How to Build a Cider Press for Under $100

Pressed cider from apples and other fruits is one way to process an abundant harvest in a short amount of time. While large manufacturers use heavy machinery to process thousands of fruits at a time, you can press a few bushels on a homemade cider press for less than $100. Once your cider press is built, you can take advantage of the straightforward and uncomplicated process of making cider any time of the year.

Things You'll Need

• 2 2-by-4 boards, 2 feet long
• 2 2-by-4 boards, 20 inches long
• Hammer
• Nails
• 3/4-inch plywood, 24 inches square
• Drill
• 1-inch drill bit
• 13-gallon trash bag
• Scissors
• Staple gun
• Liquid dish detergent
• Table
• 5-gallon bucket
• 2 cutting boards, approximately 18 inches square
• Multiple pieces of cheese cloth, approximately 40 inches square
• Buckets of finely chopped apples

Instructions

1. Lay the 2-foot 2-by-4s on the ground parallel with each other and resting on their 2-inch width. Space the boards 20 inches apart. Place the 20-inch boards between the 2-foot boards and space them 20 inches apart to form a box. Drive a nail through the ends of the 2-foot boards and into the 20-inch boards at each corner to secure the frame.

2. Lay the plywood square over the frame and align the edges on all four sides. Nail through the plywood and into the boards every 6 inches. Flip the box over. Use a 1-inch bit to drill a hole through the plywood close to one corner.

3. Cut open a trash bag and drape the plastic over the box. Press the bag along the inside of the box to fully line the box. Wrap the excess plastic around the outside of the box. Use a staple gun to secure the plastic to the box along the outside edges every 4 inches. Push your finger through the plastic and into the drilled hole to make a hole in the plastic at that point.

4. Wash the plastic down with liquid dish detergent and water, rinse and allow to dry. Set the box on a sturdy table with the drilled corner hanging over the edge of the table. Position the 5-gallon bucket directly under the drilled hole. Place a cutting board in the center of the box.

5. Spread a piece of cheese cloth centered over the cutting board. Pile chopped apples over the cloth and cutting board to no more than 4 inches deep. Wrap the cloth from the sides of the cutting board up and over the top of the apples. Tie the diagonal corners of the cloth to one another to hold the cloth wrapped around the apples.

6. Repeat Step 5 to layer one to two more bundles of apples wrapped in cloth on top of the first. Place the other cutting board over the top stack of apples.

7. Press down on the top cutting board to press the apples and release the cider. As the cider comes out of the cloth, it should flow down to the box and out the hole in the corner. Press the cutting board harder and harder until cider stops coming out.

Tips & Warnings

• Placing heavy objects on the cutting board, such as cinderblocks or bricks, so long as they are cleaned, can make pressing the cider less strenuous.

• Unlike juices, which are pasteurized, cider can be enjoyed immediately after pressing or poured straight into jars and sealed for storage.

• The apple mash that remains in the cloths can be composted.

References

• "Cider"; Annie Proulx, Lew Nichols; 2003
• "Growing Fruit and Vegetables"; Richard Bird; 2003