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Pick a press!

If you're struggling to decide which fruit press to choose, here's our handy Q&A guide to help you make the right choice.

There are two processes in apple juice making. The apples need to be crushed first, before they are pressed. We offer a range of fruit crushers and presses to suit different scales of production. To help you choose the right crusher and press, you may find it helpful to consider the following:

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 100 lbs (50kg) and a large standard tree (the sort of tree you can walk under) can bear more than 500 lbs (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.

How much juice will I get from my apples? Apples will yield up to 50% or more juice by weight. As a rough guide, 20 lbs of apples will yield up to about one gallon of juice.

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:

How much juice?

Press Capacity of press Approximate juice yield per pressing*
4.5 Litre Worktop Press 7lbs (3.4kg) 3 pints (1.7 litres)
9 Litre Spindle Press 18lbs (8 kg) 6 pints (3.5 litres)
12 Litre Spindle Press 24 lbs (11kg) 8 pints (4.5 litres)
12 Litre Cross Beam Press 24 lbs (11kg) 8 pints (4.5 litres)
20 Litre Cross Beam Press 40 lbs (18kg) 14 pints (8 litres)
36 Litre Cross Beam Press 70 lbs (29kg) 22 pints (12.5 litres)
Rack and Cloth Press 88 lbs (40 kg) 35 pints (20 litres)
20 Litre Hydropress 44 lbs (20 kg) 22 pints (12.5 litres)
40 Litre Hydropress 88 lbs (40 kg) 44 pints (25 litres)
90 Litre Hydropress 198 lbs (90kg) 98 pints (55.5 litres)


(*) Dependent on season and variety of apple; this table should be used as a rough guide only

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 biggest 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 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.

Click on Crushing to learn more.

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