The Best Citrus Juicer For Our Kitchen
Our family has travelled to Mexico many times. We love the climate, the beaches, the people, and, of course, the food! One thing you notice right away when sampling the local cuisine is how indispensable the humble “limón” is in many Mexican recipes. And of course, limes also make their way into the classic Mexican cocktail, the Margarita.
Since limes are so widely used, handheld lime presses are also common. Mexicans often use small, inexpensive plastic or metal versions of these manual devices to squeeze out the juice. We’ve found a premium version that squeezes out more juice with less effort, the FreshForce Citrus Juicer from Chef’n.
Why It Is Great
Gear Mechanism
The Chef’n FreshForce has an innovative gear system, with a wheel and teeth. This reduces the amount of force required to operate the device. Although we usually start squeezing with two hands, one-handed use is very possible.
Large Slits
Instead of the small holes that we have seen on most manual presses, the FreshForce has large slits that allow juice to flow through easily. Juice also flows in a steady stream straight out of the bottom of the hopper.
Durable Construction
We love a comfortable tool that’s built solidly and passes our durability test. We’ve had our FreshForce for years, and with its nylon frame and stainless steel inverted bowl, it still looks new. It’s top-rack dishwasher safe too!
Stabilizing Feet
You can load the FreshForce and put it down until you need it. With it’s 2 feet on the underside of the hopper, it won’t fall over.
What's Not To Like?
Hopper Size
Unlike some full-sized citrus juicers, all handheld models are limited by the size of their hopper. The FreshForce is large enough to fit virtually all lemons and limes, and can even handle tangerines, but oranges have to be pretty small to fit. Chef’n does make a larger model, the FreshForce Orange Juicer, that accommodates citrus fruit up to the size of small grapefruits.
Bonus Resources
Margarita Recipe
Alright, we’ll be the first to admit it. We primarily use our FreshForce to squeeze limes for making Margaritas 🙂 Our take on the classic cocktail is a bit different from most. We skip the Cointreau or Triple Sec, and use agave syrup as a sweetener. Our Margaritas are always on the rocks, never blended.
Ingredients:
- 3 parts tequila
- 2 parts freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 part agave syrup
- 1/2 part water
Shake all ingredients with ice, and strain into a glass filled with ice. If a “part” is a half-ounce, the above recipe makes 1 Margarita. Scale up as desired!
Citrus Recipes
Looking for some great recipes you can make with limes, lemons, oranges and grapefruits? Check out 23 Sunny Citrus Recipes: Salads, Entrées, Ice Creams, and More from Serious Eats.
Did You Know?
Chef’n is a Seattle-based company whose mission is to make better tools so you can make better food. The company, founded by David Holcomb in 1982, has over 300 patents and a penchant for clever products with fun names. The company’s first product, the GarlicMachine, is still sold today, as is their PepperBall, the first one-handed pepper grinder to hit the market.
Sources
- Chef’n → Who We Are, Chef’n website
- Chef’n Corporation → Overview, LinkedIn Profile
- Traci Antonovich. Essential Kitchen Tools From The Chef’n Headquarters Tour. The Kitchen Girl blog.
Mentioned In This Post
NOTE: The “Lime” and “Lemon” models are identical in size. The words “Lime” and “Lemon” refer only to the colors of those 2 models. The Orange Juicer is larger.
