A few years ago, I got myself a small German-made electric oil press. I won’t pretend it wasn’t a financial stretch given my very limited means, but what a blast! Whether in France or when I was living in Africa, this machine let me produce excellent organic oil and discover flavors I never would have imagined.

No more bland, standardized industrial oils. With home production, you get the real taste and a full load of nutrients. And the best part is that this simple, accessible technology can really help create meaningful business opportunities, especially in countries where local resources are underutilized.

In Africa, I had the chance to train many people on how to use small presses. The goal was to tap into the enormous potential hidden in nature. Because seeds and nuts are everywhere! But nobody thought to process them. So villagers were paying top dollar for imported industrial oils when they had everything they needed right at hand to produce first-rate food and cosmetic oils.

I worked extensively on moringa oil, also called ben oil. The yield is fairly low, but its cosmetic properties are exceptional. The thing is, it’s not easy to produce on a small scale. So I had to develop a specific protocol to optimize extraction. This kind of challenge with vegetable oil is exactly what makes this field so exciting. Because almost anywhere in the world, with some research and experimentation, you can find solutions to significantly add value to often-neglected local natural resources.

Just this once, let’s start with a spoiler 🙂 At this point you might be wondering if it’s worth investing in a small oil press? And my answer is completely unambiguous: Yes, absolutely! Whether for personal use or to start a small artisanal business, a quality oil press is a fantastic tool. That’s why I’m going to share everything I’ve learned in the field in this technical guide: pro tips, mistakes to avoid, and most importantly, how to get the most out of your screw press.

Vegetable oil is a true nutritional and cosmetic treasure

Vegetable oils are much more than just cooking fat. They’re a concentrated source of life, energy, and benefits for your body. In your diet, they play an absolutely essential role. First off, they’re your main source of essential fatty acids, the famous omega 3, 6, and 9 that your body can’t produce on its own and that are vital for the proper functioning of your cardiovascular system, brain, and cells.

A good cold-pressed virgin vegetable oil is also packed with fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that protects your cells from premature aging. And finally, it’s a source of phytosterols that help regulate your cholesterol and polyphenols with anti-inflammatory properties. In short, when you consume quality oil, you’re not just putting fat on your plate, you’re giving your body precious nutrients.

The problem is that we tend to underestimate the importance of varying our oils. Because each oil has its own nutritional profile. For example, canola oil is excellent for its omega 3s, while sunflower oil provides more omega 6s. Walnut oil combines both in a balanced way. By varying your oils, or even blending them, you optimize your intake and do yourself good without even thinking about it.

But vegetable oils aren’t just for the inside! In cosmetics, they work real miracles because their molecular structure allows them to easily penetrate the epidermis and nourish your skin deeply. They also strengthen the hydrolipidic film, a natural protective barrier that prevents your skin from dehydrating and protects it from external aggressors.

Each oil has its own cosmetic specificities. Sweet almond oil is perfect for sensitive skin and baby skin. Argan oil is renowned for its exceptional anti-aging properties. Jojoba oil regulates sebum in oily skin. And moringa oil, which I’ve worked on extensively, has remarkable regenerating and purifying properties that make it a must-have in high-end cosmetic care.

Unlike industrial creams loaded with questionable additives and preservatives, pure vegetable oils are simple, effective, and completely natural. No pore-clogging silicones, no endocrine disruptors like parabens, and no irritating synthetic fragrances. So honestly, why spend a fortune on cosmetics with dubious marketing promises when vegetable oils offer visible and lasting results?

In summary, whether for your health or your skin, vegetable oils are unsuspected treasures of benefits. But they need to be quality! That’s what we’ll look at in the next section.

Why using organic oil is non-negotiable

I had a friend who had a brilliant saying. When he was alive, he loved to repeat: “It’s not the organic stuff that should be labeled ‘organic,’ it’s everything else that should be labeled ‘crap.'” And honestly, when you look at what the food industry does to conventional oils, you realize he wasn’t wrong at all.

So hold on tight because I’m going to tell you how most oils you find in supermarkets are made. First, they start by pressing the seeds at very high temperatures (we’re talking up to 390°F). At these temperatures, vitamins are destroyed, essential fatty acids are degraded, and natural antioxidants go up in smoke. But the food industry couldn’t care less because all that matters to them is yield to rake in maximum profit.

