Improve press results: correct setting of adjustment bolt.

The correct setting of the adjustment bolt is very important. It controls the pressure. The Piteba oil press has this unique option and gives you the highest possible oil yield. The settings vary between seeds.

with adjustment bolt:

without adjustment bolt:

NO OIL AND PRESS CAKE STONE HARD:

What to do if pressing fails? >

Almond

Whole almonds can be processed, including the seed skin, but grinded almonds will be easier to fill in the expeller, resulting in a higher oil yield / hour. To avoid bridge formation in the funnel, please use the pestle.

extraction efficiency                      89 %

oil yield (litre per hour)                  1.4

Setting of the expeller: Use the terminal adjustment bolt leaving the openings in the cap free. Clean the oil outlet regularly. Turning the crank requires a reasonable force.  

Argane

Remove all stones  and shells before expelling. Fill small quantities of deshelled Argane seeds slowly into the press. Turn slowly until no press cake comes out of the cap. In this way a constant oil flow can be generated  without clogging of the press cake. To avoid bridge formation in the funnel, please use the pestle.

extraction efficiency                      83 %

oil yield (litre per hour)                  0,9

Setting of the expeller: Use the terminal adjustment bolt leaving the openings in the cap free. Gradually tighten the adjustment bolt until the press cake appears in  a constant flow. If tightened too much the press cake will clog and the cap has to be removed and cleaned. Turning the crank requires a reasonable force at about 50 rotations per minute.

Babassu

The kernels have to be reduced in size by grating, pounding or chipping. Turn crank slowly  at 45 – 50 rotations per minute to allow the oil to run the outlet.

extraction efficiency: 90 %

oil yield (litre per hour) : 1,5

Setting of the expeller: Do not use terminal adjustment bolt. Turning the crank requires little force.

Beechnut

The  nuts are expelled  including the seed coat. Carefully remove any stones and other dirt before processing.  Because of the angular form of the nuts  they tend to form a bridge in the funnel. Please use the pestle to improve the flow of the nuts.

extraction efficiency: 77 %

oil yield (litre per hour): 0,56

Setting of the expeller: Use the terminal adjustment bolt leaving the openings in the cap free. Gradually tighten the adjustment bolt until the press cake appears as thin strings. Turning the crank requires a reasonable force.

Cocoa beans

Whole beans can be processed, including the seed skin. Flaked beans will be easier to fill in the expeller, resulting in a higher oil yield / hour.

extraction efficiency                                     65 %

oil yield (litre per hour)                                 1.3

Setting of the expeller: Start expelling without the terminal adjustment bolt. Stop the first press cake flow with a finger in front of the outlet until a stiff roll of press cake appears. Then start expelling with adjustment bolt leaving the openings in the cap free. Gradually tighten the adjustment bolt to improve the extraction. Turning the crank at about 50 rotations per minute requires a reasonable force. The oil clarifies after app. 24 hours at 50°C and will solidify after cooling.

Chia seed

The seeds flow easily into the inlet during expelling. Please clean the oil slit regularly with a small knife. The fine seeds flow into  the slit with the oil.

extraction efficiency: 80 %

oil yield (litre per hour): 0,9

Setting of the expeller: Use the terminal adjustment bolt leaving the openings in the cap free. Gradually tighten the adjustment bolt until the press cake appears as thin strings. Clean the oil slit regularly. Turning the crank requires a lot of force.

Hazelnut

The nuts have to be deshelled and chopped first. The chopped hazelnuts  will be easier to fill into the expeller, resulting in a higher yield/hour. Turn slowly at about 50 rotations per minute. Please use the pestle to avoid bridge formation in the funnel.

extraction efficiency: 81 %                        

oil yield (litre per hour): 1,4 - 1,5

Setting of the expeller: Use the terminal adjustment bolt leaving the openings in the cap free. Gradually tighten the adjustment bolt until the press cake appears as thin strings. Turning the crank at 50 rotations per minute requires little force.

Hempseed

Seed runs easily through the expeller and oil flows easily.

extraction efficiency: 68 %                        

oil yield (litre per hour):  1,2

Setting of the expeller: Do not use the terminal adjustment bolt. Turning the crank requires a lot of force.

