There are many types of oils available on the market, produced through various processes, such as pressing and extraction. So, what does "oil press" mean? What is the difference between oil pressing and extraction?
What is an oil press?
The equipment used to extract oil from plants (seeds) is called an oil press. Oil can be extracted using an oil press in two different ways: hot pressing and cold pressing. Cold pressing is typically used because it produces the healthiest oil.
What does an oil press do?
An oil press is used to extract oil from seeds and nuts. An oil press uses high pressure to "press" the oil from the plant. This mechanical process releases the oil from the seeds and nuts, typically without the addition of any chemicals. This results in pure, organic oil from the seeds.
How does an oil press work?
An oil press typically uses a torsion press. Some products, such as peanuts, must be dehulled before pressing.
The seeds are fed into the torsion system via a high-pressure cylindrical torsion press. Friction is generated as the material passes through the system. The high pressure generated during this process extracts nearly all of the seed oil.
The extracted oil is filtered through a sieve or strainer to ensure that no solids or fibers are lost. This results in a clean, smooth finished product. The remaining pressed seeds form a hard cake, which is then removed from the machine, and the oil flows into a separate container.
What seeds can be used to extract oil using an oil press?
Oil can be extracted from dry oilseeds such as sesame, hemp, sunflower seeds, rapeseed, coconut, black cumin, grapeseed, safflower, rapeseed, pumpkin seeds, melon seeds, palm seeds, pomegranate seeds, and coconut. Oil can also be extracted from peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts, poppy, flaxseed, almonds, palm oil, carnauba oil, mustard seeds, nettle seeds, raspberries, pepper seeds, rosehip seeds, jatropha, cocoa beans, melon seeds, soybeans, blueberry seeds, and pistachios.
The difference between an oil press and an oil mill: An oil press presses seeds to extract oil. Oil pressing involves completely immersing the seeds in a solvent and then extracting the oil at high temperatures. During the extraction process, some solvent inevitably remains in the extracted oil. This means that extracted oil is less healthy than pressed oil. Oil produced using an oil press is always healthier.
