For those who love growing grapes at home and making your own wine, you should consider investing in a grape press. However, a lot goes into choosing the right type of press to meet your needs.
If the sound of making your own wine and pressing your own fruit sounds exciting, you’ve come to the right place. This article will delve into four of the best grape presses on the market and what to consider when making your choice.
Best Overall Grape Press
The Weston Fruit and Wine Press
If you’re looking for the best overall grape and wine press on the market, look no further than the Weston Fruit and Wine Press. The Weston takes the top spot on our list because of its versatility, ease of use, durability, and capacity.
There are several capacities to choose from, but the 3-gallon and 4-gallon options are best for most home growers. You can press everything from grapes to berries to larger fruits, including apples, peaches, and plums.
In addition to being highly versatile and durable, this fruit press is extremely easy to use. It comes with everything you need to get started, including ten wooden pressing blocks, a heavy-duty double ratchet, and a vast cage that holds roughly 50 pounds of fruit waste.
The double ratchet responsible for starting the pressing mechanism is cast iron, and the press has a solid steel base. This press is also easier to use than most because of the pulling mechanism rather than the traditional rotating mechanism.
Pros
- Extremely versatile and capable of pressing most types of fruit
- The components are very durable and made of rust-proof materials
- Very easy to use and assemble
- Multiple size options
Cons
- Somewhat pricy unless you use it fairly regularly
Best Grape Press on a Budget
Costzon Fruit and Wine Press
If you’re looking for a quality grape press that costs half the price of the Weston, look no further than the Costzon Fruit and Wine Press. The Costzon is similar in design and operation to the Weston but has a slightly smaller capacity.
However, if you’re not looking to make huge batches of wine at a time, the Costzon is perfect! It features a robust design made to last, and the mechanism is fast and easy to use.
Despite having an efficient and durable design, this wine press also has a unique and vintage look. It features wooden pressing blocks, a cast-iron press, and handle, and it all sits on a solid steel base.
The Costzon can press various grapes and fruits, including apples, grapes, pears, peaches, and berries. In addition to being very affordable, this wine press is easy to clean, take apart, and assemble with minimal effort.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Easy to use, clean, assemble, and disassemble
- Perfect for beginners or those who produce small amounts of wine
- Surprisingly durable despite the price
Cons
- Reviews say that the paint tends to chip
- Capacity is slightly small
Most Heavy Duty Grape Press
EJWOX Stainless Steel Wine Press
Each of the grape presses on this list features a wooden basket and frame, except for the EJWOX Stainless Steel Wine Press. Because of the stainless steel basket, handle, and other components, this wine press is one of the best in the business.
Unlike most other wine presses that have wooden blocks for the press, this bad boy has a stainless steel block. In addition to its durability and stability, this grape press is extremely easy to assemble, clean, and maintain.
The only downside of this press is that the handle requires a little muscle and effort to use, so expect to get a bit of a workout.
Pros
- Made of rust-proof and waterproof components
- Very easy to assemble and maintain
- Very versatile and heavy-duty
- Impressive capacity of nearly 2.5 gallons
Cons
- The handle requires a little effort to press
- A little pricy
Grape Press With the Most Capacity
TryFun Fruit Cider and Wine Press
Using a smaller wine press is ok for some, but bigger is better for home growers who want to press large quantities of grapes and fruits. If you fall into the bigger is better category, the TryFun Fruit, Cider, and Wine Press is the way to go.
With a capacity of nearly five gallons, this grape press has the largest capacity on our list of the best presses for home growers. It features a retro, vintage design with a wooden exterior and cast iron handle and wrapping.
It has a holding capacity of up to eighteen liters and comes with everything you need to start pressing immediately. In addition to being extremely easy to use and assemble, this wine press is also easy to clean and requires minimal maintenance.
The cast iron components and wooden pressing blocks are incredibly durable and meant to last a lifetime. There’s also ample support for heavy pressing, thanks to the sturdy steel base.
Pros
- Features a handy pour spout for ease of use
- Easy to assemble the components
- Minimal maintenance is required
- Impressive capacity and holding basket
Cons
- A little pricy if you don’t press regularly
How to Choose the Right Grape Press
Durability
One of the main things to consider when choosing your grape press is how durable it will be. The most durable wine presses have mostly wood, stainless, steel, and cast iron components that are capable of standing up to heavy use and moisture.
Versatility
While you might only have one type of fruit on your mind right now for pressing, there’s a good chance you’ll want to try other things. If you get a versatile grape press that can handle different types and sizes of fruit, you’re setting yourself up for success down the road.
Capacity
Capacity doesn’t matter as much as durability and versatility unless you plan to press a decent amount of fruit. The more storage capacity your press has and the bigger the basket is, the less often you’ll have to refill it.
Ease of Use
You should also consider how easy or difficult it is to use the pressing mechanism. Some presses are much easier to use, clean, assemble, and maintain than others, so make your choice accordingly.
The Right Press for Your Grapes
As you can see, there are plenty of great grape presses out there and much to consider when making your choice. However, by following the tips and tricks in this article and learning more about the different varieties of grapes for home growing, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding the perfect press for your needs.
Excited for more grape content? Next, check out my grape vine page for more growing tips, care guides, recipes, and more!
Shopping for your vineyard can get overwhelming, fast. So if you’re looking for advice on tools and supplies, then you’re in the right place!
- About the Author
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Jalin Coblentz was born and raised in northeast Ohio in the heart of farming country and grew up working in the family garden growing corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and a wide range of vegetables.
Canning and preservation were also a way of life for Jalin growing up, and he spent countless hours helping his mother, grandmother, and aunts with these duties. It’s now his passion to share his skills and knowledge with others to help them achieve their own growing goals.