Jatropha (decorticated)

Seed should be processed without the black shell (decorticated). Take care to remove any sand, stones and straw before expelling. Please use the pestle to improve the flow of the seeds.

extraction efficiency: 77 %          

oil yield (litre per hour): 1,56

Setting of the expeller: Use the terminal adjustment bolt leaving the openings in the cap free. Turning the crank  requires a reasonable force

Jatropha (undecorticated)

Seed should be processed including the shell (undecorticated). Take care to remove any sand, stones and straw before expelling. To avoid bridge formation in the funnel and to improve the flow of the seeds, please use the pestle.

extraction efficiency: 77 %

oil yield (litre per hour): 0,56

Setting of the expeller: Do not use the terminal adjustment bolt. Stop the first press cake flow with a finger in front of the outlet until a stiff roll of press cake appears. Turning of crank  at about 50 rounds per minute requires a reasonable force.

Rape seed (canola)

Remove all stones and sand by sifting first through a coarse and subsequently  a fine sieve. Turn the crank at 45 – 50 rounds per minute to allow the oil to flow to the oil outlet.

extraction efficiency: 75 %
oil yield (litre per hour):  1,6

Setting of the expeller: First allow free openings with the terminal adjustment bolt. Tighten bolt gradually until the press cake appears as thin strings. Turning of crank goes fairly easy.

Coconut (coprah)

The flesh of the coconut should be well dried ( in the sun or in the oven). Afterwards the copra should be grated or cut into small pieces. To avoid bridge formation in the funnel, please use the pestle.  Turn the crank slowly at 45 – 50 rotations per minute to allow the oil to flow to the oil outlet.

extraction efficiency: 87 %

oil yield (litre per hour): 2,0

Setting of the expeller: Do not use the terminal adjustment bolt. Stop the first press cake flow with a finger in front of the outlet until a stiff roll of press cake appears. Turning the crank at 45–50 rotations per minute requires little force.

Linseed

The seed runs easily through the expeller. Turn slowly at 45 rounds per minute to allow  the oil to run to the oil outlet.

extraction efficiency: 85 %                                                      

oil yield (litre per hour): 2,1

Setting of the expeller: Use the terminal adjustment bolt leaving the openings in the cap free. Turning the crank  requires a reasonable force.

Moringa

Moringa seed is expelled including the seed coat. Carefully remove any stones and other dirt before processing. The throughput is greatly improved when the seeds are milled or crushed before pressing, but the seed coat should not be sorted out. The seed should be well dried after harvesting in a thin layer in a dry place for 2 weeks until a moisture content of 6% to 8% . The angular seed should be put one into the opening one by one and will then be caught easily by the expeller screw.

extraction efficiency: 70 %

oil yield (litre per hour): 0,56

Setting of the expeller: Start expelling with the terminal adjustment bolt, leaving the openings free.  Afterwards tighten the adjustment bolt until the press cake appears as thin strings. Turn the crank at 45 – 50 rounds per minute. Turning the crank goes fairly heavy.

Niger seed

The seed enters easily into the screw. However, turn slowly at 45 – 50 rounds per minute to allow the oil to flow to the oil outlet.

extraction efficiency: 72 %

oil yield (litre per hour):  1,6 - 1,7

Setting of the expeller: Do not use the terminal adjustment bolt. Keep finger in front of the press cake outlet until the  formation of a dense press cake. Turning of crank goes fairly heavy.

Oil Palm kernel

Well dried oil palm kernel is a very hard seed. Seeds should be sorted by size. Small kernels flow easily into the expeller. The entire kernels must be soaked in boiling water for 5 minute, shortly dried and immediately pressed. Take care no shell is passing the expeller. The kernel oil has a high melting point. Keep the oil warm to allow impurities to settle.

extraction efficiency: 50 %
oil yield (litre per hour): 0.9

Setting of the expeller: Do not use the terminal adjustment bolt allowing free flow of press cake. Turning of crank goes heavy to very heavy.

Perilla

When pressed, the seed flows easily into the screw. The oil slit must be cleaned regularly with a small knife.

extraction efficiency: 88%

liters of oil per hour: 0.9

Setting of the expeller: Use the adjustment bolt, but leave both openings of the cap completely open. Then slowly tighten the bolt until the press cake comes out as two thin slings. Turning is quite heavy at 45-50 rounds per minute.

Groundnut (Peanut)

Use deshelled unroasted groundnuts. Carefully remove all stones before expelling. The groundnuts are expelled including the thin seed coat. To avoid bridge formation in the funnel, please use the pestle. Turn crank calmly at about 45 rotations per minute. Clean the oil outlet regularly with a little knife.

extraction efficiency: 70 %

oil yield (litre per hour): 1,65

Setting of the expeller:  Use the terminal adjustment bolt leaving the openings in the cap free. Gradually tighten the adjustment bolt until the press cake appears as thin strings. Turning the crank at 50 rotations per minute requires little force.

