Roll the fruit on the counter for ten seconds before you cut it. That is the whole trick, and it nearly doubled what I got out of my limes the first time I tried it.

The Microwave Shortcut

If you are in a hurry, pop the whole lemon in the microwave for about ten seconds. The heat loosens the membranes inside so they give up more juice. I was skeptical until I measured it. A room temperature lemon rolled hard gave me almost a third more juice than one straight from the fridge.

Other Things That Actually Help

• Warm it up. Cold fruit holds back juice. Leave it on the counter for an hour first.
• Roll with pressure. Use your palm, not your fingertips. You want to crush the inside slightly.
• Use tongs to squeeze. You get way more leverage than your hand alone.

My Mistake

I used to cut the fruit in half and squeeze it like I was angry at it. I got maybe a tablespoon. Now I roll, warm, then squeeze through a set of kitchen tongs, and the same lime gives me two tablespoons easy. It sounds small, but it matters when a recipe calls for four lemons and you only bought three.

Do not bother with the fancy reamers unless you juice a lot. A fork stuck in the cut half works fine for most of what I cook.