American Harvester Fruit/Apple Press with Grinder

Happy Valley Ranch's American Harvester Cider Press with their Apple Eater Grinder is a double basket model that allows for pressing and grinding at the same time. This press and grinder combo first came out in 1984, and many features have been added since then to make it even more user friendly, strong, and durable. The American Harvester is perfect for the orchard farmer, homesteader family, and individual enthusiast.

Unlike other presses, the American Harvester can grind apples and press the juice all from the same unit, at the same time. The popular Apple Eater grinder reduces apples to pulp-like texture for the most efficient press. This design feature means the American Harvester can produce more cider from apples than pressing them whole. Plus, pressing ground apples is far easier and faster than pressing whole apples! With two people working with the press and grinder you can produce fifty gallons of cider all in one afternoon using the American Harvester.

Apple Eater Grinder

To grind apples in the Apple Eater, simply drop them in whole as you rotate the heavy duty flywheel. The cast iron grinder with its 5-1/2" diameter hard maple drum and inset stainless steel teeth feeds apples through and grinds them with ease. The heavy wood drum is double coated with Poxy Coat II food-safe coating. The cast iron flywheel weighs a hefty 18 pounds to make grinding easier, by providing more force.

Withstands the Pressure

The American Harvester features a 1-1/2” cast iron threaded acme screw—an industry leading thickness that withstands the pressing pressure that's needed to extract the maximum juice from hard fruit. The pressing block on all Happy Valley Ranch cider presses is made of hard maple and has a thick 2” handle with an inset for easy removal. This thick pressing block is ready to withstand the pressure of the acme screw. The screw's cast iron foot distributes pressure evenly across the pressing block.

Hardwood Baskets

All wood parts are made from hard maple wood. Previously, Happy Valley Ranch cider presses used soft maple but they recently switched to hard maple to ensure durability and ruggedness. The staves on the American Harvester’s two hardwood baskets are beveled to aid in cleaning. The baskets measure 12" tall x 13-1/2" diameter and are held together with heavy steel hoops. Each basket has an approximate capacity of 24 liters (6.4 gallons) of pulped apples. The press includes two juice racks for easy flow of juice.

Sturdy Frame

The American Harvester frame is made of laminated hard maple wood. Each joint has been designed for a tight fit and is notched and cross-bolted. The frame's wide, low stance and four legs provide great stability. The clearance under the juice spout is 12-1/2". 

Sealing