The Complete Guide to Honey Presses: Choosing the Right Wax Cappings Press for Your Apiary

What is a Honey Press?

A honey press, also known as a wax cappings press, is an essential piece of equipment for beekeepers who want to maximize honey extraction from their cappings or if pressing comb honey . When you uncap honeycomb frames during harvest, those wax cappings contain a significant amount of valuable honey—often 20-30% by weight. A honey press allows you to recover this liquid gold efficiently and sustainably.

Honey Presses are a cold-press method and are gentle enough that the wax remains intact rather than melting, meaning you end up with two recoverable products: the drained honey and the pressed wax ready for further rendering.

Why Every Beekeeper Needs a Honey Press

If you're serious about beekeeping, a honey press offers several compelling benefits:

• Maximize Your Harvest: Recover honey that would otherwise be lost in the cappings
• Cleaner Wax: Pressed cappings yield cleaner beeswax for candles, cosmetics, and other products
• Cost-Effective: The honey you recover quickly pays for the press itself
• Sustainable Practice: Make the most of every drop your bees produce
• Cold-Press: As no heat is involved, the honey retains all its beneficial enzymes and nutrients

Types of Honey Presses

Manual Screw (T-bar) Presses

Perfect for hobbyist and small-scale beekeepers, manual screw presses use a threaded rod mechanism to apply gradual pressure. These are ideal if you're processing smaller quantities of cappings.

Our 1.32 Gallon (5L) Honey Press or 2.38 Gallon (9L) Honey Press, are excellent entry-level options that deliver reliable performance without breaking the bank. For larger operations, consider our larger 3.69 Gallon (14L) T-Bar Honey Press, which offer greater capacity while remaining easy to operate.

Hydraulic Jack Presses

Stepping up from the screw press is the larger hydraulic press. With significantly larger baskets and pressing capacity due to the jack, these wax presses are perfect for beekeepers processing large volumes of cappings. They deliver powerful, consistent pressure with minimal effort.

Wax Cappings Screw Press

The wax cappings screw press (also called a wax extruder) is a step up again and is often used by commercial beekeepers on a honey production line. They have a collection hopper and are often placed under the automated uncapping machines to catch and process the wax cappings. 

They work by using a rotating screw to mechanically force raw wax cappings through a cylinder, separating honey from wax without heat. The screw pushes the cappings into a tighter channel, compressing them to extract honey through a perforated screen, leaving behind dry, compressed wax.

Best Practices for Using Your Honey Press

Preparation

1. Allow cappings to drain naturally for 24-48 hours before pressing
2. Warm cappings slightly (not above 95°F/35°C) to improve honey flow
3. Ensure your press and collection container are clean and food-safe

Pressing Technique

1. Fill the press basket no more than 2/3 full to allow for compression
2. Apply pressure gradually—rushing can damage the press or create mess
3. For manual presses, tighten incrementally over 30-60 minutes. When it feel tight walk away and allow the wax to work its way out before tightening again. Repeat this over 30 - 60 minutes and you will end up with very dry wax.
4. For hydraulic presses, pump slowly and allow honey to drain between pumps

After Pressing

1. Strain the pressed honey through a fine mesh to remove any wax particles
2. Save the pressed wax cakes for rendering into clean beeswax
3. Clean your press immediately with warm water 

Explore our complete collection of honey presses and wax cappings presses today, and start recovering every precious drop of honey your bees work so hard to produce.

Have questions about which honey press is right for your operation? Contact our beekeeping experts—we're here to help you succeed!