[Photograph: Cuisipro.com]

Everyone has a certain food sensation that takes them back to the happiest moments of childhood—the scent of apple pie in the oven, maybe, or the sizzle of latkes frying. For me, it's the churn of the electric citrus press and resulting stacks of hollowed orange halves, an indicator that it you can never overestimate the amount of oranges needed to fill up a pitcher with fresh juice.

Back in my home state of Florida, there's no season for oranges—it's always citrus season in the Sunshine State—but in the Northeast where I live now, winter's bounty of citrus is one thing that brings me closer to home when it feels furthest away. And realizing that electric citrus presses are only necessary for filling up pitchers I'd never finish alone, I decided on a sharply designed alternative. Though it requires a little more arm strength, the Cuisipro Double-Reamer Citrus Juicer ($18 at amazon.com) allows for almost as much personal preference as the supermarket aisle.

Small and large reamers allow for a custom fit depending on the citrus of choice, and they lock onto one another for storage. They're deeply grooved, which makes the motion of juicing more efficient and ergonomic, easily yielding as much juice as electric models. Since the container below it only holds a cup (milliliter and cup measures on the side help you gauge your progress), your arm doesn't have much time to get tired. Those who juice for groups probably should get more assistance than a totally manual model offers.

Where the design is most clever is in the slots that let the juice flow into the container, which range from thin to thick—more pulp or less. Flip the lid around to change your preference. Since it's angled, you get to use just one side at a time to get your juice just the way you want it, though seeds won't make it through either end. The base is non-slip while the whole thing is dishwasher friendly and pretty enough to leave on open shelves (it's even carried at the MoMA store in New York City—a reliable sign of good aesthetics).

I won't keep this juicer forever, but for its price point and savvy functionality, it makes a great choice for the nostalgic juicer. Looking for something a bit more high-tech but just as handsome? Look no further than Bodum's Bistro Electric Two Speed Citrus Juicer.

About the author: Nikki Goldstein Nikki Goldstein is a freelance food and nutrition writer living in New York City. Aside from her Gadgets and Brunch columns here at Serious Eats, you can find her writing in SELF and the New York Post's new iPad edition, The Daily. Even in her 500-square-foot studio, she devotes an entire walk-in-closet to all things gadget-related..