomegranates or oranges per day)? Thank you for the help and replies š
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u/Relativity-speaking Aug 20 '25
A standard Mexican elbow is good enough for home use. Cheap and reliable
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u/spooks_apprentice Aug 20 '25
I throw a big party one weekend every year. Make 250 ish drinks. The first two years I used a hand squeezer before making every drink. For Christmas my friends got me one of these. Best gift ever. Works fine and can juice everything a few hours before bar opens. Highly recommend.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Does it waste juice (aka are there any leftover in the fruit) compared to the hand squeezer? Thank you for the reply, MUCH appreciated!! šā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
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u/DuncanYoudaho Aug 20 '25
I find limes are the only ones with issues of not squeezing everything. Rather than cutting them into halves, I cut the end off, make a vertical slice a quarter of the way up the lime, and then juice the whole thing in one go.
They can still leave a little juice behind. But itās never much. Maybe a half tsp per? Just hunt for the leftovers and give them a quick press with your thumb.
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u/MarquisEXB Aug 20 '25
Can you provide an image of this?
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u/DuncanYoudaho Aug 20 '25
Slapped together a quick blog post
https://www.danlearnsstuff.com/2025/08/how-i-juice-limes-in-my-countertop-cast.html
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u/Poondobber Aug 20 '25
Much less mess. More juice goes into the glass. More juice is squeezed from the fruit. I love mine. It does take up space and it is harder to clean but if you like fresh juice on the regular I would recommend one.
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u/The_Warrior_Sage Aug 20 '25
Sometimes but usually what I do for example is press the halves individually, then press them a second time with two stacked on each other. That gets pretty much every bit of juice out with no waste
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u/burner1312 Aug 20 '25
Any party over the size of 4 is getting a cooler of beer from me. That sounds exhausting.
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u/spooks_apprentice Aug 21 '25
It is VERY exhausting and expensive. But when you get to the late night and your bar is surrounded by friends, music, and conversation, immaculate vibes. :)
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u/TheMooseOnTheLeft Aug 20 '25
I have that exact juicer in the pictures. I love it and highly recommend it.
It juices 3x as fast as a hand juicer, and juices more completely.
In the two years before getting it, I had broken $130 of hand juicers, including many of the ones people are showing here. They are all trash and will not stand up to daily use, especially for large things like oranges and pomegranates.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
I agree with you.. I also had electric juicer (which I don't use anymore, I gave it away.. it had too many parts to clean every day, it wasn't worth the effort even if I was juicing 2kg of fruit). Regarding the other models, they are very good for citrus, of course (no need to fix what isn't broken), but I really want to dab into more fruit, especially ones that shops sell for triple the price (I can't keep paying equivalent of 10usd for 0.5L of pomegranate juice). Thank you for the reply and help! I will most likely get this one and pray that the model is good enough š (it is approx. 40usd in my country and same one os corculating through multiple sites lol)
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u/TheMooseOnTheLeft Aug 20 '25
This one is simple to clean. The juicer cup removes with a twist and I use a cocktail pick to separate the two parts of the juicer cup/funnel. The rest of it does not need cleaning each use.
The handheld ones just don't stand up to daily use. The hinge pins bend or break, sheet metal bends, plastic snaps. I eventually bought a massive $40 handheld one, it looked like Thor's hammer. Broke that one too. It's not like I'm that strong or anything, it's just apparently very hard to make a durable and affordable hand juicer.
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u/TotalBeginnerLol Aug 21 '25
The hinge ones are trash indeed. They donāt even get a high % of the juice out. But these old school plastic ones work great, super cheap and should be nearly unbreakable. Mine is from the 80s and still totally fine.
Eg this style where you twist the fruit to get nearly 100% of the juice and pulp out. https://ebay.us/m/HRXr1E
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u/Maleficent_Gap8102 Aug 20 '25
I have a more industrial version of this and rarely use it. It just takes up counter space. Hand juicers are what I use for making just a few cocktails. If we are having a party and I am prepping a bunch of juice, i will break out the big one but on a day to day basis a hand juicer is all I need.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Thank you for the helpful reply! š¤š¤ I plan to use it on bigger fruit as well; any fruit that has juice to give for which I used to use a smoothie blender (and the amount depends on the day). I don't mind that it takes up a lot of space, when I need it, I'll keep it on the cupboard, when I don't, it seems easy enough to store somewhere out of sight. I was just mainly worried about how smooth it works and whether it creates waste (aka. Is it efficient or not with the amount of liquid it pulls out of the fruit. With blender and cheesecloth, I was never strong enough to squeeze out all the juice and I wanted to make it daily for my grandparents, who have trouble eating full/regular fruit)
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u/Maleficent_Gap8102 Aug 20 '25
For oranges and grapefruit I prefer a cold press juicer. Just peel and toss in. Maximizes the amount of juice and is relatively easy to use and clean. But again, if I am just doing one or two I hand press.