But wait, it’s not over! Because with simple mechanical pressing, even hot, you still leave 5 to 6% of oil in the press cake. And for industrialists, that kind of loss is unacceptable. So you know what they do? They dump the press cake in a bath of hexane. Hexane is a chemical solvent from the petroleum industry that’s classified as neurotoxic. This nasty stuff attacks the nervous system and causes neurological disorders in workers who handle it. On top of that, it’s extremely flammable.

So with hexane, industrialists manage to extract 95 to 97% of the oil contained in seeds or nuts to achieve maximum profitability. Then they evaporate the solvent… Well, they try! Because in reality, traces always remain in the oil. And especially, much higher concentrations remain in the press cakes that go to animal feed. The bottom line of this operation is that toxic residues end up in the milk, meat, and all animal products you consume.

But we’re not done yet! Because after extraction, the crude oil obtained this way smells bad, has a weird color, and a strong taste. Which doesn’t sell well to consumers used to neutral oils. So they move on to refining, with on the menu: Neutralization with lye, bleaching with bleaching clays, and deodorization at high temperature. And at the end of this industrial massacre, you get a standardized, calibrated oil with no smell, no flavor, and no color. Nothing at all really. Just a dead oil that doesn’t resemble anything and has lost all nutritional value.

Now, let’s talk about organic 🙂 With real organic, all this chemical crap is banned. No hexane extraction, no aggressive refining, no pesticides in the crops, and no high temperatures. Just cold mechanical pressing that respects the seed and preserves all its nutrients. And in the end, you get a living oil, with its taste, its natural color, its vitamins intact, and its essential fatty acids preserved.

I know, unfortunately organic costs more. I also know that for people with low incomes, it’s not always easy to make that effort. But listen carefully: If there’s one thing in your diet that you should prioritize buying organic, it’s oil. Because pesticides and chemicals are fat-soluble. Which means they concentrate in fats. So when you buy conventional oil, you’re buying a concentrate of all the poisons that were in the plant. At least with a non-organic carrot, you can peel it. But oil, you can’t peel it. That’s the problem!

And honestly, if you do the math, with an oil press the return on investment is super fast. Because when you see that a quart of quality organic oil easily costs between $16 and $22 for certain oils while you can produce it yourself for a fraction of the cost, the equation is quickly settled.

As for cosmetics, it’s the same story. Just because you don’t eat it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be vigilant. You regularly put these products on your face or body and your skin absorbs what you apply to it. And if it’s loaded with harmful products, you’re going to have health problems in the medium or long term. So why spend a fortune on snake oil promises sold by cosmetic manufacturers when organic vegetable oils are unsuspected treasures of benefits, effective and safe? Organic isn’t a luxury, it’s simply common sense.

What kind of oil can you produce with a small press?

When talking about home oil presses, most people immediately think of sunflower and canola. And it’s true that these two are the stars of oil production. And for good reason: they grow well in temperate latitudes and their yields are excellent. But honestly, limiting your press to just these two would be missing out on a universe of possibilities!

Because a screw oil press is an incredibly versatile tool. You can run almost all types of oilseed nuts and seeds through it. For example: sunflower seeds, pistachios, pine nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, canola, flax, hemp, safflower, mustard… The list is long. Very long even! Basically, if a seed or nut contains more than 20% oil, your press can extract it.

Now, let’s talk about yield in detail because it’s a crucial aspect. First, you need to know that not all seeds or nuts are created equal. Some are generous with oil, others much less so. For example, canola is a champion with about 37 to 40% oil. More concretely, this means that with about 4 lbs of canola seeds you get roughly 1 quart of oil. Sunflower is slightly less generous with its 34 to 39% oil. You need to count about 5.5 lbs of seeds for 1 quart of oil.

Sesame is a heavy hitter: Up to 50% oil! Same for castor. Peanut runs around 42%, flax too. Walnuts have a variable but generally good yield. However, some seeds are much less rich. Cottonseed, for example, only yields about 13% oil. Soybean is even worse with only 14%. But that doesn’t mean you can’t press them. Just be aware that you’re going to use a lot of raw material for little oil.

