Before You Choose

You will find a helpful introduction to fruit juice production together with some advisory notes on choosing equipment in the section below.

Once you have read the introduction, please click into the following links to view our range of products and prices.

Fruit Juice Production

Making juice from home-grown apples is one of the most satisfying ways of using surplus and windfall fruit. Most gardeners are familiar with the seasonal problems of over production as the freezer fills with apple puree, the prospect of another apple pie or crumble seems less enticing than it did at the beginning of the season and there are still more apples to be removed from under the trees before the grass can be mown. The answer is a fruit press that will gobble up pound upon pound of apples and generate gallons of delicious juice which can be drunk immediately, stored until later or turned into cider.

Fresh home-made juice tastes far better than most mass-produced commercial juices, many of which are made from reconstituted imported concentrates. Apples can express as much range of flavour as wines and it is a delight to experiment with different varieties and blends. Home made juice is ideal for those who are concerned about chemical spray residues: you will know what has gone into your juice.

Choosing Equipment

There are two processes in juice making: first the fruit must be crushed; second the juice is pressed from the crushed fruit. Vigo offers a range of fruit crushers and presses to suit different scales of production. In this catalogue you will find crushers and presses arranged by scale, with appropriate crushers listed with each size of press.

When making a choice you might find it helpful to consider the following:

1. How easy is it to make juice?
No special expertise is required to produce juice. Detailed instructions and a booklet on juice and cider making are supplied with each machine. The design of the machines is very simple and they are easy to operate. Home juice making is fun, a seasonal activity that can involve family and friends. The aroma of crushed fruit and the first taste of tangy fresh juice are special autumnal treats to which we can look forward year after year.

2. What fruits can I use with my fruit press?
Juice extraction via pressing is best for apples, pears and grapes. This method preserves the fresh, bright taste of fruit newly harvested. Neither freezing nor pasteurisation impairs the flavour – the juice remains as flavoursome as the day it was pressed.

3. Can the press be used for fruits other than apples, pears & grapes?
Yes, for berry fruits such as blackberries, raspberries and elderberries. The cross beam presses, which can be lined with a straining bag, are best suited for these fruits, as fruit seeds can be strained out of the juice via the bag during the pressing process.

However, extracting juice from currants (blackcurrants, redcurrants and whitecurrants), hard fruits (crab apples & quinces) and berries (blueberries and loganberries), is best done via the hot juice extraction method (see picture left) using one of our range of Steamers. This method enhances the flavour of all these fruits juices. Please select the Steaming Currants/Berries category on the left for more information.

4. How many apples am I likely to have available?
Apple yields vary from year to year and in a good year a smallish bush tree may bear 100lbs (50kg) and a large standard tree (the sort of tree you can walk under) can bear more than 500lbs (250 kg). Whatever the yield of your own trees it is likely that even in poor years there will be apples free for the taking from friends and neighbours.

5. How much juice do I want to produce?
Do not underestimate the amount of juice that can be consumed by adults and children alike. Juice can be frozen or pasteurised for long-term storage or it can be turned into cider. To help you work out approximate juice yields per pressing according to which press you choose please see the table below:

Press capacity of press by weight of crushed apples

6. What will it cost?
Vigo presses are built to last and should be regarded as a long-term investment – our first presses, sold in 1985, are still giving good service. If funds are limited, it is better to buy the best press you can afford with a view to purchasing a crusher at a later date as, although good apple crushing is an essential part of the juice making process, it can be done the via hard labour by pounding the apples, or by using the inexpensive Pulpmaster. Consider sharing equipment with friends and neighbours to spread the cost; juice making is a perfect community venture.

7. Are these machines safe for food use?
Yes, all our machines are built to the most stringent British & European safety standards. The oven baked polyester coating covering the traditional presses meets the EN17 low toxicity toy standard. The Hydropresses are constructed with a perforated stainless steel cylinder and an enamelled cast aluminium alloy base and lid.

Juicing Ideas

Click here to view our archive of tasty recipes.