Anyone have an opinion on the Wood Lab Cheese Press (http://cgi.ebay.com/STAINLESS-DUAL-CHEESE-PRESS-w-pressure-reg-2-1-5-GAL_W0QQitemZ200509128514QQcategoryZ38172QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp5197.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D1%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6254002430082544800#ht_1214wt_905) sold on eBay?
[Not sure if this the right forum area, but the only other equipment forum is for commercial dairy equipment. Apologies if it isn't.]
Good's (IMHO) are stainless what looks like molds more than hoops and two sizes and well made.
Bad's (IMHO) are spring design so as whey is expelled you need to constantly be screwing it down a bit more, lots of labor and hard to know what pressure you are applying batch to batch; constrains you to max 2 US gallon of milk sized cheese which you will probably soon outgrow; molds don't appear to have weep holes in sides or follower to expel whey, assume only in bottom.
If you search on spring you'll find similar replies. Here's my stepladder and paint bucket press (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,3090.msg25145.html#msg25145). Personally I'd spend money on molds or hoops first and for small batches improvise on a press.
Attached picture from eBay for historical reference.
Yeah, most opinions on these types of cheese presses here are from negative to very negative. In addition to all the cons that John listed another con is that they are horrendously overpriced.
If you must buy, you can purchase a Dutch Style cheese press which is superior to these spring style presses in every way, and costs half as much. If don't mind building a Dutch Style cheese press yourself you can build one for a tenth of that price.
I agree with KosherBaker and John. Looks like a press from someone who loves craft but never made cheese... you can easily devise your own cheese press at home in an afternoon and less than $30. There are also several very talented people on this board who make presses for sale. In his day job, member Alex's is a talented carpenter who makes spectacular furniture in a shop-factory that he owns. I have been using Alex's dutch press and it's fantastic. Made of sturdy pine and have multiple torque settings from x2 to x5. Just put the desired mold in, add the weights and press. I have seen others on the board but personally I love using Alex's press. I also use on larger cheese a press that I put together in an afternoon. There is an old thread about it here somewhere.
I'm glad I posted the question. Google being fairly useless these days to find recommendations on anything, I'm glad there's this forum.
In the short term, I think I can manage John's ladder/bucket press, but I'd love to buy a Dutch press.
Where are Alex et al's presses (the one's for sale) located on the forum? I see pictures and posts about them, but don't see any for sale?
Just contact him