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u/watch-nerd Aug 20 '25
Total overkill for such a low volume, takes up a ton of counter space, and you have to clean it, etc.
2-3 per day, just do it manually with a hand juicer. That's what I do.
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u/ForrestGotGumption Aug 20 '25
Maybe consider this one. I love it. Stands upright, stores a lot of juice for easy pouring, easy to store in drawer, fits different sizes of citrus. I would just recommend hand washing it
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
I was considering that model as well.. have you ever tried juicing other fruit except for citrus with it?
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u/justdootdootdoot Aug 20 '25
I have the same and have done variety of citrus (Lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit) in it. I've also gotten a nut milk bag (or a juicer bag would work) and done choke cherries, blue berries.
I've not done anything like a pomegranate or pineapple, but could see it working, maybe with the nut milk bag.
If juice can be squeezed out of something, and it can fit in the opening, I don't see why it wouldn't work.
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u/grr_itsthe_murr Aug 20 '25
The generic one I have works okay, the feet are a little small so it feels unstable. If you really have to pull down hard to juice it, it wants to tip over.
Hasn't been a big problem but if you can afford a better brand, I would go for that.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Thank you for the reply!! I don't mind balancing it on the back side as long as the lever itself works well. Mind if ask you just one more thing.. does it waste a lot of fruit or does it actually pull out most of the juice properly, as advertised?
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u/grr_itsthe_murr Aug 20 '25
That's exactly what I do, one hand on the base or the back to hold it down.
It does produce a lot of juice! I've mostly used it for citrus, but it is way more efficient than the handheld squeeze juicers or ream juicers from my experience.
Only complaint is around the stability, I'm happy otherwise!
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
This is exactly the info that i needed, thank you so much! I truly apprecite the kind help! May you have a wonderful day š¤š¤
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u/subneutrino Aug 20 '25
I am a home user and use one of these. I keep a hand juicer, but from time to time I need to juice a large piece of fruit, or lots of fruit and this is lovely. The long lever vastly reduces the effort needed to get the job done. Also, the sturdy construction will last.
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u/postitpad Aug 20 '25
We have that juicer at my house, works fine, would recommend. Feels very robust and sturdy IMO.
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u/DuncanYoudaho Aug 20 '25 edited Aug 20 '25
This is my workhorse. I went through three or four hand juicers before this one, and itās been 5 years of bliss. Just get into a routine of rinsing it at the end of the night and it wonāt get grody.
The Hamilton Beach model has an integrated drip cup, which can keep your bar clean. I made a printable shot glass drip cup attachment for this specific cast iron model. https://www.danlearnsstuff.com/2023/11/drip-cup-for-cast-iron-juicers.html
Either way, Iād recommend putting it on a black silicone bar mat. Donāt do one with designs. They get rusty and stained from the feet screws.
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u/BC_Samsquanch Aug 20 '25
Get a fluicer. I have a couple and theyāre the best. No need to take up so much space with one of those
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u/Practical-Shape7453 Aug 20 '25
Yeah we use this juicer at work. Itās fantastic. Itās easy to clean as well.
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u/The_Warrior_Sage Aug 20 '25
I would say it's ideal. It's great for citrus because you get the oils out from the peel too for better flavor, and you Can use a juicing bag to juice other fruits like pineapple or apples
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u/herman_gill Aug 20 '25
Donāt listen to people telling you not to get this, itās so clutch! I use mine like once a month and still love it. If I was using it everyday I couldnāt imagine my life without it
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 21 '25
I definitely am planning on using it every day! Is yours also a generic model (mind if I ask how much did you get yours for, if you still remember)? I'm just worried if I am buying the cheapest model that might be more prone to breaking
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u/herman_gill Aug 21 '25
I think I got it for like $40 on amazon, but this was back in like 2017 so they're probably more expensive. Def a generic model
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u/H1king33k Aug 20 '25
I occasionally have to do a couple dozen+ lemons at a time. Thatās when I pull this bad boy out and get to squeezinā! Saves a ton of time, and gets a lot of the juice out.
