Note: Today we're shipping orders for in-stock items placed February 4.
Clearance: Maximizer 36L Press with GSAM and Stainless Basket
No longer available.

Clearance: Maximizer 36L Press with GSAM and Stainless Basket

This is an R2 clearance item. Please check the table below to see how we rate our clearance items. 

Note: The product images on this page are of a new item, with the exception of any images marked “Clearance item”.

The Maximizer™ wine press is built very, very strong. Its rectangular steel tubing frame has a wall thickness of 3/16”, and it features a large diameter forcing screw that lets you put tremendous pressure on your grapes to extract the maximum juice yield from your vineyard’s harvest.

A simple and effective ratcheting mechanism with long steel handle provides excellent mechanical advantage, taking the hard work out of wine pressing. The traveling-screw design of this wine press speeds up operation by eliminating the need to add pressing blocks in multiple stages on top of the pressing plate, as is required with most fixed-screw wine presses.

Large capacities: The 9.5 gallon model of the Maximizer wine press holds 85 pounds of grapes, while the 5.3 gallon version holds 48 lbs. of grapes.

Easy tip-off yoke: The upper yoke, or cross beam, of the Maximizer wine press tips completely out of your way for access to load and empty the basket. This design makes the wine pressing operation easy and efficient.

Best materials: A frame made of 3/16"-wall high strength rectangular steel tubing and a pre-sealed oak or stainless steel pressing basket with stainless steel pan give the Maximizer wine press the strength to last for years and years of use. And we package the press well to protect everything during shipping.

New GSAM feature: The Maximizer-GSAM fruit press features an integrated Grinder Swing Arm Mount (GSAM) that allows you to mount an optional apple grinder right on your press for maximum convenience and productivity. The GSAM provides you with a secure mount for the optional apple grinder. It puts the grinder just where you need it to rapidly pulverize apples for full juice extraction, and then just as easily it swings your grinder out of the way for pressing.

New Fast Retract feature: The Maximizer presses now features a very handy Fast Retract handle socket. After the juice has been squeezed from a batch of fruit and the forcing screw has been ratcheted backward a few strokes to relieve pressure, remove the ratchet handle from its horizontal socket and drop it into the adjacent vertical socket. This Fast Retract feature lets you spin the forcing screw and pressing plate quickly back up to the top of the basket.


For more details please see the specs tab, above.

The top U.S. wine producing states are Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Idaho, New Mexico, Iowa and Colorado… We ship wine presses free to the 48-contiguous U.S. states!

We’re currently out of the 20L Maximizer press equipped with the GSAM grinder mount. However, we will certainly be getting more of the GSAM arms later in 2017. If you order a non-GSAM Maximizer press now (which is currently in stock), and add the GSAM arm later, you'll have exactly the same thing, because it’s the same press either way, including the integral GSAM-arm connection hardware. For current buyers of 20L Maximizer presses, a $20 discount off the separate price of the GSAM arm will be available, once those arrive.

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Descriptions of Ratings for Clearance Store Items

Rating

Description
(Expanded descriptions in next table)

Minimum Discount

Mechanically Perfect

Standard Return  Policy

Full
Warranty

R1

Returned. Non-working surfaces have new or nearly new appearance. Working surfaces may have slight wear marks. Very close scrutiny is required to tell that the item isn’t brand new. Packaging may not be perfect.

10%

Yes

Yes

Yes

R2

Returned, nearly-new appearance. Slight to moderate flaws on non-working surfaces, such as a mixer cabinet or lid.

Varies by Item

Yes

Yes

Yes

FR

Factory refurbished. Mostly returned items which have been brought fully up to new-equipment performance specs at the factory.

Varies by Item

Yes

Yes

No

D

Demonstration items have been operated briefly at Pleasant Hill Grain.

Varies by Item

Yes

Yes

Yes

SDB

From new stock; has moderate damage such as a scratch, dent, or paint blemish.

Varies by Item

Yes

Yes

Yes

NOS

New old-stock. A brand new item that isn't the newest model.

Varies by Item

Yes

Yes

Varies by Item

Additional notes: 

  1. The ratings are for cosmetic condition only. All Clearance Store merchandise is guaranteed to function perfectly. 
  2. Items are offered under normal terms of sale: Please review policies before ordering. 
  3. Some clearance items ship in plain (but carefully boxed) packaging, rather than the manufacturer’s original carton. 
  4. Important: All clearance items may have been exposed to various allergenic foods. 

Bottom Line: If you’re a highly detail-oriented person, we recommend sticking to “R1.” But after a week’s use, the only real difference between one of these items and a brand new one will be the money you saved.