Pistachio

The nuts are easily fed into the screw. Push the nuts into the screw with the pestle, if necessary.

extraction efficiency: 87%

liters of oil per hour: 0.8

Setting of the expeller: Use the adjustment bolt, but leave both openings in the cap completely open. Turning is quite heavy at 45-50 rounds per minute.

Pumpkin seed

Seed should be expelled including the seed coat. Take care to remove any stones as they damage the expeller screw. The big seeds pass slowly into the screw and that is the reason of the low oil yield per hour.  (Reducing size of the seeds may improve the throughput of the seed.

extraction efficiency: 88 %

oil yield (litre per hour): 0.6 - 0.7

Setting of the expeller: Do not use the terminal adjustment bolt. Turning the crank requires considerable force.

Safflower

Seed should be processed including the seed coat. Take care to remove any stones before expelling. Push seed through the seed entry funnel  with the pestle.

extraction efficiency: 78 %
oil yield (litre per hour): 1.2

Setting of the expeller: Do not use the terminal adjustment bolt.  First stop outflow of seeds with a finger before the press cake outlet until a stiff roll of press cake appears. Turning the crank at 50 – 60 rounds per minute requires considerable force.

Sesame seed (sim sim)

Turn the crank slowly at about 45 rounds per minute to allow time for the oil to flow  to the oil outlet. Clean the oil outlet regularly every few minutes.

extraction efficiency: 69 %

oils yield (litre per hour): 1.9

Setting of the expeller: First allow a free flow of the press cake and subsequently gradually  close the press cake outlet by turning the terminal  adjustment bolt until the press cake appears as thin strings. Turning the crank requires some force.

Soya bean

Take care to remove any sand, stones and straw before expelling. Seeds flow easily in the expeller.
Beans should be preheated in a pan before expelling.
The Piteba expeller produces "virgin oil".

(for oil extraction from soya beans the solvent extraction method with hexane is commonly used. That oil is never certified organic!).

extraction efficiency: 67 %

oil yield (litre per hour): 0.8

Setting of the expeller: First stop outflow of seeds with a finger before the press cake outlet until a stiff roll of press cake appears. Turning the crank at about 50 rounds per minute requires a reasonable force.

Tea Tree seed

The seed is pressed including the seed coat. Make sure to remove stones. Use the pestle to push the seeds into the screw. The oil slit should be cleaned regularly with a small knife.

extraction efficiency: 70%

liters of oil per hour: 0.3

Setting of the expeller: Start without the adjustment bolt.  Once you get a homogeneous press cake you should use the adjustment bolt for a better extraction of the oil. Turning of crank  requires a reasonable force.

Walnut

Deshell dried nuts and then coarsely grind the seeds including the partition wall within the seed.

extraction efficiency:  89 %

oil yield (litre per hour):  1.0

Setting of the expeller: First  allow a free flow of the press cake and then gradually close  the press cake outlet by turning  the terminal adjustment bolt until the press cake appears as thin strings. Turning the crank goes lightly at 55 – 60 rounds per minute.

Sunflower seed

Seed should be processed including the shell. Take care to remove any sand, stones and straw before expelling. Use the pestle to push the seeds into the screw.

extraction efficiency: 80 %

oil yield (litre per hour) 1.3

Setting of the expeller: First stop outflow of seeds with a finger before the press cake outlet until a stiff roll of press cake appears. Turning of crank  at about 50 rounds per minute requires a reasonable force.

Other plant parts

The oil content of leaves and stems is too low to press the oil. Most of these oils are essential oils and should be extracted by means of solvent extraction or distillation.  

Algae

It should be possible to press oil from algae. So far, I have not been able to test a good sample.

Insects

A good sample is missing. The pressing of oil from insects could not yet be tested. Pressing oil from insects might have a future.

What else can you press

(No press data available / not yet tested )

• Baobab
• Karite (Shea-nut)
• Nigella
• Cotton seed
• Pecan nuts
• Macadamia
• Kukui nuts
• Neem seed
• Acorns (American oil acorns)

Not possible to press

• Rose hip seed (too tough / kernel too small)
• Cactus seed (too low in oil)
• Grape seeds (usually too low in oil / 8%)