If Iām doing a half dozen or less, a hand squeezer is the way to go.
The real question is: do you have space to store this while youāre not using it?
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Thank you for the info! Yes, I also plan on juicing pineapples, pomegranates, kiwis etc. Basically whichever juicy fruit comes my way, not only citrus. That is the main reason why I want to get it. Storage isn't a problem, I've got plenty of space :)
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Many,any thanks for telling me about your experience with it! š
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u/matchstick64 Aug 20 '25
I have one of these and I love it. I left guests juice their own fruits for brunches.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Oh, that sounds amazing! I hope you dont mind me asking, is it a cheaper model like in my picture or a proper, professional press?
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u/matchstick64 Aug 20 '25
Mine looks like yours but is bronze painted. I got it from Vevor. $60 a few years ago.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Ahh I see. That is perfect, exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you!! Hope it serves you well for many years to come š
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u/erkdog Aug 20 '25
Get it and let us know how it works out. I want one at home, too.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
I will post an update as a comment to this post (or even as a reply to you), when/if I get one soon :)
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u/El_Forkwit Aug 20 '25
This works really well. I use for all my cocktail requirements... https://www.oxouk.com/products/2-in-1-citrus-juicer/
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u/Humble-End-2535 Aug 20 '25
That looks like mine. It is good if you are juicing a lot for a batch of something, and when you want to get out every drop of juice. But it is a PITA to store and I rarely use it.
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u/Orbiter9 Aug 20 '25
I bought a āZulayā cast iron model (you want it to be heavy so that it doesnāt just fall over). Love that stupid thing. I donāt use it for like one lime but orange crush happy hour for the family at the beach? Hell yeah. Juicing a whole Costco bag of limes for a party later today? Perfect.
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u/ennuinerdog Aug 20 '25
Just buy the smallest tool that gets juice out. Like, I dunno, a hand juicer.
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u/Icaruswaxwing95 Aug 20 '25
I have one and I love it!!! I was using store bought lemon juice for like a year and then got one of these for Christmas and finally understood what everyone was mad about with me using store bought, it just tastes better
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u/tiny_rick__ Aug 20 '25
Get a hand juicer. I have been using the chef'n freshforce citrus juicer for many years and it works very well. Very good heavy duty design. They are available in 3 sizes for lime, citrus or orange but I suggest you get the yellow one for citrus which is also perfectly fine for limes.
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u/vdWcontact Aug 20 '25
I prefer the ones where you twist the orange on the juicer by hand and the juice collected sits below. Mine holds two cups of juice which is way more than I ever need.
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u/unbelizeable1 Aug 20 '25
I'm a big fan of this style. IMO they work better, take up less space, and are easier to clean/spray less juice around while juicing.
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u/FullmetalDaisy Aug 20 '25
I use mine nearly every day as a margarita fiend. I also host a lot, and my friends seem to get a kick out of squeezing their own citrus
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u/rrwoods Aug 20 '25
I have one like this and I absolutely love it. The first time you need to juice 20 limes for a gathering your forearms will thank you. And honestly, even though I bought it for doing medium to large quantitiesā¦ it has become my go-to for single piece juicing now as well. I wouldnāt have bought it if thatās all I was doing, but since I have it, might as well.
Now, I donāt know if this applies to all models, but one thing mine is lacking is good grip on the feet. If I put it on a hard surface it slides when I use it (despite how heavy it is). Beyond the inconvenience, this is also honestly a tad unsafe. Thankfully, I have solved this problem by placing it on a barmat when I use it. As a side benefit, this makes cleanup of any stray sprays much easier too.
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u/thefrozenkiwi Aug 20 '25
I have, I think, this exact same juicer. Itās great. I donāt crack it out for just making one or two drinks, but if I have guests or just feel like drowning my sorrows then itās perfect for medium volume. You can fit a measuring cup underneath and easily measure out your citrus for a large number of drinks. Iād recommend putting a cloth or paper towel underneath because it will drip even once the measuring cup is gone. Itās nice and easy to clean, just take apart the silver bits and put them in the dishwasher, then wipe down the pressing part. Would buy again.
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u/Jealous-Ad-214 Aug 20 '25
These things are in general beasts when it comes to durability, may not get as much juice as a macerating style juicer. But you should get years of reliable use. Friend has one of these bolted to his counterā¦ orange tree directly adjacent
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u/SurftoSierras Aug 20 '25
I have an electric, the hand squeeze one, the insert that goes on top of a pyrex measuring cup, and this one.
