Apple Cider Press - What is the Best One?

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Hubby and I have decided to go ahead and buy an apple cider press. Who sells them and do you recommend any over the others. We are considering getting the one that does soft fruits as well because we are going to be growing grapes next year. Price is not an overriding fator. We want to get the one that works the best and is the best value for the price, whatever the price might be. We also would consider a kit but don't want to build totally from scratch from a plan.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), September 23, 2001

Answers

The one I have is from Garden Way Manufacturing and I've had it for 20+ years. I originally used it for cider and we made a LOT of cider with it. Now I mainly use it as a cheese press, however, and it's good for that as well. I've made 30# cheeses in it with no problems. They are well built and sturdy.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), September 23, 2001.

Have you checked out the article in the Sep/Oct 2000 Countryside on how to build your own for under $100 ?

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), September 23, 2001.

Happy Valley sells a wonderful press. Bought ours in the 70's and it is still being used today.

We have the single bucket one, I think it is called the Homesteader. We also have the grinder attachment and that works very well.

My husband will grind the apples into a 5 gal bucket and let sit for an hour or so, he feels it gets more of the juice going. Then the ground apples go into the press, a few turns of the screw and out comes cider. I usually can about 100 quarts and make vinegar in a 30 gal crock.

The pomace would go to the chickens and when they got sick of it, we took it out to the field and left it for the deer.

The Happy Valley unit is well construct and cleans easily. The cost of the unit we have runs about $500.00 now, I think. They do have a website so check them out.

*Nothing tastes like cider fresh from the press....my youngest used to stick her glass under the spout a collect the cider as it ran. One year, we swear she drand 1/2 gal and at that time she was only about 2. She thought it was so much fun!!

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), September 24, 2001.


That is Happy Valley Ranch!

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), September 24, 2001.

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