Clearance ID: 

Did we forget something?
If you need more information about this product, please tell us what else you'd like to know with a quick email or live chat.

Specs

Manufacturer Part Number
FP36A+SS
UPC/EAN Number
090125718782
PHG Exclusive
Yes
Color
Red
Width
19.5
Depth
15.25
Height
38
Weight (lbs.)
105
Basket Dimensions (Dia. x H)
12.5" x 17"
Basket Material
Stainless steel
Power Source
Manual
Warranty Length
1 year

Shipping

We stock this product in our Nebraska warehouse. Most of our shipments are by UPS Ground or Home Delivery and you should receive your order in five business days or less from ship-out. Click here for more information about shipping.

Accessories for this product:

Maximizer® Apple Grinder

When you need to turn apples to pulp, our exclusive Maximizer® apple grinder is the tool for the job. When pressing apples for apple cider, you'll get about three times more juice by pulping them first, compared to pressing them whole.

The Maximizer apple grinder uses strong stainless steel teeth set into a large stainless steel rotor. As apples are ground, the load on the grinder's teeth changes rapidly. The Maximizer's large twenty pound flywheel is an important feature, providing rotating mass that maintains speed and makes an otherwise jerky and difficult effort smoother and easier.

Some people like to grind into a bucket and dump into their cider press, mounting on a sawhorse or similar support. Others prefer to mount the grinder higher so the pulped apples drop directly into the pressing basket. Mounting slots are provided for either back or bottom mounting, and fruit pulp exits through the bottom discharge.

The Maximizer turns your apples into the right texture to get the most juice from your harvest. It can also be used with pears and other large, pit-free fruit. Like all Maximizer® products, this fruit grinder is built tank-heavy with a ductile iron body and 3/4” stainless axle rod for years and years of steady, reliable service. It's an heirloom-quality machine that can be expected to serve you, your children, and their children.

The Maximizer arrives assembled except for attachment of the flywheel and handle, which takes one to two minutes. The rotor can be reversed for turning from the opposite side.

An optional stainless steel hopper is available for the Maximizer grinder.

Quality apple presses can be seen here: Apple Cider Presses!

Search tags: It's a fruit crusher, pulverizer, masher, pulper, chopper, shredder, and apple scratter.

(More info) See product

$299.00

In stock Usually ships in 1-3 business days.

Hopper Extension for Maximizer® Grinder

This handy stainless hopper extension for our Maximizer® Apple Grinder allows you to load up more apples to feed into the grinder.

Fruit press, grinder, and GSAM are all sold separately.

(More info) See product

$79.00

In stock Usually ships in 1-3 business days.

Cider: Making, Using & Enjoying Sweet & Hard Cider

Step-by-step instructions, recipes, illustrations, countless tips, plus interesting bits of the history and lore of cider. You get them all in the 213 page book Cider, by Annie Proulx and Lew Nichols. It's a great book, the ideal companion to your fruit press, and shipping is free when purchased with your fruit press!

Chapters include:

“…one of the most comprehensive and enduring books on the topic. [Cider] is a valuable resource not only for those attempting home bottling, but also for apple enthusiasts.” ― Gastronomica

“It’s all there, from grafting to distilling, from applejack to vinegar.” ― Washington State Grange News

“ … a straightforward, user-friendly, step-by-step handbook … ” ― Library Bookwatch

(More info) See product

$14.95

In stock Usually ships in 1-3 business days.

Mesh Bag for Fruit Press, 14.5 x 20 inch

These high strength pressing/strainer bags have holes approximately 1/32". Disposable cotton cheesecloth is the traditional material to use for this purpose, but these mesh bags are much handier and they're very durable—one bag will last more than a season in normal use. They also speed the pressing process. Size is 14.5" diameter x 20" tall and they also work perfectly in smaller baskets.

If you press apples or other fruit without a cloth liner like this bag provides, at a relatively low level of pressure the pulp will start to shoot—and we do mean shoot—out through the larger gaps or perforations of the pressing basket. Without a bag, when you reach that point, no further pressure can be attainted because fruit will only continue to exit through the basket gaps. The mesh keeps pulp in the basket, allowing you to crank down on the batch with much more pressure and get much more juice from your fruit.

In addition to allowing much higher pressure and greater juice yields, these mesh bags also keep almost all pulp out of your squeezed juice, for a high degree of clarity even without filtering.

For effortless cleanup when you're done, just throw the bag in the washing machine with your next load of laundry! The bags are tough polyester, so you can use warm water and the regular wash cycle.

