Why Choose an Expensive Hydraulic Press for Sesame Oil When Screw Presses Are Cheaper and Yield More Oil?

This is a common question among many oil mill owners and processing plants. After all, screw presses achieve an oil yield of 55%–62% per batch—3–8 percentage points higher than hydraulic presses—with equipment costs over 30% lower. But anyone deeply involved in the sesame oil industry knows this:the core value of sesame oil is never “higher oil yield,” but its unique rich aroma and natural nutrition—precisely the core advantages of hydraulic oil presses.

Key Difference 1: Low-Temperature Aroma Preservation, Retaining Sesame Oil’s “Soul Flavor”

Sesame oil’s aroma comes from volatile compounds such as sesamin and sesamol, which break down rapidly at high temperatures.

• Screw press: Friction from the screw chamber generates high temperatures of 60–75°C, equivalent to “secondary roasting.” This easily produces a burnt taste, with over 40% of natural aroma lost. The final oil typically has a single burnt note, lacking complexity.

• Hydraulic oil press: Uses a cold-pressing process at ≤45°C. Static high-pressure pressing produces no frictional heat, fully preserving flavor compounds like 2-methyl-3-furanthiol. The aroma is rich and long-lasting—this is why high-end restaurants and cold dishes prefer hydraulic-pressed sesame oil.

A premium oil mill in Indonesia reported:“Customers immediately recognize hydraulic-pressed sesame oil for its ‘no burnt taste, pure and authentic aroma.’ Even at a 20% higher price than screw-pressed oil, demand still outstrips supply.”

Key Difference 2: Nutrient Retention, Aligning with Healthy Consumption Trends

The 2026 Sesame Oil Market Report shows that 68% of global high-end sesame oil demand is driven by demand for “natural, additive-free, high-nutrition” products. Consumers are willing to pay a 30% premium for oil with high sesamin content.

• Screw press: High-temperature pressing degrades over 30% of heat-sensitive nutrients. Sesamin retention is only 280–410 mg/kg, with increased risk of excessive peroxide value.

• Hydraulic press: Low-temperature pressing at ≤50°C retains over 90% of sesamin, reaching 420–580 mg/kg. Fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin E and β-carotene are fully preserved. Crude oil peroxide value is reduced by 30–50% compared to hot pressing, meeting first-grade oil standards without refining.

More importantly, hydraulic pressing uses no chemical additives, produces no benzopyrene, and does not activate aflatoxins—fully complying with the GB/T 8233-2018 national standard for high-end sesame oil.

Key Difference 3: Precise Scene Adaptability, Premium Quality Even in Small Batches

Sesame oil processing often follows a “small-batch, high-quality” model, especially for specialty categories such as stone-ground sesame oil and organic sesame oil. Hydraulic presses excel in intermittent operation:

• Screw press: Suitable for large-scale production above 50 kg/h. Requires preheating before startup, causing serious energy waste in small-batch processing. Annual maintenance costs: 5,000–8,000 RMB.

• Hydraulic press: Processes 5–20 kg per batch, perfectly matching the custom-processing needs of small and medium-sized oil mills. Modular design ensures a failure rate ≤0.5 times per 1,000 operating hours, with annual maintenance costs of only 1,500–3,000 RMB.Protein in sesame cake is fully preserved (up to 45%), which can be further processed into feed or plant-based foods for extra profit.

Choosing the Right Equipment = Choosing the Right Market Track

The “high yield, low cost” screw press suits bulk, efficiency-focused oil processing.But as a flavor-driven oil, sesame oil’s core competitiveness lies in aroma and nutrition—the unique strength of hydraulic oil presses.

The 2026 sesame oil market will exceed 25 billion RMB, with clear trends toward premiumization and health.Although hydraulic presses require a slightly higher upfront investment, they create a virtuous cycle:high quality → high premium → high repurchase rates—the real key to long-term profitability.

Choosing equipment is not about choosing the cheapest, but the most suitable.If you want to make memorable, premium sesame oil that consumers love—the hydraulic oil press is the right choice.