Citrus Juicers - Doing It the Old-Style

Imagine: You are at your front porch with your kids or your loved one. You can feel the wind sweeping across your street but it is not enough to cool you down. The neighbor’s kids are playing with the garden sprinklers just to assuage the heat. Indeed, this is one hot summer day and you know just the perfect way to put a smile on everyone’s sweaty faces. You will make a glass of lemonade using the citrus juicer in your kitchen!

Most people assume that an electric juicer is the way to do it. After all, what is harder than throwing in a peeled lemon and plugging in the machine? Wrong.

The earliest citrus juicer was invented in 1928 by Isaac Zaksenberg in Jaffa (now Tel Aviv-Yafo) in Israel. A manual citrus juicer squeezes the pulp of soft-centered fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes through the conical ridged center. A later version of a manual juicer consists of two handles and two halves of a fruit sieve attached together with a spring-like lever mechanism. Though the citrus juicer has an electric version, a good glass of lemonade is better made with either of the manual model.

First, the product from an electric juicer is less healthy than that from a manual juicer. Basically, the high speed of the electric device produces heat, which metabolizes or breaks down the enzymes from the pulp. This also runs the risk of oxidizing the juice and extracting out the beneficial nutrients. The slow speed of a hand juicer prevents all these, giving a healthy glass of citrus.

Second, a manual juicer is cheaper than the electric device, as a rule in most electrical appliances. Of course, in addition, a manual juicer does not require electricity to run. This minimizes the consumption of electrical energy in your house and reduces the electrical bill.

Third, manual juicers are easier to clean than the electrical version. A juicer has fewer components, mostly just consisting of the sieves or a cup, depending on the model. The parts are easily rinsed with warm water and a little soap. On the other hand, the electrical device is a more complicated contraption. There is always the danger of putting water into the gears and causing them to rust.

Fourth, manual juicers save space in your kitchen. These juicers are as big as your hand or as your arm, depending on the model. Once disassembled, they can easily be kept inside the cupboard until next use. Meanwhile, the electrical device will be occupying bigger space atop your kitchen counter.

Fifth, manual juicers are visually inviting. Most juicers come in different colors to blend in your bright-colored kitchen. Their vibrant hues makes you want to use them again and again and squeeze out a piece of orange. The electrical juicer, on the other hand, is a steel apparatus that looks like a boring robot in your kitchen.

If you want to shop for a citrus juicer for your family, then you should remember these comparisons. After all, all you want in a hot summer afternoon is an ice-cold glass of freshly-squeezed lemon.