I’m not saying that every guy, or (especially) gal, will be thrilled to receive a piece of kitchen equipment, albeit, aesthetically-pleasing, life-enhancing kitchen equipment, on Valentine’s Day. Sure, some will jump up and down with joy and jubilation if you shower them with gastro goodies to fill out their favorite room in the home. But, If you’re not sure whether your significant other falls into the “will love it” category, or the “will want to hit you over the head with a saucepan” category,  you might want to think of the below as auxiliary gifts. Perhaps, consider them as those now that you’ve opened, and loved the ______ (fill in the blank – custom-made cigar box, vintage diamond earrings, homemade chocolate truffles, romantic Parisian getaway itinerary, might be options…), here’s a little something darling that I know you’ll just adore adding to your culinary arsenal, kind of gifts.

Now that we’re clear on that, if you’re looking for something off-beat  for your Valentine giftage and your love loves homemade lemonade, or freshly squeezed OJ first thing in the morning, or a dash of lime to brighten up  a club soda or an evening cocktail, here’s a selection of the most dashing citrus squeezers on the market: efficient, functional, great to look at, and perfectly easy to gift-wrap.

1. Bird Shaped Lemon Juicer, William Sonoma, $8
Genius, and oh so pretty. This elegant, avian-inspired juicer squeezes from lemon wedges rather than halves, making it ideal for when you need just a squeeze of tartness to liven up your ice tea, or add some tang to a pan sauce or salad dressing. Don’t be put off by its diminutive size, it features a strong, high-leverage clamp for uber-efficient juice extraction, and its perforated base means that none of the pith or seeds make it into whatever deliciousness you’re concocting. It’s perfectly engineered to accommodate lemons and limes.

2. Breville Die-Cast Citrus Press, $189.99
This is a one helluva boy toy, if I ever saw one. Housed in professional grade stainless-steel, featuring an industrial strength, whisper-quiet motor and a revolutionary active arm system (that’s a lever, to you and me), this undeniably sexy machine will score you brownie points from which you can redeem all manner of *benefits.*  And the best thing about it is that it has an innovative, proprietary  1-size-fits-all futuristic-looking juicing cone called the Quadra-Fin, that both maximizes extraction of all citrus-fruits from tangerines to grapefruit, and will also give boyfriend a lot to boast about.

3. Alessi Juicy Salif, Citrus Squeezer, $100
This iconic piece of  kitchen paraphernalia is for the modern sophisticate, for the lover of sleek, contemporary design. For the show-off. Designed by Philipp Starck,  with its mirror-polished aluminum casting, this  leggy, cutting-edge juicer is as striking to look as it is surprisingly easy to use. Trust me, I’m not just saying that – I have one. I was suspicious at first, so I tried it out and anticipated a big mess on my counter. But no mess came, just a neat, refined stream of fresh juice. Starck sketched the essentials of this piece during a seaside vacation in Italy, on a paper napkin in a pizzeria. As I always suspected – we should all go work in the Italian Riviera.

4. Bodum Bistro Electric Two speed Citrus Juicer, $49.95

My husband Peter never reads Spade & Spatula (that’s exactly what I think too…). But, maybe it’s a good thing he doesn’t. Otherwise he’ll know I’m in love with someone else. Well, something else, technically. This Bodum juicer. It’s the cutest thing you ever did see – and it comes in a dazzling panoply of hues, including green, orange, red, white and black, and features a cone and a drip-stop in a cool electric pink (me want, and me want it now!). Yes, I said a drip-stop. So in addition to looking all adorable and colorful, it won’t make your kitchen sticky with dripping juice . It also features a – get this – “cyclone function,” so it suctions all of the juice out of the excess pulp, and sits higher than other juicers so you can fit anything from a short tumbler to a hi-ball glass underneath it. Order the Limited Bonus Version, and you’ll get two free color-coordinating glasses that come with a jazzy silicone grip.

5. Juliska Berry and Thread Citrus Juicer,
$36 

Sometimes the old-fashioned ways are best, especially when they come couched in understated elegance, and pain-stakingly intricate detail. You couldn’t get any classier with a juicer than with this Juliska traditional ceramic design accented with the storied European brand’s signature berry and thread motif. Who needs a lever or a motor when you can double up on style?

Tags: citrus, juicers, shopping, valentine's day