I juice a lot. Like, two pitchers a week. My counters get sticky. My kids come sniff the air. I’ve tried many kinds of oranges, from tiny mandarins to big honeybells. I used a Breville Citrus Press Pro at home, a cheap plastic hand reamer on trips, and a heavy Zulay lever press at my friend’s brunch. I took notes. I weighed fruit. I measured cups. And I drank every last drop.
I later pulled all those tasting notes together for Popdex’s deep-dive on the best oranges for juicing.
If you want to see what juicing gadgets and citrus tips people are buzzing about right now, take a quick scan of Popdex—it’s a fun rabbit hole.
Here’s what I found, the good and the not-so-good, with real numbers and little moments that stuck with me.
What I look for
- Yield: How many ounces per orange.
- Taste: Sweet, tart, or weirdly bitter after it sits.
- Seeds and peel: Do they slow me down.
- Price and season: Can I find them without hunting.
By the way, I like pulp. My husband doesn’t. So I strain half the time.
Quick picks if you’re in a hurry
- Best overall: Valencia
- Best for same-day juice: Navel (fresh only)
- Best kid favorite: Cara Cara (pink and sweet)
- Best color for brunch: Blood orange
- Best early season workhorse: Hamlin
- Best juice bomb: Minneola Honeybell (tangelo)
- Best blend booster: Mandarins/Clementines
- Not for straight juice: Seville (bitter orange)
Now, let me explain. Because the details matter.
My real tests at home
I ran the same batch two ways. With the Breville press and with a hand reamer.
- Valencia (8 lb bag from Costco, summer): about 7 cups total juice. Cost under $10. About $1.40 per cup. On average, 2.5 to 3 oz per orange.
- Navel (4 lb bag from a local market, December): about 3.5 cups. Thicker peel. About 2 oz per orange.
- Cara Cara (Whole Foods 365 organic, late winter): about 2 to 2.5 oz per orange.
- Blood oranges (Moro, January): 1.5 to 2 oz per orange.
- Hamlin (Florida fruit stand, November): 3 oz per orange. Easy press.
- Minneola Honeybell (February, shipped from Florida): close to 4 oz per fruit. Wild.
- Mandarins/Clementines (kids’ snack box, many brands): about 1 oz each.
The Breville press gave me about 10–15% more juice than the hand reamer. The Zulay lever press matched the Breville for yield and felt steady and strong. My wrists thanked me.
Valencia: my daily workhorse
If I could only pick one, I’d pick Valencia. (Valencia oranges are renowned for their high juice content and balanced flavor, making them a top choice for juicing.) The juice tastes bright. Sweet with a clean tang. It also keeps well. I made a pitcher at 7 a.m., and it still tasted great at noon. No weird bitter shift. I’ve hit 3 oz per fruit on good weeks. I once squeezed an 8 lb bag and got roughly 7 cups. That pitcher didn’t make it to dinner.
Navel: great if you drink it right away
I love eating navels. (Quick note: Navel oranges are sweet and easy to peel, but their juice can develop a bitter taste if not consumed immediately.) But the juice can turn bitter if it sits for a bit. I pressed four big navels and got about 1 cup. Fresh, it tasted sunny and sweet. I left a glass in the fridge. Came back 40 minutes later. It tasted… pithy and dull. So, I use navels only when we’re drinking on the spot. Sunday pancakes? Perfect.
Cara Cara: pink, sweet, and kid approved
Cara Cara is a pink-fleshed navel. My daughter calls it “strawberry orange.” It’s lower acid and very sweet. Juice is soft, almost creamy. Yield is fine, not huge. I reach for these when I want a gentle glass. Also, the color makes me smile. You know what? That small joy counts on cold mornings.
Blood orange: color that steals the show
Blood oranges taste like orange with a hint of berry. The color can go ruby or blush. I love them for brunch. They don’t give a lot of juice, but a splash changes the whole vibe. I’ll mix 75% Valencia and 25% blood orange. People always ask, “What did you put in this?”
If brunch stretches into mimosas, I sometimes swap the bubbly for a chilled glass from Popdex’s rundown of Moscato bottles I keep reaching for—sweet, fizzy, and friendly alongside that ruby juice.
Hamlin: the quiet hero from Florida
Hamlin shows up early in the season. They don’t look fancy, but they press easy and give steady juice. Mild flavor. Not as zesty as Valencia, yet more than good enough for weekday bottles. I grabbed a bag from a roadside stand near Ocala. The man said, “These are for juicing.” He was right.
Minneola Honeybell: the juicy surprise
If you see honeybells in January or February, grab them. They’re tangelos with a little top knot. The peel comes off easy. The juice flows. I measured about 4 oz from one large fruit using the Zulay press. The taste is bright, sweet, and a bit floral. I drank a whole glass without a breath. No regrets.
Mandarins and clementines: small, but mighty in blends
Straight mandarin juice tastes like candy. I like it in a mix. Try 70% Valencia and 30% mandarin. The scent jumps out of the glass. For fast juice, I toss six clementines and one Valencia through the press. That’s a quick morning fix.
Seville: amazing… but not for a full glass
Seville (bitter orange) is for marmalade. One time, I tried a full glass. No. Too bitter. But a small wedge in a blend adds a nice perfume. Think of it like a spice, not the main show.
Taste notes, simple and real
- Valencia: balanced, bright; holds well in the fridge for a few hours.
- Navel: sweet at first; gets bitter if it sits.
- Cara Cara: sweet, low acid; soft and pink.
- Blood orange: berry notes; stunning color.
- Hamlin: mild, friendly; easy to press.
- Honeybell: super juicy; lively and floral.
- Mandarins: candy-sweet; use to boost aroma.
- Seville: bitter; use a tiny bit or skip.
My costs and cups, from regular grocery runs
- Costco Valencia, 8 lb bag: about 7 cups. Under $10.
- Local market navel, 4 lb bag: about 3.5 cups. Around $5–7.
- Blood oranges, sold by the pound: not cheap. I use them as an accent.
- Honeybells, shipped: a treat box I ordered was pricey. Worth it for a mid-winter mood lift.
These numbers shift a bit by season. Rain and heat make a difference. That’s normal.
Blends I make a lot
- Bright everyday: 100% Valencia.
- Pink morning: 80% Cara Cara, 20% Valencia.
- Party punch: 60% Valencia, 25% blood orange, 15% mandarin.
- Sweet tart: 70% honeybell, 30% Valencia.
- Gentle green mix: 80% Valencia with a small chunk of cucumber. Don’t laugh—so fresh.
Little tips that help
- Room temp fruit gives more juice than cold fruit.
- Roll each orange on the counter with your palm. It helps.
- If you only have navels, drink the juice right away. Don’t let it sit.
- Strain once for smooth juice; skip strain for a fuller taste.
- Save the zest. I freeze it and use it in muffins and vinaigrettes.
So, what’s the best?
For most people, Valencia wins. It gives great yield. It tastes balanced. It keeps for a bit without going weird. If you want a sweet, pink twist, grab Cara Cara. For a showy brunch, add blood oranges. When winter is gray and dull, honeybells feel like a treat. And if you spot Hamlin early in the season, you’ll get solid, no-fuss juice.
I’ve pressed all of these, many times, with sticky hands and a happy face. The choice is simple: pick what you can find fresh, lean on Valencia for daily use, and toss in a few fun oranges when you want a little spark.
Later in the evening—once the kids are asleep and the juicer is clean—I trade citrus for a dram guided by Popdex