# Anyone use the table top fruit presses?



## STEEDTUCKER (Jan 28, 2010)

thinking about buying a table top fruit press and wondering if anyone else had one and what their expierience was with it.


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## djrockinsteve (Jan 28, 2010)

I have a full size floor fruit pressy father made long ago. It's great for all kinds of fruit. A table top press would be very convenient. Have you found any on line? How much are they? Gotta weigh less than mine.


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## mmdavis4 (Jan 28, 2010)

I bought one from E C Kraus for just under $200. It works, but it is not great. The "tray" is the oak base, and the juice tends to flow back under the base as you press. Also, there is no easy way to press easily into a bucket. I have to create a make-shift stand out of blocks of wood or styrofoam. And it is small so it requires quite a few pressings. It can also be hard to control as the plate (the part that presses down on the grapes) can can get all cockeyed, thus making it hard to get a nice press.

So if it is all you can afford, and you are pressing under 100 lbs of grapes, it can do the job. It is well made, has held up very well, and is pretty easy to clean. I have had mine for a year. I think I have used it 4 or 5 times for both grapes and apples. I plan on getting a better/bigger one in the next year.


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## Wade E (Jan 28, 2010)

I have a medium sized press and would never go any smaller my self cause its amazing how fast it fills up when adding fruit. Mine is about a 20 liter size.


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## STEEDTUCKER (Jan 28, 2010)

mmdavis4 said:


> I bought one from E C Kraus for just under $200. It works, but it is not great. The "tray" is the oak base, and the juice tends to flow back under the base as you press. Also, there is no easy way to press easily into a bucket. I have to create a make-shift stand out of blocks of wood or styrofoam. And it is small so it requires quite a few pressings. It can also be hard to control as the plate (the part that presses down on the grapes) can can get all cockeyed, thus making it hard to get a nice press.
> 
> So if it is all you can afford, and you are pressing under 100 lbs of grapes, it can do the job. It is well made, has held up very well, and is pretty easy to clean. I have had mine for a year. I think I have used it 4 or 5 times for both grapes and apples. I plan on getting a better/bigger one in the next year.



thanks for the input....that was one of the ones i was looking at because they have the crusher/press combo for like 365 or something like that....but after seeing your remark..i think i will go for the floor standing unit.


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## STEEDTUCKER (Jan 28, 2010)

Wade E said:


> I have a medium sized press and would never go any smaller my self cause its amazing how fast it fills up when adding fruit. Mine is about a 20 liter size.



did you build that one yourself? looks good....i am not that good with wood


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## Wade E (Jan 28, 2010)

Yea, it was a quickie. I should redo it in white oak soon, I hate to build something unproven very nice the first time Ill use all the same hardware with the exception of the copper strapping, that will be a heavier duty Stainless steel nexr time and like I said earlier ill use White oak and make the legs a little tealler so a normal primary bucket can fit under there, right now only a 5 gallon bucket can fit. Not sure what I want to use for the very bottom next time, right now it is oak veneered luan. im thinking maybe a plexi bottom.


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## xanxer82 (Jan 28, 2010)

Wade E said:


> Yea, it was a quickie. I should redo it in white oak soon, I hate to build something unproven very nice the first time Ill use all the same hardware with the exception of the copper strapping, that will be a heavier duty Stainless steel nexr time and like I said earlier ill use White oak and make the legs a little tealler so a normal primary bucket can fit under there, right now only a 5 gallon bucket can fit. Not sure what I want to use for the very bottom next time, right now it is oak veneered luan. im thinking maybe a plexi bottom.



wade you always impress me with your building skills.
I need to get a bit more confident and build some racks and a press.


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## Wade E (Jan 28, 2010)

Its a simple enough design, its a Shop fox Bench Vise handle for the actual press mechanism with a few 2 x 3's and some carriage bolts basically.


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## Luc (Jan 29, 2010)

Wade E said:


> I have a medium sized press and would never go any smaller my self cause its amazing how fast it fills up when adding fruit. Mine is about a 20 liter size.



Great job Wade !!!

I agree totally that you should not go for a smaller press.

We used a press at a friends place when crushing and pressing apples. It involves a lot of work in filling the press-bag and cleaning.
So take one as big as possible to minimise the work involved.

Luc


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## granda (Mar 21, 2010)

hey wade the press looks great ,is there any chance you could post instuctions on how to make one as im looking to press aplles to make cider and such a press would be perfect
thanks


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## Wade E (Mar 21, 2010)

I highly dought this has enough power to use for apples, it does Ok for small fruit and the such but apples are another monster and would put way too much pressure on the joints.


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## granda (Mar 21, 2010)

i have a small press i put together for apples and it works fine if the apples are frozen and then defrosted first im just looking to build a bigger one and yours seems perfect


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## Wade E (Mar 21, 2010)

I didnt make it off any plans, just worked with what few supplies I had on hand but I can take some measurements for you if you give me a few days cause I have a doctors appointment tomorrow that will take most of my night and then I have to pick up some stuff for my house the next day to get my basement going on fininishing it so maybe Wednesday or Thursday I can get them on here for you. I would use something stronger then what I used really like White Oak. Here is a link to the Vise screw I used.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00012XCCA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## david1 (Apr 4, 2010)

*press*

I also bought the small press from ec kraus and it can be a bit awkward at times but i will slice the apples into 4 pieces ( my sister does this) and then we use the crusher and the press seems to work ok, but, in retrospect i would get a larger stronger one or build one


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