Now, let’s talk about a case that deserves a warning and sheds light on the harms of the textile industry. I’m talking about cottonseed oil. Sure, cottonseeds are rich in protein, omega 6, and vitamin E. Made up of 55% polyunsaturated fatty acids, this oil is loaded with antioxidants. So on paper, it’s great. But here’s the problem: I’ve often heard that cottonseed oil is poison. At first, that surprised me. Then I understood why.

You see, industrialists don’t hesitate to put chemical garbage in our food. So just imagine what they do with stuff that isn’t eaten, like cotton destined for textile production! You get it, it’s open season for all the chemical garbage! So cotton destined for the textile industry is literally loaded with pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides. Not to mention toxic fertilizers and the fact that it’s often genetically modified to allow it to receive even more chemicals without dying. So if you use these seeds to produce oil, you just get concentrated poison. On the other hand, if you use organic cottonseeds, you get a superior quality oil, rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, excellent for both food and cosmetic use. Which illustrates once again the value of organic.

In the end, each oil has its personality, its nutritional qualities, and its unique taste. With a small press, you become a true artisan oil maker. You can create your own signature blends, adapt your oils to your needs (for example, more omega 3s in winter to boost your immune system), or simply enjoy discovering flavors you’ll never find in stores.

How does a screw oil press work?

The principle of a screw oil press is brilliantly simple. It’s a purely mechanical system that uses progressive pressure to separate oil from solid matter. Let me explain how it works in practice.

The heart of the system is the pressing chamber. Inside, you have a screw that rotates inside a perforated cylinder also called a compression cage. This screw has a particular shape: it’s conical. Meaning its diameter gradually increases while the space between the screw and the cylinder decreases as you go along. It’s this clever geometry that creates increasingly strong pressure on the seeds.

Here’s what happens: The seeds enter from the top into a reservoir (the hopper) that feeds the press by gravity. The seeds fall into the pressing chamber where the screw pushes them forward. As they progress, the space shrinks, pressure increases, and oil begins to come out of the seeds. This oil flows through the slots in the perforated cylinder and is collected in a collection tray. On the other side, what’s left of the seeds (the press cake) comes out as patties or compact pieces.

To facilitate extraction, the press head (the part containing the cylinder and screw) is heated to a reasonable temperature. We’re generally talking about 105 to 140°F maximum, sometimes slightly more depending on the seeds, but that’s well below industrial temperatures. This is called the cold-press method because this slight heat just helps to fluidify the oil and improve yield without degrading the nutrients. It’s a perfect balance between efficiency and quality preservation.

Most modern home presses have an automatic temperature regulation system. You set the desired temperature on the control screen and the machine maintains this temperature throughout the process. It’s super practical because each type of seed has its optimal pressing temperature.

Some presses also have an adjustable rotation speed. This lets you adapt the pressing speed based on the hardness of the seeds. Hard seeds like hazelnuts or almonds require a slower speed and stronger pressure, while softer seeds like sesame or flax can be pressed more quickly.

Now, let’s talk about what comes out of the press. On one side, you collect the oil. It generally comes out quite loaded with fine particles, which is why many high-end professional presses integrate a filtration system, often in the form of a vacuum filter that draws oil through a filter cloth. This produces a pure, clear oil ready for use. But small presses are more basic and don’t have this system. So you’ll need to filter the oil yourself with a fine cloth or coffee filter after letting it settle well.

On the other side, you have the press cake. This is the solid part that remains after oil extraction. The press cake is far from being waste! It’s a noble material extremely rich in protein (for example, 30 to 35% for sunflower press cake), fiber, and minerals. It has plenty of very practical uses that we’ll see later.

With a small, very affordable home press and good-yielding oilseeds like canola or sunflower, you can easily produce 1 quart of oil in less than 15 minutes. We’re talking about a capacity of roughly 18 to 31 lbs of seeds per hour for small models. That gives you about half a gallon to 1 gallon of oil per hour depending on the seed used.

This can work for small artisanal production of organic food oil that can be resold. Imagine you’re an organic farmer and you have canola. Instead of selling it in bulk for pennies, you can transform it into oil and sell it through direct channels. The added value gain is huge. Beyond that, anything is possible: you have lots of hazelnut trees on your land? A small oil production business is certainly possible. And it’s even better suited for artisanal production of organic cosmetic oil because cosmetic oil is sold in small vials. And with half a gallon an hour, you can fill quite a few during a production day! Also worth noting that there’s the possibility of buying a large press as part of a small producers’ cooperative.

