Lemon Squeezer: Squeezing Out Fresh Citrus Flavour

Fresh citrus juice brings sharpness and brightness to dressings, drinks and puddings – and a good lemon squeezer gets the most out of every fruit in seconds, with no pips and no mess. Here's how to use it, look after it, and where it really earns its keep.

What Your Lemon Squeezer Is For

Whether it's lemon, lime or orange, the squeezer gives you pure, freshly squeezed juice for salad dressings, lemonade, cocktails, marinades or a splash over fish. Lemons give plenty of juice with a clean sharpness, limes give less but pack in intense flavour, and oranges are mild and sweet. Freshly squeezed, every one of them tastes noticeably livelier than anything from a bottle. You'll find all our models at the kjøk lemon squeezer.

How to Get the Most Juice

Before squeezing, roll the fruit firmly over the worktop for a few seconds, or let it come up to room temperature – both help loosen the juice inside. Then halve it across the middle and place it cut-side down in the squeezer. Press down firmly: the holes hold back pips and pulp while the clear juice runs through. You'll notice you get a fair bit more out of every lemon this way.

Cleaning & Care

Citrus juice is quite acidic, so it's best to rinse the squeezer under warm water straight after use, before any pulp has a chance to dry on. That keeps stainless steel bright and free of odd smells; work any bits out of the holes with a washing-up brush. Stainless steel models are usually dishwasher-safe too, though rinsing by hand is just as quick.

More Than Lemonade – 5 Ideas

• Dressing: whisk the juice with olive oil, mustard and salt for a quick vinaigrette.
• Guacamole & Salsa: a splash of lime keeps avocado green and fresh.
• Fish & Seafood: a squeeze at the end instead of salt.
• Cocktails: a sour, a caipirinha, or alcohol-free lemonades.
• Marinades & Baking: citrus flavour in yoghurt, roasted vegetables or cakes.

You'll find more ideas like these popping up regularly on our recipe blog.

Quick Recipe: Lemonade

Squeeze 3–4 lemons, then stir the juice into 1 litre of cold water with 2–3 tbsp honey and a few mint leaves. Let it sit for a few minutes, then serve over ice for a refreshing summer drink.

FAQs

How do I get more juice out of a lemon? Roll the fruit briefly or let it come up to room temperature, halve it across the middle, and press it cut-side down.

Can I squeeze limes and oranges too? Yes. Limes give less juice but pack in more flavour, oranges give a lot more and taste milder.

Is the lemon squeezer dishwasher-safe? Stainless steel models usually are – though the easiest option is a quick rinse straight after use.

Do I need to peel the lemon? No, you place it in with the skin on, halved across the middle; pips and pulp stay behind in the squeezer.

How do I keep the pips out? The holes in the squeezer catch pips and coarse pulp automatically.

How do I store leftover juice? In the fridge for 2–3 days – or freeze it in portions in an ice cube tray.

Hand squeezer or electric juicer? For citrus, a hand squeezer does the job: quicker to clean, no electricity needed, and full control over the amount.

You'll find more handy kitchen helpers in the kitchen accessories collection.