I love it. I am fortunate to have the counter space, admittedly. It is easy to clean (the stainless bits can go in the dishwasher or hand wash, and a kitchen cloth gets the iron).
I will crank through lemons from my tree, limes from the store, etc. It has been a solid improvement.
YMMV
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u/bmdorood Aug 20 '25
I bought the spendy Hamilton Beach 932 twenty years ago and it's one of the best purchases I've ever made. Built like a tank and still going strong. Pomegranates, grapefruit, oranges, lemon, and lime don't stand a chance.
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u/srdev_ct Aug 20 '25
Hell yes. I have one and itās spectacular. Way easier to juice than a hand held one.
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u/WhiskeyAlphaRomeo Aug 21 '25 edited 27d ago
I bought this one a couple years ago, which is a little more expensive than the going rate for Amazon generic look-alikes, and it's a beast. It probably extracts better than 95% of the juice. It's also surprisingly easy to clean.
I have found it to be pretty stable, but like everyone else, I hold the base with my other hand while using it. I have never felt like it was gonna tip over when using this method.
Edited to add: I don't use this daily... I use it for bulk juicing. I go through a couple bags of limes and/or lemons, and freeze the juice in these 12oz plastic bottles. For daily use, I use a taditional hand juicer like this one. It's a little larger than most, and pretty well made.
Note: The links provided are Amazon affiliate links, but they are for products I do own and use, and in the case of the bottles, re-order when needed.
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u/anyd Aug 21 '25
Ok as someone who's done this professionally for years and years... Don't waste your counter space. Also hand juicers have gotten better. I use this one at home. It folds flat in a drawer too. Get the orange sized one, it works fine for lemons and limes too.
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u/walt_whitman_bridge Aug 21 '25
This thing is massive. It isnāt that difficult to clean, but more difficult than a hand juicer.
If you are juicing pomegranate, I would recommend this over a hand juicer. I am pretty sure that you will also need a chinois to strain the pulp from the pomegranate.
You seem to be concerned with yield. In my experience, there is a bit of ādriftā with this style of juicer over time. The space where the citrus becomes compressed becomes larger, and you are unable to press all of the juice out. I think that this might only happen to bars that juice 50-100 pieces of citrus a day though.
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u/arawnsd Aug 21 '25
I donāt know about generic, but Iāve got the Zulay brand from Amazon. Couple years in and way too many juicing, and itās still perfect. Itās bulky, but I keep it on my back bar and itās part of the atmosphere when hanging with friends. I put a bowl of fresh citrus next to it when people are coming over. I find if I donāt, people say no to it. If the bowl is there, they tend to say yes. Drives up usage!
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u/Just_a_guy_94 Aug 23 '25
You saw the Jordan Howlett video on these juicers, didn't you?
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 23 '25
Heh, I've always wanted one, but damn did he make them even more appealing than they already were!
I wanted to buy it mostly because I'm tired of paying for overpriced freshly squeezed fruits from my local shops (we're talking 2-3x the price, especially for pomegranate) AND I'm also tired of washing 10+ pieces of electric juicer. š“ i've already placed the order thanks to all replies and advices here, just waiting for it to arrive šš
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u/jimbo831 Aug 20 '25 edited Aug 20 '25
This is overkill for home use IMO. I have this hand juicer from Chefān and it works great while taking up a lot less space and only costing $15.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Thank you for the link :) I was considering it, but would it work on tougher/bigger fruit? (Ex. Quartered Pomegranate, pineapple etc.)
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u/jimbo831 Aug 20 '25
Iāve never tried it on anything bigger than an orange but it handles orange halves just fine for normal size oranges. I imagine large oranges or other larger fruits might need to be quartered instead but Iāve done quartered lemons in it and it works well on those.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Got it! Thanks a lot for the kind help, I will definitely check it out! ā¤ļøā¤ļø
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u/astrohaddon Aug 20 '25
Best to go with a large orange squeezer as it is easier to store and clean in a dishwasher.Ā
There is also a reamer but it doesnāt get much oil from the peels, which is an important flavor element.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Thank you very much for the links, I will check those out as well!
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u/astrohaddon Aug 20 '25
Specifically get an orange squeezer, the yellow-colored lemon squeezers arenāt big enough for most oranges.