In fact, using a screw oil press is super simple. You let your machine heat up for a few minutes. Generally 5 to 10 minutes for the press head to reach the desired temperature. Meanwhile, you prepare your seeds. Once the temperature is right (an indicator light tells you), you start feeding the hopper. And then, it’s magic! You see the oil flowing on one side and the press cake coming out on the other.

All you have to do is make sure the hopper stays fed with seeds and that the collection containers don’t overflow. It’s really a super smooth and almost automatic process on modern electric models. Once you’re done, you clean the machine. And again, it’s simple. You disassemble the press head and clean it with hot water and soap. Same for the press body. It’s quick work.

As for power consumption, it’s quite reasonable. For a small press, we’re looking at around 500 watts peak power. So it’s possible to run this type of device on renewable energy such as solar photovoltaic. It’s even desirable to stay in the organic spirit.

There’s really nothing complicated about using an oil press. So you’re sure to succeed on the first try. Then you improve over time by learning to recognize the right consistency of the press cake coming out (neither too dry nor too oily), the color of the oil, the optimal flow rate… And after a few sessions, it becomes a real piece of cake.

Pro tips to take it much further

Now that we’ve covered the basics, I’m going to share the tricks that make all the difference. These tips, I learned them in the field, sometimes the hard way, and they’re going to save you a ton of time and significantly improve the quality of your oil.

Buying tips for finding a good oil press

So here we are at a crucial moment: How do you choose your oil press without getting ripped off? Because honestly, the market is saturated with models with prices that vary fivefold. So it’s easy to mess up if you don’t know what to look for. I’m going to share my experience to help you make the right choice.

My initial mistake: The manual oil press

At the start, I began with a manual press from a very well-known brand. You know, the kind of press with a big crank you turn by hand with a small alcohol burner underneath to heat the press head. On paper, it looked nice: No need for electricity, simple and robust system. Basically, it smelled like good low-tech.

But in reality, it was just pathetic. First, turning a crank for 1 to 2 hours to press a few pounds of seeds gets tiring fast. So to make the thing less tedious, I rigged up an electric motor powered by solar to replace the crank. But even with that, the result was disappointing.

The real problem was the heating system. An alcohol burner is useless! The extraction temperature is completely uneven. Sometimes too hot, sometimes not hot enough. You have no precise temperature setting, no control. So the yield is mediocre, the oil quality isn’t optimal, and you spend your time struggling instead of producing good oil.

My final verdict? It’s a very expensive toy for what it is. So if you really want to press your oil regularly and efficiently, better forget manual presses with burners. They might have vintage charm, but performance-wise, it’s really not there.

Electric oil press is the right choice

So you get it, the ideal is to use an electric press. There, you have a real electric heating system with temperature regulation. You set the temperature you want and the machine maintains that temperature consistently. It’s clean, precise, and super efficient.

An automatic model is really good for beginners. You put the seeds in the hopper, press the button, and the machine handles everything: rotation speed, temperature, and seed advancement. You just have to monitor and collect the oil. It’s really foolproof but allows you to focus on seed quality rather than machine settings. This is the kind of model I use and I’m satisfied with it.

After that, if you want more control and you’re ready to spend time optimizing your parameters, there are semi-automatic or manual electric models where you can adjust the rotation speed, fine-tune the temperature, and control the feed rate. But it’s more technical and best reserved for professionals who do nothing but this.

Don’t skimp on material quality

Material quality is the first thing to be vigilant about. In particular, everything in contact with seeds or nuts must be food-grade stainless steel. Stainless steel is perfect for food because it doesn’t rust, doesn’t react with oil, cleans very easily, and lasts over time.

But beware, not all stainless steels are created equal! Some unscrupulous manufacturers use low-grade stainless or questionable alloys. So the thing to check is the stainless steel grade. Ideally, you want 304 or 316 stainless (316 is higher quality and resists corrosion better). If the manufacturer doesn’t specify what grade of stainless is used, be wary.

And especially, look carefully at the press head quality. Because it’s the critical component of the machine, the one that takes all the pressure and is in direct contact with seeds and oil. Some manufacturers use cast aluminum for the press head. That’s a direct: No thank you!!! Aluminum isn’t great for food (risk of migration into oil), it’s less resistant than stainless, and wears out faster.

