A lime squeezer is a small kitchen tool that is technically designed to reduce pressure on hands while squeezing lemons and get the maximum juice out of them. It might appear petty and do not get much attention but plays a prominent role in kitchen chores. If you are amongst the people who love spending time in the kitchen, you'll agree on how important it is to find the best lime squeezers. Especially in summer afternoons, during a party night with friends, or when you wish to prepare your favorite dish, a lime squeezer could be your best assistant. So, let’s get into the details of a lemon squeezer and ways to find the best product.
What Factors Add To The Quality Of A Lime Squeezer?
Let us take a look at the factors that add to the quality of the squeezing tool.
Bowl Depth
The depth of the bowl or the cup in the lemon squeezer decides the convenience of extracting the lemon juice. A squeezer having a small cup demands more effort to obtain the juice. Once you get the juice out of it, you again have to open it, change the angles of the lemon, and squeeze it over and over again until you get the maximum juice. However, a lime squeezer with a deep cup can easily accommodate lemons of all sizes and squeezes out the maximum juice at once.
Material
You will usually find lime squeezers made of one of the three materials — aluminum, stainless steel, or wooden. According to various researches, aluminum tends to leave a certain amount of metal in every liquid component it comes in contact with. Thus, acidic liquids such as lemon juice are likely to get affected e. On the other hand, stainless steel discharges no harmful chemicals in the liquid components and helps extract maximum yield from the fruit. Hence, it is tagged safe. You will also find wooden squeezers that absorb a lot of liquid components and are hard to clean. Hence, they are not advised by a lot of experts.
Rough Edges
The prime feature of any kitchen tool should be safety. Coming to lime squeezers, a lot of them, especially cheap-priced squeezers, have sharp ends or edges that not only feel uncomfortable to the hands but can also cause injuries. Thus, make sure to look for lemon squeezers that are easy to use and designed safe.
Ergonomics
Like any other daily use product, the ergonomics of a lime squeezer also play a vital role in making it user-friendly. So, try focussing on certain points like the handle of the squeezer should be long enough to be held easily. Besides, the grip should not put much pressure on your hands.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is vastly connected to fatigue caused to the hands while squeezing lemons, especially when done in large quantities. So, a lime squeezer should be designed to put the least pressure on your hands, causing the least fatigue or inconvenience.
Juice Quality
By the quality of juice, here we mean flavor. Some lime squeezers are so inaptly designed that they crush the seed, causing the juice to taste bitter. On the other hand, aluminum-made squeezers tend to leave a kind of metal taste into the juice, which deteriorates its flavor.
Versatility
A lime squeezer should be versatile enough to accommodate different-sized lemons and other citrus fruits to squeeze out the juice effortlessly.
How To Use A Lime Squeezer?
Technically, there are two kinds of lime squeezers available in the market, electronic squeezers and hand-held manual squeezers. Here we shall talk about how to use a manual lime squeezer aptly. This kitchen tool is super easy to use. All you need to do is follow the instructions mentioned below:
- Start with cutting the lemon in half.
- Next, put one portion in the squeezer, where the opened part should face the holes on the tool and the skin facing upwards.
- Put pressure on the grip and press it to get the juice.
- You can change the angles of the fruit to press again and get the maximum juice out.
- After use, clean the tool and sanitize it for further use.
How Should You Clean a Lime Squeezer?
To clean a lemon squeezer, the first thing that you need to do is read the instruction manual accompanied by the product because it contains ways to clean it appropriately. Ideally, the process of cleaning depends on the material of the tool. Some squeezers are dishwasher safe, while others are not. So, while cleaning a lime squeezer using a dishwasher, use a soft sponge and try reaching the toughest corners, especially the handles. Besides, once you are done cleaning, make sure to wipe it with a dry cloth and hang it somewhere safe. As a result, this will keep it fresh until the next use.
Lime Squeezer FAQ
Q: Is there any substitute for lime squeezer?
A: Electronic juicers are the substitutes for lime squeezers found in most kitchens. But, they are expensive, bigger in size, and take more time to perform the same function.
Q: How do I cut a lemon to extract maximum juice?
A: Begin with putting the lemon on the cutting board horizontally. Place the knife just in the middle and slice it in two halves. Besides, if you are trying to extract juice from other citrus fruits, you will have to cut them into several pieces to easily place them on the squeezer’s bowl.
Q: How much should I spend on a lime squeezer?
A: The cost of a high-quality lime squeezer could range from $4.97 to $19.54. Higher price brings better features and improved quality in the product. Thus, you should pick a tool depending on your budget and the kind of material you wish to add to your kitchen. Besides, to get the best deals, you can check the online market for discounts offered on several occasions.