A reamer is a kitchen tool designed to make it easy to extract juice from citrus fruits. Reamers have some distinct advantages over conventional citrus juicers, with the primary disadvantage of a reamer being that juicing must be done by hand, which can be a pain when a big batch of juice is required. Many kitchen supply stores carry reamers, and they are also readily available through Internet merchants who carry kitchen tools.
The design of a reamer is very simple. It consists of a handle attached to a cone covered in ridges. To use the reamer, a fruit is halved, the cone is inserted into the fruit, and then the reamer or the fruit is rotated, pressing the ridges up against the sides of the fruit to ensure that as much juice as possible is extracted. Once someone gets used to using a reamer, fruits can usually be juiced very quickly.
Reamers can often get more juice than regular juicers, for cooks who take the time to thoroughly juice each fruit. Along with juice, the reamer also extracts pulp and seeds, so it is a good idea to strain the liquid after juicing to clear it of most large debris. Because the reamer is a handheld tool, people can also hold the reamer and the fruit in the way which is most comfortable for them, which will reduce strain.
Reamers can be used on citrus fruits of all sizes, from key limes to grapefruits. While the design of a reamer effectively makes it a unitasker, something which some people frown upon, a reamer can be extremely useful for people who work with citrus juices a lot. Reamers also take up much less space than regular citrus juicers, leading fans of the citrus reamer to argue if one is going to have a unitasker, the tool might as well be compact and efficient.
Many reamers are made from wood, in which case they should be patted dry after washing and ideally hung when not in use so that the edges of the ridges do not become deformed. If the ridges start to break down, the reamer will be less efficient. Other reamers are made from plastics, in which case the reamer can usually be run through the dishwasher and stored in a drawer; plastic reamers also often have soft handles which are designed for greater comfort on the part of the user.
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a DelightedCooking researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.