Click here for the mesh liner for the hydropress fruit press.

(More info) See product

$14.00

In stock Usually ships in 1-3 business days.

Customer reviews

PHG provides product-giveaway sweepstakes entries to all submitters of reviews, a program which also accepts entries without purchase. Take advantage of this program for repeated opportunities to win great PHG products! Nature of review does not influence odds of winning. Full contest rules are available here. All reviews are by verified buyers.

Overall Rating:

55 reviews
per page

1 - 10 of 55 reviews

Great home hobbyist investment
By John in Kingston,WA on 4/12/2016 Verified Buyer

I had the best of hopes considering the price of this press. It isn't cheap, but I'm very happy I decided to make the investment. (Actually, I saw some rough looking used stuff on Craigslist for pretty much the same price or more, so the Pleasant Hill price might actually be good.) It's really sturdy and the workmanship is excellent. I had never operated a press before, but it seems to function perfectly and I made some killer cider. Now that the press is confirmed, I plan to buy the GSAM, apple grinder and hopper extension to complete my system. The grinder and these additional components are nicely engineered to mount and function together, so I expect setup for my next pressing to be a breeze. Have fun and press on!

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Wow..... Just..... Wow!
By Allen P., MO on 7/25/2016 Verified Buyer

Your Maximizer press has it all, does it all, and it's clearly going to last and last. I mean, I would say that only a bomb is going to make this thing fail, but actually I don't think a bomb would damage it all that much. Maybe a direct hit.

The efficiency, in conjunction with your apple grinder, is just outstanding. The effort requirement is low, juice yield is fantastic, and there's just no better way to spend a beautiful day in the fall.

The icing on the cake is that it arrived so fast, and well-protected. I've really had it up to "here" with the shoddy, shabby packaging that gets worse by the year. Goods damaged on arrival are such a pain in the rear. Thanks for doing things right!

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Terrific machine & Good value
By Stuart S., ME on 7/25/2016 Verified Buyer

I had trouble finding a quality cider press until I came across you guys last fall and I want to tell you that this is a terrific machine. I did 100 bushels of apples and it worked perfectly. And it's a good value. Thank you for offering such a great fruit press!

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Fast-Retract feature is smart
By Rog & Stef M., WA on 7/25/2016 Verified Buyer

Your fast-retraction feature is quite a time saver. We hadn't used a press of any kind before, but it's clear that the smaller turning circle makes raising the screw much faster than it would otherwise be. Kudos on smart design!

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Excellent value and quality
By Beth I. in CT on 4/12/2016 Verified Buyer

The Maximizer is a quality press and an excellent value, and customer service was excellent as well.

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Top of the line
By Richard C., MI on 7/25/2016 Verified Buyer

I've received my fruit press and found it to be well made and really much more than I expected. This is a top of the line press that will give me many years of service, and the help and courtesy demonstrated by your people were greatly appreciated.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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Good press, grinder not optional
By Matthew G. in OR on 9/25/2018 Verified Buyer

Press is high quality and much sturdier/nicer than the ubiquitous wood presses popular here in the Pacific Northwest. If you want to get a decent quantity of cider the grinder is not optional; we could not get any cider to come out of a load of quartered apples but managed over a half gallon from the same apples after grinding them. The only other issue is the press tends to move when applying force to the crank arm. You really need to anchor the press to a piece of wood to prevent it from moving, which diminishes the gorgeous appearance of the press. Overall, even with the added cost of the grinder, this press is cheaper than used wood press for sale locally on craigslist, looks better, and works well.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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Great product and great cider!
By Still Brook Farm, NH on 3/14/2018 Verified Buyer

We purchased the Maximizer and enjoyed fantastic cider from the very first pressing. This is a heavy duty press that should last us a lifetime. We also purchased with this the mesh bags, hopper extension, apple grinder, GSAM and food grease. All items arrived on-time and together. It took about 30 minutes to put together. I mounted the press to a 2' x 4'sheet of 3/4 plywood with wheels that lock for ease of storage. We halved or quartered the apples and dropped them in the hopper. Clean up was easy, a quick spray down with the hose. This week we tasted our first hard cider, it was fantastic. We produced thirty-five gallons from our small orchard using the Maximizer and thoroughly enjoyed the experience with friends and family!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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Excellent Machine
By Toni T. in MT on 9/21/2016 Verified Buyer

We were so impressed with the speed with which we received our apple press! Thank you. Sturdy beautiful machine that works flawlessly.

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Very happy with purchase!
By Diane W. in VT on 4/14/2016 Verified Buyer

Well made product and works great for our small apple orchard!

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