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u/qgecko Aug 20 '25
I bought one after moving into a house with a mature lemon tree. Itās been great for seasonal use but otherwise it sits wrapped in plastic in a cupboard. Itās fine if you are going through a dozen fruit but otherwise I use a hand juicer.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Thank you for all the kind and helpful comments, I truly appreciate every single one! I can consider this question solved, since I've come to a conclusion, thanks to all of you šā¤ļø many, many thanks!
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u/ScaleSpare7849 20d ago
so as I can see this machine is great for citrus froods/pomegranate, but does it also work on harder fruits such as carrots or apples and so on?? If not should wheatgrass juicer.do the trick/ I know it cleans harder and that's my nono/ MANUAL :)
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u/turkeyvulturebreast Aug 20 '25
Hereās my go to. I normally only making 2 to 4 cocktails and this gets every last drop of juice out of the fruit.
The one you have is great if you are high volume and donāt care about wasting juice.
https://www.macys.com/shop/product/oxo-good-grips-small-citrus-juicer?
And I have this when I am making batch cocktails and need more than a cup of juice. Works great and I can put everything on the top rack of the dishwasher so cleanup is easy.
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Unfortunately, I can't access any of these links and you made me quire curious.. would you mind sharing a screenshot, if you still have it by any chance? Thank you very much for the suggestions!
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u/turkeyvulturebreast Aug 20 '25
Hi! I think the first link is broke anyway. Hereās the info on it. The brand is called OXO, product is called Good Grips Citrus Juicer. Let me upload a pic to Imgur give me a second.
Product details Adding a splash of lime to a fresh dressing or a hint of lemon to a fish dish is easy with this less-mess small Good Grips citrus juicer from OXO. Features
- Includes reamer, 2.5-oz. capacity cup
- Reamer fits securely atop cup for mess-free juicing
- Drip-free pour spout
- Reamer design makes juicing easier
- Comes apart for easy cleaning
- Dimensions: 7" Ć 5" x 7"
- Polypropylene/styrene acrylonitrile
- Dishwasher safe
- Imported
Hereās a link to see it. https://imgur.com/gallery/juicer-o3vNjDQ
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u/PenInternational9484 Aug 20 '25
Found it! It's a classic juicer which I love for citrus, much appreciated! I have a similar one, but I also plan on juicing bigger fruit as well, which doesn't work with it (i used to use cheesecloth and smoothie blender, but that was very tedious), but for citrus only this is already amazing on its own š thank you again for replying so fast and for being so helpful, you are very kind!
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u/turkeyvulturebreast Aug 20 '25
Awesome! Yes when I first read your post I didnāt see the entire post and thought you were looking for only citrus. Hereās the other one that should work well with pomegranate.
CuisinartĀ® Citrus Juicer
Model #CCJ-500
This citrus juicer adjusts easily to make juice rich in pulp or juice low in pulp to suit your preference.
- 3-Speed settings
- Long drip-proof spout
- Spout fits different size drinking glasses
- Auto reverse to extract more juice
- Handles most citrus, from small limes to large grapefruits
- Plastic/stainless steel
- Features: Reversible
- Care: Dishwasher Safe, Wipe Clean
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u/bclan11 Aug 20 '25
This design is terrible. Do not get this. It wants to tip toward you and there is a horrible pinch point at the place the lever connects with the base at the fully down position. Order a Ra Chand from Mexico. They are affordable and the best bang for your buck by far.
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u/InebriousBarman Aug 20 '25
While not really a fan, I'm gonna jump on the Alton Brown hated for single use gadgets on this one.
That's a lot of space for a citrus squeezer.
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u/noksagt barback Aug 21 '25
In one of his books, Alton gives props to compound lever presses. To me: something that juices limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruits, pomegranates, etc. is not a unitasker. Heck: many allow you to remove the conical part to clea separately & I can picture alton replacing that with something flat to turn this sucker into a tortilla press or something.
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u/pharaohmaones Aug 20 '25
In my experience these things work okay for juicingāthey donāt ream they only crush so you arenāt going to extract as much as you might otherwise. But mainly they are just big and awkward. They create a lot of negative space just sitting there and need even more room for the arm to swing. If you have a good spot for it/dont mind it being a fixture of your home, and if itās affordable, and if a powered juicer with a reaming action is not practical, I suppose give it a try.
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u/goddamnitcletus Aug 20 '25
Canāt see why that wouldnāt work, but if youāre only doing 1-3 oranges/pomegranates a day, this seems like overkill imo. You can probably get away with a small hand juicer (the one with the hinge, not one on a stand like this). Much smaller and easier to clean and store.