European brands vs Chinese manufacturing

To be sure of quality, the simplest thing is to favor European brands. Generally, German, Austrian, Czech, or French manufacturers have high quality standards and use good materials. Their machines are well designed, robust, with serious customer service. The problem is that it’s expensive. Sometimes even too expensive.

That said, I’m not saying everything from China should be thrown out. Far from it, because there are also very good Chinese-made models. I’ve actually tested some. There’s the very good and the really bad. The key is to research the component quality beforehand. The advantage is that for a good model, the price is very attractive.

So look at user reviews (real reviews, not fake sponsored ones), independent forums, experience feedback… Check that the manufacturer clearly specifies the materials used: what grade of stainless, what motor power, what actual processing capacity… If everything is vague and unclear in the description, move on.

The other thing is to look at the warranty policy and customer service. A serious manufacturer offers a minimum 1-year warranty, ideally 2 years. And especially, check that they offer replacement parts. Because a screw or cylinder eventually wears out over time. So if you can easily replace them, your machine can last 10, 15, 20 years. And if parts aren’t available, that means your machine is disposable.

What to expect price-wise for an oil press?

As an indication, you can find excellent home oil presses around $220. For this price, you get a basic electric model, in automatic mode, with a processing capacity of about 18 to 31 lbs per hour. With a good-yielding oilseed like canola or sunflower, that gives you about half a gallon an hour. Which is plenty for home use or for a small artisanal business.

If you want to move up in range with more capacity, better materials, and more features, you can find models between $440 and $880. And for really professional equipment, with capacities of 44 to 66 lbs per hour, you’re looking more at $1,650 to $3,300.

That might seem expensive like that, but again, do the math. Look at the price of a good organic oil per quart. Organic canola oil is about $8 to $11 per quart. Hazelnut oil easily goes up to $27-33 per quart. Roasted sesame oil is $22 and up. So if you consume 2 quarts of oil per month (which is a minimum for a small family or if you do some homemade cosmetics), you pay off a $220 press in just a few months.

And if you get into a small artisanal oil-selling business, the return on investment is even faster. Because a quality artisanal organic oil pressed to order, you can easily sell for $16 to $22 per quart in direct channels. With a good margin and happy customers thrilled to have real fresh oil. And I’m not even talking about cosmetic oil where the margins are more than comfortable.

Don’t take the manufacturer’s word for it and avoid marketing traps

Last tip: Don’t take the manufacturer’s word for it. Because commercial descriptions are often baloney. “Exceptional yield,” “professional quality,” “high-strength stainless steel”… Yeah, sure! But concretely, what does that look like in real life?

So look for experience feedback from people who have actually been using the machine for several months or years. By the way, forget Facebook groups which are just online dumpsters that steal your personal data and are stuffed with fake reviews. Same goes for Reddit.

If possible, for professional models, try to see the machine in person before buying. Some organic farmers or agricultural cooperatives have presses they use, you can always ask to see how it works. Sometimes you can even find workshops or demos organized by dealers.

And one last thing: Watch out for prices that are too low. A press for $55 or $88 is more than suspicious. Either it’s junk that will break after three uses, or it’s a scam with a product you’ll never receive. In this field as elsewhere, quality has a price. So better to invest a little more upfront and have a reliable machine that’s going to last.

Conclusion: Rediscovering the true taste of oil

If you want to be convinced of the usefulness of this kind of device, you just have to take a piece of good organic bread and dip it in the warm oil that’s just been pressed. You taste it… And after that, you’ll realize you’d never tasted good oil in your life.

Because discovering the subtle fruity taste of real fresh canola oil, having all the flavor in your mouth of hazelnut oil that’s just been extracted… That’s a top-tier gustatory pleasure. Nothing to do with the neutral, dead industrial oils found everywhere. And nothing to do either with organic oil sold in supermarkets. So after all that, are you ready to join the informal NovaFuture self-producing oilmakers club, or would you rather stick with your flavorless oils?

Need to exchange info? A good address for buying a press, an unknown oil to try, specific usage tips? It all happens on the dedicated forum, and there’s always someone to answer you and share their experience.

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